605results about "Aircraft power transmission" patented technology

Electrically powered Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft are presented. Contemplated VTOL aircraft can include one or more electrical energy stores capable of delivering electrical power to one or more electric motors disposed within one or more rotor housings, where the motors can drive the rotors. The VTOL aircraft can also include one or more sustainer energy / power sources (e.g., batteries, engines, generators, fuel-cells, semi-cells, etc.) capable of driving the motors should the energy stores fail or deplete. Various VTOL configurations are presented including an all-battery purebred design, a light hybrid design, and a heavy hybrid design. The contemplated configurations address safety, noise, and outwash concerns to allow such designs to operate in built-up areas while retaining competitive performance relative to existing aircraft.

A system for power generation comprises a wing, a turbine, a tether, and a tether tension sensor. The wing is for generating lift. The turbine is coupled to the wing and is used for generating power from rotation of a propeller or for generating thrust using the propeller. One end of the tether is coupled to the wing. The tether tension sensor is for determining a tension of the tether.

A fan variable area nozzle (FVAN) includes a flap assembly which varies a fan nozzle exit area through a cam drive ring. The flap assembly generally includes a multiple of flaps, flap linkages and an actuator system. The actuator system rotationally translates the cam drive ring relative an engine centerline axis which results in a follower of the flap linkage following a cam surface to pivot each flap such that the flap assembly dilates about the circumferential hinge line. Rotation of the cam drive ring adjusts dilation of the entire fan nozzle exit area in a symmetrical manner. Another cam drive ring includes a multiple of movable cams which engages the follower of the flap linkage of each flap such that pivotable movement of a particular number of the multiple of movable cams about a respective cam pivot results in vectoring of the FVAN.

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.

A gearbox for rotating a propeller in a selected one of a first and second direction is provided. The gearbox includes a many common components, selected irrespective of desired propeller direction, and a few unique components selected based on desired propeller direction.

A Solid Oxide Regenerative Fuel Cell (SORFC) or a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) is incorporated into an electrically powered airplane to provide either regenerative or primary electrical energy. The SORFC, the SOFC, or any other suitable fuel cell within an airplane may also be used to heat payload or equipment within the airplane. The SORFC is not only capable of generating electrical energy from fuel and a suitable oxidizer, but can also generate fuel through electrolysis of oxidized fuel. Thus, the SORFC system powering an airplane can obtain oxygen oxidant reactant from the air and avoid the complexity, weight, volume, and cost associated with oxygen storage.

A system for generating accessory power from a gas turbine engine is provided by the present invention. The system includes an electronic control device for monitoring at least one parameter which provides information about an incipient change in power demand, a control valve operated by the control device for supplying bleed air from the engine during a transient state in response to the at least one monitored parameter, and a pneumatically operated device for receiving the bleed air and for generating power to operate equipment onboard an aircraft. The pneumatically operated device may be an air turbine or a pneumatically integrated generator.

Integrated propulsion systems and methods for blended wing aircraft are disclosed. In one embodiment, a propulsion system at least one engine operatively disposed within an engine flow duct having an engine inlet and an engine exhaust aperture, and at least one fan operatively disposed within a fan flow duct having a fan inlet and a fan exhaust aperture. The engine and fan rotational axes extending at least approximately along a lengthwise direction of the aircraft, the fan flow duct being separate from the engine flow duct. A transmission assembly is operatively coupled between the at least one engine and the at least one fan, the transmission assembly being configured to transmit a rotary output from the at least one engine to rotate the at least one fan.

An unmanned air vehicle for military, land security and the like operations includes a fuselage provided with foldable wings having leading edge flaps and trailing edge ailerons which are operable during ascent from launch to control the flight pattern with the wings folded, the wings being deployed into an open unfolded position when appropriate. The vehicle is contained within a pod from which it is launched and a landing deck is provided to decelerate and arrest the vehicle upon its return to land.

