Aircraft High-Power Semiconductor Line Contactors

The US Navy E-2 and C-2 aircraft are equipped with two 400 Hz, three-phase, generators producing 60 KVA through two main buses. Generator power is transferred through several electro-mechanical main line contactors rated a maximum current of 250 amps per phase. The reliability of these devices has proven to be unacceptable. Failure modes include overloading, contact arc pitting and spring fatigue. The objective for this project is to replace electro-mechanical contactors with a solid state switch to improve transfer of electrical power between power buses. The electronic switch performance greatly decreases transfer time and presents the future ability to control and transfer aircraft power in anticipation of power quality problems.