Hybrid propulsion chain for an aircraft comprising an auxiliary mechanical drive system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12043404-B2
Application number	US-202017621561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2020
Priority date	Jul 9, 2019
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

A hybrid propulsion chain for an aircraft, the hybrid propulsion chain comprising a plurality of propulsion rotors connected to an electrical distribution module by a plurality of electrical connections, the electrical distribution module being connected, on the one hand, to a non-propulsion turbine engine via an electrical generation system and, on the other hand, to an electric battery, each propulsion rotor comprising a stator member and at least one rotor shaft which is configured to be rotated with respect to the stator member when the stator member is electrically powered, the hybrid propulsion chain comprising an auxiliary mechanical drive system mechanically connected to the non-propulsion turbine engine, the auxiliary mechanical drive system comprising a plurality of mechanical connections for mechanically rotating at least one rotor shaft of each propulsion rotor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hybrid propulsion chain for an aircraft, the hybrid propulsion chain comprising a plurality of propulsion rotors connected to an electrical distribution module through a plurality of electrical connections, the electrical distribution module being connected, on the one hand, to a non-propulsion turbomachine via an electric generation system and, on the other hand, to an electric battery, each propulsion rotor comprising a stator member and at least one rotor shaft which is configured to be rotatably driven with respect to the stator member when the stator member is powered by at least one electrical connection, wherein the hybrid propulsion chain comprises an auxiliary mechanical drive system mechanically connected to the non-propulsion turbomachine, the auxiliary mechanical drive system comprising a plurality of mechanical connections for mechanically rotatably driving the at least one rotor shaft of each propulsion rotor, each mechanical connection being connected to a rotor shaft of a respective propulsion rotor by a controllable coupling device.

2. The hybrid propulsion chain according to claim 1 , wherein the electric generation system comprises a mechanical distribution module mechanically connected as an input to the non-propulsion turbomachine and mechanically connected as an output to at least one current generator, the auxiliary mechanical drive system is connected to the mechanical distribution module.

3. The hybrid propulsion chain according to claim 2 , wherein, the mechanical connections of the auxiliary mechanical drive system are connected as an output to the mechanical distribution module.

4. The hybrid propulsion chain according to claim 1 , comprising a mechanical distribution module mechanically connected as an input to the non-propulsion turbomachine and mechanically connected as an output, on the one hand, to the electric generation system and, on the other hand, to the auxiliary mechanical drive system.

5. The hybrid propulsion chain according to claim 1 , wherein the controllable coupling device is configured to be activated automatically in the event of a drop in the speed of the rotor shaft of a propulsion rotor relative to its speed setpoint when the propulsion rotor is powered by an electrical connection.

6. The hybrid propulsion chain according to claim 5 , wherein the controllable coupling device comprises at least one freewheel.

7. The hybrid propulsion chain according to claim 5 , wherein the controllable coupling device comprises at least one first friction member and at least one second friction member.

8. The hybrid propulsion chain according to claim 1 , wherein each propulsion rotor comprises at least one propulsion fan, two counter-rotating propulsion fans.

9. An aircraft comprising the hybrid propulsion chain according to claim 1 .

10. A method for using the aircraft according to claim 9 , the method comprising:
a step of driving the plurality of propulsion rotors via the electrical connections, and
a step of driving at least one of said propulsion rotors via at least one mechanical connection in case of partial or total unavailability of the electric generation system.

Assignees

• Safran Helicopter Engines

Inventors

• Serghine Camel
• Klonowski Thomas
• Vive Lois Pierre Denis

Classifications

• B64D27/357

  using batteries · CPC title

• B64D27/10 Primary

  of gas-turbine type  (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title

• B64D27/33 Primary

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/24

  using steam or spring force (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title

• B64D35/024

  of series type · CPC title