Gas-electric propulsion system for an aircraft

• US 10,000,293 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hamel, Jeffrey Anthony, Murrow, Kurt David
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Hara, Brian M
• Application Number:
  US14/969,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20160214727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 21/01 Boundary layer ingestion [BLI] propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2205/00 Aircraft with means for ground manoeuvring, such as taxiing, using an auxiliary thrust system, e.g. jet-engines, propellers or compressed air
• 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 27/18 within, or attached to, wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/20 within, or attached to, fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/905 Combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

In one aspect the present subject matter is directed to a gas-electric propulsion system for an aircraft. The system may include a turbofan jet engine, an electric powered boundary layer ingestion fan that is coupled to a fuselage portion of the aircraft aft of the turbofan jet engine, and an electric generator that is electronically coupled to the turbofan jet engine and to the boundary layer ingestion fan. The electric generator converts rotational energy from the turbofan jet engine to electrical energy and provides at least a portion of the electrical energy to the boundary layer ingestion fan. In another aspect of the present subject matter, a method for propelling an aircraft via the gas-electric propulsion system is disclosed.

Claims

1. A gas-electric propulsion system for an aircraft, the system comprising:

a pair of jet engines suspended beneath a wing of the aircraft;

an electric powered boundary layer ingestion fan fixedly connected to a fuselage portion of the aircraft aft of a tail section; and

an electric generator coupled to at least one of the pair of jet engines and to the boundary layer ingestion fan, wherein the electric generator converts rotational energy from at least one jet engine of the pair of jet engines to electrical energy;

wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is powered only by the electrical energy generated by the electric generator; and

wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is configured to provide sufficient thrust to independently propel the aircraft.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein each jet engine of the pair of jet engines is a high-bypass ratio turbofan jet engine.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein the high-bypass ratio turbofan jet engines include a fan section having a plurality of fan blades, wherein the fan blades are variable or fixed pitch.

4. The system as in claim 2, wherein the high-bypass ratio turbofan jet engines are at least one of geared or direct drive.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan includes an electric motor electronically coupled to the electric generator.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein the electric motor is a superconductivity electric motor.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein the electric generator is a high pressure electric generator and is coupled to a high pressure spool of at least one jet engine of the pair of jet engines.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein the electric generator is a low pressure electric generator and is coupled to a low pressure spool of at least one jet engine of the pair of jet engines.

9. The system as in claim 1, further comprising an energy storage device electronically coupled to the electric generator and to the boundary layer ingestion fan.

10. The system as in claim 1, wherein the system further includes an energy storage device electronically coupled to the electric generator and to the boundary layer ingestion fan, wherein the energy management system is electronically coupled to one or more of the pair of jet engines, the electric generator, the boundary layer ingestion fan and the energy storage device.

21. The system as in claim 1, wherein an inlet of the electric powered boundary layer ingestion fan is oriented with respect to the fuselage to ingest at least a portion of a boundary layer flow of air that is formed along the outer surface of the fuselage during flight.

23. The system as in claim 1, further comprising an energy management system configured or programmed to monitor various system conditions.

11. A gas-electric propulsion system for an aircraft, the system comprising:

a turbofan jet engine;

an electric powered boundary layer ingestion fan coupled to a fuselage portion of the aircraft, wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is coupled to the fuselage downstream from a tail section of the aircraft; and

an electric generator coupled to the turbofan jet engine and to the boundary layer ingestion fan, wherein the electric generator converts rotational energy from the turbofan jet engine to electrical energy;

wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is powered only by the electrical energy generated by the electric generator; and

wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan is configured to provide sufficient thrust to independently propel the aircraft.

12. The system as in claim 11, wherein the turbofan jet engine is a high-bypass ratio turbofan jet engine which includes a fan section having a plurality of fan blades, wherein the fan blades are variable or fixed pitch.

13. The system as in claim 12, wherein the high-bypass ratio turbofan jet engine is one of a geared or direct drive turbofan jet engine.

14. The system as in claim 11, wherein the boundary layer ingestion fan includes an electric motor electronically coupled to the electric generator.

15. The system as in claim 14, wherein the electric motor is a superconductivity electric motor.

16. The system as in claim 11, wherein the electric generator is a high pressure electric generator and is coupled to a high pressure spool of the turbofan jet engine.

17. The system as in claim 11, wherein the electric generator is a low pressure electric generator and it coupled to a low pressure spool of the turbofan jet engine.

18. The system as in claim 11, further comprising an energy storage device electronically coupled to the electric generator and to the boundary layer ingestion fan.

19. The system as in claim 18, wherein the energy storage device comprises batteries.

20. The system as in claim 11 wherein the system further includes an energy storage device electronically coupled to the electric generator and to the boundary layer ingestion fan, wherein the energy management system is electronically coupled to one or more of a pair of jet engines, the electric generator, the boundary layer ingestion fan and the energy storage device.

22. The system as in claim 11, wherein an inlet of the boundary layer ingestion fan is oriented with respect to the fuselage to ingest at least a portion of a boundary layer flow of air that is formed along the skin of the fuselage during flight.

24. The system as in claim 11, further comprising an energy management system configured or programmed to monitor various system conditions.