AIRCRAFT USING TURBO-ELECTRIC HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR MULTI-MODE OPERATION

• US 20140346283A1
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ival O. Salyer
• Original Assignee: Ival O. Salyer
• Inventors: Salyer, Ival O.
• Granted Patent: US 9,193,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/7.A
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/14 Direct drive between power plant and rotor hub
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/24 with rotor blades fixed in flight to act as lifting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 37/00 Convertible aircraft
• 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 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A vehicle incorporating a hybrid propulsion system. In one form, the vehicle may be an aircraft such that the system includes gas turbine engines as a first motive power source, and one or more battery packs as a second motive power source. Through selective coupling to an electric motor that can in turn be connected to a bladed rotor or other lift-producing device, the motive sources provide differing ways in which an aircraft can operate. In one example, the gas turbine engines can provide operation for a majority of the flight envelope of the aircraft, while the battery packs can provide operation during such times when gas turbine-based motive power is unavailable or particularly disadvantageous. In another example, both sources of motive power may be decoupled from the bladed rotor such that the vehicle can operate as an autogyro. In another mode of operation, the movement of a bladed rotor can be both decoupled from the sources of propulsion as well as fixed relative to the aircraft such that the aerodynamic surfaces formed on the bladed rotors can act as a fixed wing. In another particular form, the vehicle may be ground-based or water-based.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;

a plurality of rotors coupled to said fuselage through a rotatable shaft, each of said plurality of rotors comprising two generally opposed rotor blades each of which defines at least one aerodynamic lift surface thereon;

a propulsion system selectively cooperative with said rotatable shaft to deliver at least one of torque thereto and thrust to said aircraft such that said aircraft may operate in a plurality of flight modes; and

a plurality of devices configured to provide said selective cooperation between said rotatable shaft and said propulsion system such that while in a first of said plurality of flight modes, torque generated by said propulsion system is decoupled from movement of said rotatable shaft while permitting said plurality of rotors to spin, while in a second of said plurality of flight modes, torque generated by said propulsion system is coupled to said plurality of rotors through movement of said rotatable shaft to control said spin of said plurality of rotors, while in a third of said plurality of flight modes, said rotatable shaft is decoupled from said torque generated by said propulsion system while said plurality of rotors are further prevented from rotating such that said at least one aerodynamic lift surface is affixed at an orientation relative to a flight path of said aircraft such that said aircraft functions as a fixed-wing vehicle.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein said propulsion system comprises a plurality of propulsion-generating devices comprising:

at least two internal combustion engines mounted on generally opposing sides of said fuselage, said at least two internal combustion engines configured to deliver at least one of said torque and said thrust;

at least one battery configured to deliver said torque;

a plurality of electric current generators each selectively cooperative with said at least one battery and a respective one of said at least two internal combustion engines; and

an electric motor configured to receive electric current from at least one of said plurality of electric current generators and said at least one battery such that said received electric current selectively delivers said torque to said rotatable shaft.

3. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein said aircraft receives a substantial entirety of its forward thrust directly from said propulsion system in said first of said plurality of flight modes and said third of said plurality of flight modes.

4. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein a substantial entirety of torque used to rotate said plurality of rotors is received from said at least one of said at least one battery and said internal combustion engine during said second of said plurality of flight modes.

5. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of devices configured to provide said selective engagement between said rotatable shaft and said propulsion system comprises a clutch.

6. The aircraft of claim 5, wherein said plurality of clutches comprise:

a motor clutch disposed between said internal combustion engine and a respective one of said plurality of electric current generators such that when said motor clutch is engaged, said torque produced by said internal combustion engine cooperates with said electric current generator to deliver electric current to at least one of said at least one battery and said rotatable shaft, while in situations where said motor clutch is not engaged, said torque produced by said internal combustion engine is decoupled from said electric current generator such that to the extent that any of said torque is being delivered to said rotatable shaft, it is coming from said at least one battery, and

a rotor clutch disposed between said electric motor and said rotatable shaft.

