Propulsion unit

Abstract

To provide a propulsion unit that is able to enhance the safety of a flying object and suitable to be mounted on the flying object.SOLUTION: A propulsion unit 15 includes a propeller 20 and an EPU 50. The EPU 50 includes a motor device 60, an inverter device 80, and an EPU housing 55. The motor device 60 includes a motor 61 and is driven to propel an eVTOL. The inverter device 80 includes an inverter 81 and an inverter control unit 82 and drives the motor device 60. The EPU housing 55 accommodates the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80. In the EPU50, the inverter devices 80A, 80B are arranged in the motor device 60 in an axial direction AD as the inverter device 80. The motor device 60 is driven by the inverter devices 80A, 80B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The disclosure herein relates to propulsion devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a drive unit installed in an airplane or the like. This drive unit has one motor device and one inverter device. One motor device and one inverter device are arranged along the rotation axis of the motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] DE102015218622 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since the drive unit has only one inverter device, there is a concern that if an abnormality occurs in the inverter device, the drive unit will stop operating. Therefore, in an aircraft equipped with a drive unit, the safety of the aircraft is likely to decrease when an abnormality occurs in the inverter device.

[0005] One object of the present disclosure is to provide a propulsion device that can improve the safety of an aircraft and is suitable for installation on an aircraft. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The various aspects disclosed in this specification employ different technical means to achieve their respective objectives. The reference symbols in parentheses in the claims and in this section are merely examples showing the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments below as one aspect, and do not limit the technical scope.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the disclosed embodiment comprises: A propulsion device (15) that propels an aircraft (10) by rotation of a propeller (20), a motor device (60, 60A, 60B) having a motor (61, 61A, 61B) and driving the motor to propel the aircraft; a motor drive device (80, 80A, 80B) having a power conversion unit (81, 81A, 81B) for converting power supplied to the motor and for driving the motor device; An apparatus housing (55) that houses a motor and a power conversion unit; Equipped with The motor device can be driven by a plurality of motor drivers; The multiple motor drive devices are propulsion devices, each capable of driving at least one motor device, and each arranged so as to be aligned with the motor device in the axial direction (AD) along which the motor's rotational axis (Cm) extends, and so as to be aligned with each other in the axial direction.

[0008] According to the above aspect, each of the multiple motor drive devices drives at least one motor device. In this configuration, even if an abnormality occurs in one of the motor drive devices, the remaining motor drive devices can drive the motor devices. Therefore, the multiple motor drive devices can increase the redundancy of the propulsion device.

[0009] Moreover, the motor drive units are arranged so as to be aligned axially with the motor unit and with each other. In this configuration, the order in which the motor drive units and the motor units are arranged in the axial direction can be determined so as to reduce the weight of the unit housing. Reducing the weight of the propulsion unit in this way is effective in reducing the weight of the aircraft.

[0010] As described above, the safety of the flying object can be improved by the propulsion device, and further, a propulsion device suitable for mounting on the flying object can be realized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an eVTOL in a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the EPU. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a motor device and an inverter device. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure for flight control processing. [Figure 6] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 12] Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the EPU. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to an eighth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to a ninth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to a tenth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to an eleventh embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to a twelfth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a propulsion device according to a thirteenth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, a number of embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, the same reference numerals may be used to designate parts corresponding to matters described in the preceding embodiment, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted. In each embodiment, when only a part of the configuration is described, other embodiments described previously may be applied to other parts of the configuration. In addition to combinations of parts that are specifically indicated as being possible in each embodiment, it is also possible to partially combine embodiments even if not indicated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0013] First Embodiment The flight system 30 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on the eVTOL10. The eVTOL10 is an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft is an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and is capable of vertical take-off and landing. eVTOL is an abbreviation for electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft. The eVTOL10 is an electric flying object that flies in the atmosphere, and may be referred to as an electric flying object. The eVTOL10 is also an electric aircraft, and may be referred to as an electric aircraft. The eVTOL10 may be either a manned flying object with a crew member on board, or an unmanned flying object without a crew member on board. The eVTOL10 is operated by a pilot as a pilot. The pilot may operate the eVTOL10 as a crew member, or may remotely operate the eVTOL10 without riding the eVTOL10. The flight system 30 is a system that drives the eVTOL10 to fly. The flight system 30 may be referred to as a propulsion system.

[0014] The eVTOL 10 has an airframe 11 and a propeller 20. The airframe 11 has an airframe main body 12 and wings 13. The airframe main body 12 is the fuselage of the airframe 11 and has a shape that extends, for example, in the front-to-rear direction. The airframe main body 12 has a passenger compartment for passengers to ride in. The wings 13 extend from the airframe main body 12 and multiple wings 13 are provided on the airframe main body 12. The wings 13 are fixed wings. The multiple wings 13 include a main wing, a tail wing, etc.

[0015] A plurality of propellers 20 are provided on the airframe 11. The eVTOL 10 is a multicopter having at least three propellers 20. For example, at least four propellers 20 are provided on the airframe 11. The propellers 20 are provided on each of the airframe body 12 and the wings 13. The propellers 20 rotate about a propeller axis. The propeller axis is, for example, the center line of the propeller 20. The propellers 20 can generate thrust and lift for the eVTOL 10. The propellers 20 are sometimes referred to as rotors or rotating wings.

[0016] The propeller 20 has blades 21. A plurality of the blades 21 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the propeller axis. In the propeller 20, the plurality of blades 21 are connected by a boss. In the propeller 20, a propeller shaft extends from the boss along the propeller axis. The propeller 20 is a variable-pitch propeller. In the propeller 20, the angle of the blades 21 with respect to the propeller axis can be changed.

[0017] Flight modes of the eVTOL 10 include vertical takeoff, vertical landing, cruising, hovering, etc. The eVTOL 10 can take off from a takeoff point by ascending vertically without running as a vertical takeoff. The eVTOL 10 can land at a landing point by descending vertically as a vertical landing.

[0018] The multiple propellers 20 include a lift propeller and a cruise propeller. The lift propeller is provided with a propeller axis extending in the vertical direction. The lift propeller can generate lift for the eVTOL 10. The eVTOL 10 is capable of ascending, descending, hovering, and the like, by the driving rotation of the lift propeller. The cruise propeller is provided with a propeller axis extending in the front-rear direction. The cruise propeller can generate thrust for the eVTOL 10. The eVTOL 10 is capable of cruising, and the like, by the driving rotation of the cruise propeller.

[0019] The eVTOL 10 may be a tilt rotor aircraft. In the tilt rotor aircraft, the tilt angle of the propeller 20 is adjustable. In the tilt rotor aircraft, one propeller 20 can function as both a lift propeller and a cruise propeller.

[0020] The eVTOL 10 has an EPU 50. The EPU 50 is a device that drives the propeller 20 to rotate, and corresponds to a drive device. EPU is an abbreviation for Electric Propulsion Unit. The EPU 50 may be referred to as an electric drive device or an electric drive system. An EPU 50 is provided individually for each of the multiple propellers 20. The EPUs 50 are arranged on the propellers 20 along the propeller axis. All of the multiple EPUs 50 are fixed to the airframe 11. The EPUs 50 support the propellers 20 so that they can rotate. The EPUs 50 are connected to the propellers 20. The propellers 20 are fixed to the airframe 11 via the EPUs 50.

[0021] The propeller 20 rotates in accordance with the drive of the EPU 50. The propeller 20 corresponds to a rotating body. The eVTOL 10 flies by the rotation of the propeller 20. That is, the eVTOL 10 moves by the rotation of the propeller 20. The eVTOL 10 corresponds to a moving body. The eVTOL 10 has a propulsion device 15. The propulsion device 15 has a propeller 20 and an EPU 50. The propulsion device 15 propels the eVTOL 10 by the rotation of the propeller 20. The propulsion device 15 is a device in which the propeller 20 and the EPU 50 are integrated. Note that, of the propeller 20 and the EPU 50, only the EPU 50 may be referred to as a propulsion device.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the EPU 50 has a motor device 60 and an inverter device 80. The motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 are formed as a whole in a short cylindrical shape and extend in the axial direction AD. The motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 are arranged side by side in the axial direction AD. The motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 are stacked in the axial direction AD. The motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 are provided coaxially. The center line of the inverter device 80 coincides with the motor axis line Cm. The motor device 60 is provided between the inverter device 80 and the propeller 20 in the axial direction AD.

[0023] The motor device 60 has a motor 61 and a motor housing 70. The motor housing 70 is a housing and houses the motor 61. The motor 61 is a multi-phase AC motor. The motor device 60 drives to propel the eVTOL 10. The motor device 60 is a flight drive source for the eVTOL 10 and functions as an electric motor. The motor device 60 is sometimes referred to as a rotating electric machine.

[0024] The motor 61 has a stator 62, rotors 64a, 64b, and a motor shaft 65. The motor 61 is configured to include mechanical components such as the stator 62, rotors 64a, 64b, and motor shaft 65. The stator 62 is a fixed part, and is fixed to a motor housing 70. The stator 62 has a motor coil 63 (see FIG. 3). The motor coil 63 is a multi-phase coil. The motor coil 63 is a winding, and forms an armature.

[0025] The rotors 64a, 64a are rotors and rotate relative to the stator 62. The motor shaft 65 supports the rotors 64a, 64b. The motor shaft 65 rotates together with the rotors 64a, 64b. The motor 61 is an axial gap type motor. In the motor 61, the stator 62 and the rotors 64a, 64b are arranged in the axial direction AD. The motor 61 is also a double rotor type motor. In the motor 61, the first rotor 64a and the second rotor 64b are arranged in the axial direction AD via the stator 62.

[0026] The axial direction AD is the direction in which the motor axis Cm extends. The motor axis Cm is the rotation axis of the rotors 64a, 64b. The rotors 64a, 64b rotate around the motor axis Cm. The motor axis Cm is, for example, the center line of the rotors 64a, 64b. The motor axis Cm is also the center line of the motor 61, the stator 62, and the motor shaft 65. The motor axis Cm corresponds to the rotation axis. With respect to the motor axis Cm, the axial direction AD, the radial direction RD, and the circumferential direction CD are mutually perpendicular. The outside of the radial direction RD may be referred to as the radial outside or the outer circumferential side. The inside of the radial direction RD may be referred to as the radial inside or the inner circumferential side.

