Bifilar electric drive system with inter-turn short circuit mitigation

An aircraft comprising:

• an arrangement having:
• an electric machine with a first winding system and a second winding system, wherein at least one electrical conductor of the first winding system and at least one electrical conductor of the second winding system are at least partially wound around a common winding axis, wherein turns of the at least one electrical conductor of the first winding system and the at least one electrical conductor of the second winding system alternate in a direction of the common winding axis;
• a first inverter for supplying the first winding system with a multi-phase current;
• a second inverter for supplying the second winding system with a multi-phase current;
• and
• a DC bus providing a DC current to each inverter of the first and second inverters, wherein at least one inverter of the first and second inverters is electrically connected to the DC bus and/or to the at least one electrical conductor of the respective winding system via protection switches.

A method of operating an arrangement having an electric machine with a first winding system and a second winding system, wherein at least one electrical conductor of the first winding system and at least one electrical conductor of the second winding system are at least partially wound around a common winding axis, wherein turns of the at least one electrical conductor of the first winding system and the at least one electrical conductor of the second winding system alternate in a direction of the common winding axis, the method comprising:

• operating the first winding system by supplying, by a first inverter of the arrangement, the first winding system with a multi-phase current and/or operating the second winding system by supplying, by a second inverter of the arrangement, the second winding system with a multi-phase current;
• detecting a fault in the first winding system or the second winding system;
• opening protection switches of the first inverter or the second inverter based on the detection of the fault in the respective winding system;
• and
• continuing to operate the respective winding system of the other inverter.