Embedded electric motor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11739694-B2
Application number	US-202016848923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2020
Priority date	Apr 15, 2020
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section arranged in serial flow order with a turbine section, and an electric motor assembly. The electric motor assembly has a rotor assembly that is coupled to, or integrated within, a stage of compressor rotor blades of the compressor section and a stator assembly. The stator assembly is operable with the rotor assembly to rotate the rotor assembly relative to the stator assembly and drive the stage of compressor rotor blades about the axial direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine defining a radial direction and an axial direction, the gas turbine engine comprising:
a turbine section; and
a compressor section arranged in serial flow order with the turbine section, the compressor section comprising a first stage of compressor rotor blades and a second stage of compressor rotor blades;

a first electric motor assembly comprising:
a first rotor assembly coupled to, or integrated within, the first stage of compressor rotor blades; and
a first stator assembly configured for electrical communication with an electricity source and operable with the first rotor assembly to rotate the first rotor assembly relative to the first stator assembly and drive the first stage of compressor rotor blades about the axial direction; and

a second electric motor assembly comprising:
a second rotor assembly coupled to, or integrated within, the second stage of compressor rotor blades; and
a second stator assembly configured for electrical communication with the electricity source and operable with the second rotor assembly to rotate the second rotor assembly relative to the second stator assembly and drive the second stage of compressor rotor blades about the axial direction;
wherein the first rotor assembly of the first electric motor assembly is rotatable relative to the second rotor assembly,
wherein each of the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly are separately controllable by a controller,
wherein the first rotor assembly of the first electric motor assembly is rotatable at a first rotational speed that is less than a second rotational speed of the second rotor assembly when the gas turbine engine is operating at a speed greater than a threshold value, and wherein the first rotor assembly of the first electric motor assembly is rotatable at a third rotational speed that is substantially equal to the second rotational speed of the second rotor assembly when the gas turbine engine is operating at a speed less than the threshold value, and
wherein the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly rotate independently and do not share a common shaft.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first stage of compressor rotor blades and the second stage of compressor rotor blades form a ganged set of compressor rotor blades.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein a third stage of compressor rotor blades are rotatable relative to the ganged set of off compressor rotor blades.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first rotor assembly of the first electric motor assembly is in mechanical communication with the second rotor assembly of the second electric motor assembly through a torque transfer device having a plurality of gears.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the electricity source is an electric machine coupled to a rotary component rotatable with the turbine section.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second rotor assembly comprises a plurality of magnets and at least one of the first or second stator assembly comprises a plurality of coils that are configured for electrical communication with the electricity source.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein there is a one-to-one ratio between the number of magnets and the number of coils, the plurality of magnets being operable with the plurality of coils to rotate the at least one of the first or second rotor assembly relative to the at least one of the first or second stator assembly.

8. A method for driving a first stage of compressor rotor blades and a second stage of compressor rotor blades for a compressor section of a gas turbine engine about an axial direction, the gas turbine engine having a turbine section arranged in serial flow order with the compressor section, a first electric motor assembly with a first rotor assembly rotatable with the first stage of compressor rotor blades, and a second electric motor assembly with a second rotor assembly rotatable with the second stage of compressor rotor blades, the method comprising:
providing an electric current to a first stator assembly of the first electric motor assembly from an electricity source, wherein providing the electric current to the first stator assembly of the first electric motor assembly comprises:
rotating the first rotor assembly of the first electric motor assembly relative to the first stator assembly of the first electric motor assembly; and
driving the first stage of compressor rotor blades about the axial direction along with the first rotor assembly;

providing a second electric current to a second stator assembly of the second electric motor assembly from the electricity source, wherein providing the second electric current to the second stator assembly of the second electric motor assembly comprises rotating the second rotor assembly of the second electric motor assembly relative to the second stator assembly of the second electric motor assembly; and
driving the second stage of compressor rotor blades about the axial direction along with the second rotor assembly;
wherein the first rotor assembly of the first electric motor assembly is rotatable relative to the second rotor assembly,
wherein each of the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly are separately controllable by a controller,
wherein the first rotor assembly of the first electric motor assembly is rotatable at a first rotational speed that is less than a second rotational speed of the second rotor assembly when the gas turbine engine is operating at a speed greater than a threshold value, and wherein the first rotor assembly of the first electric motor assembly is rotatable at a third rotational speed that is substantially equal to the second rotational speed of the second rotor assembly when the gas turbine engine is operating at a speed less than the threshold value, and
wherein the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly rotate independently and do not share a common shaft.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first stage of compressor rotor blades and the second stage of compressor rotor blades form a ganged set of compressor rotor blades, and wherein the ganged set of compressor rotor blades are driven by the first and second electric motor assemblies.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the compressor section further comprises a third stage of compressor rotor blades, wherein the method further comprising: rotating the ganged set of compressor rotor blades relative to the third stage of compressor rotor blades.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising rotating the first rotor assembly at the first rotational speed, and rotating the second rotor assembly at the second rotational speed that is less than the first rotational speed.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprising: providing power to the second stage of compressor rotor blades from the second electric motor assembly through a torque transfer device having a plurality of gears.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising generating at least one of the first or second electric current with an electric machine that is coupled to a rotary component that is rotatable with the turbine section.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first or second rotor assembly comprises a plurality of magnets and at least one of the first or second stator assembly comprises a plurality of coils that are each configured for electrical communication with the electricity source.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein there is a one-to-one ratio b

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Bonnoitt Michael Todd
• Solomon William Joseph

Classifications

• B64D35/022

  of hybrid-electric type · CPC title

• B64D31/18

  for hybrid-electric power plants · CPC title

• B64D27/33

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title

• F02C7/32 Primary

  Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries · CPC title

• F04D19/02 Primary

  Multi-stage pumps · CPC title