Systems and methods for oil maintenance in gearboxes for eVTOL aircraft
AssigneeArcher Aviation Inc.
InventorsScott Graves, Robert Wayne Moore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric propulsion system comprising an electric motor assembly. The electric motor assembly may include a housing having an internal volume, a stator ring disposed about a perimeter of the internal volume, and a rotor positioned within the stator. The electric motor assembly may include a main shaft connected to the rotor via a gear reduction, wherein the main shaft extends through the rotor. The electric motor assembly may include a collar connected to the main shaft, wherein the collar encircles the main shaft, and at least a portion of the collar is configured to direct a fluid away from the main shaft and toward the stator ring.
Claims33
A motor assembly for an electric propulsion system, the motor assembly comprising:
- a housing having an internal volume;
- a stator ring disposed about a perimeter of the internal volume;
- a rotor positioned within the stator ring;
- a hollow shaft attached to the rotor, comprising a gear of a gear reduction;
- at least one fluid distribution chamber located on an outer surface of the hollow shaft, the at least one fluid distribution chamber configured to rotate with the hollow shaft and distribute fluid radially towards the stator ring via a first opening of the at least one fluid distribution chamber, wherein the first opening and a location at which the stator ring receives the fluid are substantially aligned;
- a main shaft connected to the hollow shaft via the gear reduction;
- and
- a hydrodynamic bearing disposed between the hollow shaft and the main shaft, wherein the hydrodynamic bearing is configured to resist a load experienced by the hollow shaft.
A method of operating an electric propulsion system for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the method comprising:
- rotating a propeller by an electric motor assembly, the electric motor assembly comprising:
- a housing having an internal volume;
- a stator ring disposed about a perimeter of the internal volume;
- a rotor positioned within the stator ring;
- a hollow shaft attached to the rotor, comprising a gear of a gear reduction;
- at least one fluid distribution chamber located on an outer surface of the hollow shaft and configured to rotate with the hollow shaft, the at least one fluid distribution chamber including a first opening;
- a main shaft connected to the hollow shaft via the gear reduction, wherein, the main shaft extends through the hollow shaft, and the fluid distribution chamber includes a first opening;
- and
- a hydrodynamic bearing disposed between the hollow shaft and the main shaft, wherein the hydrodynamic bearing is configured to resist a load experienced by the hollow shaft;
- and
- directing a fluid radially toward the stator ring during a rotation of the hollow shaft through the first opening, wherein the stator ring is configured to receive the fluid at a location that is substantially aligned with the first opening.
A motor assembly for an electric propulsion system, the motor assembly comprising:
- a housing having an internal volume;
- a stator ring disposed about a perimeter of the internal volume;
- a rotor positioned within the stator ring;
- a hollow shaft attached to the rotor, comprising a gear of a gear reduction;
- at least one fluid distribution chamber located on an outer surface of the hollow shaft and configured to rotate with the hollow shaft,
- wherein the at least one fluid distribution chamber comprises a first opening configured to radially distribute fluid to the stator and a second opening configured to radially distribute fluid to the rotor;
- a main shaft connected to the hollow shaft via the gear reduction;
- and
- a hydrodynamic bearing disposed between the hollow shaft and the main shaft, wherein the hydrodynamic bearing is configured to resist a load experienced by the hollow shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.