Design Criteria for Selection of Aircraft Electric Power Generation and Distribution Systems

Conventional aircraft use constant-speed drive to generate constant frequency 400-Hz power of relatively good quality and distribute it at 115/200 V. A detailed study revealed that this power type is not the optimal choice for present and future aircraft applications. This paper presents the advantages and disadvantages of various generation and distribution systems and the factors to be considered in selecting an electric power system. For medium and large size STOL aircraft, it appears that variable-frequency generation and high-voltage d-c distribution with secondary square wave a-c distribution may be superior to the conventional system.