Propeller for an aircraft propulsion assembly, propulsion assembly, and method for the use of such a propulsion assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12534185-B2
Application number	US-202218580862-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2022
Priority date	Jul 29, 2021
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

A propeller for an aircraft propulsion assembly extending longitudinally along an axis X. The propeller comprising a propeller cone, blades, a guide member extending longitudinally along the axis X and rotating as one with the propeller cone, the guide member being mounted outside the propeller cone in such a way as to form between them a guide path, the guide member having an upstream opening configured to convey a flow of air in the guide path and a downstream opening in such a way as to remove the flow of air downstream, the guide member having through-orifices through which extend the blades of the propeller and compressor vanes, which rotate as one with the propeller cone and which are positioned in the guide path in such a way as to generate an accelerated air flow.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A propeller for a propulsion assembly of an aircraft extending longitudinally along an axis X, the propeller being configured to be positioned upstream in the propulsion assembly and rotationally driven around said axis X, the propeller comprising:
a propeller cone, blades extending radially with respect to said axis X from the propeller cone, a guide member extending longitudinally along the axis X which is rotationally integral with the propeller cone, the guide member being mounted outside the propeller cone in such a way as to form between them a guide path, the guide member comprising an upstream opening configured to convey an air flow into the guide path and a downstream opening in such a way as to remove the air flow downstream, wherein a radial section of the guide path decreases from when traveling from upstream to downstream, and wherein the guide member defines through-orifices through which extend the blades of the propeller, and compressor vanes that radially extend from the propeller cone to the guide member so as to define a radial thickness that decreases when traveling from the upstream to the downstream, wherein the compressor vanes are rotationally integral with the propeller cone and wherein the radially decreasing compressor vanes are positioned in the guide path and cooperate with the decreasing radial section of the guide path so as to generate an accelerated air flow.

2 . The propeller according to claim 1 , wherein the guide member comprises an upstream lip that is profiled.

3 . The propeller according to claim 1 , wherein the compressor vanes extend over an entire radial thickness of the guide path.

4 . The propeller according to claim 1 , wherein the propeller cone comprises a closed upstream end.

5 . The propeller according to claim 1 , wherein the compressor vanes are derived from material of the guide member and/or the propeller cone.

6 . A propulsion assembly for an aircraft extending longitudinally along an axis X oriented from downstream to upstream, comprising:
a propeller comprising a propeller cone, blades extending radially with respect to said axis X from the propeller cone, a guide member extending longitudinally along the axis X which is rotationally integral with the propeller cone, the guide member being mounted outside the propeller cone in such a way as to form between them a guide path, the guide member comprising an upstream opening configured to convey an air flow into the guide path and a downstream opening in such a way as to remove the air flow downstream, wherein a radial section of the guide path decreases from when traveling from upstream to downstream, and wherein the guide member defines through-orifices through which extend the blades of the propeller, and compressor vanes that radially extend from the propeller cone to the guide member so as to define a radial thickness that decreases when traveling from the upstream to the downstream, wherein the compressor vanes are rotationally integral with the propeller cone, and wherein the radially decreasing compressor vanes are positioned in the guide path and cooperate with the decreasing radial section of the guide path so as to generate an accelerated air flow, and an electric motor, positioned downstream, configured to rotationally drive the propeller along the axis X in such a way as to cool the electric motor with an accelerated air flow.

7 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 6 , further comprising straightener vanes mounted at an outlet of an air path in such a way as to straighten the accelerated air flow.

8 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the straightener vanes are integral with the electric motor.

9 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the electric motor comprises rows of cooling fins, and wherein the straightener vanes form a row of the cooling fins.

10 . The aircraft, comprising at least one propulsion assembly according to claim 6 .

11 . The aircraft according to claim 10 , further comprising at least one wing, the propulsion assembly being mounted on the wing.

12 . The aircraft according to claim 10 , further comprising at least one nacelle, the propulsion assembly being mounted in said nacelle.

13 . A method of using the propulsion assembly according to claim 6 , the method comprising the steps of:
driving the propeller by the electric motor so that the blades provide a propulsion force, and cooling the electric motor by accelerating the air flow in an air path by the compressor vanes.

Assignees

• Safran Helicopter Engines

Inventors

• Regaud Pierre-Luc
• Chartrain Didier Claude
• Combebias Sebastien
• Drouin Thomas
• Serghine Camel
• Tarnowski Laurent Pierre
• Derderian Michael
• Duqueine Vincent

Classifications

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/31

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• B64C11/16

  Blades · CPC title

• B64C11/14

  Spinners · CPC title

• B64C11/02 Primary

  Hub construction · CPC title