Power Distribution and Conversion in Aircraft

摘要

An integrated switching power converter (ISPC) 180 for use in aviation to provide reliable voltage regulation and conversion and to reduce the amount of low voltage cabling in an aircraft power distribution system. In an aircraft, at least one ISPC 180 is connected to a generator 120 by a first high voltage wiring harness 150 and provides power to a set of local electrical loads 170 through a second low voltage wiring harness 160. Each ISPC 180 comprises solid state power control circuitry (SSPC) for voltage regulation and voltage conversion circuitry, which may be in the form of a switching converter. The SSPC further monitors the output voltage provided to the loads 170 and disables the ISPC 180 at the conversion stage if an excess current is detected for a predetermined length of time. The ISPCs 180 allow conversion and regulation of high voltage power close to the electrical loads in an aircraft and so allow both aircraft weight reduction through less low voltage cabling and easy modification of an aircraft power distribution system in response to changing load requirements.