Hybrid aircraft propulsion power plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11560233-B2
Application number	US-202117462783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2021
Priority date	Mar 29, 2019
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

An aircraft power plant has: an electric motor; a compressor; a combustion engine; an output shaft drivingly engageable to a thrust generator for propelling an aircraft equipped with the aircraft power plant; and a transmission including a gearbox having a first input drivingly engaged by the electric motor, a first output drivingly engaging the compressor, a second input drivingly engageable by the combustion engine, and a second output drivingly engageable to the output shaft, wherein the transmission has: a propulsion configuration in which the output shaft and the compressor are drivingly engaged to the electric motor and to the combustion engine via the gearbox, and an auxiliary power unit configuration in which the combustion engine and the output shaft are at rest while the electric motor drivingly engages the compressor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft power plant comprising:
an electric motor;
a compressor;
a combustion engine;
an output shaft drivingly engageable to a thrust generator for propelling an aircraft equipped with the aircraft power plant; and
a transmission including a gearbox having a first input drivingly engaged by the electric motor, a first output drivingly engaging the compressor, a second input drivingly engageable by the combustion engine, and a second output drivingly engageable to the output shaft,
wherein the transmission has:
a propulsion configuration in which the output shaft and the compressor are drivingly engaged to the electric motor and to the combustion engine via the gearbox, and
an auxiliary power unit configuration in which the combustion engine and the output shaft are at rest while the electric motor drivingly engages the compressor.

2. The aircraft power plant of claim 1 , wherein the gearbox is a planetary gear train having a sun gear, planet gears meshed with the sun gear and rollingly supported by a planet carrier, and a ring gear meshed with the planet gears.

3. The aircraft power plant of claim 2 , wherein the first input is engaged to one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the first output engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the second input engaged to another one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, and the second output engaged to the other one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear.

4. The aircraft power plant of claim 3 , wherein the first input is engaged to the ring gear, the first output engaged to the ring gear, the second input engaged to the planet carrier, and the second output engaged to the planet carrier.

5. The aircraft power plant of claim 3 , comprising a brake engaged to a remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the brake having an engaged configuration in which rotation of the remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear is blocked and a disengaged configuration in which rotation of the remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear is permitted, the brake being in the engaged configuration in the propulsion configuration and in the disengaged configuration in the auxiliary power unit configuration.

6. The aircraft power plant of claim 2 , wherein the first input is engaged to one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the first output engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the second input engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, and the second output engaged to another one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear.

7. The aircraft power plant of claim 6 , wherein the first input is engaged to the ring gear, the first output engaged to the ring gear, the second input engaged to the ring gear via a clutch, and the second output engaged to the planet carrier.

8. The aircraft power plant of claim 6 , comprising a brake engaged to a remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the brake having an engaged configuration in which rotation of the remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear is blocked and a disengaged configuration in which rotation of the remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear is permitted, the brake being in the engaged configuration in the propulsion configuration and in the disengaged configuration in the auxiliary power unit configuration.

9. The aircraft power plant of claim 2 , wherein the first input is engaged to one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the first output engaged to another one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the second input engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, and the second output engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, and a second electric motor engaged to a remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear.

10. The aircraft power plant of claim 9 , wherein the first input is engaged to the planet carrier, the first output engaged to the sun gear, the second input engaged to the planet carrier, the second output engaged to the planet carrier, the second electric motor engaged to the ring gear.

11. The aircraft power plant of claim 10 , wherein the second electric motor is operable to drive the compressor while rotation of the planet carrier is blocked by a brake engageable to the planet carrier.

12. The aircraft power plant of claim 1 , comprising a turbine having a turbine inlet fluidly connected to an exhaust of the combustion engine, the turbine drivingly engaged to the combustion engine to compound power with the combustion engine.

13. An aircraft power plant comprising:
an electric motor;
a compressor;
a combustion engine;
an output shaft drivingly engageable to a thrust generator for propelling an aircraft equipped with the aircraft power plant; and
a planetary gear train having a sun gear, planet gears meshed with the sun gear and rollingly supported by a planet carrier, and a ring gear meshed with the planet gears, the electric motor engaged to one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the compressor engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the output shaft engaged to another one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the combustion engine engaged to the other one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear; and
a brake having operatively connected to a remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the brake having:
a first configuration in which the output shaft and the compressor are drivingly engaged to the electric motor and to the combustion engine via the planetary gear train, and
a second configuration in which the combustion engine and the output shaft are at rest while the electric motor drivingly engages the compressor.

14. The aircraft power plant of claim 13 , wherein the electric motor and the compressor are engaged to the ring gear, the combustion engine and the output shaft engaged to the planet carrier, the brake operatively connected to the sun gear.

15. The aircraft power plant of claim 13 , comprising a turbine having a turbine inlet fluidly connected to an exhaust of the combustion engine, the turbine drivingly engaged to the other one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear to compound power with the combustion engine in driving the output shaft.

16. The aircraft power plant of claim 13 , wherein the electric motor and the compressor are engaged to the ring gear, the output shaft engaged to the planet carrier, the combustion engage selectively drivingly engaged to the ring gear via a clutch, the brake engaged to the sun gear.

17. An aircraft power plant comprising:
an electric motor;
a compressor;
a combustion engine;
an output shaft drivingly engageable to a thrust generator for propelling an aircraft equipped with the aircraft power plant; and
a gearbox having a plurality of gears meshed with one another, the gearbox having a first input drivingly engaged by the electric motor, a first output drivingly engaging the compressor and in driving engagement with the first input, a second input drivingly engageable by the combustion engine, and a second output drivingly engageable to output shaft and drivingly engaged to the second input and to the firs

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Dubreuil Jean
• Ullyott Richard

Classifications

• B64D27/02 Primary

  Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants · CPC title

• B64D2027/026

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64D35/08

  characterised by the transmission being driven by a plurality of power plants (for hybrid-electric power plants B64D35/022) · CPC title

• H02K7/102

  with friction brakes · CPC title

• B60W20/40

  Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers {(power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192)} · CPC title