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EP-4737318-A1 - AIR INLET CONFIGURATIONS FOR HYBRID AIRCRAFT

EP4737318A1EP 4737318 A1EP4737318 A1EP 4737318A1EP-4737318-A1

Abstract

A hybrid electric turboprop (140, 240, 340) includes a propeller (344), a thermal engine (362), electric motor (370), a gearbox (380, 1380), and an air inlet (348, 1348, 1548) defining an opening (349, 1549). The propeller is configured to rotate about a propeller axis ("P-P") and includes a plurality of blades (354) extending radially outwardly from the propeller axis. As the propeller is rotated, the plurality of blades define a substantially circular blade path area ("A") centered about the propeller axis and having a radius ("r"). The gearbox (380, 1380) couples both the thermal engine and the electric motor to the propeller to enable each of the thermal engine and the electric motor to drive rotation of the propeller about the propeller axis. A radial distance ("i") equal to or less than about 60% of the radius is defined from the propeller axis to a location within the opening.

Inventors

  • SIBBACH, Arthur
  • MARTINA, VINCENZO
  • IGLEWSKI, Tomasz

Assignees

  • GE Avio S.r.l.
  • General Electric Company

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251003

Claims (15)

  1. A hybrid electric turboprop (140, 240, 340), comprising: a propeller (344) configured to rotate about a propeller axis ("P-P)"), the propeller including a plurality of blades (354) extending radially outwardly from the propeller axis such that, as the propeller is rotated about the propeller axis, the plurality of blades define a substantially circular blade path area ("A") centered about the propeller axis and having a radius ("r"); a thermal engine (362); an electric motor (370); a gearbox (380, 1380) coupling both the thermal engine and the electric motor to the propeller to enable each of the thermal engine and the electric motor to drive rotation of the propeller about the propeller axis; an air inlet (348, 1348, 1548) defining an opening (349, 1549), wherein a radial distance ("i") is defined from the propeller axis to a location within the opening, and wherein the radial distance is equal to or less than about 60% of the radius.
  2. The hybrid electric turboprop according to claim 1, wherein the radial distance is equal to from about 10% to about 50% of the radius.
  3. The hybrid electric turboprop according to any preceding claim, wherein the location is a radially outer most extent of the opening.
  4. The hybrid electric turboprop according to any preceding claim, wherein the thermal engine and the electric motor extend in substantially parallel orientation relative to one another.
  5. The hybrid electric turboprop according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of: the thermal engine is substantially coaxial relative to the propeller axis or the gearbox is off-center relative to the propeller axis.
  6. The hybrid electric turboprop according to any preceding claim, wherein the gearbox defines a dimension, along a line segment that includes the radial distance, of equal to or greater than about 60% of the radius.
  7. The hybrid electric turboprop according to any preceding claim, wherein the gearbox includes an epicyclic gearbox (381).
  8. The hybrid electric turboprop according to any preceding claim wherein the opening of the air inlet includes at least one of: at least one inner conforming portion (1110) at least partially conforming to an exterior of the gearbox in an annular direction about the propeller axis; or at least one outer conforming portion (1120) at least partially conforming to a circle centered about the propeller axis and defining a radius equal to the radial distance.
  9. The hybrid electric turboprop according to any preceding claim, further comprising an air duct (1390) coupled to the air inlet, wherein a portion of the gearbox tapers inwardly towards the propeller axis in a direction along the propeller axis, and wherein a portion (1398) of the air duct at least partially conforms to the portion of the gearbox in the direction along the propeller axis.
  10. The hybrid electric turboprop according to claim 9, wherein the portion of the air duct, at a position farther from the propeller along the propeller axis relative to the opening of the air inlet, extends radially outwardly beyond the radial distance.
  11. The hybrid electric turboprop according to any one of claims 1-8, further comprising an air duct (390, 392, 1390, 1590) coupling the air inlet to at least one of: an air intake (363) of the thermal engine or at least one heat-generating component (396) for air cooling the at least one heat-generating component.
  12. The hybrid electric turboprop according to claim 11, wherein the thermal engine defines a reverse-flow configuration wherein the air intake is disposed farther from the propeller compared to an exhaust of the thermal engine.
  13. The hybrid electric turboprop according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the air duct includes a door (394, 1394) enabling removal of ice particles in airflow through the airduct.
  14. The hybrid electric turboprop according to claim 13, wherein a portion of the air duct defines a longitudinal axis ("L-L") disposed at an angle relative to the propeller axis, and wherein at least a portion of the door is positioned radially outwardly of the longitudinal axis relative to the propeller axis.
  15. The hybrid electric turboprop according to any preceding claim, wherein the opening of the air inlet is disposed about the propeller axis and disposed in fluid communication with a plenum (1558) surrounding at least a portion of the gearbox such that airflow through the air inlet and into the plenum cools the gearbox and/or such that heat generated by the gearbox melts ice particles in the airflow.

