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US 12,054,274 B2Granted
Hybrid electric systems for rotorcraft
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorsMichael R. Mark, Leonid Guerchkovitch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid electric system for a rotorcraft can include a first thermal engine, a second thermal engine, and an electrical machine. The first thermal engine can be sized to produce a maximum first thermal engine power that is below a one-or-more-engine-inoperative (OEI) requirement power and the second thermal engine can be sized to produce a maximum second thermal engine power that is below the OEI requirement power. The electrical machine can be sized to provide at least a remaining power needed to reach the OEI requirement power in an OEI state.
Claims18
A hybrid electric system for a rotorcraft, comprising:
- a first thermal engine drivingly engageable to one or more rotors through a first mechanical disconnect;
- a second thermal engine drivingly engageable to the one or more rotors through a second mechanical disconnect;
- an electrical machine drivingly engageable to the one or more rotors through a third mechanical disconnect,
- wherein the first thermal engine is sized to produce a maximum first thermal engine power that is below a one-or-more-engine-inoperative (OEI) requirement power,
- wherein the second thermal engine is sized to produce a maximum second thermal engine power that is below the OEI requirement power, and
- wherein the electrical machine is sized to provide at least a remaining power needed to reach the OEI requirement power in an OEI state;
- and
- one or more control modules operatively connected to the first mechanical disconnect and to the second mechanical disconnect, the one or more control modules configured for:
- operating the first thermal engine in a single engine operation (SEO) mode while the second thermal engine is either idling or powered off;
- determining a thermal engine failure of the first thermal engine;
- drivingly disengaging the first thermal engine from the one or more rotors with one or more of the first mechanical disconnect;
- drivingly engaging the second thermal engine and the electrical machine to the one or more rotors with the second mechanical disconnect and the third mechanical disconnect,
- ramping up a power generated by the second thermal engine,
- during the ramping up of the power of the second thermal engine, powering the electrical machine to produce a power corresponding to a difference between a power required by the second thermal engine for the SEO mode and an actual power produced by the second thermal engine;
- and
- as the power generated by the second thermal engine increases, ramping down a power generated by the electrical machine.
13 more elements
A rotorcraft, comprising:
- a rotor;
- a main gear box connected to the rotor;
- a first thermal engine connected to the main gear box through a first mechanical disconnect;
- a second thermal engine connected to the main gear box through a second mechanical disconnect;
- an electrical machine connected to the main gear box through a third mechanical disconnect,
- wherein the first thermal engine is sized to produce a maximum first thermal engine power that is below a one-or-more-engine-inoperative (OEI) requirement power,
- wherein the second thermal engine is sized to produce a maximum second thermal engine power that is below the OEI requirement power, and
- wherein the electrical machine is sized and sized to provide at least a remaining power needed to reach the OEI requirement power in an OEI state;
- and
- one or more control modules operatively connected to the first mechanical disconnect and to the second mechanical disconnect, the one or more control modules configured for:
- operating the first thermal engine in a single engine operation (SEO) mode while the second thermal engine is either idling or powered off;
- determining a thermal engine failure of the first thermal engine;
- drivingly disengaging the first thermal engine from the rotor with the first mechanical disconnect;
- drivingly engaging the second thermal engine and the electrical machine to the rotor with the second mechanical disconnect and the third mechanical disconnect and via the main gear box;
- ramping up a power generated by the second thermal engine,
- during the ramping up of the power of the second thermal engine, powering the electrical machine to produce a power corresponding to a difference between a power required by the second thermal engine for the SEO mode and an actual power produced by the second thermal engine;
- and
- as the power generated by the second thermal engine increases, ramping down a power generated by the electrical machine.
15 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer executable instructions configured to cause a computer to perform a method for controlling power in a multiengine rotorcraft having one or more rotor, the method comprising:
- operating a first thermal engine in a single engine operative (SEO) mode while a second thermal engine is either on idle or powered off, each of the first thermal engine and the second thermal engine sized to produce a maximum thermal engine power that is below a one-or-more-engine-inoperative (OEI) requirement power;
- determining a thermal engine failure of the first thermal engine;
- disengaging the first thermal engine from the one or more rotor;
- engaging the second thermal engine to the one or more rotor;
- ramping up a power generated by the second thermal engine;
- during the ramping up of the power of the second thermal engine, powering the electrical machine to produce a power corresponding to a difference between a power required by the second thermal engine for the SEO mode and an actual power produced by the second thermal engine;
- and
- as the power generated by the second thermal engine increases, ramping down a power generated by the electrical machine.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.