Starting of aircraft engine

• US 10,041,412 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Dooley, Kevin Allan, Morgan, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Goyal, Arun
• Application Number:
  US14/802,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20150322864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 60778, 60786, 60788
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/12 Rotor drives
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 35/08 characterised by the transmission being driven by a plurality of power plants
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/10 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/26 Starting; Ignition
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/266 Electric sparking plugs H01T
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/268 Starting drives for the rotor , acting directly on the rotor of the gas turbine to be started
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/006 using a plurality of electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0844 with means for restarting the engine directly after an engine stop request, e.g. caused by change of driver mind
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0866 comprising several power sources, e.g. battery and capacitor or two batteries
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0885 Capacitors, e.g. for additional power supply
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/329 in helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/74 a gas turbine
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/40 Use of a multiplicity of similar components
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/42 Storage of energy
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/85 Starting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A multi-engine system 10 for use on an aircraft 14 is disclosed. The system 10 may comprise a first aircraft engine 16A and a second aircraft engine 16B configured to drive at least one device 12 of the aircraft 14. A starter 20 may be coupled to one of the first and second aircraft engines 16A, 16B to assist starting of the one of the first and second aircraft engines 16A, 16B. An energy source 24 may be configured to deliver energy to the starter 20 at a rapid rate during rapid starting of the one of the first and the second aircraft engines 16A, 16B, the rapid rate being higher than a regular rate used during regular starting of the one of the first and the second aircraft engines 16A, 16B. The energy source 24 may comprise at least one supercapacitor.

Claims

1. A multi-engine gas turbine propulsion system for a helicopter, the system comprising:

a first gas turbine engine and a second gas turbine engine operatively coupled to a main rotor of the helicopter to drive the main rotor;

an electric starter motor in driving engagement with the second engine during regular starting of the second engine at a regular rate and in driving engagement with the first engine during rapid starting of the first engine at a rapid rate higher than the regular rate;

an energy source comprising at least one supercapacitor, the energy source in charging engagement with the electric starter motor during operation of the second engine and in discharging engagement with the starter motor to deliver electrical energy to the starter motor at the rapid rate during the rapid starting of the first engine; and

an electric generator coupled to the second gas turbine engine and configured to convert energy from the second gas turbine engine into electrical energy to charge the energy source during operation of the second gas turbine engine.

2. The propulsion system as defined in claim 1, wherein the energy source comprises at least one double-layer capacitor.

3. The propulsion system as defined in claim 1, wherein the rapid rate of energy delivery is at least double the regular rate of energy delivery.

4. The propulsion system as defined in claim 1, wherein the rapid rate of energy delivery is at least six times the regular rate of energy delivery.

5. The propulsion system as defined in claim 1, wherein the starter motor is sized to withstand loads associated with the rapid starting only on an intermittent basis.