Mechanical disconnects for parallel power lanes in hybrid electric propulsion systems

Abstract

A hybrid propulsion system for driving an air mover about a rotation axis, has: a heat engine driving a heat engine shaft; an electric motor driving a motor shaft, the heat engine and the electric motor being axially offset from one another relative to the rotation axis; a gearbox having at least one input in driving engagement with the heat engine shaft and the motor shaft, and an output drivingly engageable to the air mover; and a disconnect mechanism disposed between one of the heat engine and the electric motor and the gearbox, the disconnect mechanism having an engaged configuration in which the one of the heat engine and the electric motor is drivingly engaged to the gearbox through the disconnect mechanism and a disengaged configuration in which the disconnect mechanism disengages the one of the heat engine and the electric motor from the gearbox.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.