Modern Aircraft Electronic Power Converters

Martin Schrötter,Martin Matis,Jakub Leško

doi:10.35116/aa.2019.0017

Martin Schrötter, Martin Matis + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.35116/aa.2019.0017

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Abstract

The article points out to changes in on-board aircraft power converters, which are necessary due to weight reduction and improvement of reliability and maintenance. The paper presents the evolution from old rotary converters to modern solid state converters and describes their advantages. There is also the mention about electro-magnetic interference (EMI), which is introduce during the conversion and how could it be reduced for different types of converters. The operational principle of various power inverters is simulated in MATLAB to figure out different output waveforms quality which could be reached by such a conversion.

Highlights

The aircraft electrical power systems were evolving from the beginning of aviation
The extended use of electrical components required the implementation of stronger electrical system and the change of DC electrical system into the AC electrical system. Such changes required the use of different types of power converters, namely: AC to AC, AC to DC, DC to AC and DC to DC converter [1,2]
The traditional bipolar junction transistors (BJT) for DC to DC conversion were replaced with Buck/Boost converters with field effect transistors (FET)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The aircraft electrical power systems were evolving from the beginning of aviation. Their use has enabled to implement new appliances which contributed to increase the comfort and safety on-board the aircraft. There were used mostly: rotary converters to change DC power into AC power (inverters) and to change frequency of AC power (frequency converters), transformers to convert AC power into another value of AC power, motor-generators to convert low voltage DC into high voltage DC, vacuum tube to convert AC power to DC power (rectifier). Many of these converters were bulky, heavy and required heavy maintenance due to rotating parts and their efficiency was low. The power generators have to be rated to higher power amounts to overcome these losses

POWER CONCEPT OF THE TRADITIONAL AIRCRAFT

POWER CONCEPT OF THE MORE ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT

MODERN POWER CONVERTERS

INVERTER SWITCHING SIMULATION

Findings

CONCLUSION