ELECTRIC POWERED ROTARY-WING AIRCRAFT

• US 20090140095A1
• Filed: 01/23/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Bazzani, Daniel, Lauder, Timothy Fred, Alber, Mark R., Sirohi, Jayant
• Granted Patent: US 8,931,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/17.190
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2027/8209 Electrically driven tail rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/22 Compound rotorcraft, i.e. aircraft using in flight the features of both aeroplane and rotorcraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/68 using electrical energy, e.g. having electrical power amplification
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/00 Aircraft capable of landing or taking-off vertically, e.g. vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft rotorcraft B64C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/17 Helicopters flying platforms B64U10/13
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A rotary-wing aircraft with an electric motor mounted along an axis of rotation to drive a rotor system about the axis of rotation.

Claims

1. A rotary-wing aircraft comprising:

a rotor system rotatable about an axis of rotation; and

an electric motor mounted along said axis of rotation to drive said rotor system about said axis of rotation.

2. The aircraft as recited in claim 1, wherein said rotor system comprises a main rotor system.

3. The aircraft as recited in claim 2, further comprising an airframe having an extending tail which mounts an anti-torque system

4. The aircraft as recited in claim 3, further comprising an on-board power source which powers said main rotor system and said anti-torque system.

5. The aircraft as recited in claim 4, further comprising a servo system powered by said on-board power source.

6. The aircraft as recited in claim 1, further comprising a servo system mounted within said rotor system to pitch a rotor blade mounted to a rotor hub.

7. The aircraft as recited in claim 6, further comprising a controller within said rotary-wing aircraft to operate said servo system.

8. A rotary-wing aircraft comprising:

a rotor system rotatable about an axis of rotation; and

an electric motor mounted along said axis of rotation to drive said rotor system about said axis of rotation, said electric motor mounted at least partially within a rotor hub of said rotor system

9. The aircraft as recited in claim 8, further comprising a rotationally fixed rotor shaft which mounts said rotor hub.

10. The aircraft as recited in claim 8, wherein said electric motor is an overrunning motor.

11. The aircraft as recited in claim 8, further comprising a servo system mounted within said rotor system to pitch a rotor blade mounted to a rotor hub.

12. The aircraft as recited in claim 11, further comprising a controller within said rotary-wing aircraft to operate said main rotor servo system.

13. A rotary-wing aircraft comprising:

a rotor system rotatable about an axis of rotation; and

an electric motor mounted along said axis of rotation to drive said rotor system about said axis of rotation, said electric motor mounted at least partially within a rotor shaft of said rotor system.

14. The aircraft as recited in claim 13, wherein said electric motor is an overrunning motor.

15. The aircraft as recited in claim 13, further comprising a servo system mounted within said rotor system to pitch a rotor blade mounted to a rotor hub.

16. The aircraft as recited in claim 15, further comprising a controller within said rotary-wing aircraft to operate said servo system.