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US 2020/0047896 A1Published application
Aircraft with electric propulsor
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorDouglas D. Dierksmeier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A propulsor includes an electric motor, a fan unit, and a thrust system positioned downstream of and coupled to the fan unit. The electric motor converts electrical power to mechanical rotation to rotationally drive the fan unit and create an air stream directed towards the thrust control system
Claims20
A propulsor adapted to produce thrust for use in an aircraft, the propulsor comprising
- an electric motor configured to convert electrical power to mechanical rotation,
- a fan unit including a nacelle structure and a fan rotor coupled to the electric motor to be rotationally driven by the electric motor about a central axis relative to the nacelle structure, the nacelle structure including a hub arranged along the central axis, a fan case arranged around the fan rotor and the central axis, and a plurality of guide vanes that extend from the hub to the fan case aft of the fan rotor so that all accelerated air discharged from the fan rotor interacts with the guide vanes as all the accelerated air moves through the nacelle structure, and
- a thrust control system coupled to the nacelle structure and located immediately aft of guide vanes so that the thrust control system is the next structure movable relative to the nacelle structure that interacts with all the accelerated air as it leaves the nacelle structure, the thrust control system being configured to provide a variable area nozzle and thrust reverser.
A propulsor comprising
- a fan unit including a nacelle structure and a fan rotor configured to be rotationally driven by an electric motor about a central axis relative to the nacelle structure, the nacelle structure including a hub arranged along the central axis, a fan case arranged around the fan rotor and the central axis, and guide vanes that extend from the hub to the fan case aft of the fan rotor so that all accelerated air discharged from the fan rotor interacts with the guide vanes as all the accelerated air moves through the nacelle structure, and
- a thrust control system coupled to the nacelle structure and located immediately aft of the guide vanes so that the thrust control system is the next structure movable relative to the nacelle structure that interacts with all the accelerated air as it leaves the nacelle structure.
An aircraft comprising
- an airframe,
- an electric motor, and
- a propulsor including a fan unit configured to provide accelerated air and a thrust control system configured to provide a variable area nozzle and thrust reverser that interacts with accelerated air from the fan unit,
- wherein the fan unit includes a nacelle structure and a fan rotor coupled to the electric motor for rotation about a central axis relative to the nacelle structure,
- wherein the nacelle structure includes a hub arranged along the central axis, a fan case arranged around the fan rotor and the central axis, and guide vanes that extend from the hub to the fan case aft of the fan rotor so that all accelerated air discharged from the fan rotor interacts with the guide vanes as all the accelerated air moves through the nacelle structure, and
- wherein the thrust control system is coupled to the nacelle structure and located immediately aft of the guide vanes so that the thrust control system is the next structure movable relative to the nacelle structure that interacts with all the accelerated air as it leaves the nacelle structure.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.