Vertical Lift by Series Hybrid-Propulsion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018194484-A1
Application number	US-201815866655-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 10, 2018
Priority date	Jan 10, 2017
Publication date	Jul 12, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hybrid-electric aerial vehicle is disclosed comprising: an airframe; a plurality of longitudinal booms extending radially from the airframe; a passively charged internal combustion engine operatively coupled with a fuel tank, a generator operatively coupled with the passively charged internal combustion engine; a battery bank operatively coupled with the generator; and a plurality of motors. The passively charged internal combustion engine has an intake engine valve, an exhaust engine valve, and a combustion chamber, wherein the intake engine valve is delayed to provide an expansion ratio in the combustion chamber that is greater than a compression ratio in the combustion chamber. Each of said plurality of motors may be positioned at a distal end of one of said plurality of longitudinal booms and be operatively coupled with a propeller, wherein the plurality of motors is electrically coupled with the battery bank and the generator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hybrid-electric aerial vehicle comprising:
an airframe; a passively charged internal combustion engine operatively coupled with a fuel tank, the passively charged internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder comprising a combustion chamber, an intake engine valve, and an exhaust engine valve,
wherein the intake engine valve and the exhaust engine valve are in fluid communication with the combustion chamber and configured, respectively, to selectively allow air in and out of the combustion chamber during operation,
wherein the intake engine valve is controlled to provide an expansion ratio in the combustion chamber that is greater than a compression ratio in the combustion chamber;
a generator operatively coupled with the passively charged internal combustion engine, wherein the generator is configured to generate AC power via a rotational engine force received from the passively charged internal combustion; a rectifier electrically coupled with the generator, wherein the rectifier converts AC power from the generator to DC power; a battery bank electrically coupled with the rectifier, the battery bank configured to store DC power via said rectifier; and a plurality of motors, each of said plurality of motors being operatively coupled with a propeller, wherein each of the plurality of motors is electrically coupled with the battery bank and the generator via an electronic speed controller (ESC).

2 . The hybrid-electric aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the generator is directly coupled with the passively charged internal combustion engine.

3 . The hybrid-electric aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the generator is coupled with the passively charged internal combustion engine via a driveshaft.

4 . The hybrid-electric aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the timing of the intake engine valve is delayed in accordance with Miller cycle.

5 . The hybrid-electric aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the passively charged internal combustion engine operates at a constant rotation per minute (RPM).

6 . The hybrid-electric aerial vehicle of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of motors operates at a variable RPM while the passively charged internal combustion engine operates at the constant RPM.

7 . The hybrid-electric aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of motors is configured to provide both lift and propulsion.

8 . The hybrid-electric aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the timing of the intake engine valve is delayed such that the intake engine valve is held open by a predetermined period of time longer than prescribed by Otto cycle.

9 . The hybrid-electric aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the generator is configured to receive DC power from the battery bank to output a rotational starter force to the internal combustion engine, thereby operating as a starter motor for the internal combustion engine.

10 . A series hybrid-propulsion system comprising:
a passively charged internal combustion engine operatively coupled with a fuel tank, the passively charged internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder comprising a combustion chamber, an intake engine valve, and an exhaust engine valve,
wherein the intake engine valve and the exhaust engine valve are in fluid communication with the combustion chamber and configured, respectively, to selectively allow air in and out of the combustion chamber during operation,
wherein the intake engine valve is controlled to provide an expansion ratio in the combustion chamber that is greater than a compression ratio in the combustion chamber;
a generator operatively coupled with the passively charged internal combustion engine, wherein the generator is configured to generate AC power via a rotational engine force received from the passively charged internal combustion; a rectifier electrically coupled with the generator, wherein the rectifier converts AC power from the generator to DC power; a battery bank electrically coupled with the rectifier, the battery bank configured to store DC power from said rectifier; and a plurality of motors electrically coupled with the battery bank and the generator via an electronic speed controller (ESC).

11 . The series hybrid-propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the generator is directly coupled with the passively charged internal combustion engine.

12 . The series hybrid-propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the generator is coupled with the passively charged internal combustion engine via a driveshaft.

13 . The series hybrid-propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the timing of the intake engine valve is delayed in accordance with Miller cycle.

14 . The series hybrid-propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the passively charged internal combustion engine operates at a constant rotation per minute (RPM).

15 . The series hybrid-propulsion system of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of motors operates at a variable RPM while the passively charged internal combustion engine operates at the constant RPM.

16 . The series hybrid-propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the timing of the intake engine valve is delayed such that the intake engine valve is held open by a predetermined period of time longer than prescribed by Otto cycle.

17 . The series hybrid-propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the generator is configured to receive DC power from the battery bank to output a rotational starter force to the passively charged internal combustion engine, thereby operating as a starter motor for the passively charged internal combustion engine.

18 . A method for driving a hybrid-propulsion system comprising:
providing a passively charged internal combustion engine operatively coupled with a fuel tank, the passively charged internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder comprising a combustion chamber, an intake engine valve, and an exhaust engine valve, wherein the intake engine valve and the exhaust engine valve are in fluid communication with the combustion chamber; selectively conveying air in and out of the combustion chamber in accordance with Miller cycle to provide an expansion ratio in the combustion chamber that is greater than a compression ratio in the combustion chamber; generating AC power via a rotational engine force received at a generator from the passively charged internal combustion, wherein the generator is operatively coupled with the passively charged internal combustion engine; converting AC power from the generator to DC power via a rectifier electrically coupled with the generator; storing DC power from said rectifier to a battery bank electrically coupled with the rectifier; and operating an electric motor at a variable rotation per minute (RPM) via an electronic speed controller (ESC) while the passively charged internal combustion engine operates at a constant RPM.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the generator is configured to receive DC power from the battery bank to output a rotational starter force to the passively charged internal combustion engine, thereby operating as a starter motor for the passively charged internal combustion engine.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the generator is directly coupled with the passively charged internal combustion engine.

Assignees

• Aurora Flight Sciences Corp

Inventors

• Livieratos Evangelos
• Griffin Riley
• Varney Nathan
• Dropkin Amanda

Classifications

• F02N11/04

  the motors being associated with current generators · CPC title

• F02D13/0269

  Controlling the valves to perform a Miller-Atkinson cycle · CPC title

• F02B63/04

  for electric generators · CPC title

• B64D27/04

  of piston type · CPC title

• Y10S903/903

  having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor · CPC title