Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Joseph Lawrence Simonetti

Mark Denton Bystry

Donald William Lamb, Jr

Michael Peter Strauss

Michael Joseph DeVita

Mark P Eisenhauer

Matthew J Tarascio

Michael Strauss

Brian St Rock

Charles E Lents

Timothy Fred Lauder

Hayden M Reeve

Peter James Waltner

Scott A Chasen

Frederick L Bourne

Nicholas D Lappos

Patrick Ormande Bowles

Lawrence E Zeidner

Jonathan Hartman

Alfred Russell Smiley

Carl A Palmer

Shyam Neerarambam

Steven Bofill

Jose A daSilva

Nhan R Tran

Niranjan Desai

Andrew G Keith

Adam Kasprzyk

Jr Donald William Lamb

A hybrid propulsion system extracts electrical power using a combined heat engine and electrical generator. The propulsion system includes a gas generator, an electrical power generator disposed upstream of the gas generator and configured to be driven by a power turbine, an output power shaft mated to the power turbine and extending through a central axis of the gas generator and power generator unit, an engine enclosure circumferentially surrounding the power generator, and a shroud disposed between the power generator and the engine enclosure. The electrical power generator includes at least one rotating member and a stationary conductive member, wherein the at least one rotating member includes a magnetic portion, and rotation of the at least one rotating member relative to stationary conductive member generates a current transmissible by one or more coupled power output cables.

Integrated hybrid propulsion system

A hybrid propulsion system extracts electrical power using a combined heat engine and electrical generator. The propulsion system includes a gas generator, an electrical power generator disposed upstream of the gas generator and configured to be driven by a power turbine, an output power shaft mated to the power turbine and extending through a central axis of the gas generator and power generator unit, an engine enclosure circumferentially surrounding the power generator, and a shroud disposed between the power generator and the engine enclosure. The electrical power generator includes at least one rotating member and a stationary conductive member. The at least one rotating member includes a magnetic portion, and rotation of the at least one rotating member relative to stationary conductive member generates a current transmissible by one or more coupled power output cables.

An exhaust system for an engine includes an exhaust nozzle located adjacent an outlet end of the engine to receive a primary flow of exhaust gasses expelled from the engine, an inlet opening formed between the exhaust nozzle and the outlet end of the engine through which a secondary flow is provided to the exhaust nozzle, and a vortex generator arranged within the exhaust system at a position where both the primary flow and the secondary flow are present. The vortex generator interrupts at least one of the primary flow and the secondary flow.

Vortex generators for turbine engine exhaust

A system for starting a gas turbine engine includes a rotor drive system and a hydraulic motor system operatively connected to the rotor drive system. A gas turbine engine is operatively connected to the hydraulic motor system for starting the gas turbine engine. A method for starting an engine includes initiating single-engine-operation on a multi-engine aircraft. Single-engine operation includes operating a first engine and powering down a second engine. The method includes running a hydraulic motor system. The hydraulic motor system is driven by the rotor drive system and is operatively connected to the second engine. The method includes identifying a need to start the second engine and starting the second engine using the hydraulic motor system.

Systems and methods for starting an engine

A control system for an in-flight engine restart system of a rotorcraft includes an engine control unit that controls and detects status of an engine. The control system also includes a flight control computer that communicates with the engine control unit, an engine operation control system, and a pilot interface including pilot controls. The engine operation control system includes a processor that initiates a health check of the in-flight engine restart system to determine an in-flight engine restart system status. The engine operation control system processes engine mode of operation commands to establish an engine mode of operation, and delivers commands to aspects of the in-flight engine restart system including the engine control unit based on processing of the engine mode of operation commands. The engine operation control system reports the in-flight engine restart system status and results of the engine mode of operation commands to the flight control computer.

Control system for rotorcraft in-flight engine restarting

A method of operating a multi-engine, rotary wing aircraft in a single engine, in-flight mode, the method includes stopping a first engine while operating a second engine; closing variable inlet guide vanes on the first engine; and turning a gas generator of the first engine at a reference rotational speed.

Inlet guide vane control for aircraft single engine operation

A rotorcraft includes at least one first engine operatively connected to a first rotor, and a second engine operatively connected to at least one of a second rotor or an electrical generator for driving an electrical system, wherein the second engine is a different size than the first engine. The second engine can be smaller than the at least one first engine, for example.

