REVERSIBLE ELECTRICAL MACHINE FOR AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20150028594A1
• Filed: 07/18/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter
• Inventors: Mariotto, Damien
• Granted Patent: US 9,425,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/42 with use of more than one motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/14 Direct drive between power plant and rotor hub
• 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: B64D 35/02 specially adapted for specific power plants
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/00 Machines with more than one rotor or stator machines for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; permanent magnet machines with multiple rotors or stators relatively rotated for vectorially combining the excitation fields or the armature voltages H02K21/029
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/02 Machines with one stator and two or more rotors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/006 Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/108 with friction clutches
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/16 Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A reversible electrical machine (1) comprising: a first electrical device (10) having a first stator (11) and a first rotor (12); a second electrical device (20) including a second rotor (22) and a second stator (21) together with an outlet shaft (50) and first disengageable coupling means (30) enabling said first and second rotors (12, 22) to be associated and dissociated in rotation. Said reversible electrical machine (1) also includes second disengageable coupling means (40) that are disengageable under a predetermined force and that mechanically connect said second rotor (22) to said outlet shaft (50). Said first electrical device (10) is a motor for transmitting high mechanical power to said outlet shaft (50), while said second electrical device (20) is a motor-generator for operating in motor mode to transmit additional mechanical power to said outlet shaft (50), and in generator mode for receiving mechanical power from said outlet shaft (50).

Claims

1. A reversible electrical machine comprising:

a first electrical device having a first rotor co-operating with a first stator;

a second electrical device including a second rotor co-operating with a second stator;

first disengageable coupling means enabling said first and second rotors to be associated and dissociated in rotation; and

an outlet shaft;

wherein the reversible electrical machine includes second disengageable coupling means that are disengageable under a first predetermined force and that mechanically connect said second rotor to said outlet shaft, said first electrical device being a motor for transmitting mechanical power to said outlet shaft and said second electrical device being a motor-generator for operating in motor mode to transmit additional mechanical power to said outlet shaft, and in generator mode for receiving mechanical power from said outlet shaft.

2. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, wherein said first rotor includes first magnets that are permanent.

3. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, wherein said second rotor includes second magnets that are permanent.

4. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, wherein said first rotor includes first magnets that are non-permanent.

5. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, wherein said second rotor includes second magnets that are non-permanent.

6. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, wherein said first rotor and said second rotor rotate about a common axis of rotation and said first coupling means include an intermediate shaft, said second coupling means, and third disengageable coupling means mechanically connecting said first rotor to said intermediate shaft, said intermediate shaft being associated with said outlet shaft, thereby enabling said first rotor to be mechanically connected to said second rotor.

7. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 6, wherein said third coupling means include a freewheel enabling said first rotor to be associated with said intermediate shaft, and consequently with said second rotor, in one direction of rotation, and to be dissociated from said intermediate shaft, and consequently from said second rotor in the opposite direction of rotation, said second coupling means being engaged.

8. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 7, wherein said intermediate shaft constitutes one end of said outlet shaft.

9. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 5, wherein said first rotor is formed by DC-powered non-permanent first magnets and said second rotor is formed by DC-powered non-permanent second magnets, said non-permanent first and second magnets being mechanically connected together in rotation, said first coupling means including inhibit means enabling the power supply to said non-permanent first magnets to be switched off while said non-permanent second magnets continue to be powered.

10. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 9, wherein said first coupling means include said second coupling means and fourth disengageable coupling means that are disengageable under a second predetermined force and that mechanically connect said first rotor with said outlet shaft, said second coupling means and said fourth coupling means thus enabling said first rotor and said second rotor to be mechanically coupled together in rotation by said outlet shaft.

11. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, wherein said second rotor includes a bore associated with said second rotor, and said second coupling means include a fuse element connecting said bore and said outlet shaft together in rotation, said fuse element being defined to break under said first predetermined force in order to dissociate said bore from said outlet shaft.

12. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, wherein said first magnets of said first rotor rotate outside said first stator.

13. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, wherein said second magnets of said second rotor rotate inside said second stator.

14. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, wherein said first and second rotors rotate about a common axis of rotation, and said first and second stators form a single stator.

15. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one first magnet is oriented radially relative to the axis of rotation of said first rotor and at least one second magnet is oriented radially relative to the axis of rotation of said second rotor.

16. A reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one first magnet is oriented axially relative to the axis of rotation of said first rotor and at least one second magnet is oriented axially relative to the axis of rotation of said second rotor.

17. A hybrid power plant of a rotary wing aircraft, wherein said hybrid power plant includes an MGB connected to a main rotor of said aircraft, at least one engine mechanically connected to said MGB, and at least one reversible electrical machine according to claim 1 with said outlet shaft being mechanically connected to said MGB.

18. A hybrid power plant of a rotary wing aircraft, wherein said hybrid power plant comprises an MGB connected to a main rotor of said aircraft, at least one engine having a free turbine and a compressor, together with at least one reversible electrical machine according to claim 1, with said outlet shaft being mechanically connected to said compressor of said engine, and said free turbine of said engine being mechanically connected to said MGB.