Pratt-whitney Canada Corp

Louis-Philippe Larose

Xuening Lu

Richard Freer

Carmine Lisio

Poi Loon Tang

Kevin Nguyen

Eric Ostiguy

A method of regenerating an electric power storage unit for an aircraft hybrid electric propulsion (HEP) system is provided. The HEP system includes a thermal engine, an electric motor, an electric power storage unit, a primary gearbox, and a propulsion unit. The electric motor is configured to selectively provide rotational drive to the propulsion unit. The method includes: controlling the electric motor to operate as the generator; controlling the primary gearbox to be in an output disengaged configuration, wherein in the output disengaged configuration the primary gearbox is disengaged from driving the propulsion unit and the primary gearbox is transfers rotational drive produced by the thermal engine to the electric motor; operating the thermal engine to drive the primary gearbox in the output disengaged configuration; and regenerating the electric power storage unit by providing electrical energy produced by the electric motor to the electric power storage unit.

Hybrid electric propulsion system with regeneration and method for operating the same

A method of operating a hybrid electric powertrain (HEP) may include determining, based on a HEP torque demand and a maximum torque limit for a gas turbine engine having a mechanical output coupled to a power shaft of the HEP, a target torque for the gas turbine engine. The method may also include controlling the gas turbine engine to operate according to a target speed or the target torque. The method may also include, while operating the gas turbine engine according to the target speed or the target torque, determining, based on the HEP torque demand and the target torque, a total torque compensation demand for an electric machine having a mechanical output controllably couplable to the power shaft of the HEP, and operating the electric machine according to the total torque compensation demand.

Master-slave hybrid-electric powertrain control architecture with supervisory power management control

A method of controlling an aircraft propulsion system in an aircraft susceptible to ground resonance is provided. The method includes: providing an aircraft having an aircraft propulsion system and a rotary blade propulsion unit, the aircraft propulsion system having an electric motor and a gearbox, wherein the electric motor is in drive communication with the gearbox and the gearbox is in drive communication with the rotary blade propulsion unit; determining the presence or absence of a parameter indicative of a ground resonance condition; and controlling the electric motor to deliver an amount of torque to the gearbox to drive the rotary blade propulsion unit to produce enough lift to make the aircraft airborne when the presence of the parameter indicative of the ground resonance condition is determined.

Method and system for controlling an aircraft propulsion system in an aircraft susceptible to ground resonance

A method of braking a rotational air mover portion of an aircraft propulsion system is provided. The method includes: using an electrical device to apply a torque to a propulsion unit driven by a propulsion system of an aircraft, the propulsion unit including a rotational air mover configured to provide thrust for propelling the aircraft, wherein the electrical device is configured to produce electrical energy during the process of applying the torque to the propulsion unit; controlling the electrical device to apply an amount of the torque that is sufficient to cause the rotational air mover to decelerate or to maintain the rotational air mover non-rotational; and directing the electrical energy produced by the electrical device to an aircraft component.

Growing community of inventors

St-Sabine, Canada

Louis-Philippe Larose