Aircraft, propulsion system, and system for taxiing an aircraft
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsDonald Burns, Kaushik Rajashekara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention is a unique aircraft. Another embodiment is a unique aircraft propulsion system. Still another embodiment is a unique system for taxiing an aircraft without starting one or more main aircraft propulsion engines. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for aircraft taxiing and propulsion systems. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
Claims26
A propulsion system for an aircraft, comprising:
- a gas turbine engine having a high pressure (HP) spool and a low pressure (LP) spool, wherein the LP spool is operative to drive a propulsor;
- an auxiliary power unit (APU) mechanically coupled to the LP spool and operative to drive the LP spool, wherein the APU is a thermodynamic machine configured to generate mechanical power from fuel;
- an auxiliary electrical machine mechanically coupled to the LP spool and operative to drive the LP spool;
- and
- an electrical power source electrically coupled to the auxiliary electrical machine,
- wherein the APU and the auxiliary electrical machine jointly supply rotational power to the LP spool at the same time to generate thrust via the propulsor for taxiing the aircraft.
An aircraft, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- an empennage coupled to the fuselage;
- a plurality of wings coupled to the fuselage;
- and
- a propulsion system, including:
- a gas turbine engine having a high pressure (HP) spool and a low pressure (LP) spool and an engine gearbox, wherein the LP spool is operative to drive a propulsor;
- and wherein the gas turbine engine is coupled to at least one of the fuselage, the empennage and at least one of the plurality of wings;
- an auxiliary power unit (APU) mechanically coupled to the LP spool via the gearbox and operative to drive the LP spool, wherein the APU is a thermodynamic machine configured to generate mechanical power from fuel;
- an auxiliary electrical machine mechanically coupled to LP spool via the gearbox and operative to drive the LP spool;
- an electrical power source electrically coupled to the auxiliary electrical machine,
- wherein the APU and the auxiliary electrical machine jointly supply rotational power via the engine gearbox to the LP spool at the same time to generate thrust via the propulsor for taxiing the aircraft.
A system, comprising:
- a gas turbine engine having a high pressure (HP) spool and a low pressure (LP) spool, wherein the LP spool is operative to drive a propulsor;
- a gearbox coupled to the LP spool;
- and
- means for supplying mechanical power from at least two sources to the low pressure spool for taxiing the system, wherein the means for supplying mechanical power includes means for supplying mechanical power by generating mechanical power from fuel;
- and wherein the means for supplying mechanical power supplies the mechanical power from two machines at the same time via the gearbox to the LP spool and provides power to the propulsor for propelling the system.
A method for providing propulsion for aircraft for taxiing the aircraft, comprising:
- providing a gas turbine engine having a high pressure (HP) spool and a low pressure (LP) spool, wherein the LP spool is operative to drive a propulsor;
- mechanically coupling an auxiliary power unit (APU) to the LP spool, wherein the APU is a thermodynamic machine configured to generate mechanical power from fuel;
- mechanically coupling an auxiliary electrical machine to the LP spool;
- coupling an electrical power source electrically to the auxiliary electrical machine;
- supplying rotational power from the APU and the auxiliary electrical machine at the same time to the LP spool to generate thrust via the propulsor;
- and
- taxiing the aircraft using the rotational power supplied to the propulsor from the APU and the auxiliary electrical machine, wherein the taxiing is performed without starting the gas turbine engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.