Drive system for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11092031-B2
Application number	US-201716097893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2017
Priority date	May 2, 2016
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

Various embodiments may include a drive system for an aircraft comprising: an electrical generator; and an internal combustion engine with a gas expansion turbine. The generator includes a rotor rotating on a rotor shaft. The gas expansion turbine rotates on a turbine shaft. The rotor shaft and the turbine shaft are couplable to transmit torque such that the internal combustion engine can deliver mechanical energy to the generator. A supply air stream impinges at least one component of the generator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive system for an aircraft, the system comprising:
an electrical generator; and
an internal combustion engine with a gas expansion turbine;
wherein the generator includes a rotor rotating on a rotor shaft;
the gas expansion turbine rotates on a turbine shaft;
the rotor shaft and the turbine shaft are coupled to transmit torque such that the internal combustion engine can deliver mechanical energy to the generator; and
a supply air stream impinges at least one component of the generator.

2. The drive system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an electric motor supplied with electrical energy by the electrical generator, wherein the electric motor drives the aircraft.

3. The drive system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the generator supplies a nominal power of at least 1 megawatt.

4. The drive system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one component comprises the rotor or a stator of the electrical generator.

5. The drive system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the supply air stream comprises multiple partial paths and the at least one component is arranged at least partially within one of the partial paths.

6. The drive system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the multiple partial paths of the supply air stream comprise separate air channels with separately controllable air streams.

7. The drive system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the generator is cooled by air.

8. The drive system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the generator comprises a cooling device for cooling the generator with a fluid coolant;
the cooling device includes a cooling circuit for circulating the coolant; and
at least a partial region of said cooling circuit is arranged within a partial path of the supply air stream of the internal combustion engine.

9. The drive system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the generator comprises a heat exchanger employing the coolant as a first substance stream and at least part of the supply air of the internal combustion engine as a second substance stream.

10. The drive system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the cooling circuit circulates coolant in accordance with the principle of a heat pipe and/or of a thermosiphon.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag
• Rolls Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co Kg

Inventors

• Frank Michael
• Grundmann Jörn

Classifications

• B64D27/33

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title

• F02C6/02

  Plural gas-turbine plants having a common power output · CPC title

• F02K1/52

  Nozzles specially constructed for positioning adjacent to another nozzle or to a fixed member, e.g. fairing · CPC title

• F05D2250/51

  Inlet · CPC title

• F05D2220/76

  an electrical generator · CPC title