Electric power system for powerplants of a multi-engine aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11718408-B2
Application number	US-201916511586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 26, 2019
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A multi-engine aircraft that includes two or more powerplants, each including an electric motor, and an electric power system controlling electrical distribution and operatively connected to the electric motors. The electric power system includes primary battery packs operatively connected to the electric motor of a respective one of the two or more powerplants, a reserve battery pack, and a switch interconnecting the reserve battery pack and the electric motors. The reserve battery pack is shared by the electric motors by the switch and configured such that the reserve battery pack provides electric power to a selected one of the electric motors.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-engine aircraft comprising:
a plurality of powerplants configured for providing motive power to the aircraft, each including an electric motor; and
an electric power system controlling electrical distribution and operatively connected to the electric motors, the electric power system including primary battery packs, each operatively connected to the electric motor of a respective one of the plurality of powerplants, the electric power system further including a reserve battery pack and a switch interconnecting the reserve battery pack and the electric motors, the reserve battery pack shared by the electric motors by the switch and configured such that, in a mode of operation where the electric motor of each of the plurality of powerplants provide motive power to the aircraft, the reserve battery pack provides electric power only to a selected one of the electric motors, wherein the reserve battery pack is sized to supply electric power to only one of the electric motors at a time in any mode of operation of the plurality of powerplants.

2. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 1 , wherein the reserve battery pack is a single-use battery.

3. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of powerplants is a hybrid engine including a combustion engine and the electric motor.

4. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 3 , wherein the combustion engine is a gas turbine engine.

5. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 3 , wherein the combustion engine and the electric motor of said powerplant are drivingly engaged to a common load.

6. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of powerplants is a pair of powerplants and the reserve battery pack of the electric power system is only one reserve battery pack per pair of primary battery packs for providing electrical redundancy to the pair of powerplants.

7. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 1 , wherein the reserve battery pack is a single reserve battery pack of the electric power system and is operatively connected to the electric motors.

8. The multi-engine powerplant system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of powerplants is two hybrid-electric powerplants, the two hybrid-electric powerplants having two combustion engines and two electric motors each associated with a respective one of the combustion engines, each paired electric motor and combustion engine drivingly engaged to a respective common load, wherein the reserve batter pack of the electric power system is a single reserve battery pack operatively connected to the two electric motors via the switch.

9. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a motor drive coupled to a given one of the electric motors, the motor drive operatively interfacing with the given one of the electric motors and the primary battery pack associated with said one of the electric motors.

10. The multi-engine powerplant system as defined in claim 5 , further comprising a gearbox, the electric motor and the combustion engine of said powerplant drivingly engaged to the gearbox to drive the common load.

11. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of powerplants each drive a respective load including a propeller.

12. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of powerplants includes a combustion engine and a rotary engine compounded with the combustion engine of said powerplant, the combustion engine being a gas turbine engine, and wherein the rotary engine, the gas turbine engine and the electric motor of said powerplant are drivingly engaged to a common load via a gearbox.

13. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 1 , wherein the multi-engine aircraft includes a generator operatively connected to at least one of the primary battery packs.

14. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plurality of powerplants includes a combustion engine, the generator is operatively connected to the combustion engine, such that power generated by the combustion engine is supplied to the generator for charging the at least one of the primary battery packs.

15. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of powerplants has a plurality of electric motors, each of the electric motors of said powerplant has a respective primary battery pack operatively connected thereto.

16. The multi-engine aircraft as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary power unit for providing a source of electric power to the aircraft or a pneumatic power for cabin air inside the aircraft.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Pekovic Tatjana

Classifications

• B64D35/025

  of parallel type · CPC title

• B64D35/022

  of hybrid-electric type · CPC title

• B64D31/18

  for hybrid-electric power plants · CPC title

• B64D27/33

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/026

  comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine (Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33) · CPC title