Ejecting energy module from an aircraft
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorAdam Rosenkrantz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft system that includes an aircraft airframe, a drive unit, a mechanical load, an energy module and an ejection system. The aircraft airframe has an internal compartment. The drive unit is mounted with the aircraft airframe. The mechanical load includes a mechanical load rotor. The drive unit is coupled to and configured to drive rotation of the mechanical load rotor. The energy module is disposed within the internal compartment. The energy module includes an energy source configured to power or fuel operation of the drive unit. The ejection system is configured to eject the energy module out of the internal compartment and away from the aircraft airframe
Claims18
An aircraft system, comprising:
- an aircraft airframe with an internal compartment;
- a drive unit mounted with the aircraft airframe;
- a mechanical load comprising a mechanical load rotor, the drive unit coupled to and configured to drive rotation of the mechanical load rotor;
- an energy module disposed within the internal compartment, the energy module comprising an energy source configured to power or fuel operation of the drive unit, and the energy source fluidly coupled to the drive unit by a fluid line extending between the drive unit and the energy source;
- and
- an ejection system configured to eject the energy module out of the internal compartment and away from the aircraft airframe, and the ejection system configured to shear the fluid line prior to or during ejection of the energy module out of the internal compartment;
- wherein the energy source is directly coupled to the drive unit.
An aircraft system, comprising:
- an aircraft airframe;
- a drive unit mounted with the aircraft airframe;
- a mechanical load comprising a mechanical load rotor, the drive unit coupled to and configured to drive rotation of the mechanical load rotor;
- a power module arranged with the aircraft airframe, the power module comprising a power source configured to power operation of the drive unit, and the power module coupled to the drive unit by a line projecting out of the power module and to the drive unit;
- and
- an ejection system configured to eject the power module away from the aircraft airframe, the ejection system configured to destructively sever the line prior to or during ejection of the power module away from the aircraft airframe.
An aircraft system, comprising:
- an aircraft airframe;
- a drive unit mounted with the aircraft airframe;
- a mechanical load comprising a mechanical load rotor, the drive unit coupled to and configured to drive rotation of the mechanical load rotor;
- an energy module arranged with the aircraft airframe, the energy module including an energy source and a housing, the energy source configured to power or fuel operation of the drive unit, the housing configured to contain and seal off the energy source from an external environment during or after ejection of the energy module away from the aircraft airframe, the energy source fluidly coupled to the drive unit by a fluid line projecting out of the housing to the drive unit;
- and
- an ejection system configured to destructively sever the fluid line and eject the energy module away from the aircraft airframe;
- wherein the energy module further comprises a tracking device which is activated during or after ejection of the energy module away from the aircraft airframe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.