ELECTRIC DRIVE DEVICE FOR AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20140179535A1
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
• Original Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Stckl, Stefan, Van Toor, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 9,162,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 505/163
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 33/08 of power plant cooling systems cooling of internal-combustion engines per se F01P; cooling of gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants per se F02C, F02K
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

The invention relates to a drive device for an aircraft (100), at least comprising a battery (101) for storing electrical energy, an electric motor (103) for driving a propeller (104), a conducting means (102) for transferring the electrical energy from the battery (101) to the electric motor (103), and a first control means (201) for controlling said electric motor (103). The invention is characterised in that: the battery (101) is a lithium-air battery; the electric motor (103) is a high-temperature superconductor motor; at least one store (105) is provided for a coolant and a cooling system which is connected to said store (105) for cooling said high-temperature superconductor motor (103), the cooling system comprising a second control means (202) for controlling said cooling system; a first means (204) is provided for variably arranging the lithium-air battery (101) and/or a second means (205) is provided for variably arranging the store (105) in the aircraft (100); and a third control means (203) is provided for controlling the first (204) and/or the second (205) means.

Claims

1. A drive device for an aircraft, comprising at least a battery for storage of electrical energy, an electric motor for the propulsion of a propeller, a conductive means for transferring the electrical energy from the battery to the electric motor, and a first control means for controlling the electric motor, wherein

the battery is a lithium-air battery, the electric motor is a high-temperature superconductor motor, that at least one reservoir for a coolant and a cooling system connected with the reservoir for cooling the high-temperature superconductor motor is provided, wherein the cooling system comprises a second control means for controlling the cooling system,

a first means for the variable configuration of the lithium-air battery and/or a second means for the variable configuration of the reservoir in the aircraft is/are provided, and

a third control means for controlling the first and/or the second means is provided, wherein the control of the first and/or the second means occurs such that the lithium air-battery and/or the reservoir in the aircraft are configured such that a mass increase of the lithium-air battery which results during an operation of the drive device and a mass decrease of the liquid nitrogen in the reservoir that results during an operation of the drive device will not change a center of gravity position of the aircraft.

2. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein only the lithium-air battery can be configured variable.

3. The drive device pursuant to claim 1, wherein the lithium-air battery comprises a pressure sealed housing, which is supplied with outside air by means of a separate air supply, which is in particular independent of the air supply of a passenger cabin of the aircraft.

4. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive means is superconductive, and that the cooling system is designed and set up for cooling the conductive means.

5. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling system is designed and set up such that during normal operation, the coolant is supplied from the reservoir to the subsequently named components in the following sequence, initially to the conductive means, thereafter to the electric motor and subsequently to further systems of the aircraft, in particular to the first control means, to the second control means, to the third control means and/or avionic systems, before the coolant flows out into an environment by means of an outlet.

6. The drive device according to claim 5, wherein the second control means and the cooling system are designed and set up such, that an order of priority can be determined depending on a propulsive power called up from the drive device, with which cooling of the individual components is to be done, and that the coolant is supplied to the individual components in accordance with the order of priority.

7. The drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein the coolant in the reservoir is liquid nitrogen.

8. The drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein two electric motors are provided, each of which drive one propeller, the propeller axes of which are supported concentrically.

9. The drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein the lithium-air battery is arranged in a housing, which comprises outside dimensions of a standard air freight container, in particular LD3, LD6.

10. An aircraft comprising:

a drive device comprising at least a battery for storage of electrical energy, an electric motor for the propulsion of a propeller , a conductive means for transferring the electrical energy from the battery to the electric motor, and a first control means for controlling the electric motor, wherein

the battery is a lithium-air battery, the electric motor is a high-temperature superconductor motor, that at least one reservoir for a coolant and a cooling system connected with the reservoir for cooling the high-temperature superconductor motor is provided, wherein the cooling system comprises a second control means for controlling the cooling system,

a first means for the variable configuration of the lithium-air battery and/or a second means for the variable configuration of the reservoir in the aircraft is/are provided, and

a third control means for controlling the first and/or the second means is provided, wherein the control of the first and/or the second means occurs such that the lithium air-battery and/or the reservoir in the aircraft are configured such that a mass increase of the lithium-air battery which results during an operation of the drive device and a mass decrease of the liquid nitrogen in the reservoir that results during an operation of the drive device will not change a center of gravity position of the aircraft.

11. The aircraft according to claim 10, wherein only the lithium-air battery can be configured variable.

12. The aircraft pursuant to claim 10, wherein the lithium-air battery comprises a pressure sealed housing, which is supplied with outside air by means of a separate air supply, which is in particular independent of the air supply of a passenger cabin of the aircraft.

13. The aircraft according to claim 10, wherein the conductive means is superconductive, and that the cooling system is designed and set up for cooling the conductive means.

14. The aircraft according to claim 10, wherein the cooling system is designed and set up such that during normal operation, the coolant is supplied from the reservoir to the subsequently named components in the following sequence, initially to the conductive means, thereafter to the electric motor and subsequently to further systems of the aircraft, in particular to the first control means, to the second control means, to the third control means and/or avionic systems, before the coolant flows out into an environment by means of an outlet.

15. The aircraft according to claim 14, wherein the second control means and the cooling system are designed and set up such, that an order of priority can be determined depending on a propulsive power called up from the drive device, with which cooling of the individual components is to be done, and that the coolant is supplied to the individual components in accordance with the order of priority.

16. The aircraft according to claim 10, wherein the coolant in the reservoir is liquid nitrogen.

17. The aircraft according to claim 10, wherein two electric motors are provided, each of which drive one propeller, the propeller axes of which are supported concentrically.

18. The aircraft according to claim 10, wherein the lithium-air battery is arranged in a housing, which comprises outside dimensions of a standard air freight container, in particular LD3, LD6.