Hybrid tiltrotor drive system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11358729-B2
Application number	US-202117161183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2021
Priority date	May 1, 2018
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft with a hybrid drive system includes a first propulsion system having a first engine and a first supplemental driver operably coupled to a first proprotor that is operable between a helicopter mode and an airplane mode and a second propulsion system having a second engine and a second supplemental driver operably coupled to a second proprotor that is operable between a helicopter mode and an airplane mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hybrid tiltrotor drive system, comprising:
a first propulsion system comprising a first engine fixed relative to a wing and a first pylon rotatable relative to the wing and the first engine, the first pylon comprising a first proprotor and a first proprotor gearbox, wherein the first engine comprises a first engine output shaft coupled to a first fixed gearbox and the first fixed gearbox is coupled by a first fixed gearbox output shaft to the first proprotor gearbox to apply a first torque from the first engine to the first proprotor;
a second propulsion system comprising a second engine fixed relative to the wing and a second pylon rotatable relative to the wing and the second engine, the second pylon comprising a second proprotor and a second proprotor gearbox, wherein the second engine comprises a second engine output shaft coupled to a second fixed gearbox and the second fixed gearbox is coupled by a second fixed gearbox output shaft to the second proprotor gearbox to apply a second torque from the second engine to the second proprotor; and
a first supplemental driver coupled directly to the first fixed gearbox to apply a first transient energy to the first proprotor simultaneous with the first torque to maintain the first proprotor and the second proprotor at an equivalent rotational speed.

2. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 1 , wherein the first engine is a combustion-driven turboshaft engine and the first supplemental driver is an electric motor or a brake.

3. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 1 , wherein the first engine is a combustion-driven turboshaft engine; and
the first supplemental driver is an electric motor.

4. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 1 , wherein the first supplemental driver is an electric motor.

5. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 1 , wherein the first proprotor and the second proprotor are not interconnected by a drive shaft.

6. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 1 , wherein the first supplemental driver is an electric motor; and
the first proprotor and the second proprotor are not interconnected by a drive shaft.

7. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 1 , wherein the first engine is a combustion-driven turbo shaft engine;
the first supplemental driver is an electric motor or a brake; and
the first proprotor and the second proprotor are not interconnected by a drive shaft.

8. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 1 , further comprising:
sensors coupled with the first and the second proprotors to determine rotational speed; and
an electronic control system operationally coupled to the first supplemental driver and the sensors, the electronic control system configured to selectively operate the first supplemental driver to maintain the equivalent rotational speed of the first and second proprotors.

9. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 8 , wherein the first supplemental driver is an electric motor.

10. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 8 , wherein the first proprotor and the second proprotor are not interconnected by a drive shaft.

11. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 8 , wherein the first supplemental driver is an electric motor; and
the first proprotor and the second proprotor are not interconnected by a drive shaft.

12. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 8 , wherein the first engine is a combustion-driven turbo shaft engine;
the first supplemental driver is an electric motor or a brake; and
the first proprotor and the second proprotor are not interconnected by a drive shaft.

13. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 1 , further comprising a second supplemental driver coupled directly to the second fixed gearbox to apply a second transient energy to the second proprotor simultaneous with the second torque to maintain the first proprotor and the second proprotor at the equivalent rotational speed.

14. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 13 , wherein the first proprotor and the second proprotor are not interconnected by a driveshaft.

15. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 13 , wherein the first and second supplemental drivers are electric motors.

16. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 15 , wherein the first proprotor and the second proprotor are not interconnected by a drive shaft.

17. The hybrid tiltrotor drive system of claim 13 , further comprising:
sensors coupled with the first and the second proprotors to determine rotational speed; and
an electronic control system operationally coupled to the first supplemental driver, the second supplemental driver, and the sensors, the electronic control system configured to selectively operate the first supplemental driver and the second supplemental driver to maintain the equivalent rotational speed of the first and second proprotors.

18. A method, comprising:
flying a tiltrotor aircraft, wherein the tiltrotor aircraft comprises:
a first propulsion system comprising a first engine fixed relative to a wing and a first pylon rotatable relative to the wing and the first engine, the first pylon comprising a first proprotor and a first proprotor gearbox, wherein the first engine comprises a first engine output shaft coupled to a first fixed gearbox and the first fixed gearbox is coupled by a first fixed gearbox output shaft to the first proprotor gearbox to apply a first torque from the first engine to the first proprotor;
a second propulsion system comprising a second engine fixed relative to the wing and a second pylon rotatable relative to the wing and the second engine, the second pylon comprising a second proprotor and a second proprotor gearbox, wherein the second engine comprises a second engine output shaft coupled to a second fixed gearbox and the second fixed gearbox is coupled by a second fixed gearbox output shaft to the second proprotor gearbox to apply a second torque from the second engine to the second proprotor;
a first supplemental driver coupled directly to the first fixed gearbox to apply a first transient energy to the first proprotor simultaneous with the first torque to maintain the first proprotor and the second proprotor at an equivalent rotational speed; and
a second supplemental driver coupled directly to the second fixed gearbox to apply a second transient energy to the second proprotor simultaneous with the second torque to maintain the first proprotor and the second proprotor at the equivalent rotational speed, wherein the flying comprises:
rotating the first proprotor at a first rotational speed;
rotating the second proprotor at a second rotational speed; and
actuating the first supplemental driver to apply energy to the first proprotor to maintain the first proprotor and the second proprotor at the equivalent rotational speed.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first propulsion system and the second propulsion system are not interconnected by a driveshaft.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first and second engines are combustion-driven turboshaft engines; and
the first and second supplemental drivers comprise an electric motor.

Assignees

• Bell Textron Inc

Inventors

• Gilliland Colton James
• Przybyla Mark Alan
• Olson Eric Stephen

Classifications

• B64D27/31

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• B64D35/023

  of series-parallel type · CPC title

• B64D31/18

  for hybrid-electric power plants · CPC title

• B64D27/33

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64C29/0033 Primary

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title