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US 10,759,540 B2Granted
Hybrid propulsion systems
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorStephen Andrew Long
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example hybrid aircraft propulsion system includes a plurality of power units configured to output electrical energy onto one or more electrical busses; one or more propulsors; and one or more electrical machines, each respective electrical machine configured to drive a respective propulsor of the one or more propulsors using electrical energy received from at least one of the one or more electrical busses.
Claims12
A system comprising:
- a plurality of power units configured to output electrical energy onto one or more direct current (DC) electrical busses, wherein each of the plurality of power units do not provide mechanical energy to drive a propulsor;
- one or more series propulsion units, wherein each of the series propulsion units comprises:
- a respective propulsor;
- and
- a respective electrical machine configured to drive the respective propulsor using electrical energy received from at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses, generate electrical energy using mechanical energy derived from the respective propulsor and output the generated electrical energy onto the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses;
- one or more parallel propulsion units, wherein each of the parallel propulsion units comprises:
- a respective propulsor;
- a respective gas-turbine configured to drive the respective propulsor;
- and
- a respective electrical machine configured to drive the respective propulsor using electrical energy received from the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses and generate electrical energy using mechanical energy derived from the respective gas-turbine and output the generated electrical energy onto the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses;
- one or more electrical energy storage devices operably coupled to the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses, wherein the electrical energy storage devices are configured to both:
- charge using electrical energy sourced via the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses;
- and
- discharge to provide electrical energy to the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses.
11 more elements
A method of propelling an aircraft, the method comprising:
- outputting, by a plurality of power units, electrical energy onto one or more direct current (DC) electrical busses, wherein each of the plurality of power units do not provide mechanical energy to drive a propulsor;
- driving, by one or more electrical machines and using electrical energy received from at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses, one or more propulsors;
- charging, by one or more electrical energy storage systems, using electrical energy sourced via the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses;
- and
- discharging, by the one or more electrical energy storage systems, to provide electrical energy to the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses, wherein pairs of the one or more propulsors and the one or more electrical machines each comprise respective series propulsion units of one or more series propulsion units, the method further comprising:
- outputting, by a respective series propulsion unit of the one or more series propulsion units, electrical energy onto the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses, the outputted electrical energy generated by the respective series propulsion unit using mechanical energy derived from a propulsor of the respective series propulsion unit;
- driving, by one or more combustion motors that are not included in the series propulsion units, one or more propulsors that are not included in the series propulsion units.
4 more elements
An airframe comprising:
- a plurality of power units configured to output electrical energy onto one or more direct current (DC) electrical busses, wherein each of the plurality of power units do not provide mechanical energy to drive a propulsor;
- one or more series propulsion units, wherein each of the series propulsion units comprises:
- a respective propulsor;
- and
- a respective electrical machine configured to drive the respective propulsor using electrical energy received from at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses, generate electrical energy using mechanical energy derived from the respective propulsor and output the generated electrical energy onto the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses;
- one or more parallel propulsion units, wherein each of the parallel propulsion units comprises:
- a respective propulsor;
- a respective gas-turbine configured to drive the respective propulsor;
- and
- a respective electrical machine configured to drive the respective propulsor using electrical energy received from the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses and generate electrical energy using mechanical energy derived from the respective gas-turbine and output the generated electrical energy onto the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses;
- one or more electrical energy storage devices operably coupled to the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses, wherein the electrical energy storage devices are configured to both:
- charge using electrical energy sourced via the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses;
- and
- discharge to provide electrical energy to the at least one of the one or more DC electrical busses.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.