Drivetrain for aircraft powerplant with boosted turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12552545-B1
Application number	US-202519068557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 3, 2025
Priority date	Mar 3, 2025
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

An assembly for an aircraft powerplant includes a first powerplant component, a differential geartrain, a first clutch, a second clutch and a first turbine engine. The first powerplant component includes a first component rotor. The differential geartrain includes a first geartrain component and a second geartrain component. The first clutch is configured to operatively couple the first geartrain component to the first component rotor during a first mode. The first clutch is configured to operatively decouple the first geartrain component from the first component rotor during a second mode. The second clutch is configured to operatively decouple the second geartrain component from the first component rotor during the first mode. The second clutch is configured to operatively couple the second geartrain component to the first component rotor during the second mode. The first turbine engine includes a first engine rotating structure operatively coupled to the second geartrain component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An assembly for an aircraft powerplant, comprising:
a first powerplant component comprising a first component rotor; a differential geartrain comprising a first geartrain component and a second geartrain component; a first clutch configured to operatively couple the first geartrain component to the first component rotor during a first mode, and the first clutch configured to operatively decouple the first geartrain component from the first component rotor during a second mode; a second clutch configured to operatively decouple the second geartrain component from the first component rotor during the first mode, and the second clutch configured to operatively couple the second geartrain component to the first component rotor during the second mode; and a first turbine engine comprising a first engine rotating structure operatively coupled to the second geartrain component.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an accessory gearbox including the differential geartrain, the first clutch and the second clutch, the first powerplant component configured as a powerplant accessory mounted to the accessory gearbox.

3 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the first powerplant component is configured as an electric machine; and the electric machine is configurable as at least one of an electric motor or an electric generator.

4 . The assembly of claim 3 , further comprising:
an accessory gearbox including the differential geartrain, the first clutch and the second clutch; and a powerplant accessory mounted to the accessory gearbox, the powerplant accessory comprising an accessory rotor operatively coupled to the first geartrain component through the first clutch during the first mode, and the accessory rotor operatively coupled to the first geartrain component through the second clutch during the second mode.

5 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the accessory rotor is operatively coupled to the first component rotor independent of the first clutch and the second clutch.

6 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second turbine engine comprising a second engine rotating structure operatively coupled to a third geartrain component; the differential geartrain further comprising the third geartrain component.

7 . The assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a propulsor rotor operatively coupled to the second engine rotating structure.

8 . The assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a gear system operatively coupling the first engine rotating structure to the third geartrain component; the propulsor rotor operatively coupled to the second engine rotating structure independent of the gear system.

9 . The assembly of claim 6 , further comprising:
an electric machine comprising an electric machine rotor, the electric machine configurable as at least one of an electric motor or an electric generator; and a gear system operatively coupling the second engine rotating structure and the electric machine rotor to the third geartrain component.

10 . The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the electric machine rotor is operatively coupled to the second engine rotating structure through the gear system.

11 . The assembly of claim 6 , wherein
the first turbine engine includes a first engine flowpath, a first engine compressor section, a first engine combustor section and a first engine turbine section; the first engine flowpath extends through the first engine compressor section, the first engine combustor section and the first engine turbine section from a first engine flowpath inlet into the first engine flowpath to a first engine flowpath outlet from the first engine flowpath; the second turbine engine includes a second engine flowpath, a second engine compressor section, a second engine combustor section and a second engine turbine section; the second engine flowpath extends through the second engine compressor section, the second engine combustor section and the second engine turbine section from a second engine flowpath inlet into the second engine flowpath to a second engine flowpath exhaust from the second engine flowpath; and the first engine flowpath inlet and the first engine flowpath outlet each fluidly coupled with the second engine flowpath.

12 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein
the second engine combustor section comprises a second engine combustor; and the first engine flowpath inlet and the first engine flowpath outlet are each fluidly coupled with the second engine flowpath upstream of the second engine combustor.

13 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first engine flowpath inlet is at or upstream of the first engine flowpath outlet along the second engine flowpath.

14 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first engine rotating structure is operatively coupled to the second geartrain component independent of the second clutch.

15 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the differential geartrain includes a sun gear;
a ring gear comprising the first geartrain component, the ring gear circumscribing the sun gear; a plurality of intermediate gears disposed between and meshed with the sun gear and the ring gear; and a carrier comprising the second geartrain component, the plurality of intermediate gears rotatably mounted to the carrier.

16 . The assembly of claim 15 , further comprising a second turbine engine comprising a second engine rotating structure operatively coupled to the sun gear.

17 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid clutch configured to operatively couple the first component rotor to the first geartrain component independent of the first clutch during a third mode.

18 . An assembly for an aircraft powerplant, comprising:
a first powerplant component comprising a first component rotor; a differential geartrain comprising a first geartrain component, a second geartrain component and a third geartrain component; a first clutch configured to operatively couple the first geartrain component to the first component rotor during a first mode, and the first clutch configured to operatively decouple the first geartrain component from the first component rotor during a second mode; a second clutch configured to operatively decouple the second geartrain component from the first component rotor during the first mode, and the second clutch configured to operatively couple the second geartrain component to the first component rotor during the second mode; and a turbine engine comprising an engine rotating structure operatively coupled to the third geartrain component.

19 . The assembly of claim 18 , wherein the differential geartrain includes
a sun gear comprising the third geartrain component; a ring gear comprising the first geartrain component, the ring gear circumscribing the sun gear; a plurality of intermediate gears disposed between and meshed with the sun gear and the ring gear; and a carrier comprising the second geartrain component, the plurality of intermediate gears rotatably mounted to the carrier.

20 . An assembly for an aircraft powerplant, comprising:
a first gear system; a second gear system; a third gear system; a first sprag clutch configured to operatively couple the first gear system to the third gear system during a first mode, and the first sprag clutch configured to operatively decouple the first gear system from the third gear system during a second mode; a second sprag clutch configured to operatively decouple the second gear system from the third g

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Hanrahan Paul R

Classifications

• F16H2057/02043

  for vehicle transmissions · CPC title

• F16H57/037

  Gearboxes for accommodating differential gearings (rotating cases for differential gearings F16H48/40) · CPC title

• B64D35/022 Primary

  of hybrid-electric type · CPC title