[0027] The motor housing 70 has a motor outer peripheral wall 71, a motor facing wall 73, and a motor fin 79. The motor outer peripheral wall 71, the motor facing wall 73, and the motor fin 79 are formed of a metal material or the like and have thermal conductivity. The motor outer peripheral wall 71 extends annularly in the circumferential direction CD. The motor outer peripheral wall 71 forms the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing 70. The motor outer peripheral wall 71 covers the stator 62 and the rotors 64a, 64b from the outer periphery. A pair of motor facing walls 73 are arranged in the axial direction AD. The pair of motor facing walls 73 face each other via the stator 62, the rotors 64a, 64b, and the motor outer peripheral wall 71. The motor facing walls 73 extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. The motor facing walls 73 are fixed to the motor outer peripheral wall 71.

[0028] The motor fins 79 are provided on the motor outer peripheral wall 71. The motor fins 79 dissipate heat from the motor housing 70 to the outside of the motor device 60. The motor fins 79 are heat dissipation fins extending from the motor outer peripheral wall 71 to the outer periphery. The motor fins 79 extend in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction CD. A plurality of motor fins 79 are arranged in the circumferential direction CD.

[0029] The motor device 60 has a motor bearing 66. The motor bearing 66 rotatably supports the motor shaft 65. The motor bearing 66 is a bearing member. A plurality of motor bearings 66 are arranged in the axial direction AD. The motor bearing 66 is fixed to the motor housing 70. For example, the motor bearing 66 is fixed to the motor facing wall 73.

[0030] The inverter device 80 drives the motor device 60. The inverter device 80 corresponds to a motor drive device. The inverter device 80 has an inverter 81, an inverter control unit 82, and an inverter housing 90. The inverter housing 90 is a housing and houses the inverter 81 and the inverter control unit 82. The inverter 81 drives the motor 61 by converting the power supplied to the motor 61. The inverter 81 corresponds to a power conversion unit.

[0031] The inverter 81 includes a plurality of electronic components such as switching elements and capacitor elements. In the inverter 81, these electronic components are mounted on a circuit board or the like. The inverter control unit 82 controls the motor 61 by controlling the inverter 81. The inverter control unit 82 includes a plurality of electronic components such as a microcomputer, a processor 83 (described later), and a memory 84. In the inverter control unit 82, these electronic components are mounted on a circuit board or the like. The inverter device 80 controls the power supplied to the motor coil 63. In the inverter device 80, one inverter 81 and one inverter control unit 82 form one inverter module. The inverter 81 and the inverter control unit 82 may be configured to include a common circuit board.

[0032] The inverter housing 90 has an inverter housing hole 95. The inverter housing hole 95 penetrates the inverter housing 90 in the axial direction AD. The inverter housing hole 95 extends in the axial direction AD along the motor axis Cm. The inverter housing hole 95 is provided in the center of the inverter housing 90. The center line of the inverter housing hole 95 coincides with the motor axis Cm. The inverter housing 90 corresponds to a motor drive housing.

[0033] The inverter housing 90 has an inverter outer peripheral wall 91, an inverter inner peripheral wall 92, an inverter facing wall 93, and inverter fins 99. The inverter outer peripheral wall 91, the inverter inner peripheral wall 92, the inverter facing wall 93, and the inverter fins 99 are formed of a metal material or the like and have thermal conductivity.

[0034] The inverter outer peripheral wall 91 and the inverter inner peripheral wall 92 extend annularly in the circumferential direction CD. The inverter outer peripheral wall 91 forms the outer peripheral surface of the inverter housing 90. The inverter inner peripheral wall 92 forms the inner peripheral surface of the inverter housing 90. The inverter inner peripheral wall 92 forms an inverter housing hole 95. The inverter outer peripheral wall 91 and the inverter inner peripheral wall 92 are aligned in the radial direction RD and face each other with the inverter 81 and the inverter control unit 82 interposed therebetween.

[0035] The inverter facing walls 93 are arranged in a pair in the axial direction AD. The pair of inverter facing walls 93 face each other across the inverter 81, the inverter control unit 82, the inverter outer peripheral wall 91, and the inverter inner peripheral wall 92. The inverter facing walls 93 extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. The inverter facing walls 93 are fixed to the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 and the inverter inner peripheral wall 92.

[0036] The inverter fins 99 are provided on the inverter outer peripheral wall 91. The inverter fins 99 dissipate heat from the inverter housing 90 to the outside of the inverter device 80. The inverter fins 99 are heat dissipation fins extending from the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 to the outer periphery. The inverter fins 99 extend in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction CD. A plurality of inverter fins 99 are arranged in the circumferential direction CD.

[0037] The motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 are fixed to each other. For example, the motor housing 70 and the inverter housing 90 are fixed to each other with a fastener such as a bolt. This fastener fixes the motor outer peripheral wall 71 and the inverter outer peripheral wall 91. The motor outer peripheral wall 71 and the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 are aligned in the axial direction AD. For example, the motor outer peripheral wall 71 and the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 are aligned in the axial direction AD so that their outer peripheral surfaces are flush with each other.

[0038] The EPU 50 has a gear device 100. The gear device 100 mechanically connects the motor device 60 and the propeller 20. The gear device 100 transmits the drive of the motor device 60 to the propeller 20. The gear device 100 is provided between the motor device 60 and the propeller 20 in the axial direction AD. The gear device 100 is sometimes referred to as a gear box. The gear device 100 is formed into a short cylindrical shape as a whole and extends in the axial direction AD. The gear device 100 is arranged with the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 in the axial direction AD. The gear device 100 is provided between the motor device 60, the inverter device 80 and the propeller 20 in the axial direction AD. The gear device 100 is provided coaxially with the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80. The center line of the gear device 100 coincides with the motor axis line Cm.

[0039] The gear device 100 has a gear 101, a gear shaft 102, and a gear housing 105. The gear shaft 102 extends in the axial direction AD, and connects the motor shaft 65 and the propeller 20. The gear 101 has a reducer, and is provided on the gear shaft 102.

[0040] The gear housing 105 accommodates the gear 101. The gear housing 105 has a gear outer peripheral wall 106 and a gear opposing wall 107. The gear outer peripheral wall 106 extends annularly in the circumferential direction CD. The gear outer peripheral wall 106 forms the outer peripheral surface of the gear housing 105. The gear outer peripheral wall 106 covers the gear 101 from the radial outside. The gear opposing walls 107 are arranged in a pair in the axial direction AD. The pair of gear opposing walls 107 are arranged in the axial direction AD with the gear 101 interposed therebetween. The gear outer peripheral wall 106 and the gear opposing wall 107 are formed of a metal material or the like and have thermal conductivity.

[0041] The EPU 50 has an EPU shaft 51, an EPU bearing 52, and an EPU housing 55. The EPU housing 55 is a housing and houses the motor 61, the inverter 81, the inverter control unit 82, and a gear 101. The EPU housing 55 corresponds to an equipment housing. The EPU housing 55 is configured to include a motor housing 70, an inverter housing 90, and a gear housing 105.

[0042] The EPU housing 55 has an EPU outer peripheral wall 56, an EPU facing wall 57, and EPU fins 59. The EPU outer peripheral wall 56 extends annularly in the circumferential direction CD. The EPU outer peripheral wall 56 forms the outer peripheral surface of the EPU housing 55. The EPU outer peripheral wall 56 is configured to include a motor outer peripheral wall 71, an inverter outer peripheral wall 91, and a gear outer peripheral wall 106. A plurality of EPU facing walls 57 are arranged in the axial direction AD. The EPU facing wall 57 is formed by the motor facing wall 73, the inverter facing wall 93, and the gear facing wall 107. The EPU facing wall 57 extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. The EPU facing wall 57 is fixed to the EPU outer peripheral wall 56. The EPU facing wall 57 forms an end face of the outer surface of the EPU housing 55.

[0043] The EPU shaft 51 connects the rotors 64a, 64b and the propeller 20. The EPU shaft 51 is formed to include a motor shaft 65 and a gear shaft 102. The EPU shaft 51 extends in the axial direction AD along the motor axis line Cm, and rotates around the motor axis line Cm. The EPU shaft 51 penetrates the EPU housing 55 in the axial direction AD. For example, the EPU shaft 51 is inserted into the inverter housing hole 95.

[0044] The EPU bearing 52 rotatably supports the EPU shaft 51. The EPU bearing 52 is a bearing member. A plurality of EPU bearings 52 are arranged in the axial direction AD. The EPU bearings 52 are fixed to the EPU housing 55. The EPU bearings 52 are fixed to the motor housing 70 and the inverter housing 90. The plurality of EPU bearings 52 includes a motor bearing 66.

[0045] The EPU fins 59 are provided on the EPU outer peripheral wall 56. The EPU fins 59 dissipate heat from the EPU housing 55 to the outside of the EPU 50. The EPU fins 59 are heat dissipation fins extending from the EPU outer peripheral wall 56 toward the outer periphery. The EPU fins 59 extend in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction CD. Multiple EPU fins 59 are arranged in the circumferential direction CD. The multiple EPU fins 59 include motor fins 79 and inverter fins 99. The EPU fins 59 may be provided on the EPU opposing wall 57 or the inverter inner circumferential wall 92.

[0046] The propulsion device 15 has a pitch controller 16. The pitch controller 16 is provided on the EPU shaft 51. The pitch controller 16 is capable of changing the pitch of the propeller 20. For example, the pitch controller 16 is capable of rotating the propeller 20 so that the angle of the blades 21 with respect to the propeller axis line changes. The pitch controller 16 is configured to include an actuator such as a motor.

[0047] In the propulsion device 15, a propeller wind is generated as the propeller 20 rotates. The propeller wind is a flow of gas such as air flowing in the axial direction AD. The propeller wind flows from the propeller 20 toward the EPU 50. The EPU 50 is provided on the leeward side of the propeller wind with respect to the propeller 20.

[0048] The EPU 50 has an EPU fan 110 and an EPU duct 120. The EPU fan 110 can blow air in the axial direction AD to cool the EPU housing 55. The EPU fan 110 blows air so that the cooling air Fa flows in the axial direction AD. The cooling air Fa flows in the same direction as the propeller wind. The cooling air Fa is a flow of gas such as air flowing in the axial direction AD. The cooling air Fa is generated in association with the rotation of at least the EPU fan 110 of the propeller 20 and the EPU fan 110. The EPU fan 110 is provided on the downwind side of the cooling air Fa with respect to the propeller 20. The EPU fan 110 is, for example, an axial fan, and corresponds to an air-cooled fan. The EPU fan 110 is provided on the EPU shaft 51. The EPU fan 110 rotates together with the EPU shaft 51 in association with the driving of the motor device 60.

