Electric motor propulsion system for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12503246-B2
Application number	US-202318207796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2023
Priority date	Jun 9, 2023
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

An assembly for a propulsion system of an aircraft includes a gearbox, at least one accessory load assembly, a propulsor, and an electric motor. The gearbox module includes a gear assembly and an output shaft. The gear assembly is connected to the output shaft. The at least one accessory load assembly includes at least one accessory load coupled to the output shaft. The propulsor is coupled to the output shaft. The electric motor includes a rotor. The rotor is coupled to the gear assembly to drive rotation of the output shaft about a rotational axis. The rotation of the output shaft drives rotation of the propulsor and the at least one accessory load for each accessory load assembly of the at least one accessory load assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An assembly for a propulsion system of an aircraft, the assembly comprising:
a gearbox module including a gear assembly and an output shaft, the gear assembly is connected to the output shaft; at least one accessory load assembly, the at least one accessory load assembly includes at least one accessory load coupled to the output shaft; a propulsor coupled to the output shaft; and an electric motor including a rotor, the rotor is coupled to the gear assembly to drive rotation of the output shaft about a rotational axis, the rotation of the output shaft driving rotation of the propulsor and the at least one accessory load for each accessory load assembly of the at least one accessory load assembly, wherein the output shaft extends between and to a first axial end and a second axial end, the output shaft is connected to the propulsor at the first axial end, and the output shaft is connected to the gear assembly at the second axial end; and wherein the at least one accessory load assembly includes a plurality of accessory load assemblies circumferentially distributed about the gearbox module.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the gear assembly is a planetary gear assembly.

3 . The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the planetary gear assembly includes a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, and a planet carrier, the sun gear is coupled to the rotor, each planet gear of the plurality of planet gears is engaged with the sun gear and configured to revolve around the sun gear as the sun gear rotates, the planet carrier is rotatably connected to each planet gear of the plurality of planet gears, and the planet carrier is connected to the output shaft and configured to drive rotation of the output shaft as the plurality of planet gears revolve around the sun gear.

4 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the output shaft includes a bevel gear, and the bevel gear is coupled to the at least one accessory load for each accessory load assembly of the at least one accessory load assembly.

5 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein each accessory load assembly further includes a shaft, and the shaft is engaged with the bevel gear and the at least one accessory load.

6 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one accessory load assembly is positioned radially outside the output shaft.

7 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one accessory load assembly includes an oil scavenge pump disposed at a vertical bottom of the gearbox module.

8 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the gearbox module includes a gearbox housing surrounding the gear assembly and the output shaft, and the oil scavenge pump is disposed within the gearbox housing.

9 . An assembly for a propulsion system of an aircraft, the assembly comprising:
a gearbox module including a planetary gear assembly and an output shaft, the planetary gear assembly includes a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, and a planet carrier, each planet gear of the plurality of planet gears is engaged with the sun gear and configured to revolve around the sun gear as the sun gear rotates, the planet carrier is rotatably connected to each planet gear of the plurality of planet gears, and the planet carrier is connected to the output shaft and configured to drive rotation of the output shaft as the plurality of planet gears revolve around the sun gear; at least one accessory load assembly, the at least one accessory load assembly includes at least one accessory load coupled to the output shaft; a propulsor coupled to the output shaft; an electric motor including a rotor including a first shaft coupled to the sun gear, and a mid-frame module, the mid-frame module including a mid-frame case.

10 . The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the gearbox module includes a gearbox housing surrounding the gear assembly and the output shaft, and the at least one accessory load assembly includes an oil scavenge pump disposed at a vertical bottom of the gearbox housing.

11 . The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the planetary gear assembly further includes a ring gear fixedly mounted to the gearbox housing, and each planet gear of the plurality of planet gears is engaged with the ring gear.

12 . The assembly of claim 9 , the mid-frame module including a second shaft and a bearing assembly, the second shaft extending between and to a first axial end and a second axial end, wherein the second shaft is connected to the sun gear at the first axial end, the second shaft is connected to the first shaft at the second axial end, and the bearing assembly rotatably supports the second shaft.

13 . The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the mid-frame case surrounds the second shaft and the bearing assembly, the mid-frame case forms an oil scavenge cavity, and the mid-frame case is configured to direct oil from the mid-frame module to the gearbox module through the scavenge cavity.

14 . An assembly for a propulsion system of an aircraft, the assembly comprising:
a gearbox module including a gear assembly and an output shaft, the gear assembly is connected to the output shaft; at least one accessory load assembly, the at least one accessory load assembly includes at least one accessory load coupled to the output shaft; a propulsor coupled to the output shaft; an electric motor assembly including an electric motor, the electric motor includes a rotor; and a mid-frame module mounted to the gearbox module and the electric motor assembly, the mid-frame module includes a shaft and a bearing assembly, the shaft couples the rotor to the gear assembly, and the bearing assembly rotatably supports the shaft.

15 . The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the mid-frame module is disposed axially between the gearbox module and the electric motor assembly.

16 . The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the mid-frame module further includes a mid-frame case surrounding the shaft and the bearing assembly, the mid-frame case forms an oil scavenge cavity, and the mid-frame case is configured to direct oil from the mid-frame module to the gearbox module through the scavenge cavity.

17 . The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the mid-frame module further includes a mid-frame case surrounding the shaft and the bearing assembly, and the mid-frame case forms an oil tank vertically below the shaft.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Durocher Eric S
• Labrecque Michel

Classifications

• F16H2057/02043

  for vehicle transmissions · CPC title

• F16H2001/2872

  comprising three central gears, i.e. ring or sun gear, engaged by at least one common orbital gear mounted on an idling carrier · CPC title

• F16H57/038

  Gearboxes for accommodating bevel gears (F16H57/037 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16H37/041

  for conveying rotary motion with constant gear ratio · CPC title

• F16H1/28

  with gears having orbital motion · CPC title