Systems and methods for improved gearboxes for EVTOL aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12384547-B2
Application number	US-202418912008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2024
Priority date	Oct 6, 2022
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A method for balancing a rotor of an electric engine, comprising: identifying an axis of rotation of the rotor, determining an imbalance present in the rotor by rotating the rotor about the axis of rotation, wherein determining the imbalance includes rotating the rotor and detecting an amplitude of the imbalance. The method further comprising: calculating an amount of mass to remove at a position along an inner circumference of the rotor such that a center of mass of the rotor coincides with the axis of rotation of the rotor and removing the amount of mass from the inner circumference of the rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for balancing a rotor of an electric engine, comprising:
identifying an axis of rotation of the rotor;
determining an imbalance present in the rotor by rotating the rotor about the axis of rotation, wherein determining the imbalance includes rotating the rotor and detecting an amplitude of the imbalance;
calculating an amount of mass to remove at a position along an inner circumference of the rotor such that a center of mass of the rotor coincides with the axis of rotation of the rotor; and
removing the amount of mass from the inner circumference of the rotor,
wherein the amount of mass is removed through a machining process.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the amount of mass from the inner circumference of the rotor comprises:
removing a first mass along a first plane;
removing a second mass along a second plane,
wherein the first plane is spaced apart from the second plane along a central axis of the rotor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotor is rotated by a dynamic balancer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculating the amount of mass to remove at the position includes determining a magnitude and a phase of the imbalance.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting the amplitude of the imbalance includes tracking a marking on the rotor and determining a displacement of the marking on the rotor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the marking on the rotor is a reflective sticker or laser etched mark.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the imbalance comprises using an electric eye or encoder to track the motion of the rotor and detect the imbalance.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing information on the imbalance received from an encoder or an accelerometer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing the amount of mass is performed using a machine with a milling resolution that is less than or equal to five microns.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotor is rotated at a speed less than an operating speed of the rotor.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotor is rotated at a speed less than a first resonance of the rotor.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removed mass is integral to the rotor.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotor and the removed mass are aluminum.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotor and the removed mass are steel.

15. The method of 1 , wherein an initial size of the rotor is determined to accommodate the removing the amount of mass from the inner circumference; and
wherein the initial size of the rotor is determined in consideration of manufacturing constraints of the rotor.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a plurality of discrete sections on the inner circumference of the rotor; and
wherein the removing the amount of mass from the inner circumference of the rotor comprises removing the amount of mass from the plurality of discrete sections.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculating an amount of mass to remove further comprises calculating a minimum mass of the rotor such that the center of mass of the rotor coincides with the axis of rotation of the rotor.

18. A method for balancing a rotor of an electric engine, comprising:
identifying an axis of rotation of the rotor;
determining an imbalance present in the rotor by rotating the rotor about the axis of rotation, wherein determining the imbalance includes rotating the rotor and detecting an amplitude of the imbalance;
calculating an amount of mass to remove at a position along an inner circumference of the rotor such that a center of mass of the rotor coincides with the axis of rotation of the rotor; and
removing the amount of mass from the inner circumference of the rotor, wherein removing the amount of mass from the inner circumference of the rotor comprises:
removing a first mass along a first plane;
removing a second mass along a second plane,
wherein the first plane is spaced apart from the second plane along a central axis of the rotor.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the rotor is rotated by a dynamic balancer.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the calculating the amount of mass to remove at the position includes determining a magnitude and a phase of the imbalance.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the detecting the amplitude of the imbalance includes tracking a marking on the rotor and determining a displacement of the marking on the rotor.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the marking on the rotor is a reflective sticker or laser etched mark.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein determining the imbalance comprises using an electric eye or encoder to track the motion of the rotor and detect the imbalance.

24. The method of claim 18 , further comprising storing information on the imbalance received from an encoder or an accelerometer.

25. The method of claim 18 , wherein the removing the amount of mass is performed through a machining process using a machine with a milling resolution that is less than or equal to five microns.

26. The method of claim 18 , wherein the rotor is rotated at a speed less than an operating speed of the rotor.

27. The method of claim 18 , wherein the removed mass is integral to the rotor.

28. The method of claim 18 , wherein the rotor and the removed mass are aluminum.

29. The method of claim 18 , wherein the rotor and the removed mass are steel.

30. The method of claim 18 , wherein the calculating an amount of mass to remove further comprises calculating a minimum mass of the rotor such that the center of mass of the rotor coincides with the axis of rotation of the rotor.

Assignees

• Archer Aviation Inc

Inventors

• Graves Scott

Classifications

• H02P27/08

  with pulse width modulation · CPC title

• H02P27/06

  using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02P25/16

  characterised by the circuit arrangement or by the kind of wiring · CPC title

• H02M7/5395

  by pulse-width modulation · CPC title

• H02K5/124

  Sealing of shafts · CPC title