ELECTRIC HYBRID AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE REGULATIONS

Description

FIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates to hybrid electric aircraft, e.g., having four or more engines.BACKGROUND

[0002] A subset of the small regional (about 50 passenger) aircraft market uses four engines, which may be either turboprops (e.g., deHaviland DHC-7) or turbofans (e.g., BAe 146). While this configuration provides good redundancy and takeoff performance, gas turbine engines in this size class have poor fuel economy compared to larger variants.

[0003] Such conventional methods and systems have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is still a need in the art for improved aircraft and powerplant arrangements. The present disclosure provides a solution for this need.

[0004] US 2013 / 0094963 A1 discloses a hybrid electric aircraft according to the preamble of claim 1. US 2018 / 044028 A1 discloses a thrust force generation device and aircraft, US 2016 / 355272 A1 discloses an aircraft propulsion system, and US 2018 / 362169 A1 discloses an aircraft with electric and fuel engines.SUMMARY

[0005] The present invention provides a hybrid electric aircraft as set forth in claim 1.

[0006] Embodiments of the disclosure are set forth in the dependent claims.

[0007] These and other features of the embodiments of the subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation, embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein: Fig. 1 is a plan schematic diagram of an embodiment of a powerplant arrangement in accordance with this disclosure; Fig. 2 is a plan schematic view of an embodiment of an aircraft in accordance with this disclosure; an Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a power control scheme relative to flight phase (e.g., altitude) in accordance with this disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, an illustrative view of an embodiment of an arrangement in accordance with the disclosure is shown in Fig. 1 and is designated generally by reference character 100. Other embodiments and / or aspects of this disclosure are shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

[0010] Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a hybrid electric aircraft powerplant arrangement 100 includes a first wing pair 101a of powerplants for a first wing (e.g., wing 201) of an aircraft (e.g., aircraft 200). The first wing pair 101a includes a first electric powerplant 103a configured to drive a first air mover 105a and a first heat engine powerplant 107a configured to drive a second air mover 105b separate from the first air mover 105a. Any number of wing pairs on each wing of an aircraft is contemplated herein.

[0011] The arrangement 100 includes a second wing pair 101b of powerplants for a second wing (e.g., wing 203) of the aircraft (e.g., aircraft 200). The second wing pair 101b includes a second electric powerplant 103b configured to drive a third air mover 105c separate from the first and second air movers 105a, 105b, and a second heat engine powerplant 107b configured to drive a fourth air mover 105d separate from the first, second, and third air movers 105a, 105b, 105c. Each wing can include any suitable number of electric powerplants and heat engine powerplants, to the extent that it falls within the scope of the claims (e.g., a wing pair 101a and an additional heat engine or electric motor, two wing pairs on each wing, a plurality of wing pairs divided between the wings).

[0012] The first and second electric powerplant 103a, 103b can each include any suitable components (e.g., an electric motor, power electronics). The first and second heat engine powerplants 107a, 107b can include any suitable components (e.g., one or more heat engines such as a turbomachine or piston engine). The arrangement 100 can include any other suitable components, e.g., one or more liquid fuel storages (e.g., connected together in any suitable manner) and fuel systems (e.g., controlled by a common controller, e.g., as described below) for heat engine fuel and / or one or more electrical energy storages for powering the electric powerplants).

[0013] As shown, the first electric powerplant 103a is inboard (e.g., closer to the centerline of the aircraft) of the first heat engine powerplant 107a. The second electric powerplant 103b is inboard of the second heat engine powerplant 107b. This can lower torque in the event of a heat engine failure, reducing the amount of needed compensatory control, for example. However, certain embodiments not within the scope of the claims can have one or more of the electric powerplants 103a, 103b outboard of the heat powerplants 107a, 107b.

[0014] The arrangement 100 includes a common controller 109 configured to operate each of the powerplants 103a, 103b, 107a, 107b. In certain embodiments, each powerplant 103a, 103b, 107a, 107b can include a local system controller, e.g., as shown, connected to the common controller 109, for example. However, it is contemplated that only the common controller 109 can be connected to each powerplant system directly as needed. The common controller 109 can include any suitable hardware and / or software configured to perform any function disclosed herein.

[0015] Referring additionally to Fig. 3, the first heat engine powerplant 107a and the second heat engine powerplant 107b are sized to provide full power from take-off through cruise until descent. In certain embodiments, the common controller 109 can be configured to control the first heat engine powerplant 107a and the second heat engine powerplant 107b to operate at only full power, idle power, and a single power setting (e.g., a lower power descent setting, e.g., about 20% power) between full power and idle power, for example, e.g., as shown in Fig. 3. Any other suitable number of power settings (e.g., a variety of discrete power settings) between full power and idle power is contemplated herein, to the extent that they fall within the scope of the claims.

[0016] The arrangement 100 can further include the first, second, third, and fourth air movers 105a, b, c, d. Each of the air movers 105a, b, c, d can be a propeller, for example. Any other type of air mover is contemplated herein (e.g., a fan or any other similar device).