[0049] The EPU duct 120 extends annularly in the circumferential direction CD. The EPU duct 120 extends in the axial direction AD. The EPU duct 120 accommodates the motor unit 60, the inverter unit 80, and the gear unit 100. The EPU duct 120 also accommodates the EPU housing 55. The EPU duct 120 is provided so as to cover the EPU housing 55 from the outer periphery side. The EPU duct 120 is made of a metal material or the like, and has thermal conductivity.

[0050] The EPU fan 110 is housed in an EPU duct 120. In the EPU duct 120, cooling air Fa flows in association with the rotation of the EPU fan 110. In the EPU duct 120, the cooling air Fa that flows in from a first duct port 121 flows out from a second duct port 122. Of a pair of openings that the EPU duct 120 has, the first duct port 121 is the opening on the propeller 20 side. The second duct port 122 is the opening on the opposite side to the propeller 20. The first duct port 121 and the second duct port 122 are aligned in the axial direction AD via a duct space 123. The duct space 123 is the internal space of the EPU duct 120.

[0051] The EPU duct 120 has an outer circumferential flow passage 123a and an intermediate flow passage 123b. The outer circumferential flow passage 123a and the intermediate flow passage 123b are included in the duct space 123. The outer circumferential flow passage 123a is formed between the EPU housing 55 and the EPU duct 120 in the radial direction RD. The outer circumferential flow passage 123a is a flow passage extending annularly in the circumferential direction CD. The outer circumferential flow passage 123a extends in the axial direction AD along the outer circumferential surface of the EPU housing 55. The outer circumferential flow passage 123a extends in the axial direction AD so as to span between the first duct port 121 and the second duct port 122. The outer circumferential flow passage 123a is provided with a motor fin 79 and an inverter fin 99 as the EPU fins 59. The EPU duct 120 forms the outer circumferential flow passage 123a between itself and the EPU housing 55. The EPU duct 120 corresponds to the outer circumferential duct.

[0052] The EPU housing 55 is divided into a plurality of housing portions. For example, the EPU housing 55 has two housing portions. The two housing portions are aligned in the axial direction AD. One of the two housing portions is formed by the gear housing 105, and the other is formed by the motor housing 70 and the inverter housing 90. In the EPU housing 55, the gear housing 105 and the motor housing 70 are located apart from each other in the axial direction AD. The gear housing 105 and the motor housing 70 are connected to each other by a connecting member (not shown).

[0053] The intervening passage 123b is a passage formed between two housing parts in the axial direction AD. For example, the intervening passage 123b is between the gear housing 105 and the motor housing 70 in the axial direction AD. The intervening passage 123b extends radially inward from the outer circumferential passage 123a. The gear housing 105 and the motor housing 70 are adjacent to each other in the axial direction AD via the intervening passage 123b.

[0054] The EPU fan 110 is provided in the intervening flow passage 123b. The EPU fan 110 is located between two housing parts adjacent in the axial direction AD. For example, the EPU fan 110 is located between the gear housing 105 and the motor housing 70. The EPU fan 110 is provided upwind of the motor housing 70 and the inverter housing 90. In other words, the EPU fan 110 is provided between the motor device 60 / inverter device 80 and the propeller 20 in the axial direction AD.

[0055] In the outer circumferential flow passage 123a, the cooling air Fa flows in the axial direction AD as the EPU fan 110 rotates. The cooling air Fa flows into the outer circumferential flow passage 123a from the first duct opening 121 and flows out to the outside from the second duct opening 122. The cooling air Fa flows into the outer circumferential flow passage 123a from the first duct opening 121, as if being sucked into the EPU fan 110. The cooling air Fa also flows out to the outside from the second duct opening 122, as if being pushed out by the EPU fan 110.

[0056] The EPU 50 has an EPU fixing portion 58. The EPU fixing portion 58 is a portion that fixes the EPU 50 to the aircraft body 11. The EPU fixing portion 58 is fixed to the aircraft body 11 by a fastener such as a bolt. The EPU fixing portion 58 is included in the EPU housing 55. The EPU fixing portion 58 corresponds to a housing fixing portion. The EPU fixing portion 58 is provided on the EPU outer peripheral wall 56. The EPU fixing portion 58 is a convex portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the EPU outer peripheral wall 56. The EPU fixing portion 58 penetrates the EPU duct 120 and protrudes to the outer periphery side of the EPU duct 120. A plurality of EPU fixing portions 58 are arranged in the circumferential direction CD. The EPU fixing portion 58 may extend annularly in the circumferential direction CD.

[0057] The EPU fixing portion 58 is provided between the propeller 20 and the inverter device 80 in the axial direction AD. For example, the EPU fixing portion 58 is provided between the propeller 20 and the motor device 60 in the axial direction AD. The EPU fixing portion 58 is provided at a position closer to the motor device 60 than the inverter device 80. In the axial direction AD, the distance between the EPU fixing portion 58 and the motor device 60 is smaller than the distance between the EPU fixing portion 58 and the inverter device 80.

[0058] The EPU fixing portion 58 is provided in a portion of the EPU housing 55 that has a high strength. In the EPU housing 55, multiple portions with different strengths are arranged in the axial direction AD. In the EPU housing 55, the gear housing 105, the motor housing 70, and the inverter housing 90 have different strengths. For example, the strength of the gear housing 105 is higher than the strength of the inverter housing 90. The gear housing 105 corresponds to a high housing. Also, the strength of the inverter housing 90 is lower than the strength of the motor housing 70. The strength of one of the gear housing 105 and the motor housing 70 may be higher than the strength of the other, or the strength of one may be the same as the strength of the other.

[0059] In the EPU 50, the strength of the EPU housing 55 tends to increase as the strength of the EPU outer peripheral wall 56 increases. The EPU fixing portion 58 is provided in a portion of the EPU outer peripheral wall 56 that has a high strength. The EPU outer peripheral wall 56 has a plurality of portions with different strengths arranged in the axial direction AD. In the EPU outer peripheral wall 56, the gear outer peripheral wall 106, the motor outer peripheral wall 71, and the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 have different strengths. For example, the strength of the gear outer peripheral wall 106 is greater than the strength of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91. Furthermore, the strength of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 is less than the strength of the motor outer peripheral wall 71. The strength of one of the gear outer peripheral wall 106 and the motor outer peripheral wall 71 may be greater than the strength of the other, or the strength of one may be the same as the strength of the other.

[0060] The strength of the EPU outer peripheral wall 56 tends to increase as the thickness dimension in the radial direction RD increases. In the EPU housing 55, the strength of the EPU outer peripheral wall 56 increases as the EPU outer peripheral wall 56 becomes thicker. In the EPU outer peripheral wall 56, the gear outer peripheral wall 106, the motor outer peripheral wall 71, and the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 have different thicknesses. For example, the thickness dimension of the gear outer peripheral wall 106 is larger than the thickness dimension of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91. Also, the thickness dimension of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 is smaller than the thickness dimension of the motor outer peripheral wall 71. In the gear outer peripheral wall 106 and the motor outer peripheral wall 71, one of the thickness dimensions may be larger than the other, or one of the thickness dimensions may be the same as the other. In FIG. 2, for convenience of illustration, the gear outer peripheral wall 106, the motor outer peripheral wall 71, and the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 have approximately the same thickness.

[0061] In the EPU 50, the motor 61 and the gear 101 are relatively heavy. For example, the weight of the motor 61 and the weight of the gear 101 are greater than the weight of the inverter 81 and the inverter control unit 82. In the EPU housing 55, for example, the strength of the motor housing 70 is greater than the strength of the inverter housing 90 so that the strength of the motor housing 70 is sufficient for the weight of the motor 61. Also, in the EPU housing 55, for example, the strength of the gear housing 105 is greater than the strength of the inverter housing 90 so that the strength of the gear housing 105 is sufficient for the weight of the gear 101.

[0062] In the EPU housing 55, the weight of the inverter 81 and the inverter control unit 82 is relatively light. For this reason, even if the strength of the inverter housing 90 is lower than the strength of the motor housing 70 and the strength of the gear housing 105, the strength of the inverter housing 90 is unlikely to be insufficient for the weight of the inverter 81 and the inverter control unit 82.

[0063] The EPU fixing portion 58 is included in the gear housing 105. The EPU fixing portion 58 is provided on the gear outer peripheral wall 106. The EPU fixing portion 58 is provided at a position on the gear outer peripheral wall 106 closer to the end on the motor device 60 side than to the end on the propeller 20 side. For example, the EPU fixing portion 58 is provided at the end of the gear outer peripheral wall 106 on the motor device 60 side.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 3, the eVTOL 10 has a general control unit 40. The general control unit 40 performs flight control for flying the eVTOL 10. The general control unit 40 generalizes and controls various devices such as the EPU 50 mounted on the eVTOL 10. The flight control includes EPU control for driving the EPU 50. The EPU control includes motor control for driving the motor 61. The general control unit 40 is a flight control device. In addition, the general control unit 40 controls the driving of the pitch controller 16. The general control unit 40 adjusts the pitch of the propeller 20 via the pitch controller 16.

[0065] The overall control unit 40 is, for example, an ECU. ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit. The overall control unit 40 has a processor 41, a memory 42, and a program 43. The overall control unit 40 is mainly configured with a computer. This computer has the processor 41, the memory 42, an input / output interface, a bus connecting these, etc. The memory 42 stores the program 43. The program 43 is a program for performing flight control.

[0066] The processor 41 is hardware for arithmetic processing coupled to the memory 42. The processor 41 executes various processes such as flight control processing by accessing the memory 42. The memory 42 is a storage medium that stores a control program and the like. For example, the memory 42 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs and data. The non-transitory tangible storage medium is a non-transitory tangible storage medium, and is realized by a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like. The program 43 includes computer-readable instructions that cause the processor 41 to execute various functions. The processor 41 is a processing unit that executes predetermined processing by executing instructions included in the program 43.

