Aircraft propulsion assembly

• US 10,315,761 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: McCullough, John Richard, Oldroyd, Paul K.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Hara, Brian M
• Application Number:
  US15/200,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20180002009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/28 Collapsible or foldable blades
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/50 Blades foldable to facilitate stowage of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/02 having its flight directional axis vertical when grounded
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/06 having disc- or ring-shaped wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/12 Ejectable capsules
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 35/00 Transmitting power from power plants to propellers or rotors; Arrangements of transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/04 Arrangement thereof in or on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

In some embodiments, a propulsion assembly for an aircraft includes a nacelle, at least one self-contained fuel tank disposed within the nacelle operable to contain a liquid fuel, an engine disposed within the nacelle operable to run on the liquid fuel, a drive system mechanically coupled to the engine and operable to rotate responsive to rotation of the engine, a rotor hub mechanically coupled to the drive system operable to rotate responsive to rotation of the drive system and a proprotor mechanically coupled to the rotor hub and operable to rotate therewith.

Claims

1. A propulsion assembly for an aircraft comprising:

a nacelle;

at least one self-contained fuel tank disposed within the nacelle operable to contain a liquid fuel;

an engine disposed within the nacelle operable to run on the liquid fuel;

a drive system mechanically coupled to the engine and operable to rotate responsive to rotation of the engine;

a rotor hub mechanically coupled to the drive system operable to rotate responsive to rotation of the drive system;

a proprotor mechanically coupled to the rotor hub and operable to rotate therewith; and

a thrust vectoring system including a pivoting plate, a rotary actuator operable to rotate the pivoting plate about a propulsion assembly centerline axis and a linear actuator operable to pivot the pivoting plate about a pivot axis that is normal to the propulsion assembly centerline axis and wherein the engine, the drive system, the rotor hub and the proprotor are mounted on the pivoting plate such that operation of the pivoting plate enables resolution of a thrust vector within a thrust vector cone.

2. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the engine further comprises a rotary engine.

3. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the drive system provides a reduction between revolutions of the engine and revolutions of the rotor hub.

4. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the proprotor further comprises a plurality of proprotor blades.

5. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the proprotor further comprises a plurality of folding proprotor blades.

6. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the thrust vector has a maximum pitch angle of about twenty degrees.

7. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising an electronics node operable to control operations of the propulsion assembly.

8. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein the electronics node further comprises controllers operable to send commands to the engine.

9. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein the electronics node further comprises sensors operable to monitor parameters associated with the at least one self-contained fuel tank, the engine and the drive system.

10. An aircraft, comprising:

an airframe;

a distributed propulsion system including a plurality of propulsion assembles securably attached to the airframe, the propulsion assembles each comprising;

a nacelle;

at least one self-contained fuel tank disposed within the nacelle operable to contain a liquid fuel;

an engine disposed within the nacelle operable to run on the liquid fuel;

a drive system mechanically coupled to the engine and operable to rotate responsive to rotation of the engine;

a rotor hub mechanically coupled to the drive system operable to rotate responsive to rotation of the drive system;

a proprotor mechanically coupled to the rotor hub and operable to rotate therewith; and

a thrust vectoring system including a pivoting plate, a rotary actuator operable to rotate the pivoting plate about a propulsion assembly centerline axis and a linear actuator operable to pivot the pivoting plate about a pivot axis that is normal to the propulsion assembly centerline axis and wherein the engine, the drive system, the rotor hub and the proprotor are mounted on the pivoting plate such that operation of the pivoting plate enables resolution of a thrust vector within a thrust vector cone.

11. The aircraft as recited in claim 10 wherein the thrust vector has a maximum pitch angle of about twenty degrees.

12. The aircraft as recited in claim 10 wherein each of the propulsion assemblies further comprises an electronics node including controllers operable to send commands to the engine and sensors operable to monitor parameters associated with the at least one self-contained fuel tank, the engine and the drive system.

13. The aircraft as recited in claim 10 wherein, for each propulsion assembly, the engine further comprises a rotary engine.

14. The aircraft as recited in claim 10 wherein, for each propulsion assembly, the drive system provides a reduction between revolutions of the engine and revolutions of the rotor hub.

15. The aircraft as recited in claim 10 wherein, for each propulsion assembly, the proprotor further comprises a plurality of proprotor blades.

16. The aircraft as recited in claim 10 wherein, for each propulsion assembly, the proprotor further comprises a plurality of folding proprotor blades.