A high power electrical distribution system.
TECHNICAL FIELD
5 The present invention relates to a high power electrical distribution system for
supplying high power to a consumer on a rotatable element, particularly a
rotatable antenna, and more particularly a rotatable radar antenna for use in
an electronic system having widely dispersed consumers, such as a phasedarray
radar system.
10
BACKGROUND ART
The electrical distribution system for a rotating antenna including multiple
consumers according to the prior art comprise an AC/DC bulk power
converter being supplied with AC from a main supply. The ACIDC bulk power
15 converter subsequently feeds a rotary power transfer device including a slip
ring module with DC, for example 56 V DC, which is transferred to a
distribution bus located on the rotating antenna by means of the slip ring
module in the rotary power transfer device. Finally, the distribution bus
distributes the supplied DC to DCIDC power converters located on the
20 antenna, which power converters transform the supplied DC to a DC suitable
for the specific consumers.
Such a distribution system is known from patent document US 5, 805,115 A.
25 This type of electrical distribution system according to the prior art has a
number of disadvantages:
The slip ring module for transferring power from a stationary part to a rotary
part of the rotary power transfer device comprises a brush, which is in
30 electrical contact with a slip ring. During rotation between the stationary and
rotary part, the brush slides on the slip ring whilst transferring electrical
power. Hence, abrasion occurs between the brush and the slip ring, which

CLAIMS
1. A high power electrical distribution system for distribution high power to at
least one consumer (12) arranged on a rotatable element (3),
characterised in that said distribution system comprises:
at least one high frequency alternating current HFAC generator (4)
configured to generate HFAC,
a rotary power transformer (2) connected to said at least one HFAC
generator (4), wherein said rotary power transformer (2) includes a stationary
part (7) and a rotatable part (8), and is configured to receive HFAC from said
at least one HFAC generator (4), and to couple HFAC electrical energy from
said stationary part (7) to said rotatable part (8),
at least one high power distribution bus (1 1) located on said rotatable
element (I), and confgured to receive HFAC from said rotary power
transformer (2) and to distribute HFAC to said at least one consumer (1 2),
.. . at least one power converter (1 3) arranged on said rotatable element (3),
and configured to receive HFAC from said at least one high power distribution
bus (1 I), and to convert said received HFAC to an electrical power form
suitable for said at least one consumer (12),
whererin said at least one power converter (1 3) comprises a transformer
unit or a transforrnerlrectifier unit configured to supply transformed AC or DC
to said at least one consumer (12), wherein said rotatable element (3) is a .
rotating radar antenna of a phased-array radar system, wherein said rotatable
element (3) includes more than 100 separate consumers (12), and preferably
more than 500 separate consumers (1 2), and more preferably more than
1000 separate consumers (12), and wherein the rotary power transformer (2)
is configured to provide an HFAC output of at least 1 kW to said at least one
high power distribution bus (1 I), and preferably of at least 5 kW, and more
preferably of at least 10 kW.
2. A high power electrical distribution system according to claim 1,
characterised in that said rotatable element (3) includes a plurality of said
consumers (13), wherein said at least one power converter (1 3) supplies
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ORIGINAL
power to at least one consumer (12), and preferably at least 20 separate
consumers (12), and more preferably at least 100 separate consumers (12).
3. A high power electrical distribution system according to claim 2,
characterised in that said rotatable element (3) is a radar antenna, and said
at least one consumer (12) is a phase shifter, a phase shifter controller, a
receiver amplifier, a transmitting power amplifier or an auxiliary control or
signal processing device.
4. A high power electrical distribution system according to any of the preceding
claims, characterised in that the HFAC generator (4) is configured to feed
the rotary power transformer (2) with a HFAC, which has an AC frequency of
at least 10 kHz, and preferably of at least 30 kHz, and more preferably of at
least 70 kHz.
5. A high power electrical distribution system according to any of the preceding
claims, characterised in that said rotary power transformer (2) is configured
to feed at least two separate high power distribution buses (1 I), such that said
at least two distribution buses (1 1) distribute HFAC having different AC
frequency andlor different power levels, or such that said at least two
distribution buses (1 1) provide redundancy by distributing identical HFAC in
said at least two separate high power distribution buses (1 1).
6. Method for distributing high power to at least one power consumer (1 2)
arranged on a rotatable element (3), characterised in that said method
comprises the steps of:
generating HFAC in at least one HFAC generator (4),
transferring HFAC supplied by said at least one HFAC generator (4) to
said rotatable element (3) by means of a rotary power transformer (2),
wherein said rotary power transformer (2) includes a stationary part (7) and a
rotatable part (8), and
distributing said transferred HFAC from said rotary power transformer
(2) to said at least one consumer (12) by means of at least one high power
distribution bus (1 1) located on said rotatable element (3),
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ORIGINAL
wherein at least one power converter (1 3) arranged on said rotatable
element (3) receives HFAC from said at least one high power distribution bus -
(1 l), and converts said received HFAC to an electrical power form suitable for
said at least one consumer (12), wherein said at least one power converter
(1 3) comprises a transformer unit or a transfonnerirectifier unit that supplies
transformed AC or DC to said at least one consumer (12), wherein said
rotatable element (3) is a rotating radar antenna of a phased-array radar
system, and said rotatable element (3) includes more than 100 separate
consumers (12), and preferably more than 500 separate consumers (12), and
more preferably more than 1000 separate consumers (12). and wherein said
supplied HFAC by said rotary power transformer (2) to said at least one high
power distribution bus (1 1) has an output power of at least 1 kW, and
preferably of at least 5 kW, and more preferably of at least 10 kW.
7. The method according to claim 6, characterised in that said generated
HFAC has an AC frequency of at least 10 kHz, and preferably of at least 30
kHz, and more preferably of at least 70 kHz..
8. The method according to any of the claims 6 to 7, characterised in that said
rotary power transformer (2) feeds at least two separate high power
distribution buses (II) , such that said at least two distribution buses (11 )
distribute HFAC having different AC frequency and/or different power levels,
or such that said at least two distribution buses (1 1) provide redundancy by
distributing identical HFAC in said at least two separate high power
distribution buses (1 1).
Dated this the 1 P day of June 2012.
(ASHISH K. SHARMA)
of SUBRAMANIAM, NATARAJ & ASSOCIATES
Attorney for the Applicants
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