Electrical power generation and windmill starting for turbine engine and aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9051881-B2
Application number	US-201113335477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2011
Priority date	Dec 28, 2010
Publication date	Jun 9, 2015
Grant date	Jun 9, 2015

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention is a unique gas turbine engine. Another embodiment is a unique aircraft. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for gas turbine engines and gas turbine engine powered aircraft. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A single engine air vehicle, comprising:
a gas turbine engine, wherein the gas turbine engine includes:
a first spool configured as a high pressure spool;
a second spool configured to operate at lower pressures than the high pressure spool; and
a single electrical rotor machine coupled to the second spool,
wherein the electrical rotor machine is configured to extract mechanical power from the second spool during a windmilling event, convert the mechanical power to electrical power, and supply the electrical power to the first spool for use in effecting a windmill start of the gas turbine engine;
wherein the single electrical rotor machine is configured to supply electrical power to the air vehicle during normal gas turbine engine operation as the sole source of electrical power for the air vehicle.

2. The single engine air vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a starter motor configured to rotate the first spool for starting the gas turbine engine, wherein the electrical power is supplied from the electrical rotor machine to the starter motor.

3. The single engine air vehicle of claim 2 , further comprising an accessory gearbox, wherein the starter motor is mounted on the accessory gearbox and operative to supply mechanical power to the first spool via the accessory gearbox for effecting the windmill start of the gas turbine engine.

4. with The single engine air vehicle claim 1 , wherein the starter motor is configured as a starter/generator.

5. The single engine air vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising an engine tail cone, wherein the electrical rotor machine is positioned within the engine tail cone.

6. The single engine air vehicle of claim 1 , configured as a two-spool engine, wherein the second spool is configured as a low pressure spool.

7. The single engine air vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the gas turbine engine is a turbofan engine, and wherein the second spool includes a turbofan.

8. The single engine air vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the gas turbine engine is configured as a three-spool engine having the high pressure spool, an intermediate pressure spool and a low pressure spool, wherein the second spool is configured as the low pressure spool.

9. A single engine air vehicle, comprising:
a gas turbine engine, wherein the gas turbine engine includes:
a fan rotor;
a high pressure spool;
an electric starter coupled to the high pressure spool and configured to rotate the high pressure spool to start the gas turbine engine; and
a single electrical rotor machine coupled to the fan rotor and configured to extract mechanical power from the fan rotor during a windmilling event, convert the mechanical power to electrical power, and supply the electrical power to the electric starter for use in effecting a windmill start of the gas turbine engine and to supply electrical power to the air vehicle during normal flight operations as the sole source of electrical power for the air vehicle;
further comprising an accessory gearbox;
wherein the electric starter is mounted on the accessory gearbox and operative to supply mechanical power to the first spool via the accessory gearbox for effecting the windmill start of the gas turbine engine.

10. The single engine air vehicle of claim 9 , further comprising an engine tail cone, wherein the electrical rotor machine is integrated into the engine tail cone.

11. The single engine air vehicle of claim 9 , configured as a two spool engine.

12. A single engine aircraft, comprising:
a flight structure; and
a gas turbine engine having a first spool and a propulsor coupled to the first spool;
a single electrical rotor machine coupled to the first spool and configured to extract mechanical power from the first spool, convert the mechanical power to electrical power, and to supply electrical power to the single engine aircraft during flight operations as the sole source of electrical power for the aircraft.

13. The single engine aircraft of claim 12 , wherein the gas turbine engine has a high pressure spool; and wherein the electrical rotor machine is configured to supply the electrical power to the high pressure spool for use in effecting a windmill start of the gas turbine engine subsequent to an in-flight shutdown.

14. The single engine aircraft of claim 13 , further comprising a starter motor configured to rotate the high pressure spool for starting the gas turbine engine, wherein the electrical power is supplied from the electrical rotor machine to the high pressure spool to effect the windmill start of the gas turbine engine.

15. The single engine aircraft of claim 12 , wherein the first spool is a low pressure spool.

16. The single engine aircraft of claim 12 , wherein the gas turbine engine includes an engine tail cone; and wherein the electrical rotor machine is integrated into the engine tail cone.

Assignees

• Bettner James Lee
• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Bettner James Lee

Classifications

• F02C7/262

  Restarting after flame-out · CPC title

• F02C7/275 Primary

  Mechanical drives · CPC title

• F02C7/32

  Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries · CPC title

• Y02T50/671

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F05D2220/76

  an electrical generator · CPC title