Investigation of power distribution architectures for distributed avionics loads

Advanced aircraft will require electrical power to service diverse loads such as solid-state radars (which are pulsed loads) and digital loads which may require voltages of 1.5 V DC or lower. In this paper several alternative power distribution architectures capable of supplying the needed power to avionics loads are compared with regard to weight, size, cost, reliability, and efficiency. Versatile spreadsheet tools were developed that allow rapid and accurate comparison of alternative distribution schemes. Centralized and several types of decentralized architectures are compared assuming use of either existing or of advanced power converter technology