The Boeing Company

Joseph M Dirusso

David W Foutch

Keith D Parsons

Steve G Mackin

Kent Edmund Karnofski

An example aircraft engine includes a fan and a gas turbine engine to drive the fan. The gas turbine engine has a low-pressure drive shaft operatively coupling a low-pressure turbine and a low-pressure compressor and a high-pressure drive shaft operatively coupling a high-pressure turbine and a high-pressure compressor. The aircraft engine includes a power transfer system including a differential having an input shaft, a first output shaft in gear with the low-pressure drive shaft, and a second output shaft in gear with the high-pressure drive shaft, and a gearbox between the low-pressure drive shaft of the gas turbine engine and the first output shaft of the differential. The gearbox is configured to provide power transfer through the differential from the low-pressure drive shaft to the high-pressure drive shaft.

Power transfer systems and methods for aircraft engines

Engine bleed air power recovery systems and related methods are disclosed. An example power recovery system for an aircraft engine includes a power recovery turbine coupled to aa shaft-driven device. A bleed air valve coupled between the power recovery turbine and a bleed air source. A controller configured to operate the bleed air valve to allow bleed air to flow to the power recovery turbine when the aircraft engine operates in a predetermined mode of operation.

Engine bleed power recovery systems and related methods

An example system for providing mechanical power to an aircraft accessory with a turbine engine, where the turbine engine includes a low-speed spool and a high-speed spool, includes an accessory gearbox disposed between the low-speed spool and the high-speed spool and a clutch disposed within or external to the accessory gearbox. The accessory gearbox is configured to drive the aircraft accessory, and the clutch is configured to enable either the high-speed spool or the low-speed spool to provide mechanical power to the aircraft accessory via the accessory gearbox.

Systems and methods for providing mechanical power to an aircraft accessory with a turbine engine

An example method includes: receiving information indicative of a desired aircraft cruise insertion point comprising achieving a desired cruise altitude for an aircraft within a predetermined period of time from departure, or within a predetermined distance from departure; determining a desired airspeed for the aircraft; prior to a flight of the aircraft, determining, based on the desired airspeed and the desired aircraft cruise insertion point, a climb trajectory for the aircraft; and during a climb flight phase of the aircraft, varying climb thrust of an engine of the aircraft to follow the climb trajectory and achieve the desired aircraft cruise insertion point.

Airplane climb thrust optimization

A system () for transferring mechanical power in a turbine engine () including a low pressure spool () and a high pressure spool () includes a power transfer unit () coupled between an output shaft () of the low pressure spool () and a drive shaft () of the high pressure spool () to mechanically link the low pressure spool () to the high pressure spool (), and a clutch () coupled to the power transfer unit (), wherein the clutch () is configured to transfer power produced from the low pressure spool () to the high pressure spool ().

Systems and methods for transferring mechanical power in a turbine engine

An example method includes: receiving information indicative of a desired aircraft cruise insertion point comprising achieving a desired cruise altitude for an aircraft within: a predetermined period of time from departure, or within a predetermined distance from departure; receiving information indicative of an estimated weight of the aircraft upon the aircraft reaching the desired cruise altitude; determining a desired airspeed for the aircraft based on the information indicative of the estimated weight of the aircraft; prior to a flight of the aircraft, determining, based on the desired airspeed and the desired aircraft cruise insertion point, a climb trajectory for the aircraft; and during a climb flight phase of the aircraft, varying climb thrust of an engine of the aircraft to follow the climb trajectory and achieve the desired aircraft cruise insertion point.

Growing community of inventors

Snohomish, WA, United States of America

Joseph M Dirusso