US 5,936,318 AGranted

Power distribution arrangement especially in an aircraft

AssigneeDaimlerChrysler Aerospace Airbus GmbH

InventorsWerner Weiler, Michael Krumbholz

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Abstract

A power distribution arrangement, especially in an aircraft, includes plural power sources, a power line having plural power supply strands connected to the power sources, plural power consumer groups each including plural power consuming devices, and branch lines respectively connecting the power line with the power consumer groups. A respective allocation unit selectively interconnects the power consuming devices of each group with selected individual branch line strands of the branch lines. A status unit acquires information regarding the respective operating status of the power sources and the power line strands, and conveys corresponding information regarding a power failure on any power line strand to a central power control unit, which correspondingly transmits control commands over a control bus to the respective allocation units. In response to the control commands, each allocation unit automatically disconnects power consuming devices from any power line strand that has failed and reconnects the devices to another power line strand that is still operating properly. In this manner, the allocation of power consuming devices to the several power line strands can be reconfigured automatically or by manual inputs without requiring a mechanical rearrangement of power system components, and it is possible to a large extent to ensure that power will continue to be provided to important power consuming devices despite the failure of any one or more power supply circuits or branches.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A power distribution apparatus comprising:

at least one power source,
a power line including a plurality of individual power line strands connected to said at least one power source,
at least one branch line including a plurality of individual branch line strands respectively connected to said individual power line strands at a power distribution point along a length of said power line,
at least one power consumer group including a plurality of power consuming devices and a plurality of individual feeder lines respectively connected to said power consuming devices,
at least one allocation unit connected to said plurality of individual branch line strands and thereby to said plurality of individual power line strands, and connected to said plurality of individual feeder lines and thereby to said plurality of power consuming devices, and adapted to selectively interconnect one or more respective ones of said feeder lines with respective selected ones of said branch line strands,
a status unit connected with, and adapted to acquire and provide status data indicating an operating status of, at least one of said at least one power source, said power line strands, and said branch line strands, and
a central power distribution control unit connected with said status unit to receive said status data therefrom, and a data bus connecting said control unit with said allocation unit,
wherein said control unit is adapted to process said status data and correspondingly generate control commands onto said data bus, and
wherein said allocation unit is adapted to receive said control commands from said data bus and, responsive to said control commands, to select ones of said branch line strands that are indicated as properly providing power based on said status data, for carrying out said selective interconnecting of one or more respective ones of said feeder lines with said respective selected ones of said branch line strands.

6 more elements

A method for controlling a power distribution system including a plurality of power sources, a plurality of power line strands respectively connected to said power sources, a plurality of branch line strands respectively connected to said power line strands, a plurality of power consuming devices, a plurality of feeder lines respectively connected to said power consuming devices, a status evaluation unit adapted to evaluate an operating status of at least one of said power sources, said power line strands and said branch line strands, and a selective interconnection switching junction interposed and connected between said feeder lines and said branch line strands and adapted to selectively interconnect one or more respective ones of said feeder lines with respective selected ones of said branch line strands, said method comprising the following steps:

(a) using said status evaluation unit, evaluating the operating status of at least one of said power sources, said power line strands, and said branch line strands, and correspondingly providing a status signal indicating which active ones of said branch line strands have power being delivered thereto and which inactive ones of said branch line strands do not have power being delivered thereto,
(b) using said switching junction, selectively interconnecting one or more of said feeder lines with at least a respective active one of said branch line strands that has power being delivered thereto and disconnecting all of said feeder lines from any respective inactive one of said branch line strands that does not have power being delivered thereto, responsively to said status signal.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.