[0067] The overall control unit 40 is communicatively connected to the inverter control unit 82. The overall control unit 40 performs flight control in accordance with the detection results of various sensors. This flight control includes propulsion control for driving the propulsion device 15. The propulsion control includes EPU control for driving the EPU 50 and motor control for driving the motor 61. The overall control unit 40 outputs command signals and the like to the inverter control unit 82.

[0068] The inverter control unit 82 performs motor control for driving the motor device 60. As motor control, the inverter control unit 82 controls the power supplied from the inverter 81 to the motor coil 63. For example, in the motor control, the supply of electricity to the motor coil 63 is controlled. The inverter control unit 82 performs motor control in response to a command signal from the general control unit 40, etc.

[0069] The inverter control unit 82 is, for example, an ECU. The inverter control unit 82 has a processor 83, a memory 84, and a program 85. The inverter control unit 82 is mainly configured with a computer. This computer has the processor 83, the memory 84, an input / output interface, a bus connecting these, etc. The memory 84 stores the program 85. The program 85 is a program for performing flight control.

[0070] The processor 83 is hardware for arithmetic processing coupled to the memory 84. The processor 83 executes various processes such as flight control processing by accessing the memory 84. The memory 84 is a storage medium that stores a control program and the like. For example, the memory 84 is a non-transient tangible storage medium that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs and data. The program 85 includes computer-readable instructions that cause the processor 83 to execute various functions. The processor 83 is a processing unit that executes predetermined processes by executing instructions included in the program 85.

[0071] The motor coil 63 has multiple individual coils. The individual coils are multiple-phase coils. The individual coils are n-phase coils. n is a natural number. The motor coil 63 has m individual coils. m is a natural number. The motor coil 63 has m n-phase individual coils, and is an m×n-phase coil. When power is supplied to the m individual coils, the motor 61 drives as an m×n-phase motor. The motor 61 can be driven by supplying power to at least one individual coil. For example, when power is supplied to one individual coil, the motor 61 drives as a 1×n-phase motor.

[0072] In this embodiment, the motor coil 63 has two individual coils. Furthermore, each of the two individual coils is a three-phase coil. Therefore, the motor coil 63 is a six-phase coil, and the motor 61 is a six-phase motor. When power is supplied to only one coil, the motor coil 63 becomes a three-phase coil, and the motor 61 becomes a three-phase motor.

[0073] The motor coil 63 has a first coil 63a and a second coil 63b as two individual coils. The coils 63a and 63b are each a multi-phase coil. The coils 63a and 63b are each a three-phase coil. In the motor coil 63, the first coil 63a and the second coil 63b are arranged in a circumferential direction CD. For example, a plurality of coil portions forming the first coil 63a and a plurality of coil portions forming the second coil 63b are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction CD.

[0074] The EPU 50 has a first inverter device 80A and a second inverter device 80B as the inverter device 80. The first inverter device 80A has a first inverter 81A as the inverter 81 and a first inverter control unit 82A as the inverter control unit 82. The second inverter device 80B has a second inverter 81B as the inverter 81 and a second inverter control unit 82B as the inverter control unit 82. The first inverter control unit 82A controls the power supplied to the first coil 63a as the motor control. The second inverter control unit 82B controls the power supplied to the second coil 63b as the motor control.

[0075] In the EPU 50, when both the first inverter control unit 82A and the second inverter control unit 82B perform motor control, the motor 61 is driven in six phases. In six phase drive, the motor 61 is driven as a six phase motor. In the EPU 50, when only one of the first inverter control unit 82A and the second inverter control unit 82B performs motor control, the motor 61 is driven in three phases. In three phase drive, the motor 61 is driven as a three phase motor. The general control unit 40 can switch between six phase drive and three phase drive of the motor 61 by controlling the inverter control units 82A and 82B.

[0076] In FIG. 3, the propeller 20 is illustrated as PP, and the gear device 100 as Gear. The general control unit 40 is illustrated as ECU, the processor 41 as PRO, the memory 42 as MEM, and the program 43 as PG. The motor device 60 is illustrated as eMOT, the first coil 63a as CL1, the second coil 63b as CL2, the first rotor 64a as Rot1, and the second rotor 64b as Rot2. The first inverter device 80A is illustrated as MCU1, the first inverter 81A as INV1, and the first inverter control unit 82A as ICD1. The second inverter device 80B is illustrated as MCU2, the second inverter 81B as INV2, and the second inverter control unit 82B as ICD2. In the inverter control units 82A and 82B, the processor 83 is illustrated as PRO, the memory 84 as MEM, and the program 85 as PG.

[0077] As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the inverter devices 80A and 80B are provided on the opposite side of the propeller 20 with the motor device 60 in between. The first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B are arranged side by side in the axial direction AD. The first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B are provided in adjacent positions without the motor device 60 in between. The first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B are in a state where they are stacked on top of each other. The first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B are provided coaxially.

[0078] The first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B are fixed to each other. The first inverter device 80A has a first inverter housing 90A as the inverter housing 90. The second inverter device 80B has a second inverter housing 90B as the inverter housing 90. The first inverter housing 90A and the second inverter housing 90B are stacked in the axial direction AD.

[0079] The inverter facing walls 93 of the first inverter housing 90A and the second inverter housing 90B are overlapped with each other. The inverter facing walls 93 are provided at the boundary between the first inverter housing 90A and the second inverter housing 90B. These inverter facing walls 93 separate the internal space of the first inverter housing 90A from the internal space of the second inverter housing 90B. These inverter facing walls 93 are located between the first inverter 81A and the first inverter control unit 82A and the second inverter 81B and the second inverter control unit 82B.

[0080] The first inverter housing 90A and the second inverter housing 90B are fixed with fasteners such as bolts. The fasteners fix the inverter outer peripheral walls 91 of the first inverter housing 90A and the second inverter housing 90B. These inverter outer peripheral walls 91 are aligned in the axial direction AD. For example, the outer peripheral surfaces of these inverter outer peripheral walls 91 are aligned in the axial direction AD so as to be flush with each other. The first inverter housing 90A and the second inverter housing 90B correspond to motor drive housings.

[0081] One of the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B is provided between the other and the motor device 60. For example, the second inverter device 80B is provided between the first inverter device 80A and the motor device 60. The second inverter device 80B and the motor device 60 are fixed to each other. The second inverter housing 90B and the motor housing 70 are fixed by a fastener such as a bolt. The first inverter device 80A is provided at a position away from the second duct opening 122 on the second inverter device 80B side.

[0082] The overall control unit 40 executes a flight control process for flight control. The flight control process will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 5. The overall control unit 40 repeatedly executes the flight control process at a predetermined control period. The overall control unit 40 has a function of executing the processing of each step of the flight control process.

[0083] In step S101, the central control unit 40 determines whether the EPU 50 is normal using the detection results of various sensors. If the EPU 50 is normal, the central control unit 40 proceeds to step S104 and performs normal operation processing. The normal operation processing is processing for driving the motor 61 as a six-phase motor. The central control unit 40 controls the inverter control units 82A and 82B so that both of the inverter control units 82A and 82B perform motor control. In the normal operation processing, the motor 61 is driven in six phases, thereby maximizing the performance of the motor device 60.

[0084] If the EPU 50 is not normal, the central control unit 40 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the EPU 50, and proceeds to step S102. In step S102, the central control unit 40 determines whether or not a first abnormality has occurred in the EPU 50, using the detection results of various sensors, etc. If the first abnormality has occurred, an abnormality has occurred in the first coil 63a, but no abnormality has occurred in the second coil 63b.

[0085] An abnormality relating to the first coil 63a may be an abnormality in the first coil 63a or an abnormality in the first inverter device 80A. An abnormality in the first coil 63a may occur when the temperature, current, voltage, or the like of the first coil 63a falls outside the allowable range. An abnormality in the first inverter device 80A may occur when the temperature of the first inverter 81A or the first inverter control unit 82A falls outside the allowable range, or when the current or voltage of the first inverter 81A falls outside the allowable range.

[0086] An abnormality relating to the second coil 63b may be an abnormality in the second coil 63b or an abnormality in the second inverter device 80B. An abnormality in the second coil 63b may occur when the temperature, current, voltage, or the like of the second coil 63b falls outside the allowable range. An abnormality in the second inverter device 80B may occur when the temperature of the second inverter 81B or the second inverter control unit 82B falls outside the allowable range, or when the current or voltage of the second inverter 81B falls outside the allowable range.

[0087] When the first abnormality occurs in the EPU 50, the central control unit 40 proceeds to step S105. In step S105, the central control unit 40 performs a second operation process. The second operation process is a process for driving the motor 61 as a three-phase motor. In the second operation process, the motor 61 is driven as a three-phase motor by the second coil 63b. The central control unit 40 executes the supply of power to the second coil 63b by the second inverter device 80B, while stopping the supply of power to the first coil 63a by the first inverter device 80A.

[0088] If the abnormality in the EPU 50 is not the first abnormality, the central control unit 40 proceeds to step S103. In step S103, the central control unit 40 determines whether or not a second abnormality has occurred in the EPU 50 using detection signals from various sensors, etc. If the second abnormality has occurred, an abnormality has occurred in the second coil 63b, but no abnormality has occurred in the first coil 63a.

[0089] If a second abnormality occurs in the EPU 50, the central control unit 40 proceeds to step S106. In step S106, the central control unit 40 performs a first operation process. The first operation process is a process for driving the motor 61 as a three-phase motor. In the first operation process, the motor 61 is driven as a three-phase motor by the first coil 63a. The central control unit 40 executes the supply of power to the first coil 63a by the first inverter device 80A, while stopping the supply of power to the second coil 63b by the second inverter device 80B.

[0090] If the abnormality of the EPU 50 is neither the first abnormality nor the second abnormality, the central control unit 40 determines that both an abnormality related to the first coil 63a and an abnormality related to the second coil 63b have occurred, and proceeds to step S107. The central control unit 40 performs a stop process in step S107. The stop process is a process for stopping the drive of the motor 61. In the stop process, the first inverter device 80A stops the power supply to the first coil 63a, and the second inverter device 80B stops the power supply to the second coil 63b.

[0091] According to the present embodiment described so far, each of the multiple inverter devices 80 drives the motor device 60. In this configuration, even if an abnormality occurs in one of the inverter devices 80, the remaining inverter devices 80 can drive the motor device 60. Therefore, the redundancy of the propulsion device 15 can be improved by the multiple inverter devices 80. For example, even if an abnormality occurs in one of the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B, the motor device 60 can be driven by the other. Therefore, the redundancy of the propulsion device 15 can be improved by the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B. As such, even if an abnormality occurs in any of the multiple inverter devices 80, a situation in which the drive of the motor device 60 stops can be avoided.

