Operation of a hybrid electric aircraft propulsion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10826415-B2
Application number	US-201916411275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2019
Priority date	Sep 6, 2018
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

Methods and systems for operating a hybrid electric aircraft propulsion system. The method comprises providing alternating current (AC) electric power to a first electric motor to drive a first rotating propulsor, providing the first electric motor with AC electric power from at least one motor inverter operatively coupled to a direct current (DC) power source, detecting a failure in a path to the first electric motor, and selectively rearranging a first switching arrangement between the generator, the at least one motor inverter, and the first electric motor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a hybrid electric aircraft propulsion system, the method comprising:
providing alternating current (AC) electric power from a generator to a first electric motor to drive a first rotating propulsor, the first electric motor comprising a first motor stator and a second motor stator, the first motor stator connected to the generator;
providing the first electric motor with AC electric power from at least one motor inverter operatively coupled to a direct current (DC) power source, the at least one motor inverter connected to the second motor stator;
detecting a failure in a path to the first electric motor; and
selectively rearranging a first switching arrangement between the generator, the at least one motor inverter, and the first motor stator and second motor stator of the first electric motor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement comprises disconnecting the generator from the first motor stator of the first electric motor, connecting the at least one motor inverter to the first motor stator of the first electric motor, and driving the first motor stator and the second motor stator of the first electric motor with AC electric power from the at least one motor inverter.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing alternating current (AC) electric power from the generator to a second electric motor to drive a second rotating propulsor, the second electric motor comprising a third motor stator and a fourth motor stator, the third motor stator connected to the generator;
providing the second electric motor with AC electric power from the at least one motor inverter operatively coupled to the DC power source, the at least one motor inverter connected to the fourth motor stator;
detecting a failure in a path to the second electric motor; and
selectively rearranging a second switching arrangement between the generator, the at least one motor inverter, and the third motor stator and fourth motor stator of the second electric motor.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one motor inverter comprises a first motor inverter dedicated to the first electric motor and a second motor inverter dedicated to the second electric motor.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first motor inverter and the second motor inverter are interconnected, and wherein selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement or the second switching arrangement comprises using the first motor inverter with the second electric motor or using the second motor inverter with the first electric motor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement comprises providing AC power to the first electric motor from the second motor inverter through the first motor inverter.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement comprises providing AC power from the first motor inverter and the second motor inverter to the generator.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising detecting a failure to a thermal engine powering the generator, and wherein selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement or the second switching arrangement comprises selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement or the second switching arrangement to compensate for the failure to the thermal engine.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the generator comprises a first generator stator connected to the first electric motor and a second generator stator connected to the second electric motor.

10. A hybrid electric aircraft propulsion system comprising:
a thermal engine configured for outputting rotational mechanical power;
a generator configured for generating a first source of alternating current (AC) electric power from the rotational mechanical power;
at least one motor inverter configured to convert DC electric power received from a DC power source to AC electric power to provide a second source of AC electric power;
a first electric motor having a first motor stator and a second motor stator, the first motor stator operatively coupled to the generator to receive AC electric power therefrom and the second motor stator operatively coupled to the at least one motor inverter to receive AC electric power therefrom; and
a controller configured for detecting a failure in a path to the first electric motor and selectively rearranging a first switching arrangement between the generator, the at least one motor inverter, and the first motor stator and second motor stator of the first electric motor to compensate for the failure in the path to the first electric motor.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement comprises disconnecting the generator from the first motor stator of the first electric motor, connecting the at least one motor inverter to the first stator of the first electric motor, and driving the first motor stator and the second motor stator of the first electric motor with AC electric power from the at least one motor inverter.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a second electric motor having a third motor stator and a fourth motor stator, the third motor stator operatively coupled to the generator to receive AC electric power therefrom and the fourth motor stator operatively coupled to the at least one motor inverter to receive AC electric power therefrom; and
wherein the controller is further configured for detecting a failure in a path to the second electric motor and selectively rearranging a second switching arrangement between the generator, the at least one motor inverter, and the third motor stator and fourth motor stator of the second electric motor to compensate for the failure in the path to the second electric motor.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one motor inverter comprises a first motor inverter dedicated to the first electric motor and a second motor inverter dedicated to the second electric motor.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first motor inverter and the second motor inverter are interconnected, and wherein selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement or the second switching arrangement comprises using the first motor inverter with the second electric motor or using the second motor inverter with the first electric motor.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement comprises providing AC power to the first electric motor from the second motor inverter through the first motor inverter.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement comprises providing AC power from the first motor inverter and the second motor inverter to the generator.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured for detecting a failure to the thermal engine, and wherein selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement or the second switching arrangement comprises selectively rearranging the first switching arrangement or the second switching arrangement to compensate for the failure to the thermal engine.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the generator comprises a first generator stator connected to the first electric motor and a second generator stator connected to the second electric motor.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Latulipe Eric
• Freer Richard

Classifications

• B64D35/024

  of series type · CPC title

• B64D35/025

  of parallel type · CPC title

• B64D31/09

  in response to power plant failure · CPC title

• B64D35/023

  of series-parallel type · CPC title

• B64D31/18

  for hybrid-electric power plants · CPC title