Neno Novakovic of Collins Aerospace - Electric Power Systems

In the last two decades, an aerospace industry trend in the secondary power distribution concept has been dominated by power electronics technology which includes power converters and Power Control Modules based on Solid State Power Control (SSPC) switching elements. Due to the resistive properties of the semiconductor-based SSPC devices, whose behaviors can be described as nonlinear functions of ambient operating temperature, power distribution system integration with SSPCs is challenged and heavily affected by operating temperatures and power dissipation limits. Although aircraft compartments where Power Control Modules are located are considered temperature and pressure controlled, high ambient operating temperatures are possible and expected. For that reason, Power Control Modules with multiple SSPC channels, at room ambient operating temperature, cannot utilize maximum power capacity, which means that a certain number of power control channels cannot be used for power distribution.

With the emergence of more electric aircraft, where a significant number of AC and DC type aircraft electrical loads have been connected to Power Control Modules, total power dissipation limitation with additional hardware has been creating significant impact on total aircraft equipment weight and cost. In an attempt to increase power density of the Power Control Modules without additional hardware, and to mitigate the risk of permanent damage caused by excessive power dissipation at high ambient operating temperatures, a unique electrical subsystem integration concept has been developed. Based on software control algorithms, where power management and electrical load shed functions are used as a functions of critical ambient operating temperatures, total power density has been increased. The presented concept is scalable and has been successfully implemented on major aircraft commercial programs.

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