Aircraft External Power Assembly, Ground-Based Power Assembly, and Method for Operating Same

A ground-based power assembly comprising:

• an electrified rail including a first conductive rail and a second conductive rail extending along a ground of an aircraft transit area, the electrified rail includes a first rail portion and a second rail portion, the first rail portion includes a first portion of the first conductive rail and the second conductive rail, and the second rail portion includes a second portion of the first conductive rail and the second conductive rail;
• a power supply electrically connected to the first rail portion and the second rail portion;
• and
• a controller connected in signal communication with the power supply, the controller including a processer in signal communication with a non-transitory memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• control the power supply to apply a first voltage to the first rail portion;
• and
• control the power supply to apply a second voltage to the second rail portion, and the first voltage is different than the second voltage.

A method for supplying electrical power to an electrical distribution system of a propulsion system of an aircraft with a ground-based power assembly, the method comprising:

• supplying electrical power to an electrified rail of the ground-based power assembly by applying a voltage to a first conductive rail and a second conductive rail of the electrified rail with a power supply;
• electrically connecting the electrical distribution system to the electrified rail with an external power assembly by electrically connecting a first connector and a second connector of the external power assembly with the first conductive rail and the second conductive rail, respectively;
• transiting the aircraft along the electrified rail with the electrical distribution system electrically connected to the electrified rail;
• and
• supplying electrical power to the electrical distribution system with the ground-based power assembly as the aircraft transits along the electrified rail.