Bifurcation integrated electrical system for hybrid aircraft propulsion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12595765-B2
Application number	US-202418431620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2024
Priority date	Feb 2, 2024
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

A system for an aircraft includes a fan rotor, an engine core, a fan case, a core case, a bifurcation, an inner electrical system, an outer electrical system and multiple electrical lines electrically coupling the inner electrical system to the outer electrical system. The engine core is configured to drive rotation of the fan rotor about an axis. The fan case houses the fan rotor. The core case houses the engine core. The bifurcation radially crosses a bypass flowpath. The bypass flowpath is downstream of the fan rotor and located radially between the fan case and the core case. The inner electrical system is arranged with the engine core. The outer electrical system is mounted to the fan case. The electrical lines extend between and electrically couple the inner electrical system to the outer electrical system. The electrical lines run in parallel along one another radially through the bifurcation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for an aircraft, comprising:
a fan rotor; an engine core configured to drive rotation of the fan rotor about an axis; a fan case housing the fan rotor; a core case housing the engine core; a bifurcation radially crossing a bypass flowpath, the bypass flowpath downstream of the fan rotor and located radially between the fan case and the core case; an inner electrical system arranged with the engine core; an outer electrical system mounted to the fan case; a plurality of electrical lines extending between and electrically coupling the inner electrical system to the outer electrical system, the plurality of electrical lines run in parallel along one another radially outward through the bifurcation, the plurality of electrical lines run in parallel, in an axially forward and upstream direction, from the bifurcation to a split location at the fan case, a first set of the plurality of electrical lines extending in a first direction circumferentially along the fan case away from the split location, each electrical line in the first set of the plurality of electrical lines configured for an operating power greater than twenty kilowatts and configured for an operating current greater than one hundred amps, a second set of the plurality of electrical lines extending in a second direction circumferentially along the fan case opposite the first direction and away from the split location, each electrical line in the second set of the plurality of electrical lines configured for an operating power less than twenty kilowatts and configured for an operating current less than fifty amps; and a non-conductive barrier separating the first set of the plurality of electrical lines from the second set of the plurality of electrical lines as the plurality of electrical lines run in parallel through the bifurcation and from the bifurcation to the split location.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operating power for the each electrical line in the first set of the plurality of electrical lines is greater than thirty kilowatts.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operating power for the each electrical line in the second set of the plurality of electrical lines is less than fifteen kilowatts.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical lines run in parallel axially along an aft section of the fan case.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein
the inner electrical system comprises a first electric machine; the outer electrical system comprises a first control unit; and the first set of the plurality of electrical lines comprises a first electrical line extending between and electrically coupling the first electric machine and the first control unit.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein
the engine core comprises a rotating assembly with a turbine rotor; and the first electric machine is operatively coupled to the rotating assembly.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the first electric machine comprises an electric motor.

8 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the first electric machine comprises an electric generator.

9 . The system of claim 5 , wherein
the inner electrical system further comprises a second electric machine; the outer electrical system further comprises a second control unit; and the first set of the plurality of electrical lines comprises a second electrical line extending between and electrically coupling the second electric machine and the second control unit.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein
the engine core comprises a rotating assembly with a turbine rotor; and the first electric machine and the second electric machine are each operatively coupled to the rotating assembly.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein
the engine core comprises a first rotating assembly and a second rotating assembly, the first rotating assembly comprises a first turbine rotor, and the second rotating assembly comprises a second turbine rotor; and the first electric machine is operatively coupled to the first rotating assembly; and the second electric machine is operatively coupled to the second rotating assembly.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein
the second set of the plurality of electrical lines comprises a first electrical line; the inner electrical system comprises an electrical component electrically coupled to the first electrical line; and the electrical component comprises one of a sensor, an actuator or an ignitor.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein
the second set of the plurality of electrical lines comprises a first electrical line; the outer electrical system comprises an electrical component electrically coupled to the first electrical line; and the electrical component comprises one of a controller or an exciter.

14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more fluid lines run in parallel along the plurality of electrical lines radially outward through the bifurcation and axially forward to the split location, with the second set of the plurality of electrical lines laterally between the first set of the plurality of electrical lines and the one or more fluid lines.

15 . A system for an aircraft, comprising:
a fan rotor; an engine core configured to drive rotation of the fan rotor about an axis; a fan case housing the fan rotor; a core case housing the engine core; a bifurcation extending radially across a bypass flowpath, the bypass flowpath downstream of the fan rotor and radially between the core case and the fan case; a first inner electrical component arranged with the engine core and having a first operating power greater than twenty kilowatts; a second inner electrical component arranged with the engine core and having a second operating power less than twenty kilowatts; a first outer electrical component mounted to the fan case; a second outer electrical component mounted to the fan case; a first line electrically coupling the first inner electrical component to the first outer electrical component; and a second line electrically coupling the second inner electrical component to the second outer electrical component; and a non-conductive barrier; the first line and the second line run in parallel through the bifurcation and, in an upstream direction, to a split location at the fan case, the first line runs in a first circumferential direction along the fan case away from the split location to the first outer electrical component, and the second line runs in a second circumferential direction along the fan case opposite the first circumferential direction and away from the split location to the second outer electrical component, and the non-conductive barrier separating the first line from the second line as the first line and the second line run in parallel through the bifurcation and from the bifurcation to the split location, wherein the first line is configured for an operating current greater than one hundred amps, and the second line is configured for an operating current less than fifty amps.

16 . A system for an aircraft, comprising:
a fan rotor; an engine core configured to drive rotation of the fan rotor about an axis; a fan case housing the fan rotor; a core case housing the engine core; a lower bifurcation radially crossing a bypass flowpath, the bypass flowpath downstream of the fan rotor and located radially between the fan case and the core case; a plurality of electric machines operatively coupled to the engine core and radially next to the core case; a plurality of control units mounted to the fan case at a fir

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Clark Thomas E
• Yazici Murat
• Morton Jeffrey T

Classifications

• F05D2220/76

  an electrical generator · CPC title

• F02C7/266

  Electric (sparking plugs H01T) · CPC title

• F02C3/00

  Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid (generated by intermittent combustion F02C5/00) · CPC title

• B64D47/00

  Equipment not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64D27/10

  of gas-turbine type  (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title