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US 10,240,477 B2Granted
Turbofan engine with generator
AssigneeGE Aviation Systems LLC
InventorsDavid Graham Ettridge, Xiaochuan Jia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A turbofan engine includes a turbine engine having a rotatable fan and a generator. The generator further includes a main machine, an exciter, and a generator control unit for controlling the excitation of the main machine. A rotor assembly is located within one of the blades, and a stator assembly that is along a rotational path of the rotor assembly whereby the operation of the turbine engine rotates the fan, which rotates the rotor assembly along its rotational path past the stator assembly to generate electricity.
Claims20
A turbofan engine comprising:
- a turbine engine comprising a rotatable fan with a plurality of blades, wherein in a running mode the turbine engine rotates each of the plurality of fan blades;
- a nacelle having a portion surrounding the blades;
- and
- a generator comprising:
- a main machine having a main rotor winding and a main stator winding;
- an exciter having an exciter rotor winding and an exciter stator winding;
- a rectifier electrically coupling the exciter rotor winding to the main rotor winding;
- and
- a generator control unit (GCU) electrically coupled to the exciter stator winding and the main stator winding, and controlling the excitation of the main machine by supplying electricity to the exciter stator winding, and outputting electricity generated by the main stator winding;
- wherein the main rotor winding and the exciter rotor winding define a rotor assembly that is located within at least one of the blades and proximate the nacelle, and the main stator winding and the exciter stator winding define a stator assembly that is fixedly located within the nacelle along a rotational path of the rotor assembly whereby the operation of the turbine engine rotates the fan, which rotates the rotor assembly along its rotational path past the stator assembly to generate electricity in the main stator winding.
7 more elements
A turbofan engine comprising:
- a turbine engine comprising a rotatable fan with a plurality of blades, wherein in a running mode the turbine engine rotates each of the plurality of fan blades, and wherein at least a subset of the plurality of fan blades includes a rotor assembly at the radial tip of the fan blades, the rotor assembly further comprising an exciter rotor winding, a main rotor winding, and a rectifier electrically coupling the exciter rotor winding to the main rotor winding;
- a nacelle having a portion surrounding the blades and having a stator assembly fixedly located within the nacelle along a rotational path of the rotor assembly at the radial tip of the at least a subset of the fan blades, the stator assembly comprising a main stator winding and an exciter stator winding;
- and
- a generator control unit (GCU) electrically coupled to the exciter stator winding and the main stator winding and controlling the excitation of the main machine by supplying electricity to the exciter stator winding;
- whereby the operation of the turbine engine rotates the fan, which rotates the rotor assembly along its rotational path past the stator assembly to generate electricity.
2 more elements
A starter for a turbofan engine comprising:
- a turbine engine comprising a rotatable fan with a plurality of blades, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of fan blades includes a rotor assembly at the radial tip of the fan blades, the rotor assembly further comprising an exciter rotor winding, a main rotor winding, and a rectifier electrically coupling the exciter rotor winding to the main rotor winding;
- a nacelle having a portion surrounding the blades and having a stator assembly fixedly located within the nacelle along a rotational path of the rotor assembly at the radial tip of the at least a subset of the fan blades, the stator assembly comprising a main stator winding and an exciter stator winding;
- and
- a generator control unit (GCU) electrically coupled to the exciter stator winding, the main stator winding, and a starting power source, and configured to operate in a starting mode wherein the GCU generates a rotating magnetic field at the stator assembly that induce a current in the exciter rotor windings, generating a torque on rotor assembly at the radial tip of a subset of the plurality of fan blades sufficient to rotate the plurality of fan blades.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.