Project Detail |
Advanced power converter for next-generation aircraft
The goal of the EU-funded IMPERIAL project is to develop an advanced high-voltage direct current converter for power distribution systems. The concept involves a secondary electrical power distribution centre and two rack power modules. The novel power converter should demonstrate power transmission, monitoring, diagnosis and communications capabilities. It should also be highly efficient, reliable, compact and lightweight for use in future large passenger aircraft. The project consortium will bring expertise in power electronics, digital control and power modelling and simulations.
The IMPERIAL consortium will bring together their world leading expertise in the design and manufacturing of integrated Power Electronics (PE), advanced digital control systems, thermal management and scalable structure to develop an innovative advanced Direct Current High voltage (HVDC) to DC and AC converter for decentralized electrical power distribution network.
The IMPERIAL consortium will combine their expertise in the technical areas of Power Electronics and digital control platform, as well as in modellisation and simulation for aerospace applications.
The concept of IMPERIAL is essentially made of a rackable system called Secondary Electrical Power Distribution Centre (SEPDC) and two rackable power modules converting the distributed bus voltage HVDC +-270Vdc to 28Vdc for the first module and HVDC to 115Vac for the second one. The aim of IMPERIAL is to develop an innovative power converter that is able to perform power transmission, monitoring, diagnosis and communications. The system will be highly efficient, reliable, compact, and light, hence contributing towards higher performances, more efficient and greener future large passenger aircraft.
By considering innovative solutions and components technologies for achieving high efficiency, low weight and size, high power density as main targets to fit in high temperature environment, the IMPERIAL project contributes into WP6.4 – Integrated demonstration and validation to the Systems ITD objectives |