Engine systems for rotorcraft

A bleed air heat ejector includes a housing defining an inner passage extending in an axial direction from an inlet of the housing to an outlet of the housing, wherein the inlet is configured to channel ambient air into the housing, and wherein the outlet is configured to channel mixed heated and ambient air out of the housing. A dispenser is mounted in the housing between the inlet and the outlet. The dispenser includes an inner chamber configured to receive heated air from a bleed line. The dispenser includes a plurality of apertures therein for issuing heated air from the inner chamber into the inner passage of the housing to form a flow of mixed ambient and bleed air. The apertures of the inner chamber can be angled primary jets, vortex generators can be included, and/or secondary jets can be included to promote mixing of bleed and ambient air.

Bleed air heat ejectors

A gas turbine exhaust assembly includes an exhaust flow path configured to receive an exhaust flow from a gas turbine engine, the exhaust flow path defined by an inner hub and a radially outer wall. The gas turbine exhaust assembly also includes a plurality of vanes circumferentially spaced from each other and operatively coupled to the radially outer wall of the exhaust flow path, each of the plurality of vanes extending only partially toward the inner hub and terminating at an inner end of the vanes, the inner end defining an open portion.

Gas turbine exhaust assembly

Embodiments are directed to selecting, by a computing device comprising a processor, the size of at least one prime mover associated with an aircraft to satisfy a baseline power requirement for operation of the aircraft during a steady state load condition, selecting at least one power source configuration to supplement power provided by the at least one prime mover during a transient load condition associated with the operation of the aircraft, and selecting, by the computing device, a parameter of the at least one power source configuration to provide a total power in an amount that is greater than a threshold during the transient condition.

Supplemental power for reduction of prime mover

An integrated inlet particle separator (IPS) blower/engine starter including a housing having an inlet and an outlet. A turbine member is rotatably supported in the housing. A geared member operatively connected to the turbine member extends outward from the housing. The integrated IPS blower/engine starter is operable in a first configuration receiving a first fluid flow to rotate the geared member and in a second configuration generating a fluid flow through powered rotation of the geared member.

Integrated inlet particle separator (IPS) blower/engine starter

One aspect is an electrical augmentation system for a gas turbine engine. The electrical augmentation system includes an electric motor operably coupled to a shaft of the gas turbine engine, and an energy storage device operable to provide a temporary increased current source to the electric motor. The electrical augmentation system includes a control system having a torque demand anticipation circuit operable to determine an anticipated torque increase condition for the gas turbine engine. Based on the anticipated torque increase condition, the torque demand anticipation circuit commands a temporary torque increase by the electric motor using the energy storage device.

Electrical augmentation of a gas turbine engine

The disclosure herein relates to power leveling mechanisms comprising a high frequency controller. The power leveling mechanism receives a power demand signal indicating a power requirement of a vehicle and determines a high frequency component of the power demand signal. The power leveling mechanism also provides a signal to a primary propulsion system and provides, via the high frequency controller, a high bandwidth signal based on the high frequency component to an auxiliary propulsion system.

Power leveling controller

An engine inlet assembly includes an inlet duct having a first inlet duct leg and a second inlet duct leg, the first inlet duct leg and the second inlet duct leg extending toward a common inlet duct outlet located at an engine inlet. The first inlet duct leg and the second inlet duct leg are fixedly secured to an airframe of an aircraft at an air inlet. The duct outlet has a floating interface with the engine inlet.

Engine inlet configuration

An inlet duct for an engine or multiple engines includes two or more joining duct legs and a pressure relief pathway located at each duct leg to condition inlet airflow from the duct legs. A method of operating an aircraft includes urging an inlet airflow into two or more duct openings disposed at a fuselage of the aircraft. The inlet airflow is urged through two or more converging inlet duct legs extending from the two or more duct openings toward an engine inlet. A portion of the inlet airflow is flowed from at least one inlet duct leg of the two or more inlet duct legs into a pressure relief pathway. An inlet duct for an engine or multiple engines includes one or more inlet duct legs and a bypass leg extending from an inlet duct leg of the one or more inlet duct legs through a bypass opening.

Growing community of inventors

Southbury, CT, United States of America

Joseph Lawrence Simonetti