Method for controlling and protecting an electrical distribution network for aircraft propelling loads

A method for controlling and protecting a power distribution system for propulsion loads of an aircraft,

• the aircraft carrying a number N of electrical sources and a number N of propulsion loads, the aircraft also carrying the power distribution system,
• the power distribution system comprising a number N of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power channels,
• each HVDC power channel having a rank j between 1 and N, each HVDC power channel comprising an input power line, an HVDC distribution bus of rank j, and an output power line, the input power line being connected to the output power line by the HVDC distribution bus, each HVDC power channel of rank j comprising at least a protection element and a switching member on the input power line and a protection element and a switching member on the output power line,
• the input power line being electrically connected to an electrical source and the output power line being electrically connected to a propulsion load,
• each distribution bus of rank j further being coupled to the distribution bus of rank j+1 by means of a solid-state power controller (SSPC) which is closed in a nominal configuration of the power distribution system,
• such that, in the nominal configuration, the electrical power distribution system is able to distribute the electrical power received from the N electrical sources, to the propulsion loads,
• the method comprising:
• detecting a short circuit in the electrical power distribution system;
• reconfiguring the electrical power distribution system to an intermediate degraded configuration in which all the SSPCs are open, so that the HVDC power channels are electrically isolated from each other;
• in response to detecting that the short circuit has occurred on a HVDC power channel of rank k, non-temporarily opening at least one switching member of the HVDC power channel of rank k;
• and
• reconfiguring the distribution system to a final degraded configuration in which at least the HVDC distribution buses of a rank other than rank k are recoupled together and the at least one switching member of the HVDC power channel of rank k remains open.