Hybrid electric propulsion system and method of operation
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorsEric Latulipe, Richard Freer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for operating a hybrid electric aircraft propulsion system mounted to an aircraft. The method comprises driving a first rotating propulsor from a first electric motor operatively connected to a generator, driving a second rotating propulsor from a second electric motor operatively connected to the generator, and driving a third rotating propulsor from a thermal engine, the thermal engine operatively connected to the generator and configured to drive the generator.
Claims15
A method for operating a hybrid electric aircraft propulsion system mounted to an aircraft, the method comprising:
- driving a first rotating propulsor with a first electric motor operatively connected to a generator and operatively connected to a direct current (DC) power source through at least one motor inverter configured for converting DC electric power to AC electric power;
- driving a second rotating propulsor from a second electric motor operatively connected to the generator and operatively connected to the DC power source through the at least one motor inverter;
- driving a third rotating propulsor from a thermal engine, the thermal engine operatively connected to the generator and configured for driving the generator;
- detecting a failure to the first electric motor or the second electric motor;
- and
- transferring power from the DC power source to the thermal engine through the at least one motor inverter and the generator acting as a motor to produce additional propulsion power for the third rotating structure in response to detecting the failure.
A hybrid electric aircraft having a propulsion system comprising:
- a first rotating propulsor;
- a first electric motor coupled to the first rotating propulsor and configured for applying rotary force thereto;
- a second rotating propulsor;
- a second electric motor coupled to the second rotating propulsor and configured for applying rotary force thereto;
- a generator selectively coupled to the first electric motor and the second electric motor and configured for applying alternating current (AC) electric power thereto;
- a third rotating propulsor;
- a thermal engine selectively coupled to the generator and the third rotating propulsor and configured for driving the generator and the third rotating propulsor;
- at least one motor inverter selectively coupled to the first electric motor, the second electric motor, the generator, and a direct current (DC) power source, the at least one motor inverter configured for converting DC electric power from the DC power source into AC electric power and selectively applying the AC electric power to the first electric motor and the second electric motor;
- wherein in response to detecting a failure to the first electric motor or the second electric motor, the DC electric power from the DC power source is transferred to the thermal engine through the at least one motor inverter and the generator acting as a motor to produce additional propulsion power for the third rotating propulsor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.