Auxiliary power system
AssigneeAirbus Operations S.L.U.
InventorsBenjamin DAVID, Marcos Javier CHIABRANDO, María Cruz ZAMARRO MARTÍN, Francisco Manuel ANDREU FERNÁNDEZ, Carlos CASADO MONTERO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An auxiliary power generator system for an aircraft including an auxiliary power unit (APU) with dual and fully redundant starter and electrical power generation systems that connects independently to a normal electric network or an emergency electric network of an aircraft. A method for supplying electric power to an aircraft by means of the system.
Claims15
A redundant auxiliary power system for an aircraft comprising:
- an auxiliary power unit (APU) for supplying power to the aircraft;
- a normal electric busbar network in the aircraft;
- an emergency electric busbar network in the aircraft;
- a normal starter in the aircraft configured to start the APU;
- an emergency starter in the aircraft configured to start the APU;
- a normal electric power generator in the aircraft configured to be driven by the APU to generate electrical power supplied to the normal electric busbar;
- and
- an emergency electric power generator in the aircraft configured to be driven by the APU to generate electric power supplied to the emergency busbar network;
- an electrical power controller in the aircraft configured to control electrical operational parameters of the normal electric busbar network and the emergency electric busbar networks;
- and
- an APU controller in the aircraft operatively connected to the electrical power controller and configured to control the APU to selectively operate in a normal mode and an emergency mode based on data received from the electrical power controller, data related to aircraft operational parameters or a manually activated signal;
- wherein the normal starter and the emergency starter are each configured to start the APU to operate the normal electric power generator and/or the emergency electric power generator;
- and
- wherein the redundant auxiliary power system is configured to operate in:
- the emergency mode during which the APU controller and the electrical power controller are jointly configured to activate the emergency starter to start the APU and activate the emergency electric power generator to supply electric power to the emergency electric busbar network;
- and
- in the normal mode during which the APU controller is configured to select the normal starter or the emergency starter to start the APU;
- select the normal electric power generator or the emergency electric power generator, and select whether power from the normal or emergency electric power generator is to be applied to the normal electric busbar network or the emergency electric busbar network.
A method for supplying electric power to an aircraft by a redundant auxiliary power system in the aircraft which includes an auxiliary power unit (APU), a normal electric busbar network, an emergency electric busbar network, a normal starter, an emergency starter, a normal electric power generator and an emergency electric power generator, an electrical power controller and an APU controller operatively,
- wherein the method comprises:
- operating the redundant auxiliary power system in a normal mode during which a selection is made to activate the normal starter or the emergency starter to start the APU, select and activate the normal electric power generator or the emergency electric power generator to be driven by the APU, and select and activate whether power from the selected normal or emergency electric power generator is applied to the normal electric busbar network or the emergency electric busbar network, and
- operating in an emergency mode during which the emergency starter to activated to start the APU and the emergency electric power generator is driven by the APU to supply electric power to the emergency electric busbar network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.