Exhaust duct for hybrid aircraft powerplant
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorDavid Menheere
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft system is provided that includes a propulsor rotor, an electric machine and a gas turbine engine. The electric machine is operatively coupled to and configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor. The gas turbine engine is operatively coupled to and configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor. The gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, an exhaust duct and a flowpath extending through the compressor section, the combustor section, the turbine section and the exhaust duct. The exhaust duct extends longitudinally along the electric machine. The exhaust duct extends partially circumferentially about the electric machine between opposing circumferential sides of the exhaust duct.
Claims19
An aircraft system, comprising:
- a propulsor rotor;
- an electric machine operatively coupled to and configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor;
- and
- a gas turbine engine operatively coupled to and configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor;
- the gas turbine engine including a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, an exhaust duct and a core flowpath extending through the compressor section, the combustor section, the turbine section and the exhaust duct;
- and
- the exhaust duct extending longitudinally along the electric machine, the exhaust duct extending partially circumferentially about the electric machine between opposing circumferential sides of the exhaust duct, the exhaust duct including a first section and second section, the second section downstream of the first section, the first section extending a first number of degrees about the electric machine between the opposing circumferential sides of the exhaust duct, the second section extending a second number of degrees about the electric machine between the opposing circumferential sides of the exhaust duct, and the second number of degrees is less than the first number of degrees.
An aircraft system, comprising:
- an electric machine comprising an electric machine rotor;
- and
- a gas turbine engine including a rotating structure, a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, an exhaust duct and a core flowpath extending through the compressor section, the combustor section, the turbine section and the exhaust duct;
- the rotating structure comprising a turbine rotor within the turbine section, and the rotating structure rotatable with and coupled to the electric machine rotor;
- and
- the exhaust duct wrapped partially circumferentially around the electric machine, the exhaust duct extending axially from a first section towards a second section, the second section downstream of the first section, the first section extending a first number of degrees about the electric machine between opposing circumferential sides of the exhaust duct, the second section extending a second number of degrees about the electric machine between the opposing circumferential sides of the exhaust duct, and the second number of degrees is less than the first number of degrees.
An aircraft system, comprising:
- an electric machine comprising an electric machine rotor, the electric machine extending axially along an axis;
- a gas turbine engine including a rotating structure, a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, an exhaust duct and a core flowpath extending through the compressor section, the combustor section, the turbine section and the exhaust duct;
- the rotating structure comprising a turbine rotor within the turbine section, and the rotating structure rotatable with and coupled to the electric machine rotor;
- the exhaust duct extending longitudinally along the electric machine, the exhaust duct including a first section and second section, the first section extending a first number of degrees about the electric machine between opposing circumferential sides of the exhaust duct, and the second section extending a second number of degrees about the electric machine between the opposing circumferential sides of the exhaust duct;
- and
- one or more service lines routed to the electric machine without passing through the exhaust duct or across the core flowpath;
- wherein the first number of degrees is between one-hundred and sixty degrees and two-hundred degrees, and the second number of degrees is between forty-five degrees and one-hundred and twenty degrees;
- and
- wherein the exhaust duct extends in a non-straight trajectory away from the axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.