Aircraft propulsion system

• US 7,555,893 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aircraft Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japan Aircraft Aerospace Exploration Agency, Nihon University Educational Association
• Original Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Nihon University Educational Association
• Inventors: Okai, Keiichi, Tagashira, Takeshi, Yanagi, Ryoji, Nomura, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mansen; Michael R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonzell; Philip J
• Application Number:
  US11/336,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20060254255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 244/51, 244/52, 244/53.R, 244/54, 244/62, 244/73.R, 602/24, 602/261, 602/28, 310/184, 310/185, 310/187, 310/195, 310/198, 310/203, 310/206
• US Class Current: 60/228
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/10 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/06 with front fan
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 55/00 Dynamo-electric machines having windings operating at cryogenic temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

To provide an aircraft propulsion system which can secure the optimum thrust and thrust vector for flight conditions, as well as the optimum sectional area for the engine, and which is highly compatible with the environment.

An electrical generator is coupled to a turbofan engine, the electrical generator is driven by output power of the turbofan engine to output electric power, and an electromagnetic driving fan is driven by the electric power. On the other hand, after bringing each of coils in the electromagnetic driving fan to a superconductive state, liquid hydrogen is introduced to a heat exchanger, collects the energy of exhaust as heat, is then vaporized, and thereafter supplied to a combustor and to a fuel cell. Further, the electromagnetic driving fan is changed in its rotational phase by a rotating mechanism portion, is made movable in a width direction of a wing and a wing chord direction by a slide mechanism portion, and can be stored inside or outside the wing by a storage mechanism portion.

Claims

1. An aircraft propulsion system, comprising:

a first propulsion unit which generates thrust; and

a second propulsion unit which has thrust vectoring means for varying a vector of the thrust,

wherein the second propulsion unit is an electromagnetic driving fan in which M_i row, where i=1, 2, . . ., n, as split armature coils, that is a figure-of-eight coil which crosses and forms symmetry at a central portion, are disposed on an outer circumference of the fan, and a coil A_i row and a coil B_i row, where i=1, 2, . . ., n, as split excitation coils, that form a rectangle, are disposed on an inner peripheral surface of a casing portion of the fan so that when one of the split excitation coils referred to as the coil A_i in coil row of split excitation coils, overlaps the central portion of one of the split armature coils, two other split excitation coils adjacent to the coil A_i referred to as the coil B_i-1 and B_i in coil row of split excitation coils, overlaps with either of the end portion of the split armature coils respectively, and

wherein each of the split excitation coils comprises;

a condenser which constitutes an LC circuit,

a switching device which conduct current to each of the split excitation coils in two directions,

a switching circuit which switches the bias direction of the condenser in accordance with the polarity of the condenser, and

a power source which supplies an electrical charge to the condenser,

wherein in the timing when one of the split excitation coils overlaps with the central portion of one of the split armature coils, conducting alternating currents whose sizes are equal and whose directions are opposite with each other, to two other split excitation coils overlapping with either of the end portion of the split armature coils which supply the split armature coils with an effective induced current contributing to the rotation of the fan, and at the same time conducting alternating current to the split excitation coils overlapping with the central portion of the split armature coils which supply the split armature coils with an effective magnetic field intersecting with the central portion of the split armature coils contributing to the rotation of the fan, and an effective electromagnetic force is generated by the interaction between the effective induced current and the effective magnetic field, and the fan is rotated by summation of all the effective electromagnetic forces over all the split armature coils.

2. The aircraft propulsion system according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing the second propulsion unit in a wing or folding the unit at an external surface of the wing, and wing moving means for moving the second propulsion unit with respect to a width direction of the wing and a wing chord direction.

3. The aircraft propulsion system according to claim 1, wherein the first propulsion unit uses liquid hydrogen as fuel.

4. The aircraft propulsion system according to claim 3, further comprising means in which the liquid hydrogen brings the armature coil and the excitation coil to a superconductive state, and is vaporized by receiving heat from the first propulsion unit or the second propulsion unit.

5. The aircraft propulsion system according to any of claims 1 through 4, wherein the first propulsion unit or the second propulsion unit comprises electrical output generating means.

6. The aircraft propulsion system according to claim 5, wherein the electrical output generating means is an aircraft generator, a fuel cell, or a combination thereof with an electrical accumulator.

7. The aircraft propulsion system according to claim 6, wherein the generating means is the fuel cell or the fuel cell in combination with the aircraft generator, and wherein the fuel cell uses liquid hydrogen as fuel.

8. The aircraft propulsion system according to claim 6, wherein the generating means is the fuel cell or the fuel cell in combination with the aircraft generator, and wherein the fuel cell is disposed between a compressor and a combustor that configure the first propulsion unit.

9. The aircraft propulsion system according to claim 6, wherein the generating means is the fuel cell or the fuel cell in combination with the aircraft generator, and wherein the second propulsion unit comprises means for increasing inlet pressure of the fuel cell.