Helicopter hybrid engine system
OwnerMartin Kusterinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A helicopter may include a hybrid engine system including an internal combustion engine (e.g., a turbine engine) and an electric engine. The internal combustion engine and the electric engine being coupled to the rotor system and configured to separately or collectively operate the rotor system in response to a triggering event. In one aspect, a method for operating a rotor system of a helicopter may include receiving an indicator of a triggering event and actuating a non-active engine, one of the internal combustion engine or the electric engine, in response to receiving the triggering event.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- an electric engine couplable to a rotor system of a helicopter,
- wherein the electric engine is configured to operate the rotor system in an absence of a load to the rotor system from an internal combustion engine of the helicopter.
A hybrid engine system, comprising:
- an internal combustion engine couplable to a rotor system of a helicopter for operating the rotor system;
- an electric engine couplable to the rotor system of the helicopter for operating the rotor system in an absence of a load to the rotor system from the internal combustion engine;
- and
- a computing device couplable to the internal combustion engine and the electric engine for switching operation of the rotor system between the internal combustion engine and the electric engine.
A method for operating a rotor system of a helicopter, comprising:
- receiving, by a computing device, an indicator of a triggering event;
- and
- actuating one of a first engine or a second engine in response to receiving the triggering event, the first engine and the second engine being coupled to the rotor system and being configured to separately or collectively operate the rotor system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.