Contra-rotating open rotor distributed propulsion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701395-B2
Application number	US-201414578975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2014
Priority date	Jan 6, 2014
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A disclosed aircraft propulsion system includes a gas turbine engine supported within an aircraft fuselage, a main drive driven by the gas turbine engine and an open rotor propeller system supported outside of the aircraft fuselage separately from the gas turbine engine. A secondary drive that is driven by the main drive drives the open rotor propeller system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft propulsion system comprising:
a first turbine engine and a second turbine engine supported within an aircraft fuselage;
a main drive driven by each of the first and second turbine engines;
a first open propeller system and a second open propeller system supported outside of the aircraft fuselage separately from the first and second turbine engines, wherein each of the first open propeller system and the second open propeller system comprise contra-rotating open rotor propeller system; and
first and second secondary drives driven by the main drive and coupled for driving a respective one of first open propeller system and the second open propeller system.

2. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the contra-rotating open rotor propeller system includes a forward propeller assembly and an aft propeller assembly having an outer diameter larger than the forward propeller assembly.

3. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the secondary drive comprises a gearbox for generating contra rotation of the forward propeller assembly and the aft propeller assembly about a common axis of rotation.

4. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the main drive comprises a main gearbox and the first and second secondary drives comprise a propeller gearbox and the main gearbox is mechanically coupled to drive the propeller gearbox.

5. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the main gearbox is supported within the aircraft fuselage and is driven through a mechanical coupling to the first and second turbine engines.

6. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 1 , including a nacelle assembly spaced apart from the aircraft fuselage, wherein the secondary drive is disposed within nacelle assembly.

7. An aircraft propulsion assembly comprising:
a first contra-rotating open rotor propeller system supported on a first side of an aircraft fuselage;
a second contra-rotating open rotor propeller system supported on a second side of the aircraft fuselage;
a first turbine engine and a second turbine engine supported within the aircraft fuselage and aligned along a main longitudinal axis of the aircraft fuselage;
a main power transfer system mechanically coupled to both the first turbine engine and the second turbine engine and supported within the aircraft fuselage;
a first drive driven by the main power transfer system coupled for driving the first contra-rotating open rotor propeller system; and
a second drive driven by the main power transfer system coupled for driving the second contra-rotating open rotor propeller system.

8. The aircraft propulsion assembly as recited in claim 7 , wherein the main power transfer system comprises a main gearbox driven by the turbine engine through a main shaft.

9. The aircraft propulsion assembly as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first drive and the second drive comprise gearboxes mechanically coupled to the main gearbox and configured to generate for counter rotation of the corresponding first contra-rotating open rotor propeller assembly and the second contra-rotating open rotor propeller assembly.

10. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first turbine engine and the second turbine engine comprises a reverse flow turbine engine with a compressor communicating compressed air forward to a combustor to generate high energy exhaust gases forward to a turbine that is configured to drive the compressor.

11. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 10 , including a recuperator in communication with incoming airflow and outgoing exhaust gas flow.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Veilleux Jr Leo J
• Ribarov Lubomir A

Classifications

• B64D35/024

  of series type · CPC title

• B64C11/48 Primary

  Units of two or more coaxial propellers · CPC title

• B64D35/08

  characterised by the transmission being driven by a plurality of power plants (for hybrid-electric power plants B64D35/022) · CPC title

• B64D35/06

  the propellers or rotors being counter-rotating · CPC title

• B64D2027/005

  Aircraft with an unducted turbofan comprising contra-rotating rotors, e.g. contra-rotating open rotors [CROR] · CPC title