Hybrid propulsive engine including at least one independently rotatable propeller/fan

• US 8,857,191 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K. Y., Kare, Jordin T., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Weaver, Thomas Allan, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wongwian, Phutthiwat
• Application Number:
  US12/590,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20110100014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 602/261, 60786-788, 608/02, 608/05, 60/392.3, 244/53.A, 244/53.R, 244/60, 415/149.1, 415/149.2, 415/159, 415/199.4, 290/52
• US Class Current: 60/788
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/00 Plural gas-turbine plants; Combinations of gas-turbine plants with other apparatus; Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for special use
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/18 using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/06 with front fan
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/31 in steam turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/324 to drive unshrouded, low solidity propeller
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/325 to drive unshrouded, high solidity propeller
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/76 an electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/50 Measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to the propulsion system

Abstract

A hybrid propulsive technique includes providing at least some first thrust associated with a flow of a working fluid through at least a portion of an at least one axial flow jet engine. The hybrid propulsive technique includes extracting energy from the working fluid that is at least partially converted into electrical power, and converting at least a portion of the electrical power to torque. The hybrid propulsive technique further includes rotating an at least one independently rotatable propeller/fan of at least one rotatable propeller/fan assembly at least partially responsive to the converting the at least a portion of the electrical power to torque, wherein the rotating of the at least one independently rotatable propeller/fan of the at least one rotatable propeller/fan assembly is arranged to produce at least some second thrust.

Claims

1. A hybrid propulsive engine, comprising:

a co-axial-flow jet engine including a compressor and a turbine, the co-axial-flow jet engine configured to provide a first thrust associated with a working fluid passing through the co-axial flow jet engine;

an energy extraction mechanism configured to extract energy from the working fluid, and at least partially convert that energy to electrical power;

a torque conversion mechanism configured to convert at least a portion of the electrical power to torque; and

a rotatable propeller/fan assembly including an independently rotatable propeller/fan able to rotate independently of the compressor and the turbine of the co-axial-flow jet engine, the rotatable propeller/fan assembly configured to be powered for rotation at least partially responsive to the torque conversion mechanism, the propeller fan assembly configured to provide a second thrust.

2. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the energy extraction mechanism comprises an electric generator.

3. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the energy extraction mechanism comprises a turbine rotational element configured to extract energy from motion of the working fluid within the co-axial-flow jet engine.

4. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the torque conversion mechanism comprises an electric motor.

5. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the energy extraction mechanism includes a heat engine configured to extract at least some heat from the working fluid that is at least partially applied to a heat receptive fluid.

6. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, further comprising a second torque conversion mechanism configured to generate a second torque, wherein the rotatable propeller/fan assembly is configured to be powered for rotation at least partially responsive to the second torque conversion mechanism in addition to the torque conversion mechanism.

7. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the energy extraction mechanism comprises a magnetohydrodynamic device configured to extract kinetic energy from a flow of the working fluid.

8. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the co-axial-flow jet engine includes a turbojet.

9. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the co-axial-flow jet engine includes a ramjet jet engine.

10. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the co-axial-flow jet engine includes an externally heated jet engine.

11. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the co-axial-flow jet engine includes a combustion driven jet engine.

12. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the rotatable propeller/fan comprises a substantially co-axial-flow rotatable propeller/fan.

13. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the energy extraction mechanism comprises a heat engine configured to extract at least some heat from the working fluid that is at least partially applied to a heat receptive fluid, wherein the energy extraction mechanism comprises a Rankine Cycle energy extraction mechanism configured to extract energy in the form of heat from the working fluid.

14. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, further comprising a secondary source of electrical energy configured to supply energy to the torque conversion mechanism.

15. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, further comprising a hybrid propulsive engine starter configured to rotate at least a portion of the rotatable propeller/fan assembly at a sufficient rotational velocity to enhance starting the hybrid propulsive engine.

16. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, further comprising a hybrid propulsive engine starter configured to rotate a rotatable compressor element at a sufficient rotational velocity to enhance starting the hybrid propulsive engine.

17. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the co-axial-flow jet engine produces the first thrust at least partially responsive to the rotatable propeller/fan assembly.

18. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein at least some of the working fluid passes through the independently rotatable propeller/fan assembly.

19. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the rotatable propeller/fan assembly is configured to be powered for a controllable rotation in a first direction or alternately in a second direction that is reversed from the first direction.

20. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the rotatable propeller/fan assembly is configured to be variably powered for a variable speed rotation.

21. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, configured as a turbofan, wherein the rotatable propeller/fan assembly is configured as a shrouded fan.

22. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, configured as a turboprop, wherein the rotatable propeller/fan assembly is configured as an unshrouded propeller.

23. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the rotatable propeller/fan assembly includes a compressive fan.

24. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the rotatable propeller/fan assembly is configured to rotate sufficiently to direct a first portion of fluid towards the co-axial-flow jet engine, thereby providing at least a portion of the working fluid to the co-axial flow jet engine, while directing a second portion of fluid to bypass the co-axial flow jet engine.

25. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the engine is configured to at least partially power an aircraft.

26. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the engine is configured to at least partially power a boat or ship.

27. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the engine is configured to at least partially power a hovercraft.

28. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the engine is configured to at least partially power a land vehicle.

29. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, further comprising a control circuit to allow a user to control a suitable rotational velocity of the rotatable propeller/fan assembly based at least partially on a user input indicating a desired flight condition.

30. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, further comprising a control circuit to allow a user to control a suitable polarity of rotation of the rotatable propeller/fan assembly based at least partially on a user input indicating a desired flight condition.

31. A hybrid propulsive method, comprising:

providing a first thrust associated with a flow of a working fluid through a co-axial-flow jet engine;

extracting energy from the working fluid that is at least partially converted into electrical power;

converting at least a portion of the electrical power to torque; and

rotating an independently rotatable propeller/fan of a rotatable propeller/fan assembly independently of a compressor and a turbine of the co-axial-flow jet engine to provide a second thrust, the rotatable propeller/fan assembly at least partially responsive to the torque.

32. A hybrid propulsive method, comprising:

providing a first thrust associated with a flow of a working fluid through a jet engine;

extracting energy from the working fluid that is at least partially converted into electrical power;

converting at least a portion of the electrical power to torque;

providing a control command to deliver torque to an independently rotatable propeller/fan; and

rotating at least partially from the torque the independently rotatable propeller/fan independently of a compressor and a turbine of the jet engine to provide a second thrust.

33. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, further comprising:

providing a second jet engine that is operationally associated with the independently rotatable propeller/fan;

stopping a rotation of the second jet engine; and

restarting the rotation of the second jet engine at least partially using the torque used to rotate the independently rotatable propeller/fan.

34. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, further comprising:

providing a second jet engine that is operationally associated with the independently rotatable propeller/fan; and

starting a rotational operation of the second jet engine at least partially responsive to the rotating of the independently rotatable propeller/fan.

37. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, further comprising generating a second torque, and powering rotating the independently rotatable propeller/fan at least partially from the second torque in addition to the torque.

35. A hybrid propulsive method, comprising:

providing a first thrust associated with a flow of a working fluid through an axial flow jet engine;

extracting energy from the working fluid that is at least partially converted into electrical power; and

rotating an independently rotatable propeller/fan independently of a compressor and a turbine of the axial flow jet engine to provide a second thrust, wherein rotating the independently rotatable propeller/fan uses at least some of the electrical power.

36. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 35, wherein extracting energy from the working fluid is at least partially performed with an energy extraction mechanism.

38. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 35, further comprising variably laterally displacing an offset of a rotational axis of the independently rotatable propeller/fan assembly relative to the axial-flow jet engine.

39. A hybrid propulsive method, comprising:

providing a first thrust associated with a flow of a working fluid through a jet engine;

extracting energy from the working fluid that is at least partially converted into electrical power;

rotating, at least partially using the electrical power, an independently rotatable propeller/fan according to a control algorithm, the control algorithm determining the amount of the electrical power needed to drive the independently rotatable propeller/fan and determining a portion of the electrical power be converted to torque, wherein the rotating of the independently rotatable propeller/fan is arranged to produce a second thrust, and wherein the at least one independently rotatable propeller/fan is configured to rotate independently of a compressor and a turbine of the jet engine and be operationally distinct from the jet engine.

40. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 39, further comprising:

providing a second jet engine that is operationally associated with the independently rotatable propeller/fan;

stopping a rotation of the second jet engine; and

restarting the rotation of the second jet engine at least partially using the torque used to rotate the independently rotatable propeller/fan.

41. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 39, further comprising:

providing a second jet engine that is operationally associated with the independently rotatable propeller/fan; and

starting a rotational operation of the second jet engine at least partially responsive to the rotating of the independently rotatable propeller/fan.