Electrically Controlled Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft System and Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021078700-A1
Application number	US-201916570590-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 13, 2019
Priority date	Sep 13, 2019
Publication date	Mar 18, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft system includes a gas turbine engine coupled to a variable pitch propeller. The gas turbine engine is also coupled to a power split device including a first motor generator, a second motor generator, and a planetary module therebetween. The planetary module includes a sun gear, a ring gear, and a planet carrier. The motor generators are coupled to inverters, a DC bus and a battery. The battery is configured to power balance fans disposed on wings and horizontal stabilizers of the aircraft system. The balance fans can be closed off after vertical lift has been achieved.

First claim

I claim:

1 . A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft system, comprising:
a fuselage comprising a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine having a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, a first output shaft, and a second output shaft; a plurality of wings extending outwardly from the fuselage; a variable pitch propeller coupled to the first output shaft of the gas turbine engine; a power split device coupled to the second output shaft of the gas turbine engine, the power split device comprising a planetary module, a first motor generator, and a second motor generator; and a plurality of balance fans.

2 . The aircraft system of claim 1 , wherein the first motor generator and the second motor generator of the power split device are coupled to a first inverter and a second inverter respectively, wherein the first inventor and second inverter are coupled to a DC bus and a battery pack, and wherein the battery pack is configured to power the plurality of balance fans.

3 . The aircraft system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of balance fans are configured to be utilized during vertical lift and closed off during cruising.

4 . The aircraft system of claim 3 , wherein one of the plurality of balance fans is disposed in each of the plurality of wings of the fuselage.

5 . The aircraft system of claim 2 , wherein the battery pack coupled to the DC bus is configured to provide auxiliary power to the aircraft system.

6 . The aircraft system of claim 1 , the planetary module comprising a sun gear, a ring gear, and a planet carrier, wherein the first motor generator of the power split device is coupled to the sun gear.

7 . The aircraft system of claim 6 , wherein the second motor generator of the power split device is coupled to the planet carrier and the second output shaft of the gas turbine engine is coupled to the ring gear.

8 . A method of operating a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft system, the method comprising:
running a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine disposed in a fuselage of the aircraft system, and wherein a plurality of wings extend outwardly from the fuselage; operating a variable pitch propeller coupled to an output shaft of the gas turbine engine; operating a power split device coupled to the gas turbine engine, the power split device comprising a first motor generator, a second motor generator, and a planetary module therebetween; and operating a primary lift fan coupled to an output shaft of the power split device to lift the aircraft system vertically.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of charging a battery, wherein the battery is coupled to a DC bus, and the DC bus is coupled to:
a first inverter, which is coupled to the first motor generator of the power split device; and a second inverter, which is coupled to the second motor generator of the power split device.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of operating a plurality of balance fans, wherein at least one of the plurality of balance fans is disposed in each of the plurality of wings of the aircraft system.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of opening louvers disposed above and below each of the plurality of balance fans prior to vertical lift.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of closing the louvers disposed above and below each of the plurality of balance fans after vertical lift.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of powering the plurality of balance fans using the battery.

14 . An aircraft system comprising:
a fuselage comprising a single core gas turbine engine, two wings extending outwardly from the fuselage, and a tail section comprising horizontal stabilizers; a variable pitch propeller coupled to a first output shaft of the single core gas turbine engine; a power split device coupled to a second output shaft of the single core gas turbine engine, the power split device comprising a primary motor generator, a secondary motor generator, and a planetary module therebetween; a primary lift fan configured to lift the aircraft system vertically; and a plurality of balance fans.

15 . The aircraft system of claim 14 , further comprising a secondary lift fan coupled to a secondary power split device.

16 . The aircraft system of claim 15 , wherein a differential is disposed on the second output shaft of the single core gas turbine engine, and wherein the power split device and the second power split device are coupled to the differential.

17 . The aircraft system of claim 14 , wherein a speed drop gear is disposed between the variable pitch propeller and the single core gas turbine engine.

18 . The aircraft system of claim 16 , wherein a third power split device and a fourth power split device are coupled to the second output shaft of the single core gas turbine engine, and wherein the third power split device and fourth power split device are coupled to a tertiary lift fan and a quaternary lift fan, respectively.

19 . The aircraft system of claim 14 , further comprising a DC bus coupled to a battery.

20 . The aircraft system of claim 19 , wherein the primary motor generator is coupled to a first inverter and the secondary motor generator is coupled to a second inverter, and wherein the first inverter and the second inverter are coupled to the DC bus.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Klemen Donald

Classifications

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• B64D35/023

  of series-parallel type · CPC title

• B64D35/02

  specially adapted for specific power plants · CPC title

• B64C29/0025

  the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B60L50/15 Primary

  with additional electric power supply (with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61) · CPC title