Control Structure Design for an AC Power Distribution System of the More Electric Aircraft

With the shift towards more electric aircraft (MEA), the generation and distribution of electrical power onboard are increasingly facilitated by power electronic converters (PECs). Despite this trend, a significant challenge for commercial aircraft remains: the majority of electrical power must still be generated by ac generators due to power density constraints. Specifically, variable speed generation (VSG) and distributed consumption are preferred due to their reduced volume and maintenance costs. However, synchronizing parallel PECs under variable frequency while maintaining an acceptable level of reactive power output presents significant difficulties. This study explores a three-port ac PEC-based electrical power distribution system as a case study for control design and parameter tuning in such systems. Simulation results conducted using PLECS demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed control structure.