Aircraft propulsion system with intermittent combustion engine(s)
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorRichard Freer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft system is provided that includes a first propulsor rotor, a first transmission, a second propulsor rotor, a second transmission and an intermittent combustion engine. The first propulsor rotor is rotatable about a first propulsor axis. The first transmission is coupled to the first propulsor rotor. The second propulsor rotor is rotatable about a second propulsor axis. The second transmission is coupled to the second propulsor rotor. The intermittent combustion engine is configured to drive rotation of the first propulsor rotor through the first transmission. The intermittent combustion engine is configured to drive rotation of the second propulsor rotor through the second transmission.
Claims19
An aircraft system, comprising:
- a first propulsor rotor rotatable about a first propulsor axis;
- a first transmission coupled to the first propulsor rotor;
- a second propulsor rotor rotatable about a second propulsor axis;
- a second transmission coupled to the second propulsor rotor, the second transmission different from and independent of the first transmission;
- and
- an intermittent combustion engine configured to drive rotation of the first propulsor rotor through the first transmission, and the intermittent combustion engine configured to drive rotation of the second propulsor rotor through the second transmission independent of the rotation of the first propulsor rotor,
- wherein the first transmission and the second transmission are configured to facilitate rotation of the first propulsor rotor and the second propulsor rotor at different rotational speeds during at least one mode of operation.
An aircraft system, comprising:
- a first propulsor including a plurality of first propulsor rotors rotatable about a first propulsor axis;
- a first transmission coupled to the plurality of first propulsor rotors;
- a second propulsor including a plurality of second propulsor rotors rotatable about a second propulsor axis;
- a second transmission coupled to the plurality of second propulsor rotors, the second transmission different from and independent of the first transmission;
- a powerplant comprising an intermittent combustion engine configured to drive rotation of the plurality of first propulsor rotors through the first transmission, and the intermittent combustion engine configured to drive rotation of the plurality of second propulsor rotors through the second transmission,
- wherein:
- at least one propulsor rotor from among the plurality of first propulsor rotors rotates in an opposite direction than a remainder of the plurality of first propulsor rotors,
- at least one propulsor rotor from among the plurality of second propulsor rotors rotates in an opposite direction than a remainder of the plurality of second propulsor rotors,
- the aircraft system is configured such that a mechanical power output by the powerplant is transferred to the first propulsor through the first transmission independent of the second transmission, and
- the first transmission and the second transmission are configured to facilitate rotation of the plurality of first propulsor rotors and the plurality of second propulsor rotors at different rotational speeds during at least one mode of operation.
An aircraft system, comprising:
- an aircraft fuselage;
- a first propulsor outside of and next to the aircraft fuselage, the first propulsor comprising a ducted propulsor rotor;
- a second propulsor outside of and next to the aircraft fuselage, the second propulsor comprising a ducted propulsor rotor;
- a first transmission housed within the aircraft fuselage, the first transmission coupled to the first propulsor;
- a second transmission housed within the aircraft fuselage, the second transmission coupled to the second propulsor, the second transmission different from and independent of the first transmission;
- and
- a turbo-compounded intermittent combustion engine housed within the aircraft fuselage, the turbo-compounded intermittent combustion engine configured to drive rotation of the first ducted propulsor rotor through the first transmission, and the turbo-compounded intermittent combustion engine configured to drive rotation of the second ducted propulsor rotor through the second transmission.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.