Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Pratt-whitney Canada Corp

Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.

United Technologies Advanced Projects, Inc.

Todd A Spierling

David S Behling

Jean Thomassin

Glenn C Lemmers, Jr

Louis J Bruno

Robert A Bayles

Anthony C Jones

Gregory L DeFrancesco

Dhaval S Patel

Thomas M Zywiak

Harold W Hipsky

Andrew P Grosskopf

Michael James Krenz

Andreas C Koenig

Craig R LeGros

Eric Latulipe

Carl A Wagner

Timothy R Welch

Eric LaTulipe

Douglas J Turner

Jan Henry Abels

Tyler W Hayes

David W Anderson

Chad M Henze

Mark J Seger

Pierre Bertrand

John T Pech

Brandon M Grell

Timothy R Pieper

Jr Glenn C Lemmers

A system includes a low pressure machine, a high pressure machine, a motor controller device, a first set of switches configured to selectively couple the low pressure machine to an inverter or a rectifier included in the motor controller device, based on a control signal, and a second set of switches configured to selectively couple the high pressure machine to the inverter or the rectifier, based on the control signal.

Multiplexed bi directional converters for hybrid electric aircraft propulsion

An aircraft propulsion system including at least first airmover, an electric motor configured to at least partially power the at least first airmover, wherein the first airmover includes a propeller having at least a first position configured to provide thrust to the aircraft and a second position configured to recharge a power source, wherein the second position is a reverse windmilling position, and a heat engine configured to at least partially power the first air mover or a second air mover.

Aircraft propulsion system and methods of feathering

An aircraft hybrid electrical system includes an electric power generating system in signal communication with a thermal combustion engine, a secondary power system in signal communication with the electric power generating system, and a battery in signal communication with the electric power generating system and the secondary power system. The aircraft hybrid electrical system further comprises a system controller in signal communication with the electric power generating system, secondary power system, and the battery. The system controller is configured to monitor a charge capacity of the battery and selectively operate in a current charge mode and a voltage charge mode to charge the battery. The system controller invokes the current charge mode in response to detecting the charge capacity falls below a charge capacity threshold, and invokes the voltage charge mode in response to detecting the charge capacity reaches a target value.

Hybrid electric secondary power and battery charging architecture and control system

A system includes an electric motor. A drive shaft is connected to be driven by the electric motor. A propulsor is connected to be driven by the shaft. The propulsor is configured to pivot to a first orientation configured to produce lift when the motor rotates the shaft in a first direction, and to pivot to a second orientation configured to produce thrust when the motor rotates the shaft in a second direction that is opposite of the first direction.

Self-orienting pods

An aircraft power system comprises a turbocharger, the turbocharger including a compressor for supplying combustion air to an internal combustion engine, a turbine operatively connected to an internal combustion engine to receive an exhaust flow from the internal combustion engine and convert energy of the exhaust flow into rotational power and, a turbo shaft operatively connecting the turbine to the compressor to transfer at least some of the rotational power to the compressor. A generator is operatively connected to the turbo shaft to receive at least some of the rotational power from the turbo shaft for generating electrical power. At least one electrically powered air-mover is electrically connected to the generator to receive at least some of the electrical power to produce thrust.

Electric distributed propulsion using exhaust recovery power

A hybrid electric aircraft powerplant arrangement can include a first wing pair of powerplants for a first wing of an aircraft, the first wing pair comprising a first electric powerplant configured to drive a first air mover and a first heat engine powerplant configured to drive a second air mover separate from the first air mover. The arrangement can include a second wing pair of powerplants for a second wing of the aircraft, the second wing pair comprising a second electric powerplant configured to drive a third air mover separate from the first and second air movers, and a second heat engine powerplant configured to drive a fourth air mover separate from the first, second, and third air movers.

Hybrid electric aircraft and powerplant arrangements

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a system includes a turbine configured to fluidly connect to a heat engine to be driven by exhaust from the heat engine, the turbine including a turbine shaft, and a generator operatively coupled to the turbine shaft to be driven by the turbine configured to receive rotational input power from turbine shaft and to convert the rotational input power to output power to generate electrical energy.

Energy harvesting for hybrid propulsion systems

A hybrid propulsion system includes a heat engine configured to drive a heat engine shaft. An electric motor is configured to drive a motor shaft. A transmission system includes at least one gear box. The transmission system is configured to receive rotational input power from each of the heat engine shaft and the motor shaft and to convert the rotation input power to output power. The motor shaft includes a disconnect mechanism to allow the heat engine to rotate with the electric motor stopped. The heat engine shaft includes a disconnect mechanism to allow the electric motor to rotate with the heat engine stopped.

