Developing innovative solutions for new power demands
Migration from hydraulic and pneumatic energy to electric energy requires improved power-handling capability and efficiency. System voltages for more electric aircraft (MEA) could climb from 28VDC and 115VAC to upwards of 1,000VDC. This power will be delivered by a complex combination of generators and batteries and requires a highly advanced and flexible electrical distribution system capable of managing system needs.
The typical electrical interfaces on today’s aircraft consist of mechanical relays and contactors, which are not fast enough to prevent fault propagation. This drives a need for an effective solution for high voltage, high-power buses with enhanced capability. To answer this call, Parker' Fluid Systems Division has developed a modular solid-state power controller (SSPC) for use as a standalone unit that is an electronic replacement for a relay or contactor.
Utilizing new semiconductor technology and modular architecture
Parker Aerospace is a world leader in the research, development, manufacturing, integration, flight qualification and sustainment of Intelligent Power Management Systems (IPMS), Motor Controllers (MC), Electronic Controllers (EC), Power and Frequency Converters (PFC), and Energy Storage (ES) for aerospace commercial and military applications.
Parker engineers have designed systems that replace power distribution electro-mechanical contactors with solid state power controllers (SSPC), supporting adaptive, controllable and energy efficient architectures for future air vehicles and propulsion systems.
An SiC-based SSPC offers the potential to significantly outperform current state-of-the art electro-mechanical contactor technology as well as the Si-based SSPC technology used on aerospace vehicles today.