Description

FIELD This disclosure relates to hybrid aircraft and, more particularly, to air inlet configurations for hybrid aircraft such as, for example, hybrid electric turboprop aircraft. BACKGROUND A conventional propeller-based aircraft generally includes a fuselage, a pair of wings, and a propulsion system including one or more thermal engines configured to drive one or more propellers. Turboprop aircraft, for example, typically utilize one or more gas turbine engines to drive one or more propellers. Turboprop aircraft include single turboprop aircraft, which may include a single turboprop at the nose of the aircraft, as well as double turboprop aircraft, which may include a turboprop mounted on each wing. Still other multi-turboprop aircraft may include, for example, two or more turboprops mounted on each wing. More recently, hybrid aircraft have begun to be developed, including hybrid electric turboprop aircraft that employ both a thermal, e.g., gas turbine, engine and an electric motor to drive each propeller. In such hybrid electric turboprop aircraft, the presence of both the thermal engine and the electric motor introduces spatial constraints that create challenges with respect to arranging the various system components in an effective and efficient manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Features of this disclosure will become more apparent in view of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a side, perspective view of an aircraft in accordance with this disclosure including a hybrid electric turboprop disposed at the nose of the aircraft;FIG. 2 is a side, perspective view of another aircraft in accordance with this disclosure including a pair of wing-mounted hybrid electric turboprops;FIG. 3A is a front, perspective view of a portion of a hybrid electric turboprop in accordance with this disclosure and configured for use with the aircraft of FIG. 1, the aircraft of FIG. 2, and/or any other suitable aircraft;FIG. 3B is a side, perspective view of a portion of the hybrid electric turboprop of FIG. 3A, illustrating the position of the air inlet relative to the propeller diameter in accordance with this disclosure;FIG. 4 is a front view of the hybrid electric turboprop of FIG. 3A;FIG. 5 is a front, perspective view of another configuration of a hybrid electric turboprop in accordance with this disclosure;FIG. 6 is a side, partial schematic illustration of a portion of the hybrid electric turboprop of FIG. 5;FIG. 7 is a side, partial schematic illustration of a portion of another hybrid electric turboprop in accordance with this disclosure;FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a gearbox of the hybrid electric turboprop of FIG. 6 shown coupling the thermal engine and electric motor of the hybrid electric turboprop with the propeller of the hybrid electric turboprop in accordance with this disclosure;FIG. 8B is a perspective view of another gearbox in accordance with this disclosure shown coupling the thermal engine and electric motor of a hybrid electric turboprop with a propeller of the hybrid electric turboprop;FIG. 9 is a transverse, cross-sectional view taken along section line "9-9" of FIG. 6, illustrating the positioning of the thermal engine, electric motor, gearbox, air inlet, and exhausts relative to one another and the propeller diameter of the hybrid electric turboprop in accordance with this disclosure;FIG. 10 is a transverse, cross-sectional view of another hybrid electric turboprop configuration in accordance with this disclosure illustrating the positioning of the thermal engine, electric motor, gearbox, air inlet, and exhausts relative to one another and the propeller diameter of the hybrid electric turboprop;FIG. 11 is a transverse, cross-sectional view of still another hybrid electric turboprop configuration in accordance with this disclosure illustrating the positioning of the thermal engine, electric motor, gearbox, air inlet, and exhausts relative to one another and the propeller diameter of the hybrid electric turboprop;FIG. 12 is a side, partial schematic illustration of another configuration of a hybrid electric turboprop in accordance with this disclosure;FIG. 13 is a transverse, cross-sectional view illustrating the positioning of the thermal engine, electric motor, gearbox, air inlet, and exhausts relative to one another and the propeller diameter of the configuration of the hybrid electric turboprop of FIG. 12;FIG. 14 is a side, partial schematic illustration of another configuration of a hybrid electric turboprop in accordance with this disclosure; andFIG. 15 is a transverse, cross-sectional view illustrating the positioning of the thermal engine, electric motor, gearbox, air inlet, and exhausts relative to one another and the propeller diameter of the configuration of the hybrid electric turboprop of FIG. 14. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Approximating language, as used herein, is applied to modify any quantitative represen