7. The aircraft of claim 6, further comprising a detent mechanism selectively cooperative with said rotor clutch such that upon locking engagement between said detent mechanism and said rotatable shaft, a respective one of said plurality of rotors establishes a fixed angular orientation of said at least one aerodynamic lift surface relative to the longitudinal axis of said fuselage.

8. The aircraft of claim 7, wherein said fixed angular orientation comprises one of about 90 degrees, 100 degrees, 110 degrees or 120 degrees relative to a flight path formed along said longitudinal axis of said fuselage.

9. The aircraft of claim 2, further comprising a controller cooperative with said for said at least two internal combustion engines to provide separate control signals thereto such that at least one of flight steering and turning is controllable thereby.

10. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein said plurality of rotors comprises:

a first rotor situated on a port side of said fuselage such that said first rotor spins in one of a clockwise or counterclockwise direction; and

a second rotor situated on a starboard side of said fuselage such that said second rotor spins in an opposing of a clockwise or counterclockwise direction such that said aircraft may operate without a tail rotor.

11. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;

a plurality of rotors each of which are coupled to said fuselage through a rotatable shaft, each of said plurality of rotors comprising two rotor blades each of which defines at least one aerodynamic lift surface thereon;

a hybrid propulsion system configured to deliver at least one of torque to each of said rotatable shafts and thrust to said fuselage; and

a plurality of clutches configured to provide selective engagement between each of said rotatable shafts and said hybrid propulsion system such that said aircraft may operate in a plurality of flight modes comprising at least a helicopter mode, a gyrocopter mode and a fixed-wing aircraft mode.

12. The aircraft of claim 11, further comprising a rotor locking mechanism that is cooperative with each of said rotatable shafts such that upon a locking relationship between said rotor locking mechanism and a respective one of said rotatable shafts, said plurality of rotors establishes a fixed angular orientation of said at least one aerodynamic lift surface relative to the longitudinal axis of said fuselage to define said fixed-wing aircraft flight mode.

13. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein said hybrid propulsion system comprises:

a plurality of internal combustion engines coupled to said fuselage;

at least one battery;

a plurality of electric current generators each selectively cooperative with said at least one battery and a respective one of said plurality of internal combustion engines such that in situations where said torque is being delivered at least in part from at least one of said plurality of internal combustion engines to a respective one of said plurality of electric current generators, said electric current generator produces electric current, while in situations where said torque is being delivered substantially entirely from said at least one battery, said electric current generator produces substantially no electric current; and

an electric motor configured to receive electric current from said plurality of electric current generators and said at least one battery such that said received electric current selectively delivers said torque.

14. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein a substantial entirety of propulsion provided to said aircraft comes from said thrust produced by at least one of said plurality of internal combustion engines during said fixed-wing aircraft mode.

15. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein a substantial entirety of propulsion provided to said aircraft comes from said torque produced by said plurality of internal combustion engines and said at least one battery during said helicopter mode.

16. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein said rotor locking mechanism and said plurality of clutches cooperate to decouple said torque from movement of said plurality of rotors while permitting said plurality of rotors to freely spin such that said at least one rotor causes said aircraft to function as a gyrocopter.

17. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein said rotor locking mechanism is solenoid-actuated.

18. A method of providing motive power to an aircraft, said method comprising:

configuring said aircraft to comprise a fuselage, a plurality of rotors each of which are selectively coupled to said fuselage through a respective rotatable shaft and rotor clutch where each of said plurality of rotors comprises a plurality of rotor blades at least one of which defines at least one aerodynamic lift surface thereon, and a hybrid propulsion system to selectively deliver at least one of thrust and torque to at least one of said fuselage and said plurality of rotors, said hybrid propulsion system comprising;

a plurality of internal combustion engines each with a respective motor clutch;

at least one battery;

a plurality of electric current generators each selectively cooperative with said at least one battery and a respective one of said plurality of internal combustion engines such that in situations where said torque is being delivered at least in part from said plurality of internal combustion engines to each of said plurality of electric current generators, said plurality of electric current generators produce electric current, while in situations where said torque is being delivered substantially entirely from said at least one battery to said plurality of rotors, said plurality of electric current generators produce substantially no electric current; and