[0092] Moreover, the multiple inverter devices 80 are provided so as to be aligned with the motor device 60 in the axial direction AD, and so as to be aligned with each other in the axial direction AD. In this configuration, the arrangement order of the inverter devices 80 and the motor devices 60 in the axial direction AD can be an arrangement order that reduces the weight of the EPU housing 55. Reducing the weight of the EPU 50 in this way is effective for reducing the weight of the eVTOL 10.

[0093] As described above, the safety of the eVTOL 10 can be improved by the EPU 50, and further, an EPU 50 suitable for installation on the eVTOL 10 can be realized.

[0094] Redundancy is required for aviation EPUs 50, which require high safety. By having one EPU 50 have multiple inverter devices 80, it becomes possible to ensure redundancy, but an increase in weight can easily become a problem.

[0095] In contrast, in this embodiment, the motor device 60 and the multiple inverter devices 80 are arranged coaxially. Therefore, the motor device 60 and the multiple inverter devices 80 can be integrated compactly. Therefore, for the EPU 50, the weight increase can be suppressed while ensuring redundancy. In addition, when the motor device 60 and the multiple inverter devices 80 are arranged coaxially, the multiple inverter devices 80 can be integrated compactly, and fixing and wiring to the eVTOL 10 can be facilitated, compared to a configuration in which, for example, the multiple inverter devices 80 are individually arranged. Therefore, redundancy can be ensured while suppressing an increase in the total size and weight of the EPU 50.

[0096] In the EPU 50, multiple components such as the motor device 60 and multiple inverter devices 80 are arranged coaxially. This allows the multiple components to be integrated compactly, making it easy to fix and wire the multiple components to the eVTOL 10. Therefore, for the EPU 50 having multiple components, an increase in the total size and weight can be suppressed, and further, redundancy can be ensured by the multiple components.

[0097] According to this embodiment, the multiple inverter devices 80 are arranged so as to be adjacent to one motor device 60 in the axial direction AD, and so as to be adjacent to each other in the axial direction AD without the motor device 60 in between. In this configuration, the parts and devices constituting the inverter device 80 can be common among the multiple inverter devices 80. By commonizing the parts and devices among the multiple inverter devices 80 in this manner, the weight of the inverter device 80 can be reduced. For example, the electrical wiring that connects the inverter device 80 and the motor device 60 so that electricity can be passed therebetween can be common among the multiple inverter devices 80. In addition, at the boundary between two inverter devices 80 adjacent to each other in the axial direction AD, the inverter facing walls 93 of the two inverter devices 80 can be common or not installed. In this way, by arranging the multiple inverter devices 80 adjacent to each other in the axial direction AD, the wiring and communication between the inverter devices 80 can be simplified, which contributes to weight reduction.

[0098] According to this embodiment, at least one inverter device 80 is provided at a position where the distance between the inverter device 80 and the EPU fixing portion 58 in the axial direction AD is greater than the distance between the motor device 60 and the EPU fixing portion 58. In this configuration, the inverter device 80 provided at a position farther away from the EPU fixing portion 58 than the motor device 60 is in a state where it does not support the motor device 60. Therefore, for this inverter device 80, the strength of the inverter housing 90 can be made lower than the strength of the motor housing 70 by the amount that the motor device 60 is not supported. In this way, for the inverter device 80 that is in a state where it does not support the motor device 60, the weight can be reduced by the amount that the strength of the inverter housing 90 can be reduced.

[0099] According to the present embodiment, the motor device 60 is provided at a position in the axial direction AD where the distance between the motor device 60 and the EPU fixing portion 58 is smaller than the distance between the inverter device 80 and the EPU fixing portion 58. In this configuration, the motor device 60 supports the inverter device 80 in a state where it is fixed to the aircraft body 11 via the EPU fixing portion 58. For this reason, the inverter device 80 does not need to support the motor device 60. In other words, there is no need to impart strength to the inverter housing 90 for supporting the motor device 60. In this way, the inverter device 80 can be made lighter by the amount that the inverter housing 90 does not need to support the motor device 60.

[0100] According to the present embodiment, in the EPU housing 55, the motor housing 70 houses the motor 61, and the inverter housing 90 houses the inverter 81. With this configuration, in the EPU housing 55, the strength of the motor housing 70 included in the motor unit 60 and the inverter housing 90 included in the inverter unit 80 can be set separately. This makes it possible to both ensure that the motor housing 70 has sufficient strength to withstand the weight of the motor 61 and the like, and to reduce the strength of the inverter housing 90 as much as possible in order to reduce the weight.

[0101] According to the present embodiment, the strength of the inverter housing 90 is lower than the strength of the motor housing 70. In this configuration, the strength of the motor housing 70 prevents the EPU housing 55 from becoming weak, while the weight of the EPU housing 55 can be reduced by reducing the weight of the inverter housing 90.

[0102] According to the present embodiment, the EPU fixing portion 58 is provided on the gear housing 105. Since the strength of the gear housing 105 is greater than the strength of the inverter housing 90, it is possible to prevent the strength of the gear housing 105 from being insufficient for the EPU fixing portion 58 to support the EPU 50.

[0103] According to this embodiment, the motor device 60 can be switched between being driven by all of the multiple inverter devices 80 and being driven by the remaining inverter devices 80 except for at least one. In this configuration, for example, if an abnormality occurs in one inverter device 80, the motor device 60 can be driven by the remaining inverter device 80. For example, if an abnormality occurs in one of the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B, the motor device 60 can be driven by the other.

[0104] The motor device 60, which is mainly composed of mechanical components, is less likely to suffer from abnormalities such as failures compared to the inverter device 80, which is mainly composed of electronic components. Thus, by configuring one motor device 60 to be controlled by multiple inverter devices 80, redundancy of the EPU 50 can be realized. For example, even if an abnormality such as a failure occurs in one inverter device 80, the motor device 60 can be controlled by the remaining inverter device 80. In this configuration, the number of motor devices 60 is one less, which can reduce weight compared to a configuration in which, for example, two sets each having one motor device 60 and one inverter device 80 are provided. Therefore, redundancy can be realized even with the small number of motor devices 60, while suppressing weight increase due to the small number of motor devices 60.

[0105] According to this embodiment, the motor device 60 can be switched between m×n-phase driving by a plurality of inverter devices 80 and n-phase driving by one inverter device 80. In this configuration, if an abnormality occurs in any of the plurality of inverter devices 80, the motor device 60 can be driven with n phases by the inverter device 80 that is not abnormal. In this case, by changing the driving mode of the motor device 60, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driving of the motor device 60 stops.

[0106] For example, the motor device 60 can be switched between six-phase driving by both the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B and three-phase driving by one of them. In this configuration, when an abnormality occurs in one of the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B, the motor device 60 can be three-phase driven by the other. In this case, by switching the driving mode of the motor device 60 from six-phase driving to three-phase driving, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driving of the motor device 60 stops.

[0107] In this embodiment, since a plurality of inverter devices 80 drive a common motor device 60, the output performance of each inverter device 80 can be suppressed. Therefore, the size and weight of each inverter device 80 can be suppressed. Furthermore, if an abnormality occurs in any of the plurality of inverter devices 80, the remaining inverter devices 80 control the motor device 60, thereby preventing a complete loss of output from the motor device 60 even in the event of an abnormality. For these reasons, by having a plurality of inverter devices 80 drive a common motor device 60, a good balance between weight reduction and redundancy can be achieved.

[0108] According to this embodiment, the motor device 60 is provided between the propeller 20 and the inverter device 80 in the axial direction AD. In this configuration, even if stress occurs due to the rotation of the propeller 20, this stress is more likely to be applied to the motor device 60 than to the inverter device 80. In the motor device 60, the strength of the motor housing 70 is sufficiently high so as not to be insufficient against the stress applied to the motor device 60. Therefore, even if stress from the propeller 20 is applied to the motor device 60, the strength of the motor housing 70 is unlikely to be insufficient against the stress.

[0109] Furthermore, in this configuration, stress from the propeller 20 is unlikely to be applied to the inverter device 80. Therefore, there is no need to increase the strength of the inverter housing 90 so that it is sufficient to withstand the stress from the propeller 20. Therefore, due to the positional relationship between the inverter device 80 and the propeller 20 and the motor device 60, it is possible to achieve a reduction in the weight of the inverter device 80.

[0110] In this embodiment, by connecting the propeller 20 to the motor unit 60 side of the EPU 50, the motor unit 60 can be disposed in a position where a strong force generated by the propeller 20 is likely to be applied. As a result, the strong parts of the EPU housing 55 and the EPU fixing part 58 can be positioned closer to the motor unit 60 than the inverter unit 80. In other words, the strong parts of the EPU housing 55 and the EPU fixing part 58 can be located farther away from the inverter unit 80. As a result, the weight of the inverter housing 90 and the like for the inverter unit 80 can be reduced.

[0111] According to this embodiment, the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 are arranged in the axial direction AD on the EPU fan 110. In this configuration, the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 can be cooled by the cooling air Fa that flows in the axial direction AD as the EPU fan 110 rotates. In the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80, the cooling air Fa can prevent the output of the motor 61 and the inverter 81 from being reduced due to heat, or from being forced to reduce the output in order to suppress heat generation. Because the output of the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 is increased in this way, there is no need to excessively increase the output performance of the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80, making it easier to achieve miniaturization and weight reduction.

[0112] According to this embodiment, the EPU fan 110 blows the cooling air Fa so that it passes through the outer circumferential flow path 123a in the axial direction AD. Because the outer circumferential flow path 123a is a flow path formed between the EPU housing 55 and the EPU duct 120, a configuration can be realized that makes it easy for the cooling air Fa to flow along the outer circumferential surface of the EPU housing 55. This enhances the cooling effect of the cooling air Fa on the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80.

[0113] According to this embodiment, in the motor 61, the stator 62 and the rotors 64a, 64b are arranged in the axial direction AD. That is, an axial gap type motor is adopted as the motor 61. Therefore, it is easy to reduce the height dimension in the axial direction AD in the motor device 60. For example, the height dimension in the axial direction AD can be made smaller than that of a radial gap type motor in which the stator and rotor are arranged in the radial direction RD. Therefore, even if the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 are arranged in the axial direction AD, it is easy to reduce the height dimension of the EPU 50 in the axial direction AD. By reducing the height of the EPU 50 in this manner, the size and weight of the EPU 50 can be suppressed.

