Motor integrated auxiliary bearings for aircraft machines
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsViktor Kilchyk, Brent J. Merritt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aircraft air cycle machines include a housing defining a motor cavity, a shaft arranged within the housing, a turbine operably coupled to the shaft and arranged within the housing, a compressor operably coupled to the shaft and arranged within the housing, and a motor arranged within the motor cavity, wherein the motor comprises a motor stator assembly fixedly connected to the housing and a motor rotor assembly rotationally coupled to the shaft.
Claims20
An aircraft air cycle machine comprising:
- a housing defining a motor cavity;
- a shaft arranged within the housing;
- a turbine operably coupled to the shaft and arranged within the housing;
- a compressor operably coupled to the shaft and arranged within the housing;
- an axial flux motor arranged within the motor cavity, wherein the motor comprises a motor stator assembly fixedly connected to the housing and a motor rotor assembly rotationally coupled to the shaft;
- and
- a motor controller configured to direct electrical power into the motor stator assembly to generate a magnetic field, wherein the motor controller is configured to operate in a bearing mode of operation wherein the motor rotor assembly is rotationally decoupled from the shaft, and the interaction of the motor rotor assembly and the motor stator assembly provides a magnetic thrust bearing functionality to the shaft.
An aircraft environmental control system comprising:
- at least one ram air fan system;
- and
- an air cycle machine comprising:
- a housing defining a motor cavity;
- a shaft arranged within the housing;
- a turbine operably coupled to the shaft and arranged within the housing;
- a compressor operably coupled to the shaft and arranged within the housing;
- an axial flux motor arranged within the motor cavity, wherein the motor comprises a motor stator assembly fixedly connected to the housing and a motor rotor assembly rotationally coupled to the shaft;
- and
- a motor controller configured to direct electrical power into the motor stator assembly to generate a magnetic field, wherein the motor controller is configured to operate in a bearing mode of operation wherein the motor rotor assembly is rotationally decoupled from the shaft, and the interaction of the motor rotor assembly and the motor stator assembly provides a magnetic thrust bearing functionality to the shaft.
A method of operating an air cycle machine onboard an aircraft, the air cycle machine comprising a housing, a shaft, and an axial flux motor comprising a motor stator assembly fixedly connected to the housing and a motor rotor assembly rotationally coupled to the shaft, and a motor controller configured to direct electrical power into the motor stator assembly to generate a magnetic field, the method comprising:
- selectively operating the motor, using the motor controller, in a power input mode of operation or a bearing mode of operation, wherein:
- in the power input mode of operation, the motor rotor assembly is rotationally coupled to the shaft and configured to input rotational energy into the shaft;
- and
- in the bearing mode of operation, the motor rotor assembly is rotationally decoupled from the shaft, and the interaction of the motor rotor assembly and the motor stator assembly provides a magnetic thrust bearing functionality to the shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.