Disclosed are propulsion systems 30 providing reduced fuel burn, weight and cost. A single gas generator core 38 drives multiple bladed propulsion elements 36 with a power train 48. The core 38 has a forward compressor 56 and a rearward turbine 40 and rotates about a longitudinal core axis 62. The bladed propulsion elements 36 rotate about bladed propulsion element axes 78 that are not coaxial with the core axis 62. The bladed propulsion elements 36 discharge an ambient air stream 50 rearward as a bypass stream 52 portion and a core stream 54 portion. The core stream 54 portion is directed to the compressor 56. The propulsion systems 30 mount inside a fuselage 22 of an airframe 20 or they are suspended beneath a wing 24 via pylons 32.

The invention is a propulsion system for a V / STOL aircraft. In detail, the invention includes a turbo-fan engine having a fan section with a variable pitch fan, a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, said turbine section having a low-pressure turbine portion coupled to and driving the fan section and a high-pressure turbine portion coupled to and driving the compressor section. The engine further having a selectable operating point wherein a portion of the power generatable by the low-pressure turbine at a selected operating power setting is extracted to drive the fan section. A turbine outlet duct is included for directing the turbine section exhaust gases. A first angular shaped nozzle section is co-incident with the turbine outlet duct for directing exhaust from the fan section. A second nozzle section mounted to the first angular shaped nozzle section between the fan section and the compressor section. A system is included to shift said selectable operating point of said engine to a second operating point at the selected power setting increasing the power extracted by the low-pressure turbine portion of the turbine section; such that power extracted by the low-pressure turbine portion and applied to the fan section can be increased without changing the selected power setting and the pitch of the blades of the variable pitch fan section can be increased to absorb the increased power.

A dual ducted fan arrangement in which the duct components, engine, and avionics / payload pods are capable of being quickly disassembled to fit within common backpacking systems. Each duct is identical in fan, stator, and control vane design. Assembly connections between ducted fans and electronic modules are also identical. An engine or APU drives the dual ducted fans through a splined shaft to a differential or through electric motors. Energy is transferred to the ducted fans by a single gear mounted to the stator hub. Relative speeds of the individual ducted fans are controlled through separate frictional or generator load control braking mechanisms on each of the splined shafts between the differential and ducted fans. In the electric motor case relative speed is through electronic speed control. The fans are counter rotating for torque balancing. The electronic module locations are vertically variable for longitudinal center of gravity for variations in payloads.

A control system for a vehicle having plural control elements actuated at a single actuation point including a redundant electric actuator assembly including a control rod moveable linearly in two opposite directions mounting n electric motors, each motor having a controller and a feedback sensor for controlling linear movement of said rod, each motor contributing approximately 1 / n of total control power required for adjusting one or more of said plural control elements, such that failure of any of said motors controllers or feedback sensors leaves sufficient predetermined minimum control power available for operating said control system.

The system is used for taxiing an aircraft and comprises at least one multi-spool gas turbine engine, the engine having an electrical motor in a torque-driving engagement with a low pressure spool of the engine. The low pressure spool has a propulsor connected thereon to generate thrust when rotated. A controller is connected to the electrical motor and an electrical power source to control an amount of electrical power provided from the power source to the electrical motor so as to drive the propulsor and cause at least a major portion of the thrust to be generated by the propulsor for moving the aircraft during taxiing.

An exhaust nozzle includes an exhaust duct with an outlet and a row of radial apertures upstream therefrom. A radial frame surrounds the duct upstream from the apertures. A row of flaps are hinged to the frame to selectively cover and uncover the apertures for controlling exhaust flow discharged therethrough. An arcuate unison bar surrounds the duct adjacent to the frame and includes circumferentially spaced apart cam followers engaging corresponding cams affixed to the flaps. An actuator is joined to the bar for selective rotation thereof between opposite first and second directions to pivot open and closed the flaps atop the apertures.