Electrical propulsion system including a plurality of electric motors coupled to the same input shaft of a transmission system, aircraft including at least one such electrical propulsion assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12291339-B2
Application number	US-202418417339-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2024
Priority date	Jan 30, 2023
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

An electrical propulsion assembly that includes: a propeller that has a rotation axis, at least two electric motors offset relative to one another in a longitudinal direction parallel to the rotation axis of the propeller, a main drive shaft parallel to the rotation axis of the propeller to which the electric motor are coupled, a transmission system including an output shaft connected to the propeller and an input shaft connected to the main drive shaft. Also an aircraft including at least one such electrical propulsion assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical propulsion assembly including:
a propeller having a rotation axis;
at least two electric motors;
a main drive shaft parallel to the rotation axis of the propeller;
a transmission system configured to couple each electric motor to the propeller and including an output shaft connected to the propeller and an input shaft connected to the main drive shaft;
wherein the at least two electric motors are coupled to the main drive shaft and offset relative to one another in a longitudinal direction parallel to the rotation axis of the propeller;
wherein the electrical propulsion assembly includes, for each electric motor, a secondary drive shaft, and a coupling system coupling the secondary drive shaft and the main drive shaft, the secondary drive shaft being tubular and connected to the electric motor, coaxial and concentric with the main drive shaft;
wherein a rear secondary drive shaft of the secondary drive shafts and a rear coupling system of the coupling systems is farthest from the transmission system, and a front secondary drive shaft of the secondary drive shafts and a front coupling system of the coupling systems is nearest the transmission system;
wherein the secondary drive shafts are coaxial and concentric;
wherein each secondary drive shaft has a constant inside diameter, and the secondary drive shafts are arranged such that the inside diameters increase from the front secondary drive shaft to the rear secondary drive shaft; and
wherein each coupling system has an exterior surface connected to the corresponding secondary drive shaft by a permanent coupling and an inside surface connected to the main drive shaft by a permanent coupling, the coupling systems each having a substantially constant thickness, the coupling systems arranged so that the thicknesses of the coupling systems increase from the front coupling system to the rear coupling system.

2. The electrical propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each coupling system includes at least one disengageable or unidirectional coupling mechanism configured to occupy a first state in which the disengageable or unidirectional coupling mechanism couples the secondary drive shaft and the main drive shaft when the electric motor is driving the secondary drive shaft in rotation and a second state in which the disengageable or unidirectional coupling mechanism decouples the secondary drive shaft and the main drive shaft when the electric motor is not driving the secondary drive shaft in rotation.

3. The electrical propulsion assembly according to claim 2 , wherein each disengageable or unidirectional coupling mechanism is a freewheel which, automatically and autonomously, goes from the first state to the second state.

4. The electrical propulsion assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical propulsion assembly includes a lubrication system configured to lubricate the disengageable or unidirectional coupling mechanisms.

5. The electrical propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one coupling system includes a disengageable or unidirectional coupling mechanism, a ring concentric with the disengageable or unidirectional coupling mechanism, and a permanent coupling configured to couple the ring and the disengageable or unidirectional coupling mechanism.

6. The electrical propulsion assembly according to claim 5 , wherein at least two coupling systems include a disengageable or unidirectional coupling mechanism,
wherein the disengageable or unidirectional coupling mechanisms have substantially the same thickness and the same inside diameter substantially equal to an outside diameter of the main drive shaft.

7. The electrical propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical propulsion assembly includes, for each coupling system, a front abutment and a rear abutment positioned on respective opposite sides of the coupling system to immobilize the coupling system against movement in translation in the longitudinal direction.

8. The electrical propulsion assembly according to claim 7 , wherein, for each coupling system, the front and rear abutments are secured to the secondary drive shaft coupled to the respective coupling system, the front abutment nearest the transmission system corresponding to a shoulder on the secondary drive shaft, the rear abutment farthest from the transmission system being demountable.

9. The electrical propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two electric motors have identical rotors; and
wherein the electrical propulsion assembly further comprises, for at least one electric motor, at least one radial connection connecting the rotor of the at least one electric motor and the secondary drive shaft to which the at least one electric motor is connected.

10. The electrical propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one casing in which at least one electric motor is positioned and having front and rear transverse walls each including at least one orifice for accommodating at least one secondary drive shaft; and
for each rear or front transverse wall, a bearing accommodated in the orifice and inserted between the respective transverse wall and the secondary drive shaft.

11. An aircraft comprising:
the electrical propulsion assembly according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Airbus Sas
• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Allias Jean-François
• Mariotto Damien

Classifications

• B64D35/08 Primary

  characterised by the transmission being driven by a plurality of power plants (for hybrid-electric power plants B64D35/022) · CPC title

• F05D2260/40

  Transmission of power · CPC title

• F01D15/12

  Combinations with mechanical gearing (driven by multiple engines F01D13/00) · CPC title

• F01D15/02

  Adaptations for driving vehicles, e.g. locomotives · CPC title

• B64D35/021

  for electric power plants · CPC title