Honeywell International Inc.

Alliedsignal Inc.

Ru-Li Kung

Tom Iles

Steven Robert Eccles

Wayne Schindler

Alex Morando

Mike S Koemer

Lorenzo Najera

Scott J Goldberg

Michael A Christie

An emergency power system may provide hydraulic and electrical power to an aircraft in the event of a failure of the aircraft's primary control power system. The system may be constructed as a ram air turbine in which a single ram air fan may drive both a hydraulic pump and an electrical generator. A unique gearbox may incorporate compound gearing to permit the pump and the generator to be driven at different speeds. Thus the pump and the generator may be driven at their respective optimum speeds. The pump and the generator may be detachably mounted on a gearbox that supports the ram air fan. The detachable mounting of the pump and generator may accommodate ease of maintenance of these items. The gearbox may be provided with a ground testing port through which rotational testing force may be introduced to a shaft that supports the ram air fan. This may permit ground level testing of the system. Ground level testing may reduce a need to perform periodic in-flight testing of the system.

Ram air turbine with compound geartrain gearbox

A closed cycle turbine system is provided for the generation of power in a light, high altitude airborne vehicle. The closed cycle turbine system may operate according to either the Brayton or the Rankine cycles. The working fluid for the closed cycle may be alternately heated by the combination of an external burner and heat exchanger and cooled by expansion and radiation. The use of the external burner operating at near the atmospheric pressure may eliminate the requirement for a compressor to compress large amounts of low density, ambient air for use in the turbine. Additional ambient air may be provided to the burner by either using a fan to concentrate the ambient air or pressurizing the fuel stream so as to entrain the ambient air therein. The external burner may use a gaseous fuel such as hydrogen or liquid fuel such as jet fuel to provide heat for the closed cycle.

Method of power generation for airborne vehicles

An emergency power system comprising a plurality of solid propellant gas generators each having a gas outlet in fluid communication with a turbine wheel rotationally disposed within a gas turbine housing, the turbine wheel being in rotational communication with an electric generator input shaft, a fluid pump input shaft, or both. A method of producing power from such an emergency power system is also disclosed.

Solid propellant gas generators in power systems

An emergency power unit comprises a turbine; a main combustor subsystem upstream of the turbine, with the main combustor subsystem being capable of operation at an augment power output and a main power output; a bleed air subsystem upstream of the turbine, with the bleed air subsystem capable of alternating operation with the main combustor subsystem; and a controller for controlling the operation of the said main combustor subsystem and the bleed air subsystem. In another embodiment, the emergency power unit comprises a turbine; a main combustor subsystem upstream of the turbine; a bleed air subsystem upstream of the turbine, with the bleed air subsystem capable of alternating operation with the main combustor subsystem; a secondary combustor subsystem in communication with the main combustor subsystem, while the secondary combustor subsystem is capable of simultaneous operation with either the bleed air subsystem or the main combustor subsystem; and a controller for controlling the operation of the the main combustor subsystem, bleed air subsystem, and secondary combustor subsystem.

Growing community of inventors

Walnut, CA, United States of America

Ru-Li Kung