A Generator-Powered Electric Variable-Pitch Drive System for the High-Performance Regulation of Propeller

With the development of variable-pitch system (VPS), the propulsion efficiency of more electric aircraft (MEA) is greatly improved. But the conventional VPS requires an external battery pack for power supply, which increases the total weight of the system and reduces the fuel efficiency. This paper proposes a generator-powered variable-pitch system (GVPS). The proposed system uses a generator mechanically connected to the propeller instead of the power battery pack. To ensure smooth operation of the GVPS, this paper adopts the power feedforward algorithm based on Nonlinear Disturbance Observer (NDOB) which can mitigate the bus voltage fluctuations caused by abrupt changes in load power. Simulation and experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed system.