Supplemental engine power control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12291326-B2
Application number	US-202318539741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2023
Priority date	Jun 9, 2021
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

A rotorcraft has a drive system including a main rotor coupled to a main rotor gearbox to rotate the main rotor at a rotor speed, a main engine coupled to the drive system to provide a first power, a supplemental engine coupled, when a first clutch is engaged, to the drive system to provide a second power additive to the first power, and a control system operable to control the main engine and the supplemental engine to provide a total power demand, where the main engine is controlled based on variations in rotor speed and a power compensation command to produce the first power, and the supplemental engine is controlled to produce the second power in response to a supplemental power demand.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotorcraft comprising:
a drive system including a main rotor coupled to a main rotor gearbox to rotate the main rotor at a rotor speed;
a first engine coupled to the drive system to provide a first power;
a second engine coupled, when a first clutch is engaged, to the drive system to provide a second power additive to the first power; and
a control system, comprising a processor, operable to control the first engine and the second engine to provide a total power demand;
wherein the first engine is controlled with a power compensation command to produce the first power, and the second engine is controlled to produce the second power in response to a second-engine power demand;
wherein the control system imposes a plurality of power limits on the second engine, the plurality of power limits comprise a first power limit to maintain the first power at a sufficient first power for the first engine to govern the rotor speed and a second power limit to maintain the first clutch engaged;
wherein the second power limit is less than the first power limit.

2. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the first engine has a greater horsepower rating than the second engine.

3. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the power compensation command is the total power demand reduced by the second-engine power demand.

4. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the power compensation command is the total power demand reduced by the second-engine power demand; and
the first engine has a greater horsepower capacity than the second engine.

5. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the second-engine power demand is calculated as a proportion to the total power demand; and
the power compensation command is the total power demand reduced by the second-engine power demand.

6. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the second-engine power demand is between about 5 and 20 percent of the total power demand.

7. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the second-engine power demand is between about 10 and 15 percent of the total power demand.

8. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the power compensation command is reduced by the second-engine power demand; and
the first engine has a greater horsepower rating than the second engine.

Assignees

• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Covington Charles Eric
• Su Chia-Wei
• Lang Darren Gregory
• Parsons Thomas
• Fegely Cody Earl

Classifications

• B64D31/12

  for equalising or synchronising power plants · CPC title

• B64C27/12 Primary

  Rotor drives · CPC title

• B64D27/00

  Arrangement or mounting of power plants in aircraft; Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants · CPC title

• B64C27/06 Primary

  with single rotor · CPC title