[0017] In certain embodiments, the first electric powerplant 103a and the second electric powerplant 103b can be powered by one or more electrical energy sources 111a, 111b (e.g., one or more batteries) that are separate from the first and second heat engine powerplants 107a, 107b. In certain embodiments, the first heat engine powerplant 107a and / or the second heat engine powerplant 107b can be configured to provide electrical energy to the one or more electrical energy sources 111a, 111b (e.g., to charge the one or more batteries). In certain embodiments, it is contemplated that the first and second heat engine powerplants may not be connected to provide any electrical power to the electrical energy source.

[0018] In accordance with this disclosure, a hybrid electric aircraft 200 includes a first wing 201 and a second wing 203 (e.g., attached to a fuselage). The aircraft 200 includes a first wing pair 101a of powerplants, e.g., as described above, attached to the first wing 201, and a second wing pair 101b of powerplants, e.g., as described above, attached to the second wing 203 of the aircraft 200. The aircraft 200 can include any other suitable components.

[0019] Certain embodiments can include four 1000 HP powerplants instead of two 2000 HP powerplants on other twin engine types of aircraft, for example. Any suitable maximum production by each power plant (e.g., the same or different from each other) is contemplated herein. Certain embodiments provide a parallel hybrid architecture having distributed fuel burning engines and electric motors, each driving dedicated propellers. Embodiments include separate powertrains with separate propellers. As disclosed above, embodiments can include two electric powerplants and two heat engine powerplants symmetrically disposed on an aircraft. Embodiments of electric and heat powerplants are only connected by a common controller configured to divide power between heat engine power and electric power.

[0020] In certain embodiments, heat engine powerplants can be operated continuously at full power throughout the flight, while the electric powerplants would be operated as needed to provide supplemental power (e.g., during takeoff and climb operations).

[0021] Embodiments can provide improved fuel economy due to implementation of two optimally sized fuel burning engines to support cruise instead of four gas turbines running at non-optimum conditions. Embodiments can include reasonable battery sizing due to targeted usage of electric powertrain relative to total mission length. Embodiments can be retrofit into existing aircraft configurations.

[0022] Those having ordinary skill in the art understand that any numerical values disclosed herein can be exact values or can be values within a range. Further, any terms of approximation (e.g., "about", "approximately", "around") used in this disclosure can mean the stated value within a range. For example, in certain embodiments, the range can be within (plus or minus) 20%, or within 10%, or within 5%, or within 2%, or within any other suitable percentage or number as appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art (e.g., for known tolerance limits or error ranges).

[0023] The articles "a", "an", and "the" as used herein and in the appended claims are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. By way of example, "an element" means one element or more than one element.

[0024] The phrase "and / or," as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the "and / or" clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to "A and / or B", when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as "comprising" can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

[0025] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as "only one of" or "exactly one of," or, when used in the claims, "consisting of," will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term "or" as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., "one or the other but not both") when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly one of."

[0026] The embodiments of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for improvement in the art to which they pertain. While the subject disclosure includes reference to certain embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and / or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A hybrid electric aircraft (200) comprising: a first wing (201); a second wing (203); and a hybrid electric aircraft powerplant arrangement (100) comprising: a first wing pair of powerplants (101a) attached to the first wing (201), the first wing pair of powerplants (101a) comprising a first electric powerplant (103a) configured to drive a first air mover (105a) and a first heat engine powerplant (107a) configured to drive a second air mover (105b) separate from the first air mover (105a); a second wing pair of powerplants (101b) attached to the second wing (203), the second wing pair of powerplants (101b) comprising a second electric powerplant (103b) configured to drive a third air mover (105c) separate from the first and second air movers (105a, 105b), and a second heat engine powerplant (107b) configured to drive a fourth air mover (105d) separate from the first, second, and third air movers (105a, 105b, 105c); and a common controller (109) configured to operate each of the powerplants (103a, 103b, 107a, 107b); wherein: the first electric powerplant (103a) is inboard of the first heat engine powerplant (107a); the second electric powerplant (103b) is inboard of the second heat engine powerplant (107b), characterised in that: the common controller (109) is configured to control the first heat engine powerplant (107a) and the second heat engine powerplant (107b) to provide full power from take-off through cruise until descent.

2. The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 1, wherein the common controller (109) is configured to control the first heat engine powerplant (107a) and the second heat engine powerplant (107b) to operate at only full power, idle power, and a single power setting between full power and idle power, only full power being provided from take-off through cruise until descent.

3. The hybrid electric aircraft of any preceding claim, further comprising the first, second, third, and fourth air movers (105a, 105b, 105c, 105d).

4. The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 3, wherein each of the air movers (105a, 105b, 105c, 105d) is a propeller or fan.

5. The hybrid electric aircraft of any preceding claim, wherein the first electric powerplant (103a) and the second electric powerplant (103b) are powered by one or more electrical energy sources (111a, 111b) that is separate from the first and second heat engine powerplants (107a, 107b).

6. The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 5, wherein the first heat engine powerplant (107a) is configured to provide electrical energy to the one or more electrical energy sources (111a, 111b).

7. The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 5 or 6, wherein the second heat engine powerplant (107b) is configured to provide electrical energy to the one or more electrical energy sources (111a, 111b).