Systems and methods for synchronizing ground power units
AssigneeBoom Technology, Inc.
InventorJames Senerth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Output signals from ground power units can be combined to supply more energy for aircraft to use for starting a jet engine. The combining can be possible when the outputs from the ground power units are synchronized. In a synchronization process, a first ground power unit may be started so that its first output signal serves as a reference for the synchronization. Then, an interconnect on a second ground power unit can be toggled to start and stop the generation of a second output signal at different times until the signals are in phase (i.e., synchronized).
Claims22
A method for synchronizing ground power units, the method comprising:
- generating, using a first ground power unit (GPU), a first output signal;
- triggering a second GPU to output a second output signal;
- comparing the first output signal to the second output signal to measure a phase shift;
- and
- determining, based on the phase shift, the first output signal and the second output signal are synchronized, otherwise:
- disabling the second GPU from outputting the second output signal;
- and
- repeating the triggering, the comparing, and the determining after a period, the period based on the phase shift.
A system for synchronizing ground power units, comprising:
- a first ground power unit (GPU) configured to generate a first output signal;
- a second GPU configured to generate a second output signal when triggered and not generate the second output signal when disabled;
- and
- a processing module configured to iteratively synchronize the first output signal and the second output signal, wherein at each iteration the processing module is configured to:
- trigger the second GPU to output the second output signal;
- compare the first output signal to the second output signal to measure a phase shift;
- and
- determine, based on the phase shift, the first output signal and the second output signal are synchronized, otherwise:
- disable the second GPU from outputting the second output signal;
- and
- start a next iteration after a period based on the phase shift.
A method for starting a jet engine, the method comprising:
- iteratively synchronizing a slave output signal of a slave ground power unit (GPU) with a master output signal of a master GPU by restarting the slave GPU at different times until the slave output signal is synchronized with the master output signal;
- generating combined GPU power, after the slave output signal is synchronized with the master output signal, by combining the slave output signal and the master output signal in parallel;
- and
- starting the jet engine by applying the combined GPU power to a starter-generator to power an accessory gearbox to turn a shaft of the jet engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.