Dynamic Time and Frequency Domain Modeling of Aircraft Power System with Electrical Accumulator Units (EAU)

The movement to more-electric architectures during the past decade in military and commercial airborne systems continues to increase the complexity of designing and specifying the electrical power system. The addition of numerous high-power electric loads has drastically altered the dynamics of power flow on the electrical bus. Many of these loads often exhibit peak-to-average power ratios in excess of 5-to-1 for brief periods of time (50-5000 ms). In addition to this high peak-power, some of the loads can produce regenerative power flow equal to their peak power draw for brief periods of time (typically 20-200 ms). Such load characteristics, coupled with complex and varied source characteristics under varying electrical power system configurations, can result in undesirable system performance from both a dynamic-transient and a spectral-content (frequency-domain) perspective. In order to mitigate such undesirable performance, modern electrical power system designers must develop and apply suitable mitigation strategies, which typically involve energy storage, filtration, and/or advanced control. Since weight and volume are significant concerns on airborne platforms, it is necessary to quantify whether the proposed solution"s impact on power quality is justified in consideration of the impact on weight and volume to the platform; however, limited tools exist for performing such analysis at the integrated-system level from the dynamic-transient and frequency-domain perspective. As such, the primary objective of the proposed SBIR program is to develop such time- and frequency-domain analysis models and tools to enable the identification, development, and analysis of emerging and future mitigation strategies that can maintain power quality in the presence of ever increasing dynamic load requirements. It is anticipated that such tools will be sufficiently generic that they can be applied broadly to a wide class of platforms and technologies yet sufficiently customizable to a target application such that they can provide meaningful insight into specific technology development decisions. In the Phase I effort, PC Krause and Associates will develop and demonstrate such tools at the proof-of-concept level. The developed tools shall be capable of analyzing the impact of emerging and future components, control strategies, and architecture(s) on electrical power quality through the prediction of key performance aspects of both the technology under investigation and the remainder of the electrical power system into which the technology is being inserted. In the Phase I effort, a proof-of-concept demonstration shall be performed by analyzing the impact of inserting an electrical accumulator unit capable of sourcing a minimum of 150 kW for 100 ms and sinking a minimum of 150 kW for 50 ms. At a minimum, the impact analysis and performance predictions generated by the tool shall be capable of determining the adherence of the technology under investigation, and the resulting electrical power system, to MIL-STD-704F, which is a requirement for the successful transition of most technologies that might be investigated for utilization in current and future generations of airborne platforms. As such, the primary objective of the proposed SBIR program is to develop such time- and frequency-domain analysis models and tools to enable the identification, development, and analysis of emerging and new mitigation strategies that can maintain power quality in the presence of ever increasing dynamic load requirements. It is anticipated that such tools will be sufficiently generic that they can be applied broadly to a wide class of platforms and technologies yet sufficiently customizable to a target application such that they can provide meaningful insight into specific technology development decisions. In the Phase I effort, PCKA will develop and demonstrate such tools at the proof-of-concept level. The developed tools shall be capable of analyzing the impact of emerging and future components, control strategies, and architecture on electrical power quality through the prediction of key performance aspects of both the technology under investigation and the remainder of the electrical power system into which the technology is being inserted. In the Phase I effort, a proof-of-concept demonstration shall be performed by analyzing the impact of inserting an EAU capable of sourcing a minimum of 150 kW for 100 ms and sinking a minimum of 150 kW for 50 ms. At a minimum, the impact analysis and performance predictions generated by the tool shall be capable of determining the adherence of the technology under investigation and the resulting EPS to MIL-STD-704F, which is a requirement for the successful transition of most technology that might be investigated for utilization in current and future generations of airborne platforms.