US 12,709,403 B1Granted

Clutch assembly for a hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion system

AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.

InventorEric S. Durocher

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Abstract

An aircraft propulsion system includes an engine, an electric machine, a gearbox, and a propulsor. The gearbox includes an output shaft with a rotational axis, an electric machine drive gear mounted on the output shaft and driven by the electric machine, and an engine drive gear selectively couplable with the output shaft by a clutch assembly. The clutch assembly includes a coupling drive shaft mounted to the output shaft, a clutch housing mounted to the engine drive gear, and sliding clutch members moveably mounted to the clutch housing. The sliding clutch members are radially movable between inner and outer positions. In the outer position, the sliding clutch members engage the coupling drive shaft to couple the engine and output shaft. In the inner position, the sliding clutch members disengage from the coupling drive shaft to decouple the engine from the output shaft. The propulsor is driven by the output shaft.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An aircraft propulsion system, comprising:

an engine;
an electric machine;
a gearbox including an output shaft, an electric machine drive gear, an engine drive gear, and a clutch assembly, the output shaft having a rotational axis, the electric machine drive gear mounted on the output shaft, the electric machine drive gear driven by the electric machine, the engine drive gear selectively couplable with the output shaft by the clutch assembly,
the clutch assembly including a coupling drive shaft, a clutch housing, and a plurality of sliding clutch members, the coupling drive shaft mounted to the output shaft, the clutch housing mounted to the engine drive gear, the plurality of sliding clutch members moveably mounted to the clutch housing, the plurality of sliding clutch members radially moveable between an outer radial position and an inner radial position, the plurality of sliding clutch members in the outer radial position engaged with the coupling drive shaft, the clutch assembly coupling the engine and the output shaft with the plurality of sliding clutch members in the outer radial position, the plurality of sliding clutch members in the inner radial position disengaged from the coupling drive shaft, the engine decoupled from the output shaft with the plurality of sliding clutch members in the inner radial position;
and
a propulsor driven by the output shaft.

3 more elements

An aircraft propulsion system, comprising:

an engine;
an electric machine;
a gearbox including an output shaft, an engine drive gear, and a clutch assembly, the output shaft having a rotational axis, the electric machine coupled with the output shaft, the engine drive gear extending circumferentially about the output shaft, the engine drive gear rotatable relative to the output shaft, the engine drive gear selectively couplable with the output shaft by the clutch assembly,
the clutch assembly including a coupling drive shaft, a clutch housing, and a plurality of sliding clutch members, the coupling drive shaft mounted to the output shaft, the clutch housing mounted to the engine drive gear, the plurality of sliding clutch members moveably mounted to the clutch housing, the plurality of sliding clutch members radially moveable between an outer radial position and an inner radial position, the plurality of sliding clutch members biased in the inner radial position, the plurality of sliding clutch members in the outer radial position engaged with the coupling drive shaft, the clutch assembly coupling the engine and the output shaft with the plurality of sliding clutch members in the outer radial position, the plurality of sliding clutch members in the inner radial position disengaged from the coupling drive shaft, the engine decoupled from the output shaft with the plurality of sliding clutch members in the inner radial position;
and
a propulsor driven by the output shaft.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.