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US 12,123,309 B2Granted
After-fan system with electrical motor for gas turbine engines
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsDmitriy B. Sidelkovskiy, Pitchaiah Vijay Chakka, Michael Winter, Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Nathan L. Messersmith
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Abstract
An after-fan system for an engine may comprise an after-fan turbine an electrical generator operationally coupled to the after-fan turbine, and an electric motor electrically coupled to the electrical generator. The electrical generator may be configured to generate an electrical current in response to rotation of the after-fan turbine. The electric motor may be configured to generate torque.
Claims4
An electric engine for an aircraft, comprising:
- a fan driven by a low speed shaft via a gear assembly and a fan input shaft, the gear assembly rotationally coupled to the fan via the fan input shaft and configured to transfer torque from the low speed shaft to the fan;
- and
- an after-fan system located aft of the fan, the after-fan system comprising:
- an exit guide vane assembly located at an outlet of the fan;
- an after-fan turbine located forward of a compressor and aft of the exit guide vane assembly, wherein a fluid output of the fan drives a rotation of the after-fan turbine thereby rotating an after-fan turbine shaft;
- an electrical generator mechanically coupled to the after-fan turbine via the after-fan turbine shaft at a location between the fan and the after-fan turbine and configured to generate an electrical current in response to rotation of the after-fan turbine;
- an electric motor electrically coupled to the electrical generator at a location between the electric generator and the fan, the electric motor configured to drive a motor shaft;
- and
- the gear assembly rotationally coupled to a mechanical output of the electric motor via the motor shaft and configured to transfer torque from the motor shaft to the fan via the fan input shaft.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.