Aircraft propulsion system with intermittent combustion engine(s)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11719166-B1
Application number	US-202217866052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 15, 2022
Priority date	Jul 15, 2022
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

An aircraft system is provided that includes a first propulsor rotor, a second propulsor rotor, a drivetrain and an intermittent combustion engine. The first propulsor rotor is rotatable about a first propulsor axis. The second propulsor rotor is rotatable about a second propulsor axis. The drivetrain includes a drive structure and a transmission. The drive structure is rotatable about a drive axis that is angularly offset from the first propulsor axis and the second propulsor axis. An output of the transmission is coupled to the first propulsor rotor and the second propulsor rotor through the drive structure. The intermittent combustion engine is configured to drive rotation of the first propulsor rotor and the second propulsor rotor through the drivetrain.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft system, comprising:
a first propulsor rotor rotatable about a first propulsor axis;
a second propulsor rotor rotatable about a second propulsor axis;
a drivetrain including a drive structure and a transmission, the drive structure rotatable about a drive axis that is angularly offset from the first propulsor axis and the second propulsor axis, and an output of the transmission coupled to the first propulsor rotor and the second propulsor rotor through the drive structure; and
an intermittent combustion engine configured to drive rotation of the first propulsor rotor and the second propulsor rotor through the drivetrain.

2. The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein
the first propulsor rotor comprises a first ducted rotor; and
the second propulsor rotor comprises a second ducted rotor.

3. The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein
the first propulsor rotor comprises a first open rotor; and
the second propulsor rotor comprises a second open rotor.

4. The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein
the first propulsor axis is laterally spaced from the second propulsor axis; and
the intermittent combustion engine is located laterally between the first propulsor axis and the second propulsor axis.

5. The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein
the first propulsor axis is laterally spaced from the second propulsor axis; and
the first propulsor axis and the second propulsor axis are located to a common lateral side of the intermittent combustion engine.

6. The aircraft system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third propulsor rotor downstream of the first propulsor rotor and rotatable about the first propulsor axis;
the output of the transmission further coupled to the third propulsor rotor through the drive structure; and
the intermittent combustion engine further configured to drive rotation of the third propulsor rotor through the drivetrain.

7. The aircraft system of claim 6 , wherein the drivetrain further includes
a first propulsor ring gear rotatable with the first propulsor rotor;
a third propulsor ring gear rotatable with the third propulsor rotor; and
a pinion gear rotatable with the drive structure, the pinion gear meshed with the first propulsor ring gear and the third propulsor ring gear.

8. The aircraft system of claim 6 , wherein the drivetrain further includes
a first propulsor ring gear rotatable with the first propulsor rotor;
a third propulsor ring gear rotatable with the third propulsor rotor;
a first pinion gear rotatable with the drive structure, the first pinion gear meshed with the first propulsor ring gear; and
a second pinion gear rotatable with the drive structure, the second pinion gear meshed with the third propulsor ring gear.

9. The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein the drivetrain further includes
a first coupling connecting the drive structure to the first propulsor rotor, the first coupling including a first propulsor ring gear and a first pinion gear, the first propulsor ring gear rotatable with the first propulsor rotor, and the first pinion gear rotatable with the drive structure and meshed with the first ring gear; and
a second coupling connecting the drive structure to the second propulsor rotor, the second coupling including a second propulsor ring gear and a second pinion gear, the second propulsor ring gear rotatable with the second propulsor rotor, and the second pinion gear rotatable with the drive structure and meshed with the second propulsor ring gear.

10. The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein
the drivetrain further includes a coupling connecting the output of the transmission to the drive structure;
the coupling includes a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear meshed with the first bevel gear;
the first bevel gear is rotatable with the output of the transmission; and
the second bevel gear is rotatable with the drive structure.

11. The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein the drive structure is configured as a driveshaft.

12. The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein the drive structure includes a first driveshaft, a second driveshaft and a compliant coupling connecting the first driveshaft to the second driveshaft.

13. The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein the transmission comprises a variable speed transmission.

14. The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein the intermittent combustion engine comprises one of a rotary engine, a piston engine, a rotating detonation engine or a pulse detonation engine.

15. The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein the intermittent combustion engine comprises a turbo-compounded intermittent combustion engine or a turbocharged intermittent combustion engine.

16. The aircraft system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an aircraft fuselage housing the intermittent combustion engine and the transmission;
the first propulsor rotor and the second propulsor rotor located outside of the aircraft fuselage.

17. The aircraft system of claim 16 , further comprising:
an inlet configured to direct boundary layer air flowing along the aircraft fuselage to the intermittent combustion engine; and
an exhaust located at an aft end of the aircraft fuselage, the exhaust configured to direct combustion products generated by the intermittent combustion engine out of the aircraft system.

18. An aircraft system, comprising:
an upstream propulsor rotor rotatable about a propulsor axis;
a downstream propulsor rotor downstream of the upstream propulsor rotor and rotatable about the propulsor axis;
a drivetrain including a drive structure and a transmission, the drive structure rotatable about a drive axis that is angularly offset from the propulsor axis, and an output of the transmission coupled to the upstream propulsor rotor and the downstream propulsor rotor through the drive structure; and
a turbo-compounded intermittent combustion engine configured to drive rotation of the upstream propulsor rotor and the downstream propulsor rotor, through the drivetrain, in opposing directions.

19. The aircraft system of claim 18 , further comprising:
a third propulsor rotor rotatable about a third propulsor axis;
the output of the transmission further coupled to the third propulsor rotor through the drive structure; and
the turbo-compounded intermittent combustion engine further configured to drive rotation of the third propulsor rotor through the drivetrain.

20. An aircraft system, comprising:
a first propulsor rotor rotatable about a first propulsor axis;
a drivetrain including a drive structure, a transmission and a coupling connecting the drive structure to the first propulsor rotor, the drive structure rotatable about a drive axis that is angularly offset from the first propulsor axis, an output of the transmission coupled to the first propulsor rotor through the drive structure and the coupling, and the coupling comprising a ring gear rotatable with the first propulsor rotor about the first propulsor axis; and
an intermittent combustion engine configured to drive rotation of the first propulsor rotor through the drivetrain.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Freer Richard

Classifications

• B64D35/04

  characterised by the transmission driving a plurality of propellers or rotors · CPC title

• B64D27/08

  within, or attached to, fuselages · CPC title

• F02C7/36 Primary

  Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user ({F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and} F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H) · CPC title

• F02C5/06

  the working fluid being generated in an internal-combustion gas generated of the positive-displacement type having essentially no mechanical power output (internal-combustion engines with prolonged expansion using exhaust gas turbines F02B) · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

  for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines · CPC title