Aircraft air system with dedicated compressor(s)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12435667-B2
Application number	US-202318211075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2023
Priority date	Jun 16, 2023
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A system is provided for an aircraft. This aircraft system includes a nacelle, an aircraft component, an aircraft propulsion system and an electric compressor. The aircraft component is arranged outside of the nacelle. The aircraft propulsion system includes a propulsor rotor and a powerplant configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor. The powerplant is housed within the nacelle. The electric compressor is housed within the nacelle and is fluidly discrete from the powerplant. The electric compressor is fluidly coupled with and is configured to provide compressed air to the aircraft component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for an aircraft, comprising:
a nacelle including a first inlet and a second inlet, wherein the second inlet is disposed along a lateral side of the nacelle;
an aircraft component arranged outside of the nacelle;
an aircraft propulsion system including a propulsor rotor and a powerplant configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor, the powerplant housed within the nacelle;
an electric compressor housed within the nacelle and fluidly discrete from the powerplant for an entire operating time of the powerplant, the electric compressor fluidly coupled with and configured to provide compressed air to the aircraft component, and the electric compressor operatively decoupled from the powerplant;
the first inlet into the nacelle fluidly coupled with the powerplant; and
the second inlet into the nacelle fluidly coupled with the electric compressor;
the first inlet arranged at a forward, upstream end of the nacelle and upstream of the second inlet.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the second inlet is arranged along a side of the nacelle.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an environmental control system configured to direct conditioned air into an aircraft cabin, the environmental control system comprising the aircraft component.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an icing system configured to reduce, prevent and/or remove ice accumulation on an exterior aircraft surface.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an air system including the aircraft component, the electric compressor and an air circuit;
the air circuit extending through the electric compressor and bypassing the powerplant.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the propulsor rotor is an un-ducted propulsor rotor.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the powerplant comprises a heat engine.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the powerplant comprises a turbo-compounded intermittent internal combustion engine.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the powerplant comprises a compressor section and a powerplant flowpath extending through the compressor section.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the powerplant comprises a turbine section and a powerplant flowpath extending through the turbine section.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electric compressor includes a compressor rotor and an electric motor coupled to and configured to drive rotation of the compressor rotor.

12. A system for an aircraft, comprising:
a nacelle including a first standalone inlet and a second standalone inlet, wherein the second standalone inlet is disposed along an aft lateral side of the nacelle;
an aircraft propulsion system including a propulsor rotor and a turbo-compounded heat engine configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor, the turbo-compounded heat engine housed within the nacelle;
an aircraft component arranged outside of the nacelle;
an air compressor housed within the nacelle and fluidly decoupled from the turbo-compounded heat engine for an entire operating time of the turbo-compounded heat engine, the
air compressor fluidly coupled with and configured to provide compressed air to the aircraft component;
the first standalone inlet into the nacelle fluidly coupled with the turbo-compounded heat engine; and
the second standalone inlet into the nacelle fluidly coupled with the air compressor;
the first standalone inlet arranged at a forward, upstream end of the nacelle and upstream of the second standalone inlet.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising an electric motor housed within the nacelle and configured to drive a compressor rotor within the air compressor.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
an electric motor; and
a geartrain operatively coupling the turbo-compounded heat engine and the electric motor to the propulsor rotor.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the propulsor rotor is disposed outside of the nacelle.

16. A system for an aircraft, comprising:
a nacelle including an inter-compartment wall;
an aircraft component arranged outside of the nacelle;
an aircraft propulsion system including a propulsor rotor and a powerplant configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor, the powerplant housed within a first compartment in the nacelle;
an air system including the aircraft component, an electric compressor and an air circuit, the air circuit extending through the electric compressor to the aircraft component, and the air circuit bypassing the powerplant;
the electric compressor housed within a second compartment in the nacelle and fluidly discrete from the powerplant for an entire operating time of the powerplant, the electric compressor fluidly coupled with and configured to provide compressed air to the aircraft component; and
the inter-compartment wall separating the first compartment from the second compartment.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the propulsor rotor comprises an open propulsor rotor.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Bousquet Michel
• Nguyen Kevin
• Bencheikh Ismael

Classifications

• F02C7/32

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

• F02C5/06

  the working fluid being generated in an internal-combustion gas generated of the positive-displacement type having essentially no mechanical power output (internal-combustion engines with prolonged expansion using exhaust gas turbines F02B) · CPC title

• B64D2033/0233

  comprising de-icing means · CPC title

• B64D2013/0603

  Environmental Control Systems · CPC title

• B64D33/02

  of combustion air intakes · CPC title