Methods and apparatus for an inertial separation of air in an electric aircraft
AssigneeBeta Air, LLC
InventorsStefan Stuart Brecher, Manon Danielle Belzile
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Abstract
An apparatus for an inertial separation of air in an electric aircraft, wherein the apparatus includes an intake duct configured to intake an airflow, an inertial air separator configured to separate the airflow into a clean airflow and a dirty airflow, a propulsor configured to intake the clean airflow, wherein the propulsor includes a stator and a rotor, and a heat exchanger configured to intake the dirty airflow.
Claims20
An electric propulsion system for an electric, aircraft, wherein the electric propulsion system comprises:
- an intake duct configured to intake an airflow;
- an inertial air separator configured to separate the airflow into a clean airflow and a dirty, airflow;
- a secondary duct channel located downstream of inertial air separator for receiving the dirty airflow;
- a primary duct channel located downstream of the inertial air separator and radial inward of the secondary duct channel for receiving the clean airflow;
- and
- a propulsor that includes:
- a propeller;
- an electric motor configured to drive the propeller, the electric motor comprising:
- a stator;
- and
- a rotor;
- an inverter configured to power the electric motor, wherein the inverter is disposed between the propeller and the electric motor;
- and
- a heat exchanger coupled to the inverter,
- wherein the primary duct channel directs the clean airflow across the stator for cooling the electric motor, and the secondary duct channel directs the dirty airflow to bypass the electric motor and directs the dirty airflow across the heat exchanger for cooling the inverter.
A method for an inertial separation of air in an electric aircraft, wherein the method comprises:
- intaking, using an intake duct, an airflow;
- separating, using an inertial air separator, the airflow into a clean airflow and a dirty airflow;
- directing, by a primary duct channel located downstream of the inertial air separator and radially inward of secondary duct channel, the clean airflow across a stator for cooling an electric motor;
- directing, by the secondary duct channel, the dirty airflow to bypass the electric motor;
- and
- directing, by the secondary duct channel, the dirty airflow across a heat exchanger for cooling an inverter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.