SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OIL MAINTENANCE IN GEARBOXES FOR eVTOL AIRCRAFT

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024116639-A1
Application number	US-202318299276-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2023
Priority date	Oct 6, 2022
Publication date	Apr 11, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electric propulsion system comprising an electric motor assembly. The electric motor assembly may include a housing having an internal volume, a stator ring disposed about a perimeter of the internal volume, and a rotor positioned within the stator. The electric motor assembly may include a main shaft connected to the rotor via a gear reduction, wherein the main shaft extends through the rotor. The electric motor assembly may include a collar connected to the main shaft, wherein the collar encircles the main shaft, and at least a portion of the collar is configured to direct a fluid away from the main shaft and toward the stator ring.

First claim

1 . An electric propulsion system, the system comprising:
an electric motor assembly including: a housing having an internal volume; a stator ring disposed about a perimeter of the internal volume; a rotor positioned within the stator; a main shaft connected to the rotor via a gear reduction, wherein the main shaft extends through the rotor; a collar connected to the main shaft, wherein the collar encircles the main shaft, and at least a portion of the collar is configured to direct a fluid away from the main shaft and toward the stator ring, wherein the collar is configured to direct the fluid toward the stator ring along a first side of the collar that is opposite to a second side of the collar on which the rotor is located.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is directed away from the main shaft by a rotation of the main shaft.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is directed toward one or more end turns of the stator ring.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is indirectly fed to the collar from one or more rotating components of the electric motor assembly.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more rotating components includes a bearing at an output end of the main shaft.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is directly fed to the collar from an oil passage in the housing.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the fluid is also indirectly fed to the collar from one or more rotating components of the electric motor assembly.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a propeller mount attached to the main shaft, wherein the collar is attached to the propeller mount.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the collar extends outward from the main shaft toward the rotor, and a second portion of the collar is angled to direct fluid around an edge of the rotor.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electric engine system is configured to provide propulsion for an electric aircraft.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the electric aircraft is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

12 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a power inverter mounted to a first end of the housing, wherein the stator ring receives electricity from the power inverter.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises oil.

14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing at an output end of the main shaft, wherein a bend in the collar is disposed adjacent to the bearing.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the bend extends around a portion of the bearing.

16 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing at an output end of the main shaft, wherein the bearing is disposed between the main shaft and a portion of the collar in a radial direction from the main shaft.

17 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing at an output end of the main shaft, wherein a virtual line extending in a radial direction from the main shaft passes through the bearing and the collar.

Assignees

• Archer Aviation Inc

Inventors

• Graves Scott
• Moore Robert Wayne

Classifications

• H02K15/40

  Assembling dynamo-electric machines (H02K15/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K15/035

  on the rotor · CPC title

• H02K2215/00

  Specific aspects not provided for in other groups of this subclass relating to methods or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining or repairing of dynamo-electric machines · CPC title

• H02P27/08

  with pulse width modulation · CPC title

• H02P27/06

  using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence) · CPC title