On modeling and control of advanced aircraft electric power systems: System stability and bifurcation analysis

This paper presents a comprehensive dynamic bifurcation model and stability study of advanced aircraft electric power system (AAEPS). The proposed bifurcation model is utilized to investigate the aircraft electric power system stability under various system configurations and loading conditions. Further investigations are performed to verify the sustainability and robustness of the aircraft electric power system and subsystems to time-dependent changes occurring in the system dynamics due to variations in control loop parameters and changes in the loading conditions and power demand. Moreover, stability analysis for changes in operating frequency of the aircraft electric power system’s AC channel is reported. It has been demonstrated that equilibrium points corresponding to the differential equations of the aircraft electric power systems undergo different bifurcation behaviors when the system’s operating parameters are subjected to variations. Finally, several case-study models are developed and implemented and the corresponding two-dimensional bifurcation diagrams were obtained with results verified using available experimental measurements. The AAEPS stability study and bifurcation analysis can assist engineers in identifying preferred regions of operation and safe margin design based on the variation of the system’s loading and parameters.