[0114] In this embodiment, the stator 62 is provided between the first rotor 64a and the second rotor 64b. That is, a double-rotor motor is used as the axial gap motor 61. This motor 61 is compact in the axial direction AD and can obtain a large output. Therefore, the size and weight of the motor device 60 and the EPU 50 can be further reduced.

[0115] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment described above, the EPU fan 110 was provided between the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 and the propeller 20 in the axial direction AD. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the EPU fan 110 is provided on the opposite side of the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 from the propeller 20 in the axial direction AD. Configurations, actions, and effects of the second embodiment that are not specifically described are similar to those of the first embodiment described above. The second embodiment will be described mainly with reference to the points that are different from the first embodiment described above.

[0116] As shown in Fig. 6, the gear device 100 and the motor device 60 are stacked in the axial direction AD. The gear device 100 and the motor device 60 are fixed to each other. For example, the gear housing 105 and the motor housing 70 are fixed by a fastener such as a bolt. This fastener fixes the gear outer peripheral wall 106 and the motor outer peripheral wall 71. The gear outer peripheral wall 106 and the motor outer peripheral wall 71 are aligned in the axial direction AD. For example, the gear outer peripheral wall 106 and the motor outer peripheral wall 71 are aligned in the axial direction AD so that their outer peripheral surfaces are flush with each other.

[0117] The EPU fan 110 is provided downwind of the motor unit 60 and the inverter unit 80. The EPU fan 110 is provided on the opposite side of the gear unit 100 with the motor unit 60 and the inverter unit 80 interposed between them. The EPU fan 110 is on the opposite side of the propeller 20 with the motor housing 70 and the inverter housing 90 interposed between them. The EPU fan 110 is located away from the second duct opening 122 towards the inverter unit 80. The cooling air Fa is sucked into the EPU fan 110, and flows through the outer circumferential flow passage 123a in the axial direction AD along the outer circumferential surface of the EPU housing 55.

[0118] In this embodiment, since the EPU fan 110 is provided downstream of the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80, the cooling air Fa becomes an airflow as if the EPU fan 110 had drawn in air from the upstream of the duct. This tends to reduce pressure loss when the cooling air Fa flows through the outer circumferential flow path 123a. For example, this configuration can reduce pressure loss of the cooling air Fa compared to a configuration in which the EPU fan 110 is provided upstream of the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 and the EPU fan 110 flows the cooling air Fa by pushing air in. This allows the EPU fan 110 to rotate with less power, and allows the cooling air Fa to flow efficiently with less power. This allows the structure of the EPU fan 110 to be simplified, which in turn allows weight reduction of the EPU fan 110 and other components.

[0119] <Third embodiment> In the first embodiment, each of the multiple inverter devices 80 has its own inverter housing 90. In contrast, in the third embodiment, the inverter housing 90 is shared by the multiple inverter devices 80. Configurations, actions, and effects of the third embodiment that are not specifically described are similar to those of the first embodiment. The third embodiment will be described mainly with respect to the differences from the first embodiment.

[0120] In the third embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the EPU fan 110 is provided on the opposite side of the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 from the propeller 20. The position of the EPU fan 110 is the same in the fourth to sixth embodiments.

[0121] 7, the EPU housing 55 has a common inverter housing 90C as the inverter housing 90. The common inverter housing 90C is shared by the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B. In the common inverter housing 90C, the portion included in the first inverter device 80A forms the first inverter housing 90A, and the portion included in the second inverter device 80B forms the second inverter housing 90B.

[0122] In the common inverter housing 90C, the internal space of the first inverter housing 90A and the internal space of the second inverter housing 90B are continuous. In the common inverter housing 90C, no inverter facing wall 93 is provided at the boundary between the first inverter housing 90A and the second inverter housing 90B. In the common inverter housing 90C, no inverter facing wall 93 is provided between the first inverter 81A and the first inverter control unit 82A and the second inverter 81B and the second inverter control unit 82B.

[0123] In this embodiment, the common inverter housing 90C is an inverter housing 90 shared by the multiple inverter devices 80. In terms of thermal design, the inverter device 80 is significantly affected by heat received from the motor device 60. In contrast, since the common inverter housing 90C is shared by the multiple inverter devices 80, the degree of freedom in terms of arrangement of the inverters 81 and inverter control units 82 in the multiple inverter devices 80 can be increased. For example, a circuit board can be shared by the multiple inverter devices 80. In this case, the inverters 81 and inverter control units 82 of the multiple inverter devices 80 can share a circuit board.

[0124] In this embodiment, the common inverter housing 90C is shared by the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B. Therefore, the degree of freedom in terms of arrangement of the internal parts of the two channels, the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B, can be increased. That is, the degree of design freedom in terms of arrangement of the first inverter 81A, the first inverter control unit 82A, the second inverter 81B, and the second inverter control unit 82B can be increased inside the common inverter housing 90C. For example, by arranging the thermally weaker parts among the parts constituting the inverters 81A and 81B and the inverter control units 82A and 82B at positions farther from the motor device 60, it becomes possible to thermally protect the thermally weaker parts. In this way, the weight can be reduced by optimizing the thermal design regarding the part arrangement of the inverter devices 80A and 80B. And, by optimizing the thermal design, it becomes possible to reduce the number of parallel elements, etc.

[0125] <Fourth embodiment> In the above-described first embodiment, the motor device 60 is provided between the propeller 20 and the multiple inverter devices 80 in the axial direction AD. In contrast, in the fourth embodiment, the motor device 60 is provided between two adjacent inverter devices 80 in the axial direction AD. Configurations, actions, and effects not specifically described in the fourth embodiment are similar to those in the above-described first embodiment. The fourth embodiment will be described mainly with respect to the points that are different from the above-described first embodiment.

[0126] 8, the motor device 60 is provided between a first inverter device 80A and a second inverter device 80B. The motor device 60 is fixed to both the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B. The motor housing 70 is fixed to both the first inverter housing 90A and the second inverter housing 90B.

[0127] In this embodiment, the EPU fixing portion 58 is provided at a position closer to the second inverter housing 90B than the motor housing 70. In the axial direction AD, the distance between the EPU fixing portion 58 and the second inverter housing 90B is smaller than the distance between the EPU fixing portion 58 and the motor housing 70. The second inverter housing 90B is provided between the EPU fixing portion 58 and the motor housing 70.

[0128] The second inverter housing 90B supports the motor device 60 and the first inverter device 80A while being fixed to the EPU fixing portion 58. The second inverter housing 90B has the strength necessary to support the motor device 60 and the first inverter device 80A. For example, the strength of the second inverter housing 90B is greater than the strength of the first inverter housing 90A. In addition, the strength of the second inverter housing 90B is greater than the strength of the motor housing 70 or is approximately the same as the strength of the motor housing 70.

[0129] In the second inverter housing 90B, the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 has the strength necessary to support the motor device 60 and the first inverter device 80A. For example, in the second inverter housing 90B, the strength of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 is equal to or greater than the strength of the motor outer peripheral wall 71. Also, in the second inverter housing 90B, the thickness dimension of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 is equal to or greater than the thickness dimension of the motor outer peripheral wall 71. Note that a configuration in which the thickness dimension of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 is equal to or greater than the thickness dimension of the motor outer peripheral wall 71 includes a configuration in which the thickness dimension of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 is approximately the same as the thickness dimension of the motor outer peripheral wall 71.

[0130] The strength of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 is greater in the second inverter housing 90B than in the first inverter housing 90A. For example, the thickness dimension of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 is greater in the second inverter housing 90B than in the first inverter housing 90A. In this embodiment, the strength for supporting the motor device 60 is ensured by the second inverter housing 90B, while the weight of the first inverter housing 90A is reduced, thereby achieving a reduction in the weight of the EPU 50.

[0131] In this embodiment, the second inverter housing 90B supports the motor device 60. For this reason, it is necessary to ensure the strength of the second inverter housing 90B, which is likely to cause disadvantages in terms of reducing the weight of the second inverter housing 90B. On the other hand, both the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B are adjacent to the motor device 60 in the axial direction AD. In this configuration, both the electrical wiring connecting the first inverter device 80A and the motor device 60 and the electrical wiring connecting the second inverter device 80B and the motor device 60 can be shortened. For this reason, it is advantageous in terms of simplifying the electrical wiring in the EPU 50.

[0132] <Fifth embodiment> In the above-described fourth embodiment, the motor device 60 was provided between two inverter devices 80 adjacent to each other in the axial direction AD. In contrast, in the fifth embodiment, a plurality of inverter devices 80 are provided between the propeller 20 and the motor device 60 in the axial direction AD. Configurations, actions, and effects not specifically described in the fifth embodiment are similar to those in the first embodiment. The fifth embodiment will be described mainly with respect to the points that are different from the first embodiment.

[0133] As shown in Fig. 9, the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B are provided between the propeller 20 and the motor device 60 in the axial direction AD. In the axial direction AD, the motor device 60 and the first inverter device 80A are located adjacent to each other. The motor device 60 is fixed to the first inverter device 80A. The motor housing 70 is fixed to the first inverter housing 90A.

[0134] In the present embodiment, the EPU fixing portion 58 is provided at a position closer to the inverter housings 90A, 90B than the motor housing 70. In the axial direction AD, the distance between the EPU fixing portion 58 and the inverter housings 90A, 90B is smaller than the distance between the EPU fixing portion 58 and the motor housing 70. The inverter housings 90A, 90B are provided between the EPU fixing portion 58 and the motor housing 70.

[0135] The inverter housings 90A, 90B support the motor device 60 while being fixed to the EPU fixing portion 58. The inverter housings 90A, 90B have the strength necessary to support the motor device 60. For example, the strength of the inverter housings 90A, 90B is higher than the strength of the motor housing 70 or is approximately the same as the strength of the motor housing 70.

[0136] In the inverter housings 90A, 90B, the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 has the strength necessary to support the motor device 60. For example, in the inverter housings 90A, 90B, the strength of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 is equal to or greater than the strength of the motor outer peripheral wall 71. Also, in the inverter housings 90A, 90B, the thickness dimension of the inverter outer peripheral wall 91 is equal to or greater than the thickness dimension of the motor outer peripheral wall 71.

