Reversible electrical machine for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9425670-B2
Application number	US-201313945326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2013
Priority date	Jul 19, 2012
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A reversible electrical machine ( 1 ) comprising: a first electrical device ( 10 ) having a first stator ( 11 ) and a first rotor ( 12 ); a second electrical device ( 20 ) including a second rotor ( 22 ) and a second stator ( 21 ) together with an outlet shaft ( 50 ) and first disengageable coupling means ( 30 ) enabling said first and second rotors ( 12, 22 ) to be associated and dissociated in rotation. Said reversible electrical machine ( 1 ) also includes second disengageable coupling means ( 40 ) that are disengageable under a predetermined force and that mechanically connect said second rotor ( 22 ) to said outlet shaft ( 50 ). Said first electrical device ( 10 ) is a motor for transmitting high mechanical power to said outlet shaft ( 50 ), while said second electrical device ( 20 ) is a motor-generator for operating in motor mode to transmit additional mechanical power to said outlet shaft ( 50 ), and in generator mode for receiving mechanical power from said outlet shaft ( 50 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reversible electrical machine comprising:
a first electrical device having a first rotor configured to cooperate with a first stator;
a second electrical device including a second rotor configured to cooperate with a second stator;
first disengageable coupling means enabling said first and second rotors to be associated and dissociated in rotation; and
an outlet shaft;
wherein the reversible electrical machine includes second disengageable coupling means that are disengageable under a first predetermined force and that mechanically connect said second rotor to said outlet shaft, said first electrical device being a motor for transmitting mechanical power to said outlet shaft and said second electrical device being a motor-generator for operating in motor mode to transmit additional mechanical power to said outlet shaft, and in generator mode for receiving mechanical power from said outlet shaft,
wherein said first and second coupling means are engageable simultaneously in order to connect said first and second electrical devices to said outlet shaft.

2. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1 , wherein said first rotor includes first magnets that are permanent.

3. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1 , wherein said second rotor includes second magnets that are permanent.

4. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1 , wherein said first rotor includes first magnets that are non-permanent.

5. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1 , wherein said second rotor includes second magnets that are non-permanent.

6. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1 , wherein said first rotor and said second rotor rotate about a common axis of rotation and said first coupling means include an intermediate shaft, said second coupling means, and third disengageable coupling means mechanically connecting said first rotor to said intermediate shaft, said intermediate shaft being associated with said outlet shaft, thereby enabling said first rotor to be mechanically connected to said second rotor.

7. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 6 , wherein said third coupling means include a freewheel enabling said first rotor to be associated with said intermediate shaft, and consequently with said second rotor, in one direction of rotation, and to be dissociated from said intermediate shaft, and consequently from said second rotor in the opposite direction of rotation, said second coupling means being engaged.

8. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 7 , wherein said intermediate shaft constitutes one end of said outlet shaft.

9. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 5 , wherein said first rotor is formed by DC-powered non-permanent first magnets and said second rotor is formed by DC-powered non-permanent second magnets, said non-permanent first and second magnets being mechanically connected together in rotation, said first coupling means including inhibit means enabling the power supply to said non-permanent first magnets to be switched off while said non-permanent second magnets continue to be powered.

10. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 9 , wherein said first coupling means include said second coupling means and fourth disengageable coupling means that are disengageable under a second predetermined force and that mechanically connect said first rotor with said outlet shaft, said second coupling means and said fourth coupling means thus enabling said first rotor and said second rotor to be mechanically coupled together in rotation by said outlet shaft.

11. A reversible electrical machine comprising:
a first electrical device having a first rotor configured to cooperate with a first stator;
a second electrical device including a second rotor configured to cooperate with a second stator;
first disengageable coupling means that enables said first and second rotors to be associated and dissociated in rotation;
an outlet shaft; and
second disengageable coupling means that are disengageable under a first predetermined force and that mechanically connect said second rotor to said outlet shaft;
wherein said first electrical device is a motor for transmitting mechanical power to said outlet shaft and said second electrical device is a motor-generator for operating in motor mode to transmit additional mechanical power to said outlet shaft, and in generator mode for receiving mechanical power from said outlet shaft, and wherein said second motor includes a bore associated with said second rotor, and said second coupling means include a fuse element connecting said bore and said outlet shaft together in rotation, said fuse element being breakable under said first predetermined force in order to dissociate said bore from said outlet shaft.

12. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 2 wherein said first magnets of said first rotor rotate outside said first stator.

13. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 3 wherein said second magnets of said second rotor rotate inside said second stator.

14. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second rotors rotate about a common axis of rotation, and said first and second stators form a single stator.

15. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1 , wherein at least one first magnet is oriented radially relative to the axis of rotation of said first rotor and at least one second magnet is oriented radially relative to the axis of rotation of said second rotor.

16. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1 wherein said first motor includes multiple first magnets, and said second motor includes multiple second magnets, and wherein at least one first magnet is oriented radially relative to an axis of rotation of said first rotor and at least one second magnet is oriented radially relative to an axis of rotation of said second rotor.

17. A hybrid power plant of a rotary wing aircraft, wherein said hybrid power plant includes a main gearbox connected to a main rotor of said aircraft, at least one engine mechanically connected to said main gearbox, and at least one reversible electrical machine according to claim 1 with said outlet shaft being mechanically connected to said main gearbox.

18. A hybrid power plant of a rotary wing aircraft, wherein said hybrid power plant comprises a main gearbox connected to a main rotor of said aircraft, an engine having a free turbine and a compressor, together with at least one reversible electrical machine according to claim 1 , with said outlet shaft being mechanically connected to said compressor of said engine, and said free turbine of said engine being mechanically connected to said main gearbox.

19. The reversible electric machine according to claim 1 wherein said second disengageable coupling means are automatically disengageable under the first predetermined force.

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Mariotto Damien

Classifications

• H02K7/1823 Primary

  structurally associated with turbines or similar engines · CPC title

• B64D35/022

  of hybrid-electric type · CPC title

• B64D35/021

  for electric power plants · CPC title

• B64D27/33

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title

• H02K7/006 Primary

  Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle · CPC title