The aircraft electrical power distribution handbook

The Aircraft Electrical Power Distribution Handbook

Electrification is a deep and long-lasting trend in the aircraft industry. It began during the First World War with engine ignition and wireless telegraphy in military aircraft. At that time, the voltage system was 6VDC or 12VDC. After the Second World War, aircraft size and speed increase required more power to supply all the loads. Due to its better reliability and power density, AC generation established itself as a supplement to the DC one and constant speed 115VAC/400Hz generators became the standard for commercial aircraft. Today, the AIRBUS A350 and the Boeing B787 are powered by 230VAC/1 OOkVA by 230VAC/250kVA generators respectively. Tomorrow, with the planned suppression of pneumatic and hydraulic networks, onboard power is likely to exceed 1 MW, and even more in the case of hybrid or full electric propulsion, for a supply voltage of around 1kVDC.

At the heart of electrical architectures, the distribution system holds a leading role. Besides connecting sources to loads, it handles crucial functions for the airplane, like devices protection against electrical hazards or network reconfiguration after a source failure.

There is little literature describing what an aircraft electrical distribution system is. That is why the authors have undertaken to capitalize all their knowledge about it in this work. The topics addressed are centered around the distribution system functions : supply loads, reconfigure the network as per sources availability, monitor and guarantee the network integrity, communicate with other aircraft controllers, inform about its status. These functions are detailed in different chapters with elements of the technologies used to implement them. The distribution system itself is presented in a dedicated section. This book ends with design considerations about Power Distribution Units : electrical installation, lightning strike protection, bonding/grounding, corrosion, mechanical and thermal design.

It was written for « self-starter » electrical engineers but also for those who want to upgrade their knowledge in that domain. It does not provide the level of detail that can be found in design notes or maintenance manuals but rather gives information helping the reader understand the current and future stakes of electrical distribution in civil aviation. It will also be of help to electrical engineering or aeronautics students who would like to specialize in this field.