AIR PROPULSION SYSTEM OF AN AIRCRAFT

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an aircraft with two engines and an aviation propulsion system of an aircraft with two engines, each with a connecting shaft rotatably driven by one of the engines, wherein both connecting shafts are rotatably connected to one another with their mutually facing ends.

[0002] Such an aviation propulsion system is known from EP 448 672 B1. An auxiliary supply device of the aircraft can be driven by a gear arrangement between the connecting shafts. The aircraft can, for example, be an airplane with two engines connected by the connecting shafts. However, the invention can also be advantageously applied to rotary-wing aircraft with two engines connected by the connecting shafts. Another aircraft is known from EP 339 5680 A1.

[0003] The object of the invention is to provide an aviation propulsion system of the type mentioned above which enables a plurality of operating modes and leads to greater operational reliability with a low component requirement.

[0004] This object is achieved according to the invention in that both connecting shafts are connected with their mutually facing ends via an openable coupling to one of the mutually facing ends of the connecting shafts in a rotatable manner, and wherein an overload protection element is arranged between the end of one of the connecting shafts leading to the openable coupling and the openable coupling, which opens when a certain torque acting on this connecting shaft is exceeded.

[0005] The aircraft can be, for example, an airplane or a rotary-wing aircraft.

[0006] This design allows one engine to be shut down by opening the clutch. This has the advantage that if one engine malfunctions, that engine can be shut down without affecting the function of the other engine and without jeopardizing further flight operations.

[0007] It is also possible to switch off one of the engines during flight in order to save fuel such as kerosene by using only one engine.

[0008] Another possible operating mode is that during ground operations, for example, after landing, both engines do not have to be shut down. It is sufficient to shut down one of the engines and open the clutch, allowing more flexible and faster movement during ground operations while still saving fuel. Preferably, the engine located on the cargo door side is shut down.

[0009] Since only a single coupling is used, the number of components is kept to a minimum. This saves both the required installation space and weight. Furthermore, this leads to a cost reduction of the aircraft propulsion system compared to the possible use of multiple couplings, as well as an improvement in the reliability of the aircraft propulsion system.

[0010] In order to be able to supply additional devices with a rotary drive via the engines, so that no separate drive is required for this purpose in order to save space and weight, one of the connecting shafts can be connected at one end to the openable coupling via a gear unit in a rotatable manner and the openable coupling can be connected to one end of the second of the connecting shafts in a rotatable manner.

[0011] If an overload protection element is arranged between the end of one of the connecting shafts leading to the gear unit or to the coupling and opens when a certain torque acting on this connecting shaft is exceeded, then in the event of a defect in the drive unit connected to this connecting shaft and overload of this connecting shaft, the defective drive unit is immediately separated by opening the overload protection element, so that the other drive unit can continue to operate unaffected by this defect.

[0012] A compact design requiring only a small amount of installation space is achieved if the clutch and / or the gear unit and / or the overload protection element form a single structural unit.

[0013] The clutch and the gear unit, and optionally the overload protection element, can be arranged in the center of a wing of the aircraft, for example, in the fuselage of the aircraft. Alternatively, the clutch and the gear unit can also be arranged in a wing structure in the area of the fuselage. In both cases, they are well protected from environmental influences and easily accessible for maintenance and repairs.

[0014] The two connecting shafts can be arranged coaxially to each other.

[0015] However, it is also possible that the two connecting shafts extend in a way that deviates from coaxiality to each other.

[0016] In order to enable the two connecting shafts to be connected to each other in a simple manner in a rotatable manner, the gear unit can be a bevel gear unit.

[0017] In a simple design, the overload protection element can be a shear bolt.

[0018] Another device that can be driven by one of the engines can be an auxiliary supply device of the aircraft that can be driven by the gear unit.

[0019] Auxiliary supply devices can be, for example, a hydraulic pump, a compressor or a generator.

[0020] An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and described in more detail below. The sole figure of the drawing shows a schematic diagram of a section of a top view of an aircraft.

[0021] A first wing 2 and a second wing 3 extend opposite each other from a fuselage 1 of the aircraft.

[0022] The first wing 2 carries a first engine 4 and the second wing 3 carries a second engine 5.

[0023] Between the two wings 2 and 3, a structural unit 6 is arranged in a housing in the fuselage 1, which consists of a gear unit 7, an openable coupling 8 and an overload protection element 9.

[0024] A first connecting shaft 10 leads from the first drive unit 4 to the gear unit 7, which can thus be driven rotatably by the first drive unit 4, the output of which opposite the first connecting shaft 10 is connected to the clutch 8.

[0025] From the second drive unit 5, a second connecting shaft 11 leads via the overload protection element 9 to the clutch 8.

[0026] The first connecting shaft 10 and the second connecting shaft 11 are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner via the gear unit 7, the clutch 8 which is closed during normal operation and the overload protection element 9.

[0027] This rotationally fixed connection can be opened by opening the coupling 8.

[0028] On the other hand, this rotationally fixed connection can also be opened by the overload protection element 9 if the torque acting on it exceeds a certain predetermined torque.

[0029] The two connecting shafts 10 and 11 extend at an angle to each other, thus deviating from coaxiality. For this reason, the gear unit 7 is a bevel gear unit. Reference symbol

[0030] 1 Fuselage 2 First wing 3 Second wing 4 First engine 5 Second engine 6 Assembly unit 7 Gear unit 8 Clutch 9 Overload protection element 10 First connecting shaft 11 Second connecting shaft

Claims

1. An aircraft with two engines (4, 5) and an aviation propulsion system each with a connecting shaft (10, 11) which is drivable in rotation by one of the engines (4), wherein mutually facing ends of both connecting shafts (10, 11) are connected to each other in a rotatably drivable manner, wherein both connecting shafts (10, 11) are connected by their mutually facing ends in a rotatably drivable manner to one of the mutually facing ends of the connecting shafts (10, 11) via an openable coupling (8), characterised in that an overload protection element (9) is arranged between an end of one of the connecting shafts (11) leading to the openable coupling (8) and the openable coupling (8), which opens when a certain torque acting on this connecting shaft (11) is exceeded.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, characterised in that one end of one of the connecting shafts (10) is connected to the openable coupling (8) in a rotatably drivable manner via a gearbox unit (7), and the openable coupling (8) is, by means of the overload protection element (9), connected in a rotatably drivable manner to one end of the second of the connecting shafts (11).

3. The aircraft of claim 2, characterised in that the openable coupling (8) and / or the gearbox unit (7) and / or the overload protection element (9) form a structural unit (6).

4. The aircraft of claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the openable coupling (8) and the gearbox unit (7) and optionally the overload protection element (9) are arranged in the centre of a wing in a fuselage of the aircraft or in a wing structure in an area of the fuselage.

5. The aircraft of any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the two connecting shafts are arranged coaxially with respect to each other.

6. The aircraft of one of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the two connecting shafts (10, 11) extend in a manner that deviates from coaxially with respect to each other.

7. The aircraft of claim 6, characterised in that the gearbox unit (7) is a bevel gear unit.

8. The aircraft of claim 1, characterised in that the overload protection element (9) is a shear bolt.

9. The aircraft of claim 2, characterised in that an auxiliary supply device of the aircraft can be driven by the gearbox unit.