Operation of a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorKurt David Murrow
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is provided for operating a propulsion system of a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the propulsion system including a turbomachine, an electric machine, a forward thrust propulsor, and a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans. The method includes driving the forward thrust propulsor with the turbomachine; rotating the electric machine with the turbomachine to generate electrical power; determining a failure condition of the turbomachine; and providing electrical power to the electric machine to drive the forward thrust propulsor with the electric machine in response to determining the failure condition of the turbomachine.
Claims20
A method for operating a propulsion system of a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the propulsion system comprising a turbomachine, an electric machine, a forward thrust propulsor, and a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans, the method comprising:
- driving the forward thrust propulsor with the turbomachine;
- rotating the electric machine with the turbomachine to generate direct current electrical power;
- driving the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans at least in part with the direct electric power generated from rotating the electric machine with the turbomachine;
- determining a failure condition of the turbomachine;
- and
- providing an alternating current electrical power to the electric machine to drive the forward thrust propulsor with the electric machine in response to determining the failure condition of the turbomachine by converting the direct current electrical power to alternating current electrical power, and providing the alternating current electric power to the electric machine to drive the forward thrust propulsor.
A hybrid-electric propulsion system for an aircraft comprising:
- a power source comprising a combustion engine, an electric machine, and an electric energy storage unit, the electric energy storage unit electrically coupled to the electric machine;
- a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans driven by the power source and configured to be integrated into a wing of the aircraft in an orientation to generate thrust along a vertical direction of the aircraft;
- a forward thrust propulsor coupled to the combustion engine, wherein the combustion engine is positioned at an aft end of a fuselage of the aircraft and the forward thrust propulsor is mounted at least partially rearwardly of the combustion engine and at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans is mounted at least partially forward of the combustion engine;
- and
- a controller having a memory and one or more processors, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the hybrid-electric propulsion system to perform functions, the functions including:
- driving the forward thrust propulsor with the combustion engine;
- rotating the electric machine with the combustion engine to generate electrical power;
- determining a failure condition of the combustion engine;
- and
- providing electrical power to the electric machine to drive the forward thrust propulsor with the electric machine in response to determining the failure condition of the combustion engine.
A hybrid-electric propulsion system for an aircraft comprising:
- a power source comprising a combustion engine and an electric machine;
- first and second vertical thrust electric fans driven by the power source to generate thrust along a vertical direction of the aircraft and both integrated into a common wing, wherein the second fan is positioned on an opposing side of the first fan from a fuselage of the aircraft and wherein the second fan is at least partially forward of the first fan;
- a forward thrust propulsor coupled to the combustion engine;
- and
- a controller having a memory and one or more processors, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the hybrid-electric propulsion system to perform functions, the functions including:
- driving the forward thrust propulsor with the combustion engine;
- rotating the electric machine with the combustion engine to generate electrical power;
- determining a failure condition of the combustion engine;
- and
- providing electrical power to the electric machine to drive the forward thrust propulsor with the electric machine in response to determining the failure condition of the combustion engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.