Electrical generation from turbine engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10934880-B1
Application number	US-201916560550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 4, 2019
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electrical generator within an engine that includes a permanent magnet that emits a first magnetic field and is disposed on a first shaft; a first winding connected to a second shaft such that the first winding is positioned within the first magnetic field; a field winding disposed on the second shaft such that the field winding generates a second magnetic field that rotates as first shaft rotates relative to the second shaft; a second winding disposed on the first shaft, the second winding being positioned to receive the second magnetic field and provide a resonant emitter with an electrical power input to generate a third magnetic field when the first shaft rotates relative to the second shaft; and a resonant receiver disposed on an enclosure of the engine, positioned to receive the third magnetic field and convert the third magnetic field into an electrical output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a permanent magnet ( 210 ) that emits a first magnetic field ( 310 ) and is disposed on a first spool shaft ( 160 ) of a turbine engine ( 100 );
a first armature winding ( 230 ) connected to a second spool shaft ( 160 ) of the turbine engine such that the first armature winding is positioned within the first magnetic field;
a main field winding ( 240 ) disposed on the second spool shaft such that the main field winding generates a second magnetic field ( 320 ) that rotates as the first spool shaft rotates relative to the second spool shaft;
a second armature winding ( 250 ) disposed on the first spool shaft, the second armature winding being positioned to receive the second magnetic field and provide a resonant emitter ( 260 ) with an electrical power input to generate a third magnetic field ( 330 ) of at least a predefined frequency when the first spool shaft rotates relative to the second spool shaft; and
a resonant receiver ( 340 ) disposed on an enclosure ( 120 ) of the turbine engine, positioned to receive the third magnetic field and convert the third magnetic field into an electrical power output.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first spool shaft is a higher-pressure shaft ( 220 A), wherein the second spool shaft is a lower-pressure shaft ( 220 B), and wherein the higher-pressure shaft rotates at a first speed that is greater than a second speed at which the lower-pressure shaft rotates.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first spool shaft is a lower-pressure ( 220 B) shaft, wherein the second spool shaft is a higher-pressure shaft ( 220 A), and wherein the higher-pressure shaft rotates at a first speed that is greater than a second speed at which the lower-pressure shaft rotates.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rectifier ( 430 ) disposed on the second spool shaft between the first armature winding and the main field winding that converts multiphase Alternating Current from the first armature winding generated by the first magnetic field into an electrical power input for the main field winding to generate the second magnetic field.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a high frequency converter ( 520 ) disposed between the second armature winding and the resonant emitter that provides the electrical power input at a higher frequency to the resonant emitter than the second magnetic field is received by the second armature winding.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the higher frequency is greater than a difference in rotational speed between the first spool shaft and the second spool shaft and is based on a power transfer efficiency between the resonant emitter and the resonant receiver.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical power output includes a plurality of electrical phases based on a number of phases defined in the second armature winding.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a power control unit ( 350 ) disposed in the enclosure and connected to a power distribution bus for a vehicle.

9. A turbine engine ( 100 ), comprising:
an enclosure ( 120 ), defining:
an air intake ( 121 ) at an upstream end;
a compression section ( 122 ) downstream of the air intake;
a combustion section ( 123 ) downstream of the compression section;
a turbine section ( 124 ) downstream of the combustion section; and
an exhaust ( 125 ) at a downstream end;

a first shaft ( 160 ) coupled with a first compressor ( 170 ) of the compression section and with a first turbine ( 180 ) of the turbine section, wherein the first shaft is configured to rotate at a first rotational speed;
a second shaft ( 160 ) coupled with a second compressor ( 170 ) of the compression section and with a second turbine ( 180 ) of the turbine section and running coaxially with the first shaft, wherein the second shaft is configured to rotate at a second rotational speed;
a first armature winding ( 230 ), connected to one of the first shaft and the second shaft;
a permanent magnet ( 210 ), emitting a first magnetic field ( 310 ) that is configured to rotate relative to the first armature winding at a differential rotational speed corresponding to a difference between the first rotational speed and the second rotational speed and induce a first current in the first armature winding;
a first electromagnet ( 240 ), connected to the first armature winding, configured to emit a second magnetic field ( 320 ) when powered by the first current;
a second armature winding ( 250 ), connected to a different one of the first shaft and the second shaft than the first armature winding, configured to rotate relative to the first electromagnet at the differential rotational speed and to have a second current induced on the second armature winding by the second magnetic field;
a resonant emitter ( 260 ), connected to the second armature winding, configured to generate a third magnetic field ( 330 ) of at least a predefined frequency when powered by the second current; and
a resonant receiver ( 340 ) disposed on the enclosure of the turbine engine, positioned to receive the third magnetic field and convert the third magnetic field into an electrical power output.

10. The turbine engine of claim 9 , further comprising:
a third shaft ( 160 C) coupled with a third compressor ( 170 C) of the compression section downstream of the first compressor and the second compressor and with a third turbine ( 180 C) of the turbine section upstream of the first turbine and the second turbine, wherein the third shaft runs coaxially to the second shaft, and is configured to rotate at a third rotational speed that is greater than the first rotational speed and the second rotational speed.

11. The turbine engine of claim 10 , further comprising:
a secondary first armature winding ( 230 ), connected to one of the third shaft and the second shaft;
a secondary permanent magnet ( 210 ), emitting a secondary first magnetic field ( 310 ) that is configured to rotate relative to the secondary first armature winding at a secondary differential rotational speed corresponding to a secondary difference between the third rotational speed and the second rotational speed and induce a secondary first current in the secondary first armature winding;
a secondary first electromagnet ( 240 ), connected to the secondary first armature winding, configured to emit a secondary second magnetic field ( 320 ) when powered by the secondary first current;
a secondary second armature winding ( 250 ), connected to a different one of the third shaft and the second shaft than the secondary first armature winding, configured to rotate relative to the secondary first electromagnet at the secondary differential rotational speed and to have a secondary second current induced on the secondary second armature winding by the secondary second magnetic field;
a secondary resonant emitter ( 260 ), connected to the secondary second armature winding, configured to generate a secondary third magnetic field ( 330 ) of at least a secondary predefined frequency when powered by the secondary second current; and
a secondary resonant receiver ( 340 ) disposed on the enclosure of the turbine engine, positioned to receive the secondary third magnetic field and convert the secondary third magnetic field into a secondary electrical power output.

12. The turbine engine of claim 9 , further comprising:
a third shaft ( 160 ) coupled with a third compressor ( 170 ) of the compression section upstream of the first compressor and the second compressor and with a third turbine ( 180 ) of the turbine section downstream of the first turbine and the second turbine, wherein the third shaft run

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Liu Shengyi

Classifications

• H02K11/05

  Rectifiers associated with casings, enclosures or brackets · CPC title

• Y02B70/10

  Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes · CPC title

• H02K1/272 Primary

  the magnetisation axis of the magnets being perpendicular to the rotor axis · CPC title

• H02K1/12

  Stationary parts of the magnetic circuit · CPC title

• H02J50/12

  of the resonant type · CPC title