CN-121989761-A - Component heating in hybrid electric propulsion system

Abstract

A hybrid electric propulsion system includes a gearbox, an electric motor operatively coupled to the gearbox, a battery operatively coupled to the electric motor to power the electric motor, and an engine lubrication system. The engine lubrication system includes a tank containing an engine lubrication fluid. The engine lubrication system includes a pump configured to pump lubrication fluid from the tank to one or both of the battery and the motor via a supply line to maintain the one or both of the battery and the motor above a threshold temperature.

Inventors

• Arthur W. Seebach

Assignees

• 通用电气公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20251030

Priority Date

20241101

Claims (10)

1. 1. A hybrid electric propulsion system, comprising: A turbine engine; A gearbox operatively coupled to the turbine engine and including an output shaft, the turbine engine configured to actuate the gearbox to rotate the output shaft; a motor operatively coupled to the gearbox and configured to actuate the gearbox to rotate the output shaft; A battery operatively coupled to the motor to power the motor, and An engine lubrication system comprising a tank containing an engine lubrication fluid, the engine lubrication system comprising a pump configured to pump the engine lubrication fluid from the tank towards the battery through a supply line to maintain the battery above a temperature threshold.
2. 2. The hybrid electric propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the engine lubrication system is configured to provide the engine lubrication fluid to the electric motor.
3. 3. The hybrid electric propulsion system of claim 1, further comprising a gearbox lubrication system separate and independent of the engine lubrication system.
4. 4. The hybrid electric propulsion system of claim 3, wherein the gearbox includes an electrical heating element operatively coupled to the battery and configured to heat a gearbox lubrication fluid held within the gearbox.
5. 5. The hybrid electric propulsion system of claim 4, wherein the electric heating element comprises at least one of a resistive heating element or an inductive heating element.
6. 6. The hybrid electric propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the gearbox includes a self-contained lubrication system contained within the gearbox.
7. 7. The hybrid electric propulsion system of claim 6, wherein an input shaft connects the turbine engine to the gearbox, and wherein the input shaft and the output shaft are coupled together by gear mesh disposed within the gearbox.
8. 8. The hybrid electric propulsion system of claim 7, wherein the self-contained lubrication system of the gearbox includes a gearbox housing supporting a gearbox lubrication fluid, a gearbox pump pumping the gearbox lubrication fluid through a gearbox supply line, a gearbox heat exchanger coupled to the gearbox supply line, and a gearbox return line returning the gearbox lubrication fluid to the gearbox housing.
9. 9. The hybrid electric propulsion system of claim 8, wherein the gearbox pump of the self-contained lubrication system of the gearbox is supported by at least one of the input shaft or the output shaft.
10. 10. The hybrid electric propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the engine lubrication system further comprises a return line returning the engine lubrication fluid to the tank, and wherein the engine lubrication system further comprises at least one shuttle valve operatively associated with at least one of the electric motor or the battery, the at least one shuttle valve operatively coupled to at least one of the supply line or the return line to enable at least one of the electric motor or the battery to receive at least one of the engine lubrication fluid of the engine lubrication system or gearbox lubrication fluid from the gearbox.

Description

Component heating in hybrid electric propulsion system Technical Field The present disclosure relates to hybrid electric propulsion systems for aircraft applications, and more particularly, to methods and systems for heating one or more components (e.g., batteries) in such propulsion systems. Background Temperature plays an important role in the performance of one or more components of the hybrid electric propulsion system. For example, the function of a battery is based on chemical reactions, which react less rapidly in cold weather than in warm weather. Therefore, the power of the cold battery is not the same as the power of the hot battery. In order to provide sufficient power under various weather conditions, it is sometimes necessary to increase the number of batteries or use larger batteries. However, this results in an increase in weight, which reduces the attractiveness of the hybrid power plant for aircraft applications. Drawings The features and advantages of the disclosed technology will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description, which sets forth illustrative aspects, which utilize the principles of the technology, and the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a hybrid electric propulsion system having an electric motor on a rear end of a shaft at a rear end of the propulsion system for driving a gearbox at a front end of the propulsion system, which in turn drives a propeller at the front end of the propulsion system, the gearbox including a lubrication system separate from a turbine engine of the propulsion system, in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a control system of the hybrid electric propulsion system of FIG. 1 according to the principles of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another hybrid electric propulsion system showing the hybrid electric propulsion system having an electric motor disposed at a forward end of the propulsion system and including a gearbox with a self-contained lubrication system in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of another hybrid electric propulsion system according to the principles of the present disclosure, showing the hybrid electric propulsion system having a gearbox with a lubrication system separate from the turbine engine of the propulsion system, and showing an electric motor and battery operatively coupled to the engine lubrication system; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a hybrid electric propulsion system according to the principles of the present disclosure, showing the hybrid electric propulsion system having a gear box with a lubrication system separate from a turbine engine of the propulsion system, the gear box shown with an electrical heating element within the gear box, and showing an electric motor and battery operatively coupled to the engine lubrication system; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of another hybrid electric propulsion system showing the hybrid electric propulsion system having a gearbox with a lubrication system separate from a turbine engine of the propulsion system showing an electric motor and battery operatively coupled to the engine lubrication system, wherein the electric motor is operatively coupled to the lubrication system of the gearbox, in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; FIG. 6 is an enlarged schematic view of an electric motor of the hybrid electric propulsion system of FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of yet another hybrid electric propulsion system showing a hybrid electric propulsion system having an electric motor, a battery, and a shuttle valve operably coupled to an engine lubrication system in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; FIG. 8 is an enlarged schematic diagram illustrating a shuttle valve of the hybrid electric propulsion system of FIG. 7; FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of another hybrid electric propulsion system showing a gearbox with a self-contained lubrication system according to the principles of the present disclosure; FIG. 10 is an enlarged schematic view of a gearbox of the hybrid electric propulsion system of FIG. 9, and Fig. 11 shows a flow chart of a method for regulating the temperature of a battery and/or an electric motor. Further exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Aspects of the disclosure may be combined without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Detailed Description Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. The detailed description uses numerals and letters to indicate features in the figures. Like or similar designations in the drawings and description have been used to refer to like or similar parts of the disclosure. The term "exemplary" as used herein refers to "servi