Gas-electric propulsion system for an aircraft

• US 10,414,508 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hamel, Jeffrey Anthony, Murrow, Kurt David
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Hara, Brian M
• Application Number:
  US15/977,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20180257787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 21/01 Boundary layer ingestion [BLI] propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2205/00 Aircraft with means for ground manoeuvring, such as taxiing, using an auxiliary thrust system, e.g. jet-engines, propellers or compressed air
• 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 27/18 within, or attached to, wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/20 within, or attached to, fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/905 Combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

In one aspect the present subject matter is directed to a gas-electric propulsion system for an aircraft. The system may include a turbofan jet engine, an electric powered boundary layer ingestion fan that is coupled to a fuselage portion of the aircraft aft of the turbofan jet engine, and an electric generator that is electronically coupled to the turbofan jet engine and to the boundary layer ingestion fan. The electric generator converts rotational energy from the turbofan jet engine to electrical energy and provides at least a portion of the electrical energy to the boundary layer ingestion fan. In another aspect of the present subject matter, a method for propelling an aircraft via the gas-electric propulsion system is disclosed.

Claims

1. A gas-electric propulsion system for an aircraft having a fuselage, the system comprising:

a gas turbine engine;

an electric powered boundary layer ingestion fan coupled to, incorporated into, or blended with the fuselage of the aircraft at a tail section of the aircraft or aft of the tail section of the aircraft; and

an electric generator coupled to the gas turbine engine and to the boundary layer ingestion fan, wherein the electric generator converts rotational energy from the gas turbine engine to electrical energy;

wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is powered only by the electrical energy generated by the electric generator during at least certain operating conditions, and wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is configured to provide sufficient thrust to independently propel the aircraft.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the gas turbine engine is one of a pair of jet engines suspended beneath a wing of the aircraft, and wherein each jet engine of the pair of jet engines is a high-bypass ratio turbofan jet engine.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein the high-bypass ratio turbofan jet engines include a fan section having a plurality of fan blades, wherein the fan blades are variable or fixed pitch.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is coupled to the fuselage downstream from the tail section of the aircraft.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan includes an electric motor electronically coupled to the electric generator.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein the electric motor is a superconductivity electric motor.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein the electric generator is a high pressure electric generator and is coupled to a high pressure spool of the gas turbine engine.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein the electric generator is a low pressure electric generator and is coupled to a low pressure spool of the gas turbine engine.

9. The system as in claim 1, further comprising an energy storage device electronically coupled to the electric generator and to the boundary layer ingestion fan.

10. The system as in claim 1, further comprising an energy management system.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein the system further includes an energy storage device electronically coupled to the electric generator and to the boundary layer ingestion fan, wherein the energy management system is electronically coupled to the electric generator, the boundary layer ingestion fan, and the energy storage device.

12. A gas-electric propulsion system for an aircraft having a fuselage, the system comprising:

a gas turbine engine;

an electric powered boundary layer ingestion fan coupled to, incorporated into, or blended with the fuselage of the aircraft at a tail section of the aircraft or aft of the tail section of the aircraft;

an electric generator coupled to the gas turbine engine and to the boundary layer ingestion fan, wherein the electric generator converts rotational energy from the gas turbine engine to electrical energy; and

an electric energy storage device electrically coupled to the electric generator and the boundary layer ingestion fan;

wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is powered completely by the electric generator, the electric energy storage device, or both, and wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is configured to provide sufficient thrust to independently propel the aircraft.

13. The system as in claim 12, wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is powered only by the electrical energy generated by the electric generator during a taxi of the aircraft.

14. The system as in claim 12, wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is coupled to the fuselage downstream from the tail section of the aircraft.

15. The system as in claim 12, wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is powered only by the electrical energy generated by the electric generator during a first flight condition of the aircraft.

16. A gas-electric propulsion system for an aircraft having a fuselage, the system comprising:

a gas turbine engine;

an electric powered boundary layer ingestion fan coupled to, incorporated into, or blended with the fuselage of the aircraft at a tail section of the aircraft or aft of the tail section of the aircraft;

an electric generator coupled to the gas turbine engine, wherein the electric generator converts rotational energy from the gas turbine engine to electrical energy; and

an electric energy storage device electrically coupled to the electric generator;

wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is powered completely by the electric energy storage device during a first flight condition.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein the electric energy storage device is configured to receive and store electrical energy from the electric generator.

18. The system as in claim 16, wherein the first flight condition is a taxiing flight condition.

19. The system as in claim 16, wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is configured to provide sufficient thrust to independently propel the aircraft.

20. The system as in claim 16, wherein the gas turbine engine is one of a pair of jet engines suspended beneath a wing of the aircraft, and wherein each jet engine of the pair of jet engines is a high-bypass ratio turbofan jet engine.