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1700W Generator Control Unit - coming soon
1700W Generator Control Unit
The 1700W Generator Control Unit manages the generation and storage of electrical energy to supply the needs of small to medium-sized UAVs.
The GCU is designed to complement the functionality provided by the 900W PDU. When installed together, these two units form a complete power supply solution including electrical power generation, battery management and power distribution with redundancy for critical sub-systems.
The GCU includes an optional engine starter. This uses the same BLDC motor and wiring that is used for electrical power generation, saving weight and installation effort.
The 1700W GCU is being developed in partnership with VISIONAIRtronics of Austria.
Features:- Main power output provides up to 900W at 58.5V for powering vehicle electronics directly or via PDU.
- Two battery chargers, each capable of providing up to 400W of charging power for rapid in-flight recharging.
- Battery chargers user-configurable for both voltage and current, allowing a wide variety of battery chemistries and sizes to be accommodated. Supported battery types include:
- LiPo: 10 - 12S
- LiS: 15 - 20S
- LiFe: 10 - 14S
- Active rectification of 3-phase inputs achieves highest possible efficiency, minimising self-heating.
- Outputs powered by interleaved, spread-spectrum modulated DC-DC converters for best possible EMI/RFI performance.
- Umbilical input: 30 – 120 VDC.
- RS232 and CAN monitoring interfaces provide extensive reporting of voltages, currents and internal temperature.
The 1700W GCU is distributed internationally from Europe by VISIONAIRtronics. It is available off-the-shelf in either an IP67 or slimline enclosure, but the enclosure and connectors can also be fully customised to suit your requirements. Contact VISIONAIRtronics to discuss your requirements, obtain further technical information, or request a quote.
Quality:The 1700W GCU is manufactured using lead-free components and processes. Completed GCUs are tested and given a unique serial number to maintain traceability. All GCUs are shipped with a final assembly and test report.
Functional description
Internal architecture of the 1700W GCU
The 1700W GCU is a companion product to the 900W PDU. They are physically separate entities, but are designed to be installed together in an unmanned vehicle to provide a complete power management system. The PDU provides regulated outputs to power a vehicle's avionics, servo and payload demands, whilst the GCU manages electrical power generation and battery charging.
Electrical power generation is performed using a high-efficiency active rectifier, which converts 3-phase AC from a BLDC motor into high-voltage DC. This is followed by a Buck-boost converter, which allows electrical power generation to occur over a wider RPM range than would otherwise be possible. With a suitable choice of BLDC motor Kv, electrical power generation is possible over a 4:1 engine speed range.
A second BLDC motor may be connected for redundant operation with twin-engined aircraft.
An integrated (internal) engine starter is an option, which allows local or remote engine starting (via RS232 or CAN command), as well as in-flight restarts. A second engine starter is an option for twin-engined aircraft.
The GCU has two battery chargers, each capable of delivering 8 Amps of charging current at up to 50.4V.
The main power output from the GCU connects directly to the Umbilical input on the PDU. This allows the PDU to operate from generated electrical power, rather than draw power from the batteries. This arrangement allows the batteries to be recharged more quickly after engine starting or electric motor operation during vertical take-off.
Like the PDU, the GCU has both RS232 and CAN interfaces. These interfaces are used for configuration, reporting of measured values (telemetry), and real-time control of various features. Firmware update is supported through the RS232 interface. Connection to either of these interfaces within the vehicle is entirely optional; the GCU will operate quite normally with no communications at all.
Product resources
- Documentation:
- Product brief: a short summary of the key features and specifications.
- RS232 protocol: describes what values the GCU can measure and transmit, what commands it can receive, and how this data is formatted.
- CAN protocol: describes what values the GCU can measure and transmit, what commands it can receive, and how this data is formatted.
- Software:
- Configuration utility: a Windows app for configuring the GCU and checking that it is all working correctly.
More resources are available here.