Electromagnetic propeller brake

• US 10,180,080 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2017
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Munevar, Erik Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): GLASS, ERICK DAVID
• Application Number:
  US15/453,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20170260872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 318373
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2027/026 comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of an electric motor and a gas-turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/02 Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants fuselages specially adapted for mounting power plants B64C1/16; wings specially adapted for power plants B64C3/32
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/026 comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/10 of gas-turbine type jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 33/00 Arrangements in aircraft of power plant parts or auxiliaries not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/006 Arrangements of brakes brakes per se F16D
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/36 Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/56 with power transmission control
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/76 an electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/903 using electrical or magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/052 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 3/025 holding the rotor in a fixed position after deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 3/06 for stopping or slowing an individual dynamo-electric motor or dynamo-electric converter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

Techniques are described for using an electrical motor to slow down or stop a propulsor during an operation mode where the engine is to be otherwise running but the speed of the propulsor should be low or the propulsor should be stopped.

Claims

1. A turbine engine system comprising:

a low-pressure shaft;

a propulsor configured to rotate in response to the low-pressure shaft rotating;

a high-pressure shaft;

a compressor configured to receive air and compress the air;

a combustor configured to mix the compressed air and fuel and combust the mixture;

a turbine configured to expand the combusted mixture to rotate the high-pressure shaft; and

an electrical motor configured to;

generate electrical power in response to the rotation of the propulsor in a first operation mode; and

slow or stop the rotation of the propulsor in a second operation mode, wherein the high-pressure shaft rotates during the first operation mode and the second operation mode.

2. The turbine engine system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more electrical braking loads that are selectively coupled to an output of the electrical motor in the second operation mode and, when coupled, increase a resistance driven by the electrical motor from a first resistance level in the first operation mode to a second resistance level in the second operation mode,

wherein increasing the resistance to the second resistance level increases torque needed to rotate a motor rotor of the electrical motor, and

wherein an increase in torque needed to rotate the motor rotor of the electrical motor causes the propulsor to slow or stop rotation.

3. The turbine engine system of claim 2, further comprising:

a processor configured to determine an amount of resistance needed for the second resistance level to increase torque required to rotate the motor rotor and slow down or stop the propulsor, and couple one or more of the one or more electrical braking loads to the output of the electrical motor based on the determined amount of resistance to increase the resistance to the second resistance level.

4. The turbine engine system of claim 1, further comprising:

power electronics,

wherein to slow or stop the rotation, the power electronics are configured to supply electrical power to the electrical motor to torque a motor rotor of the electrical motor in an opposite direction of the rotation causing the propulsor to slow down or stop.

5. The turbine engine system of claim 4, further comprising:

an electrical generator, different than the electrical motor, configured to deliver electrical power to the power electronics.

6. The turbine engine system of claim 5, wherein rotation of the high-pressure shaft causes the electrical generator to deliver the electrical power to the power electronics.

7. The turbine engine system of claim 4, further comprising:

a processor configured to determine how much current or voltage the power electronics is to deliver to the electrical motor to control the torque produced by the motor rotor.

8. The turbine engine system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensors configured to determine a rotational position of at least one of the low-pressure shaft or the propulsor; and

a drive and generator control system configured to control an amount of torque a motor rotor of the electrical motor produces in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the propulsor to slow or stop the rotation of the propulsor or to increase an amount of torque needed to rotate the motor rotor to cause the rotation of the propulsor to slow or stop based on the rotational positional.

9. The turbine engine system of claim 1, wherein a motor rotor of the electrical motor is formed around or integrated into the low-pressure shaft, and wherein the electrical motor applies a torque to the low-pressure shaft to slow or stop the rotation of the propulsor.

10. The turbine engine system of claim 1, further comprising a gearbox, wherein a motor rotor of the electrical motor is embedded on a gear shaft within the gearbox, and wherein the electrical motor applies a torque to the gear shaft to slow or stop the rotation of the propulsor.

11. A method of electronic braking in a turbine engine system, the method comprising:

receiving air and compressing the air;

mixing the compressed air and fuel and combusting the mixture; and

rotating a high-pressure shaft based on expansion of the combusted mixture,

generating, with an electrical motor in a first operation mode, electrical power in response to rotation of a propulsor caused by rotation of a low-pressure shaft; and

slowing or stopping, with the same electrical motor in a second operation mode, the propulsor, wherein the high-pressure shaft rotates during the first operation mode and the second operation mode.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising

selectively coupling one or more electrical braking loads to an output of the electrical motor in the second operation mode to increase a resistance driven by the electrical motor from a first resistance level in the first operation mode to a second resistance level in the second operation mode,

wherein increasing the resistance to the second resistance level increases torque needed to rotate a motor rotor of the electrical motor, and

wherein an increase in torque needed to rotate the motor rotor of the electrical motor causes the propulsor to slow or stop rotation.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining an amount of resistance needed for the second resistance level to increase torque required to rotate the motor rotor and slow down or stop the propulsor; and

coupling one or more of the one or more electrical braking loads to the output of the electrical motor based on the determined amount of resistance to increase the resistance to the second resistance level.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

supplying, with power electronics, electrical power to the electrical motor to drive a motor rotor of the electrical motor to produce torque in opposite direction of the rotation of the propulsor.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

delivering electrical power to the power electronics with an electrical generator that is different than the electrical motor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein rotation of the high-pressure shaft causes the electrical generator to deliver the electrical power to the power electronics.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a rotational position of at least one of the low-pressure shaft or the propulsor; and

controlling, with a drive and generator control system, an amount of torque a motor rotor of the electrical motor produces in a direction opposite to direction of rotation of the propulsor to slow or stop the rotation of the propulsor or to increase an amount of torque needed to rotate the motor rotor to cause the rotation of the propulsor to slow or stop based on the rotational positional.

18. A turbine engine system comprising:

a shaft;

a propulsor configured to rotate in response to the shaft rotating;

an electrical motor comprising configured to;

generate electrical power in response to rotation of the propulsor in a first operation mode; and

slow or stop rotation of the propulsor in a second operation mode; and

one or more electrical braking loads that are selectively coupled to an output of the electrical motor in the second operation mode and, when coupled, increase a resistance driven by the electrical motor from a first resistance level in the first operation mode to a second resistance level in the second operation mode, wherein increasing the resistance to the second resistance level increases torque needed to rotate a motor rotor of the electrical motor, and wherein an increase in torque needed to rotate the motor rotor of the electrical motor causes the propulsor to slow or stop rotation.