Projects
Projects
I-PRIMES (an Intelligent Power Regulation using Innovative Modules for Energy Supervision)
Start: 01.06.2012
End: 31.12.2014
Consortium: Second University of Naples (coordinator) – Aeromechs
The main objective of I-PRIMES is the development of an hardware device able to implement an innovative power management (I-LPM) function for an aeronautical electrical network. The project is based on the following keypoints:
- the I-LPM strategy for the specific application is first derived and tested in a simulation environment. In a second phase the above strategy is be implemented, adopting semi-automatic techniques for translation of the simulation model into firmware used by the onboard processor(s).
- an EPC (Electrical Power Center) hardware extension is designed and realized, where a modular approach is considered for the overall equipment implementation. Each cell is composed by a programmable device, an interfacing stage and possibly by an innovative power device switching component (not applicable for “fixed power” loads). A “master” module is able to implement the I-LPM concept and communicate with “slave” modules for correct energy management strategy implementation. Different types of “slave” modules are considered, taking into account the necessity of I-LPM strategy implementation for both “fixed power” and “variable power” (e.g. pure resistive ) loads.
I-PRIMES integrated view
I-PRIMES equipment in final configuration
I-PRIMES module as exposed at Farnborough International Air Show 2014
I-PRIMES experimental results
EPOCAL (an Intelligent Power Regulation using Innovative Modules for Energy Supervision)
Start: 01.02.2013
End: 31.07.2015
Consortium: Second University of Naples (coordinator) – Aeromechs
The main objective of EPOCAL is the development of an Electrical Power Center (EPC) integrated with a devoted Control Console (CC), enhanced with advanced electrical power management strategies for the aims of the in-flight demo electrical validation and verification activities. The project is based on the following key-points:
1) an Electrical Power Center equipped with Solid State Power Controllers (SSPCs) for both power management and protection functions is implemented. Most recent technologies are included in the power center, referring to the recent state-of-art, in order to guarantee compliance with selected aeronautical standards. The SSPC component are ad-hoc designed for the implementation of both the power management strategies and protection functionalities.
2) An Electrical Energy Management (E-EM) is implemented onboard the EPC. Moreover, the EPC is equipped with a software able to perform several analyses, referring to preprocessing (i.e. configurations pretesting), real time operations (i.e. monitoring and energy management logics implementation) and postprocessing (i.e. plotting and comparison between measured and simulated quantities).
EPOCAL installed on-board ATR-72
EPOCAL internal view (Supervisor core)
EPOCAL experimental results
MAS DE NADA (Modeling and Advanced Software Development for Electrical Networks in Aeronautical Domain Analysis)
Start: 01.10.2012
End: 31.03.2014
Consortium: Second University of Naples (coordinator) – Aeromechs
The main objective of MAS DE NADA is the development of an Electrical Network Analysis Model (ENAM) in Saber simulation environment and at behavioral modeling level. The model will be used for the analysis of power quality, stability, failure mode and reliability of different configurations for the Electrical Test Bench (ETB). The project is based on the following keypoints:
1) a detailed Saber model for the ENAM is implemented in order to perform short transient analyses. Starting from the literature regarding electrical equipment modeling, first a mathematical model is derived for the SABER models, considering also those that will not be provided in input by the Topic Manager. Successively, such model is translated into an electrical scheme adopting Saber standard library elements where possible, or user-defined components implemented in MAST code as an alternative. The ENAM is equipped with a high-level supervisory control scheme, for power management and failure reaction. About testing process, a set of devoted criteria is derived, mainly referring to required stability, power quality, reliability and failure mode behavior.
2) an user-friendly software is implemented in order to interface with the Saber models and perform the required tests. The software is implemented as standalone, however requiring the presence of both the Saber schemes and a full Saber package installed on the target machine, but hiding to the user the complexity of the Saber environment. The devoted software uses specific AIM language scripts, or an external mathematical calculation environment (e.g. Matlab) as an alternative, for implementing the post-processing functionalities above reported (i.e. power quality, failure mode, stability and reliability analysis)
MAS DE NADA main interface
MAS DE NADA interface with Synopsys Saber
ESTEEM (Advanced Energy STorage and regeneratio system for Enhanced Energy Management)
Start: 01.07.2017
End: 30.06.2020 (in progress)
Consortium: University of Nottingham (coordinator) – Second University of Naples – Aeromechs
ESTEEM Consortium will bring together their world-leading expertise in aircraft Electrical Power Systems (EPS), Power Electronics (PE), advanced control systems, modelling and simulation for aerospace applications, Energy Storage System (ESS) and smart and Enhanced Electrical Energy Management (E2-EM) strategies to design, develop and manufacture an innovative Energy Storage and Regenerative System ESRS with embedded supercapacitors Energy Storage Device (ESD) for smart energy management of a regenerative Electro-Mechanical Actuator (EMA) emulator. The developed system components; ESD and EMA emulator will be connected together by a Secondary Electrical Distribution Centre (SEPDC) to constitute the ESRS. Then, the ESRS will be interfaced with the “Iron Bird” to demonstrate the concept of advanced Electrical Power Distribution System (EPDS) with E2-EM functionalities. The aim is to demonstrate the E2-EM functionalities for future aircraft EPDS and contributing towards the achievement of more efficient, greener aviation. The developed demonstrator will be efficient, reliable, compact and lighter and smarter.
The key system component will be a newly designed DC/DC converter for interfacing the supercapacitors ESD with the SEPDC, which will be under control of supervisor to implement E2-EM functionalities and energy-management algorithm. Intelligent and adaptive converter control algorithm will be developed to provide high dynamic performance essential for fast control of peak power under situations of gird parameters variation. The converter control will consider the implementation of state of health and monitoring algorithms for the supercapacitors ESD.
The ESTEEM innovations will reach the market through integration within the Regional IADP in Clean Sky 2. The project partners will collaborate with the Topic Manager on a regular basis to ensure that the innovative ESRS demonstrator technology can be seamlessly integrated firstly into the “iron-bird” for ground-based
ESTEEM concept