[0137] In this embodiment, both of the inverter housings 90A, 90B support the motor device 60. This means that it is necessary to ensure the strength of both of the inverter housings 90A, 90B, which is likely to be a disadvantage in terms of reducing the weight of the inverter housings 90A, 90B. On the other hand, since the motor housing 70 is disposed at the end of the EPU housing 55 in the axial direction AD, heat is likely to be released from the motor housing 70. For example, in the motor housing 70, one of the motor-facing walls 73 is exposed to the outside air, so heat is likely to be released from the motor-facing wall 73 to the outside air. This makes it possible to enhance the heat dissipation effect of the motor device 60.

[0138] In addition, both the first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B are arranged in the axial direction AD on the gear device 100 without the motor device 60. Therefore, there is no need for electrical wiring connecting the inverter devices 80A, 80B and the gear device 100 to detour so as to avoid the motor 61. This is advantageous in terms of simplifying the electrical wiring connected to the inverter devices 80A, 80B and the gear device 100.

[0139] Sixth embodiment In the above-described first embodiment, the EPU fixing portion 58 was provided on the gear device 100. In contrast, in the sixth embodiment, the EPU fixing portion 58 is provided between the propeller 20 and the motor device 60 in the axial direction AD. Configurations, actions, and effects not specifically described in the sixth embodiment are similar to those in the above-described first embodiment. The sixth embodiment will be described mainly with reference to the points that are different from the above-described first embodiment.

[0140] 10 , the EPU fixing part 58 is included in the motor housing 70. The EPU fixing part 58 is provided on the motor outer peripheral wall 71. The EPU fixing part 58 extends radially outward from the motor outer peripheral wall 71. For example, the EPU fixing part 58 is provided at the end of the motor outer peripheral wall 71 opposite the inverter device 80. The EPU fixing part 58 may be provided at a position separated from the EPU duct 120 in the axial direction AD. With this configuration, there is no need for the EPU fixing part 58 to pass through the EPU duct 120.

[0141] The motor housing 70 supports the inverter devices 80A, 80B while being fixed to the aircraft body 11 via the EPU fixing part 58. The motor housing 70 has the strength required to support the weight of the motor device 60 and the inverter devices 80A, 80B. The strength of the motor housing 70 is greater than the strength of the inverter housings 90A, 90B. The motor housing 70 corresponds to a high housing.

[0142] According to the present embodiment, the EPU fixing portion 58 is provided on the motor housing 70. Because the strength of the motor housing 70 is greater than the strength of the inverter housings 90A, 90B, it is possible to prevent the strength of the motor housing 70 from being insufficient for the EPU fixing portion 58 to support the EPU 50.

[0143] In this embodiment, the EPU 50 does not have the gear device 100. Note that the EPU fixing portion 58 may be provided on the motor housing 70 regardless of whether the EPU 50 is configured to have the gear device 100. For example, the EPU 50 may be configured to have the gear device 100, and the EPU fixing portion 58 may be provided on the motor housing 70.

[0144] Furthermore, the EPU fixing portion 58 may be provided on the inverter device 80. For example, the EPU fixing portion 58 may be provided on the inverter outer peripheral wall 91. The inverter housing 90 in this configuration supports the motor device 60 while being fixed to the aircraft body 11 via the EPU fixing portion 58. This inverter housing 90 has a strength required to support the motor device 60. For example, in a configuration in which the EPU 50 has the gear device 100, the inverter housing 90 has a strength required to support the gear device 100 in addition to the motor device 60.

[0145] Seventh embodiment In the first embodiment, the EPU 50 has only one motor device 60. In contrast, in the seventh embodiment, the EPU 50 has a plurality of motor devices 60. Configurations, actions, and effects of the seventh embodiment that are not specifically described are similar to those of the first embodiment. The seventh embodiment will be described mainly with respect to the differences from the first embodiment.

[0146] 11 and 12, the EPU 50 has a first motor device 60A and a second motor device 60B as the motor device 60. The first motor device 60A has a first motor 61A as the motor 61. The second motor device 60B has a second motor 61B as the motor 61.

[0147] In this embodiment, the first inverter device 80A drives the first motor device 60A. For example, the first inverter control unit 82A drives the first motor 61A via the first inverter 81A. The second inverter device 80B drives the second motor device 60B. For example, the second inverter control unit 82B drives the second motor 61B via the second inverter 81B. In addition, in FIG. 12, the first motor device 60A is illustrated as eMOT1, and the second motor device 60B is illustrated as eMOT2.

[0148] The first motor 61A and the second motor 61B each have one individual coil. As in the first embodiment, the individual coil is an n-phase coil. In each of the first motor 61A and the second motor 61B, the motor coil 63 is a 1×n-phase coil. The first motor 61A and the second motor 61B are driven as 1×n-phase motors. In this embodiment, in each of the first motor 61A and the second motor 61B, the motor coil 63 is a three-phase coil. And, each of the first motor 61A and the second motor 61B is a three-phase motor.

[0149] As shown in FIG. 11, the motor devices 60A, 60B are provided between the propeller 20 and the inverter devices 80A, 80B in the axial direction AD. The first motor device 60A and the second motor device 60B are arranged side by side in the axial direction AD. The first inverter device 80A and the second inverter device 80B are provided in adjacent positions without the inverter devices 80A, 80B in between. The first motor device 60A and the second motor device 60B are overlapped with each other. The first motor device 60A and the second motor device 60B are provided coaxially. The center line of the first motor device 60A and the center line of the second motor device 60B coincide with the motor axis line Cm.

[0150] The first motor device 60A and the second motor device 60B are fixed to each other. The first motor device 60A has a first motor housing 70A as the motor housing 70. The second motor device 60B has a second motor housing 70B as the motor housing 70. The first motor housing 70A and the second motor housing 70B are stacked in the axial direction AD.

[0151] The motor facing walls 73 of the first motor housing 70A and the second motor housing 70B are overlapped with each other. At the boundary between the first motor housing 70A and the second motor housing 70B, the motor facing walls 73 are provided. These motor facing walls 73 separate the internal space of the first motor housing 70A from the internal space of the second motor housing 70B. These motor facing walls 73 are located between the first motor 61A and the second motor 61B.

[0152] The first motor housing 70A and the second motor housing 70B are fixed together with fasteners such as bolts. The fasteners fix the motor outer peripheral walls 71 of the first motor housing 70A and the second motor housing 70B. These motor outer peripheral walls 71 are aligned in the axial direction AD. For example, the outer peripheral surfaces of these motor outer peripheral walls 71 are aligned in the axial direction AD so as to be flush with each other.

[0153] One of the first motor device 60A and the second motor device 60B is provided on the inverter device 80A, 80B side, and the other is provided on the gear device 100 side. For example, the first motor device 60A is provided between the second inverter device 80B and the second motor device 60B in the axial direction AD. The first motor device 60A is fixed to the second inverter device 80B. The second motor device 60B is fixed to the gear device 100.

[0154] The second motor unit 60B supports the first motor unit 60A while being fixed to the EPU fixing portion 58. The strength of the second motor housing 70B is equal to or greater than the strength of the first motor housing 70A. For example, the motor outer peripheral wall 71 of the second motor housing 70B has a strength higher than that of the motor outer peripheral wall 71 of the first motor housing 70A. The strength of the second motor housing 70B is sufficient to support the first motor unit 60A. In this embodiment, the strength of the first motor housing 70A is made lower than the strength of the second motor housing 70B, thereby achieving a reduction in weight of the EPU 50.

[0155] In the EPU 50, at least one motor device 60 rotates the propeller 20. For example, when the EPU 50 is normal, the integrated control unit 40 drives both the first motor device 60A and the second motor device 60B to rotate the propeller 20. The integrated control unit 40 controls the first inverter device 80A to drive the first motor device 60A, and controls the second inverter device 80B to drive the second motor device 60B.

[0156] On the other hand, when the EPU 50 is not normal, the central control unit 40 stops driving at least one of the first motor device 60A and the second motor device 60B. For example, when an abnormality occurs only in the first motor device 60A among the first motor device 60A and the second motor device 60B, the central control unit 40 stops driving the first motor device 60A while driving the second motor device 60B. When an abnormality occurs only in the second motor device 60B, the central control unit 40 drives the first motor device 60A while stopping the drive of the second motor device 60B. When an abnormality occurs both in the first motor device 60A and the second motor device 60B, the central control unit 40 stops driving both the first motor device 60A and the second motor device 60B.

[0157] The abnormality relating to the first motor device 60A includes an abnormality in the first motor device 60A, an abnormality in the first inverter device 80A, etc. The abnormality relating to the second motor device 60B includes an abnormality in the second motor device 60B, an abnormality in the second inverter device 80B, etc.

[0158] Eighth embodiment In the first embodiment, the cooling air Fa generated by the EPU fan 110 flows in the same direction as the propeller air. In contrast, in the eighth embodiment, the air generated by the air-cooled fan flows in the opposite direction to the propeller air. Configurations, actions, and effects that are not specifically described in the eighth embodiment are similar to those in the first embodiment. The eighth embodiment will be described mainly with reference to the differences from the first embodiment.

[0159] As shown in FIG. 13, the EPU 50 has a backflow fan 111. The backflow fan 111 can blow air in the axial direction AD to cool the EPU housing 55. The backflow fan 111 blows air so that the back cooling air Fb flows in the axial direction AD. The back cooling air Fb flows in the opposite direction to the cooling air Fa in the first embodiment. That is, the back cooling air Fb flows in the opposite direction to the propeller air Wp. The back cooling air Fb is a gas flow that flows in the axial direction AD. The back cooling air Fb is generated with the rotation of the backflow fan 111. For the propeller air Wp, the backflow fan 111 is provided on the downwind side of the propeller 20. The backflow fan 111 corresponds to an air-cooling fan. The backflow fan 111 is provided on the EPU shaft 51. The backflow fan 111 rotates together with the EPU shaft 51 as the motor device 60 is driven.

[0160] The counterflow fan 111 is provided downstream of the EPU duct 120 with respect to the reverse cooling air Fb. The counterflow fan 111 blows air in a manner that draws in gas in the duct space 123, thereby causing the reverse cooling air Fb to flow into the outer circumferential flow path 123a. The counterflow fan 111 discharges the reverse cooling air Fb drawn in the duct space 123 radially outward to the outside of the EPU duct 120. The reverse cooling air Fb is discharged radially outward from between the EPU duct 120 and the EPU fixing part 58 and the aircraft body 11 in the axial direction AD. The EPU duct 120 may be provided with a discharge hole for discharging the reverse cooling air Fb radially outward.

