Electrical Distribution Technology Improves Aircraft Safety

  • Published
  • By Holly Jordan
  • Aerospace Systems
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The Air Force Research Laboratory, in conjunction with GE Aviation Systems, has demonstrated a revolutionary new technology that improves flight safety by improving flight-critical electrical system response.

In aircraft, nearly all flight-critical electrical systems are routed through an Electrical Distribution Unit (EDU). The EDU acts much like a household circuit breaker panel, controlling the amount of current that can reach components and preventing an overload in any one area. Traditional EDUs are made up of many different contact points, each with moving parts. Although the opening and closing of these contact points happens very quickly, it is not instantaneous. If too much current flows into any one circuit, it can potentially destabilize portions of the aircraft's electrical system. By designing a Solid State Electrical Distribution Unit (SSEDU), meaning there are no moving parts, AFRL aims to improve both electrical response times and safety.

Silicon carbide semiconductors make this possible. Semiconductors allow faster switching compared to traditional metal contact points. In addition, the low heat losses made possible by silicon carbide switches may allow for simpler cooling options. Silicon carbide, which offers switching speeds nearly 100 times faster than state-of-the-art contactors, recently became much more affordable and of higher quality, opening up a new array of practical applications.

Critical components of the SSEDU were successfully demonstrated at the GE Aviation Facilities in Bishop's Cleave, UK, where researchers simulated worst-case electrical loads, successfully interrupting large current flows and demonstrating very low heat losses over a continuous 30-minute load condition.

Within the next five years, AFRL hopes to transition SSEDU technology for use in new military aircraft while upgrading existing air vehicles, resulting in a safer flying fleet.