Propulsion system for an aircraft
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMichael Thomas Gansler, Robert Charles Hon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hybrid-electric propulsion system includes a turbomachine, a propulsor coupled to the turbomachine, and an electrical system, the electrical system including an electric machine coupled to the turbomachine. A method for operating a hybrid-electric propulsion system includes operating, by one or more computing devices, the turbomachine in an idle operating condition; receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a command to accelerate the turbomachine while operating the turbomachine in the idle operating condition; and providing, by the one or more computing devices, electrical power to the electric machine to add power to the turbomachine and increase an acceleration of the turbomachine in response to the received command to accelerate the turbomachine.
Claims20
A method for operating a hybrid-electric propulsion system of an aircraft, the hybrid-electric propulsion system comprising a turbomachine, a propulsor coupled to the turbomachine, and an electrical system, the electrical system comprising an electric machine coupled to the turbomachine, the method comprising:
- operating, by one or more computing devices, the turbomachine in an idle operating condition;
- receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a command to accelerate the turbomachine while operating the turbomachine in the idle operating condition;
- and
- providing, by the one or more computing devices, electrical power to the electric machine to add power to the turbomachine and increase an acceleration of the turbomachine in response to the received command to accelerate the turbomachine.
A hybrid-electric propulsion system for an aircraft comprising:
- a propulsor;
- a turbomachine coupled to the propulsor for driving the propulsor and generating thrust;
- an electrical system comprising an electric machine and an electric energy storage unit electrically connectable to the electric machine, the electric machine coupled to the turbomachine;
- and
- a controller configured to receive a command to accelerate the turbomachine while operating the turbomachine in the idle operating condition, and further to provide electrical power to the electric machine to add power to the turbomachine and increase an acceleration of the turbomachine in response to the received command to accelerate the turbomachine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.