an electric motor configured to receive electric current from said plurality of electric current generators and said at least one battery such that said received electric current selectively delivers said torque to said rotatable shafts;

operating at least one of said rotor clutch and said motor clutch to provide selective engagement between said rotatable shaft and said hybrid propulsion system; and

operating said hybrid propulsion system such that power produced therefrom in conjunction with said operation of said at least one of said rotor clutch and said motor clutch causes said aircraft to operate in a plurality of flight modes comprising at least a helicopter mode, gyrocopter mode and a fixed-wing aircraft mode.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising a rotor locking mechanism that is cooperative with said rotatable shafts such that upon a locking relationship therebetween, said plurality of rotors establishes a fixed angular orientation of said at least one aerodynamic lift surface relative to the longitudinal axis of said fuselage to define said fixed-wing aircraft flight mode.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising operating said rotor locking mechanism and at least one of said rotor clutch and said motor clutch to decouple said torque from movement of said plurality of rotors while permitting said plurality of rotors to freely spin such that said plurality of rotors causes said aircraft to function as a gyrocopter.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising reducing rotor noise emanating from said aircraft by configuring said plurality of rotors to extend laterally from said fuselage a sufficient distance such that a footprint defined by said plurality of rotor blades does not extend over said fuselage.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one rotor of said plurality of rotors extending laterally from said fueslage comprises a portside rotor that spins in one of a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, while at least one rotor of said plurality of rotors extending laterally from said fueslage comprises a starboardside rotor that spins in an opposing of a clockwise or counterclockwise direction such that said aircraft may operate without a tail rotor.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said plurality of rotor blades comprises two blades diametrically opposed from one another on a hub coupled to a respective one of said plurality of rotors.

24. A vehicle comprising:

a body;

at least one rotatable shaft;

a hybrid propulsion system coupled to said body and cooperative with said at least one rotatable shaft to deliver propulsive power thereto, said hybrid propulsion system comprising;

an internal combustion engine;

an electrical generator cooperative with said internal combustion engine such that mechanical power received therefrom by said electrical generator is converted to electric power;

an electric storage device; and

an electric motor selectively coupled to at least one of said electrical generator and said electric storage device such that during a first portion of travel, said internal combustion engine in cooperation with said electrical generator and said electric motor provides at least a majority of motive power to said vehicle through said at least one rotatable shaft, and during a second portion of said travel, said electric storage device in cooperation with said electric motor provides at least a majority of said motive power to said vehicle through said at least one rotatable shaft.

25. The vehicle of claim 24, further comprising a plurality of clutches configured to provide selective engagement between said at least one rotatable shaft and said hybrid propulsion system such that said internal combustion engine may provide substantially all motive power.

26. The vehicle of claim 25, wherein said plurality of clutches comprise:

a motor clutch disposed between said internal combustion engine and said electrical generator such that when said motor clutch is engaged, said torque produced by said internal combustion engine cooperates with said electrical generator to deliver electric current to at least one of said at least one battery and said at least one rotatable shaft, while in situations where said motor clutch is not engaged, said torque produced by said internal combustion engine is decoupled from said electric current generator such that to the extent that any of said torque is being delivered to said at least one rotatable shaft, it is coming from said at least one battery, and

a rotor clutch disposed between said electric motor and said at least one rotatable shaft to provide selective coupling therebetween.

27. The vehicle of claim 25, further comprising a detent mechanism selectively cooperative with said rotor clutch such that upon locking engagement between said detent mechanism and said at least one rotatable shaft, said at least one rotatable shaft establishes a fixed angular orientation of at least one aerodynamic lift surface formed on a bladed rotor that is selectively coupled to said at least one rotatable shaft, and further wherein said at least one aerodynamic lift surface is oriented at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said body such that it is capable of providing aerodynamic lift to said vehicle.

28. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein said at least one rotatable shaft is cooperative with a wheel to provide motive power thereto.

29. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein said at least one rotatable shaft is cooperative with a marine propeller to provide motive power thereto.

30. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein said internal combustion engine comprises a gas turbine engine.