Power Converters

SUMMARY
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
MIL-HDBK-704-8
9 April 2004
´GUIDANCE FOR TEST PROCEDURES FOR DEMONSTRATION OF UTILIZATION

EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE TO AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL POWER
CHARACTERISTICS 28VDC´
Egis Shega
10.07.2023
DC-DC Power Distribution in MilAero Applications
While electrical systems integrated with the aircrafts are becoming more and more complex, power
electronics systems´design is being directly affected from it, as a primary element on avionic power
systems. With the technological advancement, an increasing interest is shown towards power
electronics, since it offers improved SWaP-C (size, weight and power – cost) characteristics. As a
part of power electronics, smart energy storage is receiving much attention, along with financial
grants for research and development. The smart energy storage ıs, therefore, more dependent on the
utilization of fuel cells and especially batteries, which in avionics systems, are usually designed to
provide a voltage level of 28VDC. Specific systems incorporated to the aircraft, such as the
avionics´cockpit control systems (for aircrafts providing human command), which typically rely on
28VDC, are proved to offer eases with power supply, given that they may only require power
conditioning from a local electrical bus or battery.
While most aircraft power distribution has historically been AC, higher voltage DC distribution may
be more efficient, and also more compatible with battery storage. At the same time, the gas turbines
present in traditional aircraft, typically provide AC auxiliary power. Its necessary AC-DC
conversion can multiply the necessary power electronics systems and, therefore, increase the cost,
complexity, and weight of the power system. On the other hand, the advances in DC power
utilization are providing design insight, storing DC power in batteries and eliminating AC-DC
power conversion at the point of load. What is important when designing a power electronics
system to be utilized in an airborne vehicle is the detailed attention to diverse factors that could
influence the system, such as magnetics, discrete components, expected performance, and thermal
efficiency. This strategy also supports the reduction of costs and ease of power distribution in an
electronic environment which anticipates greater power needs.
Power conditioning - Power conditioning refers to the process of modifying or filtering the electrical power supply (usually with
regard to such as voltage fluctuations, noise, harmonic distortion, etc.) to achieve a desired level of quality and reliability for its
intended use.
Voltage conversion and power conditioning are required when power is distributed as DC, however
these factors vary with specific power applications onboard the aircraft. One design may deliver a
chosen voltage and then convert it up or down at the device; another may adjust a power level
before it is distributed to its intended application. In choosing a path, designers must not only
consider the aircraft and its role in flight operations, but also factors such as lifecycle, required
reliability, scalability, system weight trade-off, and more. Because of these complexities, as well as
continued rapid evolution of power demands for aerospace applications, a building block strategy
proves useful. Developers can accelerate development with proven, modular designs that can be
sourced for both performance and scalability.
The Royal Air Force’s venerable Typhoon fighter aircraft will be replaced by the Tempest, a 6th
generation combat aircraft expected to enter service in the mid-2030s. (Image: BAE Systems)
DC POWER DISTRIBUTION DESIGNS

Individual areas of an aircraft may only require power conditioning from a local electrical bus or
battery. Cockpit avionics provide an example, typically relying on 28-volt systems. These systems,
contained within a specific area of the aircraft, provide an example of power requirements that may
only require power conditioning. Alternatively, designs may opt to centrally convert and distribute
28 VDC to specific systems and areas onboard. Because of the cable weight associated with wide
distribution of power, it is the smaller, simpler architectures that are ideal candidates for this
approach. Redundancy and manageable degradation of performance can be built-in. For military
airframes, these values are critical to improving safety and survivability.
As a design tactic, increased voltage offers a functional trade-off against cable weight. This can be
illustrated using a primary, 540-volt distribution supported by a localized secondary distribution of
28 volts. Because the secondary 28-volt network can be designed to support power needs of several
devices via a single conversion, system developers can avoid designing voltage step down into each
specific load. This adds critical value for power electronics servicing relatively isolated or difficult
to access areas of the aircraft. It’s a strategy that also reduces cable distances and, therefore, weight
as higher voltage power is distributed and converted locally at the device. Designers will, however,
find complexity increases when secondary loads must deliver a range of voltages, powering
systems, and subsystems requiring three, five, or 28 volts.
NEW VOLTAGE STANDARDS TAKING CUES FROM AUTOMOTIVE ADVANCES

Power system design for systems at altitude is entirely different from the design of power systems
integrated into automotive and racing vehicles. That said, is it surprising that a motorsports
technology provider is part of the project team for Tempest, the UK’s 6th generation combat
aircraft?
Tempest replaces the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon and is expected to come into service in the mid-
2030s. The fighter is an ambitious undertaking that will predictably need extended amounts of
electric power as well as upgraded, higher power for distribution to various advanced systems
across the aircraft. Tempest anticipates including augmented and virtual reality interactive cockpit
displays, drone management capabilities, and advanced stealth and data fusion technologies.
Here the automotive industry has insight to share, long focused on energy storage and designing
secondary loads powered by DC sources. Implementing battery-driven systems may be a more
familiar challenge for automotive power system designers, however, the demand is still shifting
toward higher voltage systems used for heavy end-loads and distribution across a vehicle.
Incorporating 800 VDC systems as a standard, Porsche Taycan provides a luxury example – cable
size and weight are minimized, supporting high-end vehicle performance and speedy charging.
In contrast, 270 volts has emerged as the DC power distribution system standard in the current civil
aviation market. But future platforms are intent on extending this to 540 volts since +/-270 volts can
be effectively attained on an aircraft even at typical altitudes – an environmental factor that has
unique impact on power system design. For example, breakdown or arcing perform differently at
altitude, adding a new design challenge in the already complicated world of high-voltage power
distribution.
However, electric aircraft, including urban air taxis, do not normally operate at the altitudes
required by civil or military aircraft. Without this limitation and given their need for more robust
electrical requirements, these craft can easily operate at higher voltages and may mimic the
automotive market’s currently established 800 volt standard. The altitude parameters for military
applications, however, may drive to a different optimal distribution voltage.
Experience gained by the automotive industry in terms of energy storage and designing secondary
loads powered by DC sources can someday be applied to the air mobility market. (Image: iStock)
MODULAR POWER DESIGNS

Using pre-defined parametric models featuring full-design models and analysis, developers can
customize secondary power systems quickly. Ideally, these building block devices are engineered to
meet a range of requirements, a “superset” of design parameters. By focusing on the device’s
efficiency – and expecting trade-offs to maintain a simple, speedy design process – power system
developers can significantly streamline the resources required for a full-custom design. Building
blocks developed as a family of options are interchangeable, each operating within a window of
performance and creating a clear path for designers to scale up or down as efficiency dictates. A key
benefit here is flexibility, with the same building blocks applicable to systems ranging from a low-
power, 100-Watt control unit to end-loads as high as 6000 Watts.
The ability of urban eVTOL aircraft to transport people and supplies can readily extend to meet the
needs of the U.S. armed forces – keeping troops out of harm’s way, delivering equipment,
conducting search and rescue missions, and more. (Image: iStock)
Designers can further capitalize on modularity within the end-unit itself. Power distribution design
for a 4 kW or 6 kW application can tap into a 2 kW converter, designed for more than just one type
of use. Such a system design could integrate five 2 kW converters – separate but coordinated
system components – delivering a nominal 10 kW. Proven technology is applied to meet customised
power levels, while automatic power routing simultaneously ensures system reliability, even in the
unlikely event of failure of any single converter.
Isolated performance has been a common theme in power control system design used in aircraft
applications. However, built-in power redundancy is a basic tenet of all-electric aircraft – lighter
than “A Lane/B Lane” duplication strategies and proving to be an optimized design path for electric
aircraft power.
Urban air mobility is imminent and already transforming aviation as we know it. Its ability to
transport people and supplies can readily extend to meet the needs of the U.S. armed forces –
keeping troops out of harm’s way, delivering equipment, conducting search and rescue missions,
and more. DC power technologies unlock the value of electrified aircraft and represent an important
shift in the design of power systems today – and tomorrow.
This article was written by Julian Thomas, Engineering Director, Aerospace & Defence, TT
Electronics (Woking, UK). For more information, go here .

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SUMMARY

´GUIDANCE FOR TEST PROCEDURES FOR DEMONSTRATION OF UTILIZATION

DC POWER DISTRIBUTION DESIGNS

NEW VOLTAGE STANDARDS TAKING CUES FROM AUTOMOTIVE ADVANCES

MODULAR POWER DESIGNS

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