Aircraft engine and associated method for driving the fan with the low pressure shaft during taxi operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10336461-B2
Application number	US-201614988267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

An aircraft engine, an electric taxi system and a corresponding method are provided to facilitate taxiing without operation of the core gas turbine engine by driving the fan assembly with the electric taxi system during taxi operations. An aircraft engine is provided that includes a core gas turbine engine including a compressor, a combustor and a high pressure turbine. The aircraft engine also includes a fan assembly coupled to the core gas turbine engine. The aircraft engine further includes an electric taxi system coupled to the fan assembly. The electric taxi system includes an energy storage device and a motor responsive to energy provided by the energy storage device. The motor is coupled to the fan assembly and is configured to drive the fan assembly during taxi operations.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. An aircraft engine of an aircraft comprising:
a core gas turbine engine including a compressor, a combustor and a high pressure turbine connected to the compressor by a high pressure shaft, wherein the core gas turbine engine is responsive to one or more thrust levers during flight;
a fan assembly coupled to the core gas turbine engine; and
an electric taxi system coupled to the fan assembly, the electric taxi system comprising an energy storage device and a motor responsive to energy provided by the energy storage device, wherein the motor is coupled to the fan assembly and is configured to drive the fan assembly during a taxi operation, wherein the motor is also configured to operate as a generator during the taxi operation such that rotation of the fan assembly while the aircraft is taxiing recharges the energy storage device,
wherein the electric taxi system is responsive to a control actuated by a pilot to place the aircraft into a taxi mode of operation, wherein the electric taxi system further comprises a controller configured to cause the motor to drive the fan assembly and wherein the controller is responsive to the one or more thrust levers that are utilized both: (i) to drive the aircraft engine during flight and (ii) to operate the electric taxi system during the taxi operation without causing the high pressure shaft to be driven, and
wherein the controller is configured to interpret input from the one or more thrust levers differently depending upon whether the aircraft is in flight or in the taxi mode of operation.

2. An aircraft engine according to claim 1 wherein the motor comprises a variable frequency starter generator powered by the energy storage device and configured to drive the fan assembly during the taxi operation.

3. An aircraft engine according to claim 1 wherein the motor comprises a pneumatic motor configured to drive the fan assembly during the taxi operation.

4. An aircraft engine according to claim 1 wherein the energy storage device is configured to receive energy from an onboard auxiliary power unit.

5. An aircraft engine according to claim 1 wherein the energy storage device is configured to receive energy from a remote energy supply while on the ground.

6. An aircraft engine according to claim 1 wherein the energy storage device comprises a flywheel energy storage device.

7. An aircraft engine according to claim 6 wherein the flywheel energy storage device is remote from other portions of the aircraft engine and within a body of an aircraft, and wherein the controller is also within the body of the aircraft.

8. An aircraft engine according to claim 7 wherein the controller is disposed in an aircraft electronics bay.

9. An aircraft engine according to claim 1 wherein the fan assembly comprises a fan and a low pressure shaft coupled to the fan, wherein the motor is configured to drive the low pressure shaft which, in turn, drives the fan during the taxi operation.

10. An aircraft engine according to claim 1 wherein the control actuated by the pilot to place the aircraft into the taxi mode of operation comprises a button or a switch.

11. An aircraft engine according to claim 1 wherein the electric taxi system further comprises a pair of gears to couple the motor to the low pressure shaft at a location between the fan assembly and the core gas turbine engine.

12. An aircraft engine according to claim 11 wherein the fan assembly comprises a booster compressor, and wherein the pair of gears couple the motor to the low pressure shaft at a location between the booster compressor of the fan assembly and the compressor of the core gas turbine engine.

13. An electric taxi system of an aircraft comprising:
an energy storage device configured to store energy;
a motor responsive to energy provided by the energy storage device;
a motor drive shaft configured to couple the motor to a fan assembly of an aircraft engine such that the fan assembly is driven by the electric taxi system during a taxi operation; and
a controller configured to cause the motor to drive the fan assembly wherein the controller is responsive to one or more thrust levers that are utilized both to drive the aircraft engine during flight and to operate the electric taxi system during the taxi operation,
wherein the motor is also configured to operate as a generator during the taxi operation such that rotation of the fan assembly while the aircraft is taxiing recharges the energy storage device,
wherein the electric taxi system is responsive to a control actuated by a pilot to place the aircraft into a taxi mode of operation, and
wherein the controller is configured to interpret the one or more thrust levers differently depending upon whether the aircraft is in flight or in the taxi mode of operation.

14. An electric taxi system according to claim 13 wherein the fan assembly comprises a fan and a low pressure shaft coupled thereto, and wherein the electric taxi system further comprises one or more gears configured to couple the motor drive shaft to the low pressure shaft of the fan assembly.

15. An electric taxi system according to claim 13 wherein the motor comprises a variable frequency starter generator powered by the energy storage device and configured to drive the fan assembly during the taxi operation.

16. An electric taxi system according to claim 13 wherein the motor comprises a pneumatic motor configured to drive the fan assembly during the taxi operation.

17. An electric taxi system according to claim 13 wherein the energy storage device is configured to receive energy from an onboard auxiliary power unit.

18. An electric taxi system according to claim 13 wherein the energy storage device is configured to receive energy from a remote energy supply while on the ground.

19. An electric taxi system according to claim 13 wherein the energy storage device comprises a flywheel energy storage device.

20. An electric taxi system according to claim 19 wherein the flywheel energy storage device is remote from other portions of the aircraft engine and within a body of an aircraft, and wherein the controller is also within the body of the aircraft.

21. An electric taxi system according to claim 20 wherein the controller is disposed in an aircraft electronics bay.

22. An electric taxi system according to claim 13 wherein the control actuated by the pilot to place the aircraft into the taxi mode of operation comprises a button or a switch.

23. An electric taxi system according to claim 13 further comprising a pair of gears to couple the motor drive shaft to a low pressure shaft of a core gas turbine engine at a location between the fan assembly and the core gas turbine engine.

24. An aircraft engine according to claim 23 wherein the pair of gears couple the motor drive shaft to the low pressure shaft at a location between a booster compressor of the fan assembly and a compressor of the core gas turbine engine.

25. A method of supporting a taxi operation of an aircraft, wherein the aircraft comprises an aircraft engine that includes a core gas turbine engine and a fan assembly, and wherein the method comprises:
storing energy in an energy storage device of an electric taxi system;
during the taxi operation in which the core gas turbine engine is shut off, driving the fan assembly with the electric taxi system by providing energy from the energy storage device to a motor of the elect

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Mackin Steve G

Classifications

• B64D35/00

  Transmitting power from power plants to propellers or rotors; Arrangements of transmissions · CPC title

• F01D15/10

  Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators · CPC title

• F01D25/36

  using electric motors · CPC title

• B64D33/00

  Arrangement in aircraft of power plant parts or auxiliaries not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F05D2220/36

  specially adapted for the fan of turbofan engines · CPC title