Distributed propulsion systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017349293-A1
Application number	US-201715601969-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 22, 2017
Priority date	Jun 2, 2016
Publication date	Dec 7, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system includes at least one compressor, at least two turbines, and at least two combustors, each fluidically coupled to a respective turbine of the at least two turbines and configured to receive compressed fluid from the at least one compressor. The system further includes at least two motor-generators, each operably coupled to a respective turbine of the at least two turbines and configured to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy to drive a respective propulsor to which the respective motor-generator is operably coupled and to convert mechanical energy from the respective turbine to electrical energy. The system further includes at least two propulsors, each operably coupled to a respective turbine of the at least two turbines and configured to be driven by the respective turbine, a respective motor-generator to which the respective propulsor is operably coupled via the respective turbine, or both the respective turbine and the respective motor-generator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
at least one compressor; at least two turbines; at least two combustors, wherein a respective combustor of the at least two combustors is fluidically coupled to a respective turbine of the at least two turbines, and wherein the at least two combustors are configured to receive compressed fluid from the at least one compressor; at least two motor-generators, wherein:
each respective motor-generator of the at least two motor-generators is operably coupled to a respective turbine of the at least two turbines, and
each respective motor-generator of the at least two motor-generators is configured to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy to drive a respective propulsor to which the respective motor-generator is operably coupled and to convert mechanical energy from a respective turbine to which the respective motor-generator is operably coupled to electrical energy; and
at least two propulsors, wherein each respective propulsor of the at least two propulsors is operably coupled to a respective turbine of the at least two turbines, wherein each respective propulsor of the at least two propulsors is configured to be driven by the respective turbine to which the respective propulsor is operably coupled, a respective motor-generator to which the respective propulsor is operably coupled via the respective turbine, or both the respective turbine and the respective motor-generator.

2 . The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one compressor comprises a single compressor remote from the at least two turbines, and wherein the single compressor is configured to distribute compressed fluid to each combustor of the at least two combustors.

3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
at least two valves, wherein a respective valve of the at least two valves is fluidically coupled between an outlet of the compressor and a respective inlet of a respective combustor.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one compressor comprises at least two compressors; and each respective compressor of the at least two compressors is fluidically coupled to a respective combustor of the at least two combustors.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power bus configured to selectively receive direct-current electricity from each respective motor-generator of the at least two motor-generators and selectively provide direct-current electricity to each respective motor-generator of the at least two motor-generators.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
cause a first motor-generator of the at least two motor-generators to convert mechanical power from a first respective propulsor of the at least two propulsors, to which the first motor-generator is operably coupled via a first respective turbine of the at least two turbines, to electrical power; and substantially simultaneously cause a second motor-generator of the at least two motor-generators to convert electrical power to mechanical power to drive a second respective second propulsor of the at least two propulsors to which the second motor-generator is operably coupled via a second respective turbine of the at least two turbines.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
cause the at least one compressor to cease operating; and cause a motor-generator of the at least two motor-generators to convert electrical power to mechanical power to operate a respective propulsor of the at least two propulsors to which the motor-generator is operably coupled via a respective turbine of the at least two turbines.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller and a power bus, wherein the controller is configured to:
cause a motor-generator of the at least two motor-generators to convert mechanical power from a respective propulsor of the at least two propulsors, to which the motor-generator is coupled via a respective turbine of the at least two turbines, to electrical power; and deliver the electrical power, via the power bus, to a load.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
vector propulsion by selectively delivering electrical power to less than all of the at least two motor-generators for conversion into mechanical power to drive less than all of the at least two propulsors to which the less than all of the at least two motor-generators are respectively operably coupled via respective turbines of the at least two turbines.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein:
the at least one compressor comprises at least two compressors; and the controller is configured to:
cause less than all of the at least two compressors to operate;
cause a first turbine of the at least two turbines to drive a first respective propulsor of the at least two propulsors with mechanical power, wherein the first turbine is operably coupled to a first respective compressor of the at least two compressors that is operating; and
cause a second motor-generator of the at least two motor-generators to convert electrical power to mechanical power to drive a second respective propulsor of the at least two propulsors that is coupled to a second respective compressor of the at least two compressors that is not operating.

11 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is further configured to:
cause a first motor-generator of the at least two motor-generators to convert mechanical power generated by a first respective propulsor of the at least two propulsors, to which the first motor-generator is coupled via a first respective turbine of the at least two turbines, to electrical power; and deliver the electrical power to a second motor-generator of the at least two motor-generators to convert to mechanical power to drive a second respective propulsor of the at least two propulsors to which the second motor-generator is coupled via a second respective turbine of the at least two turbines.

12 . A controller configured to:
selectively cause each respective propulsor of at least two propulsors of a system to be driven by a respective turbine to which the respective propulsor is operably coupled; selectively cause each respective propulsor of the at least two propulsors to be driven by a respective motor-generator to which the respective propulsor is operably coupled via the respective turbine; and selectively cause each respective propulsor of the at least two propulsors to be driven by a respective motor-generator and a respective turbine, wherein the system includes at least two turbines, at least two motor-generators, at least one compressor, and at least two combustors, wherein each turbine is fluidically coupled to a respective combustor of the at least two combustors, wherein each respective combustor is configured to receive compressed fluid from the at least one compressor, and wherein each respective motor-generator is configured to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy to drive a respective propulsor to which the respective motor-generator is operably coupled and to convert mechanical energy from a respective turbine to which the respective motor-generator is operably coupled to electrical energy.

13 . The controller of claim 12 , wherein the at least one compressor comprises a single compressor remote from the at least two turbines, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
cause the single compressor remote from the at least two turbines to distribute co

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Klemen Donald
• Armstrong Michael James

Classifications

• B64D31/18

  for hybrid-electric power plants · CPC title

• B64D27/33

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title

• B60L1/003 Primary

  to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors · CPC title

• B60L3/00

  Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption (methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00) · CPC title

• B60L1/00

  Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00) · CPC title