Electric Motor Powered Rotor Drive for Slowed Rotor Winged Aircraft
First Claim
1. A rotor aircraft, comprising:
- an engine;
a propeller driven by the engine to provide forward thrust to the aircraft;
wings for providing lift while in forward flight;
a rotor having a rotor drive shaft and mounted for selectively providing lift; and
an electric motor for selectively applying torque to the rotor drive shaft.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rotor aircraft has an engine, a propeller, wings, and a rotor. An electric motor is coupled to the rotor drive shaft for applying torque to the rotor drive shaft. The electric motor is sized to supply all of the torque to pre-rotate the rotor to a selected speed prior to liftoff of the aircraft. The wings are capable of providing substantially all of the lift required during forward flight at a cruise speed. The rotor being is capable of being trimmed to provide substantially zero lift and auto-rotate at cruise speed. Sensors sense flight conditions of the aircraft and provide signals to a controller that selectively causes the electric motor to cease applying torque to the rotor drive shaft during autorotation at cruise speed. The controller also causes the electric motor to apply torque to the rotor drive shaft if the sensors indicate additional rotor speed is needed.
36 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A rotor aircraft, comprising:
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an engine; a propeller driven by the engine to provide forward thrust to the aircraft; wings for providing lift while in forward flight; a rotor having a rotor drive shaft and mounted for selectively providing lift; and an electric motor for selectively applying torque to the rotor drive shaft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A rotor aircraft, comprising:
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an engine having an output shaft; a propeller driven by the engine to provide forward thrust to the aircraft; wings for providing lift while in forward flight, a rotor having a rotor drive shaft and mounted for selectively providing lift; an electric motor coupled to the rotor drive shaft for applying torque to the rotor drive shaft; the electric motor being sized to supply all of the torque to pre-rotate the rotor to a selected speed prior to lift off of the aircraft; the wings being capable of providing substantially all of the lift required during forward flight at a cruise speed; the rotor being capable of being trimmed to provide substantially zero lift and auto-rotate due to air flowing through the rotor at the cruise speed; sensors for sensing flight conditions of the aircraft; and a controller that selectively causes the electric motor to cease applying torque to the rotor drive shaft during autorotation at cruise speed and causes the electric motor to apply torque to the rotor drive shaft if the sensors indicate additional rotor speed is needed. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of flying a rotor aircraft having an engine, a propeller driven by the engine, wings, and a rotor having a rotor drive shaft, comprising:
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(a) coupling an electric motor to the rotor drive shaft; (b) applying torque from the electric motor to the rotor drive shaft to pre-rotate the rotor to a selected speed prior to liftoff of the aircraft; (c) rotating the propeller with the engine while the rotor is pre-rotating to cause liftoff of the aircraft; and (d) once a selected airborne speed is reached, ceasing to applying torque from the electric motor to the rotor drive shaft. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification