Pratt-whitney Canada Corp

Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Richard Freer

Michel Bousquet

Eric Latulipe

Kian McCaldon

Tin-Cheung John Hu

André Fortin

Antwan Shenouda

Ninad Joshi

Poi Loon Tang

Kevin Nguyen

Xuening Lu

Chase Whitman

Louis-Philippe Larose

Mehmet Celal Tanju

Raphael Gariepy

Remi Robache

Simon Lam

A method of and system for damping vibrations in a hybrid-electric propulsion system configured to drive a propulsor is provided. The hybrid-electric propulsion system includes a thermal engine, an electric motor, and an inverter. The method includes: a) controlling the thermal engine and the electric motor to operate at a target propulsion parameter, wherein the inverter is used in the controlling of the electric motor; b) determining a presence of a vibrational response within the hybrid-electric propulsion system; c) producing a vibration compensation signal configured to damp the vibrational response within the hybrid-electric propulsion system; and d) controlling the electric motor to damp the vibrational response using the vibrational compensation signal.

Method and apparatus for actively damping vibrations in a hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion system

In accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for controlling power in an aircraft. The method includes, monitoring an electric energy storage module electrically connected to an electrical bus for an exceedance of a first current limit and monitoring a generator module connected to the electrical bus for an exceedance of a second current limit. If the current limit of either of the electric energy storage module or the generator module is exceeded by a predetermined exceedance amount, the method includes reducing a power consumption for an electric machine by a predetermined bias until the exceedance of the electrical energy storage and the exceedance of the generator module are both less than or equal to zero.

Nested control loop structure for hybrid propulsion system

An assembly for an aircraft includes an aircraft electrical distribution bus, a battery, and a control system. The battery includes a plurality of battery strings. Each battery string includes a string contactor. The control system is in signal communication with the string contactor of each battery string. The control system is configured to control a position of the string contactor of each battery string in a closed string position or an open string position. The control system is configured to: detect a fault in a faulted first battery string of the plurality of battery strings and position the string contactor of the faulted first battery string in the open string position, in response to the detected fault in the faulted first battery string and maintain the string contactor of at least one unfaulted second battery string of the plurality of battery strings in the closed string position.

System and method for controlling an aircraft electrical distribution system

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

An aircraft system is provided that includes a first propulsor rotor, a first transmission, a second propulsor rotor, a second transmission and an intermittent combustion engine. The first propulsor rotor is rotatable about a first propulsor axis. The first transmission is coupled to the first propulsor rotor. The second propulsor rotor is rotatable about a second propulsor axis. The second transmission is coupled to the second propulsor rotor. The intermittent combustion engine is configured to drive rotation of the first propulsor rotor through the first transmission. The intermittent combustion engine is configured to drive rotation of the second propulsor rotor through the second transmission.

Aircraft propulsion system with intermittent combustion engine(s)

An assembly for an aircraft propulsion system includes a propulsor, an engine, and electrical distribution system, and a controller. The propulsor is configured for rotation about a rotational axis. The engine includes a rotor coupled with the propulsor. The electrical distribution system includes an electric motor. The electric motor is coupled with the propulsor. The electric motor and the rotor are configured to cooperatively control rotation of the propulsor about the rotational axis by applying a total torque to the propulsor. The total torque includes a motor torque of the electric motor and an engine torque of the rotor. The controller is configured to: identify a target rotation speed for the propulsor, identify a deviation of an actual rotation speed of the propulsor from the identified target rotation speed, change a target total torque for the propulsor, control the engine to change an actual engine torque of the rotor to the target total torque, and while controlling the engine to change the actual engine torque of the rotor to the target total torque, identify a torque difference between the actual engine torque and the target total torque and control the electric motor to apply a target motor torque to the propulsor based on the torque difference.

System and method for controlling a propulsor for a hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion system

A hybrid-electric propulsion (HEP) system is provided that includes a gas turbine engine, an electrical power motive system, a system controller, and a propulsor. The gas turbine engine has a free turbine configuration and a compressor. The electrical power motive system has first and second electric motors and first and second inverters. The gas turbine engine provides motive force to the propulsor. The first electric motor is configurable in a drive mode or in generator mode. The second electric motor is in communication with the compressor. The system controller is in communication with the gas turbine engine, the first and second inverters, and a non-transitory memory storing instructions, which instructions cause the system controller to control the second inverter to operate the second electric motor to provide a motive force to the compressor of the gas turbine engine during a low power setting of the gas turbine engine.

Hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion system control system and method

Hybrid aircraft power plants are provided together with associated systems and methods for operating such hybrid aircraft power plants. A hybrid aircraft power plant includes a thermal engine, an electric motor and one or more controllers operatively connected to the thermal engine and to the electric motor. The thermal engine and the electric motor are drivingly connected to an air mover of an aircraft via a combining gear train. The one or more controllers are configured to govern an actual output torque of the electric motor to reduce an error between a target operating speed for the air mover and an actual operating speed of the air mover, and govern an output of the thermal engine to reduce an error between a target output torque for the electric motor and the actual output torque of the electric motor.

System and method for operating a hybrid aircraft power plant

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a system for aircraft power. The system includes a DC/DC converter having a DC input and a DC output and a switching circuit connecting the DC input to the DC output operable to vary voltage at the DC output. A control module is operatively connected to the switching circuit for variable control of the DC output. The control module includes machine readable instructions to cause the control module to receive input indicative of altitude and control the switching circuit to vary voltage of the DC output as a function of environmental conditions such as altitude and humidity. In embodiments the altitude sensor is operatively connected to the controller.

DC bus voltage control

A system is provided for an aircraft. This system includes a propulsor rotor and a powerplant configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor. The powerplant includes a turbo-compounded intermittent internal combustion engine and a dual rotor electric machine. The turbo-compounded intermittent internal combustion engine includes a turbine rotor operatively coupled to the propulsor rotor through the dual rotor electric machine. The dual rotor electric machine includes a first rotor, a second rotor, a first stator and a second stator. The first stator and the second stator are arranged radially between and axially aligned with the first rotor and the second rotor.

Aircraft powerplant with electric transmission(s)

An aircraft propulsion system for an aircraft having a nacelle that includes a pylon structure is provided. The system includes compressor and turbine sections, an IC engine, a fan, and an IC engine cooling system. The compressor section is powered by a first electric motor. The turbine section is configured to power a first electric generator configured to produce electrical power. The first fan is rotationally driven by a second electric motor. The fan has a hub and a plurality of fan blades extending radially outward from the hub. The hub is disposed in the pylon interior region and the fan blades are configured to extend outside of the pylon structure. The fan is positioned downstream of the compressor section. The IC engine cooling system has a heat exchanger and a pump configured to provide coolant communication between the IC engine and the heat exchanger.

Aircraft propulsion system with intermittent combustion engine and electric transmission system and method for operating the same

An aircraft propulsion system and method of cooling the same are provided. The system includes a hydraulic pump, an intermittent IC engine, a hydraulic motor, an engine oil pump, and a cooling system. The intermittent IC engine drives the hydraulic pump. The hydraulic motor is powered by the hydraulic pump and drives a propulsor fan. The cooling system includes a first heat exchanger (AIR-EO HEX) and a second heat exchanger (EO-HF HEX). The AIR-EO HEX transfers heat between flows of engine oil and ambient air. The EO-HF HEX transfers heat between flows of engine oil and hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic pump provides motive force to cause the hydraulic oil to pass through the EO-HF HEX and back to the at least one hydraulic pump. The engine oil pump provides motive force to pass the engine oil to and through the AIR-EO HEX, the EO-HF HEX, and the intermittent IC engine.

Aircraft propulsion system with intermittent combustion engine, hydraulic motor, and cooling system

A method for operating a glow plug includes controlling a temperature of the glow plug by switching between applying a voltage Vand applying a voltage V<Vto the glow plug. Applying the voltage Vand applying the voltage Vcauses a glow plug current to oscillate about a glow plug current threshold. The glow plug current threshold is associated with one of the voltage Vand the voltage V. The method includes monitoring the glow plug current at the one of the voltage Vand the voltage V.

Method and system for glow plug operation

An electric machine system described herein comprises a first electric machine rotor, a first gear and a second gear. The first gear is connected to the first electric machine rotor and to a first input/output shaft. The second gear is connected to the first electric machine rotor and to a second input/output shaft. The first electric machine rotor is disposed between the first gear and the second gear.

Electric machine systems

A battery system includes a plurality of battery cells abutting one another to form a battery cell stack. An optical communication link is connected to each of the plurality of battery cells. A battery management system (BMS) connected to the optical communication link configured and adapted to receive information from the optical communication link. A method of controlling heat transfer in a battery system includes monitoring at least one characteristic of at least one battery cell of a plurality of battery cells with at least one sensor, and sending information from the at least one sensor to a battery management system (BMS) with an optical communication link. The optical communication link is connected to each of the plurality of battery cells. The method includes selectively varying a fluid circulation rate in the battery system with the BMS depending on the at least one characteristic.

Growing community of inventors

Saint-Basile-le-Grand, Canada

Richard Freer