Mechanical disconnects for parallel power lanes in hybrid electric propulsion systems

An aircraft propulsion system includes at least one hybrid-electric power plant for delivering power to an air mover for propelling an aircraft. The at least one hybrid-electric power plant includes a first thermal engine and an electrical motor arranged in a parallel drive configuration or in an in-line drive configuration. The aircraft propulsion system includes a second thermal engine operatively connected to the electrical motor to power the electrical motor. A method for providing propulsion to an aircraft includes delivering power to an air mover for propelling the aircraft with at least one hybrid-electric power plant. The at least one hybrid-electric power plant includes a first thermal engine and an electrical motor arranged in a parallel drive configuration or in an in-line drive configuration. The method includes powering the electrical motor with a second thermal engine.

Dual engine hybrid-electric aircraft

A cooling system includes a thermal engine having a fluid output, and a motor drive having a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the fluid output of the thermal engine. The fluid inlet of the motor drive is downstream from the fluid output of the thermal engine. The system includes a fluid storage downstream from the motor drive and a fluid output of the motor drive. A method of cooling a motor drive includes outputting a cooling fluid from a fluid output of a thermal engine, receiving the cooling fluid from the fluid output of the thermal engine in a fluid inlet of a motor drive, passing the cooling fluid through the motor drive to a fluid output of the motor drive, receiving the cooling fluid in a fluid storage.

Integrated motor drive cooling

A gas turbine engine including: a tail cone; a low pressure compressor; a low pressure turbine; a low speed spool interconnecting the low pressure compressor and the low pressure turbine; and an electric generator located within the tail cone, the electric generator being operably connected to the low speed spool; and one or more acoustic panel assemblies located around the electric generator, the one or more acoustic panel assemblies including: an acoustic backing sheet, an outer porous liner, and an acoustic liner interposed between the outer porous liner and the acoustic backing sheet.

Integrated tail cone and mounted generator acoustic suppression

A gas turbine engine including: a tail cone; a low pressure compressor; a low pressure turbine; a low speed spool interconnecting the low pressure compressor and the low pressure turbine; an electric generator located within the tail cone, the electric generator being operably connected to the low speed spool; a structural support housing at least partially enclosing the electric generator, the structural support housing being located within the tail cone; and a mounting system located within the tail cone between the structural support housing and the tail cone, wherein the mounting system attaches the tail cone to the structural support housing.

Integrated tail cone and mounted generator

Provided are embodiments of a system including a series hybrid architecture using compounded doubly fed induction machines. Embodiments include a controller configured to control the operation of the system, and a power source configured to convert a first form of energy to a second form of energy. Embodiments also include a first machine configured to generate power, wherein the first machine is mechanically coupled to the power source, and a second machine configured to control equipment, wherein the first machine is electrically coupled to the second machine. Embodiments further include methods for operating the series hybrid architecture using the compounding doubly fed induction machines.

Series hybrid architectures using compounded doubly fed machines

A gas turbine engine including: a tail cone; a low pressure compressor; a low pressure turbine; a low speed spool interconnecting the low pressure compressor and the low pressure turbine; and an electric generator located within the tail cone, the electric generator being operably connected to the low speed spool, wherein the electric generator includes a coolant cavity in thermal communication with one or more components of the electric generator; a structural support housing at least partially enclosing the electric generator, the structural support housing including a forward wall located on a forward end of the structural support housing, wherein the forward wall includes a first opening; a first coolant conveying tube extending through the first opening to fluidly connect to the coolant cavity; and a first electrical connector tube extending through the first opening within the first coolant conveying tube to electrically connect to the electric generator.

Plug in fluid cooled electrical connections for tail cone mounted generator

A gas turbine engine including: a tail cone; a low pressure compressor; a low pressure turbine; a low speed spool interconnecting the low pressure compressor and the low pressure turbine; and an electric generator located within the tail cone, the electric generator being operably connected to the low speed spool; a structural support housing at least partially enclosing the electric generator, the structural support housing being located within the tail cone; and a temperature control device located within the tail cone between the structural support housing and the tail cone, wherein the temperature control device is in thermal communication with at least one of the structural support housing and the tail cone.

Growing community of inventors

Rockford, IL, United States of America

Todd A Spierling