[0161] The EPU 50 has a duct hood 130. The duct hood 130 is provided so as to cover the EPU duct 120 and the reverse flow fan 111 from the propeller 20 side. The duct hood 130 is provided between the reverse flow fan 111 and the propeller 20 in the axial direction AD. The duct hood 130 extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD so as to guide the reverse cooling air Fb radially outward. For example, the duct hood 130 extends radially outward from the gear housing 105. The duct hood 130 shields the propeller wind Wp so that the propeller wind Wp does not flow into the duct space 123. The duct hood 130 restricts the propeller wind Wp from interfering with the reverse cooling air Fb. The EPU fixing part 58 may have the function of shielding the propeller wind Wp.

[0162] It should be noted that the EPU duct 120 and the backflow fan 111 may be provided in any manner as long as the back cooling air Fb is generated in the outer peripheral flow passage 123a. For example, the backflow fan 111 may be provided downstream of the motor housing 70 and the inverter housing 90 in terms of the back cooling air Fb. The backflow fan 111 may be provided upstream of the gear housing 105 in terms of the back cooling air Fb. In this configuration, it is preferable that the gear housing 105 is accommodated in the EPU duct 120. The backflow fan 111 may also be provided inside the EPU duct 120.

[0163] According to this embodiment, the reverse flow fan 111 blows the reverse cooling air Fb in the opposite direction to the propeller air Wp in the axial direction AD. In this configuration, the propeller air Wp can easily prevent foreign matter such as water droplets and dust from flowing in the axial direction AD on the flow of the reverse cooling air Fb. The reverse cooling air Fb is air for cooling the EPU 50, and is therefore likely to be weaker than the propeller air Wp. For this reason, in the vicinity of the EPU 50, foreign matter is more likely to be blown away by the propeller air Wp than to approach or come into contact with the motor device 60 or the inverter device 80 on the flow of the reverse cooling air Fb. Therefore, in the EPU 50, it is possible to prevent problems such as abnormalities from occurring due to foreign matter approaching or coming into contact with the motor device 60 or the inverter device 80.

[0164] According to this embodiment, in the outer circumferential flow passage 123a, the propeller wind Wp and the reverse cooling wind Fb flow in opposite directions to each other in the axial direction AD. In this configuration, even if a foreign object is present around the second duct opening 122, the foreign object is likely to be blown away from the second duct opening 122 by the propeller wind Wp. That is, the propeller wind Wp prevents the foreign object from entering the outer circumferential flow passage 123a from the second duct opening 122 together with the reverse cooling wind Fb. Therefore, the propeller wind Wp can suppress a decrease in the cooling effect of the EPU 50 due to, for example, the accumulation of foreign object in the outer circumferential flow passage 123a.

[0165] According to this embodiment, the reverse flow fan 111 is provided between the propeller 20 and the EPU housing 55 in the axial direction AD. In this configuration, the reverse flow fan 111 blows air around the EPU housing 55 against the propeller wind Wp so as to suck the gas toward the propeller 20, causing the reverse cooling air Fb to flow along the EPU housing 55. This reduces pressure loss caused by the reverse cooling air Fb. This makes it possible to more effectively flow the reverse cooling air Fb while preventing foreign matter from flowing into the outer circumferential flow passage 123a. As a result, the positional relationship between the reverse flow fan 111 and the propeller 20 and the EPU housing 55 can improve the safety of the eVTOL 10.

[0166] For example, consider a configuration in which, unlike this embodiment, counterflow fan 111 is provided on the opposite side of EPU housing 55 from propeller 20. In this configuration, counterflow fan 111 blows air in a manner that pushes the gas around EPU housing 55 toward propeller 20, which tends to increase the pressure loss caused by reverse cooling air Fb.

[0167] EPU shaft 51 connects propeller 20 and motor device 60, and is sometimes referred to as a connection part. Reverse flow fan 111 is provided between the connection part and EPU housing 55 in the axial direction AD. In other words, reverse flow fan 111 is provided at a position where the distance between reverse flow fan 111 and the connection part in the axial direction AD is smaller than the distance between EPU housing 55 and the connection part.

[0168] According to this embodiment, the duct hood 130 is provided between the propeller 20 and the outer circumferential flow passage 123a in the axial direction AD so as to block the gap between the outer circumferential flow passage 123a and the propeller 20. In this configuration, the duct hood 130 can restrict the propeller wind Wp from flowing into the outer circumferential flow passage 123a from the first duct port 121 against the reverse cooling wind Fb. Therefore, the duct hood 130 can suppress the propeller wind Wp from interfering with the reverse cooling wind Fb in the outer circumferential flow passage 123a, thereby reducing the cooling effect of the EPU 50 by the reverse cooling wind Fb. When the propeller wind Wp interferes with the reverse cooling wind Fb, the flow rate of the reverse cooling wind Fb flowing through the outer circumferential flow passage 123a is reduced by the amount of the propeller wind Wp, or the reverse cooling wind Fb is less likely to flow through the outer circumferential flow passage 123a. Moreover, in this configuration, the duct hood 130 can prevent foreign matter from entering the outer circumferential flow passage 123a together with the propeller wind Wp.

[0169] <Ninth embodiment> In the above-described eighth embodiment, the EPU 50 has a duct hood 130. In contrast to this, in the ninth embodiment, the EPU 50 does not have a duct hood 130. Configurations, actions, and effects that are not specifically described in the ninth embodiment are similar to those in the above-described eighth embodiment. The ninth embodiment will be described mainly with respect to the points that are different from the above-described eighth embodiment.

[0170] 14 , unlike the eighth embodiment, no duct hood 130 is provided between the EPU housing 55 and the EPU duct 120, and the propeller 20 in the axial direction AD. Therefore, in the propulsion device 15, the space between the outer circumferential flow passage 123a and the propeller 20 is not blocked by the duct hood 130. Note that, even if the duct hood 130 does not exist, the propulsion device 15 may be configured such that the propeller wind Wp is less likely to flow from the first duct port 121 into the outer circumferential flow passage 123a. For example, the shape, angle, etc. of the blade 21 may be set such that the propeller wind Wp is less likely to flow into the first duct port 121.

[0171] Tenth embodiment In the above-described eighth embodiment, the number of motor devices 60 and the number of inverter devices 80 in the EPU 50 are different. In contrast, in the tenth embodiment, the number of motor devices 60 and the number of inverter devices 80 in the EPU 50 are the same. Configurations, actions, and effects that are not specifically described in the tenth embodiment are similar to those in the above-described eighth embodiment. The tenth embodiment will be described mainly with respect to the points that are different from the above-described eighth embodiment.

[0172] 15, one EPU 50 has one motor device 60 and one inverter device 80. Therefore, in the EPU 50, one inverter device 80 drives one motor device 60. The positional relationship between the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 may be any. For example, the inverter device 80 may be provided between the motor device 60 and the propeller 20 in the axial direction AD.

[0173] <Eleventh embodiment> In the eighth embodiment, a plurality of inverter devices 80 are arranged in the axial direction AD in the EPU 50. In contrast to this, in the eleventh embodiment, a plurality of inverter devices 80 are arranged in the circumferential direction CD in the EPU 50. The configurations, actions, and effects of the eleventh embodiment that are not specifically described are similar to those of the eighth embodiment. The eleventh embodiment will be described mainly with respect to the points that are different from the eighth embodiment.

[0174] As shown in FIG. 16, in the EPU 50, a plurality of inverter devices 80 are arranged in the circumferential direction CD. Each of the plurality of inverter devices 80 is located adjacent to the motor device 60 in the axial direction AD. In the EPU 50, a plurality of inverter housings 90 are arranged in the circumferential direction CD. In a configuration in which the EPU 50 has two inverter devices 80, two inverter housings 90 formed in semi-annular shapes are arranged in the circumferential direction CD. In the EPU 50, an inverter housing hole 95 is formed by combining a plurality of inverter housings 90. In the EPU 50, a plurality of inverters 81 and inverter control units 82 are arranged in the circumferential direction CD. Note that a plurality of inverter devices 80 may be arranged in the radial direction RD.

[0175] <Twelfth embodiment> In the twelfth embodiment, gas flows inside the motor housing 70. Configurations, actions, and effects that are not specifically described in the twelfth embodiment are similar to those in the eighth embodiment. The twelfth embodiment will be described mainly with respect to the differences from the eighth embodiment.

[0176] As shown in FIG. 17 , the backflow fan 111 is provided on the motor shaft 65. The backflow fan 111 rotates together with the motor shaft 65. The backflow fan 111 has backflow blades 112. The backflow blades 112 are provided on the motor shaft 65. The backflow blades 112 extend radially outward from the motor shaft 65. A plurality of backflow blades 112 are arranged in the circumferential direction CD. The plurality of backflow blades 112 are connected by the motor shaft 65.

[0177] In the reverse flow fan 111, the rotation direction of the reverse flow fan 111 and the direction of the reverse flow blades 112 are set so that the reverse cooling air Fb flows in the opposite direction to the propeller air Wp. For example, in the reverse flow fan 111, the rotation direction of the reverse flow fan 111 is the same as the rotation direction of the propeller 20, while the direction of the reverse flow blades 112 is opposite to the direction of the blades 21 of the propeller 20. In the reverse flow fan 111, the direction in which the reverse flow blades 112 are inclined in the circumferential direction CD with respect to the motor axis line Cm is opposite to the direction in which the blades 21 are inclined in the circumferential direction CD with respect to the motor axis line Cm. With respect to the reverse cooling air Fb, the EPU 50 is on the upwind side of the propeller 20.

[0178] As shown in Fig. 17, the motor housing 70 has a motor space 171. The motor space 171 is an internal space of the motor housing 70. The motor 61 is accommodated in the motor space 171. The motor housing 70 has a motor outer wall 74. The motor outer wall 74 forms the outer and inner surfaces of the motor housing 70. The motor outer wall 74 forms the motor space 171. The motor outer wall 74 is formed to include a motor outer circumferential wall 71 and a motor facing wall 73.

[0179] The motor outer wall 74 has a motor outer surface 76 and a motor inner surface 77. The motor outer surface 76 is the outer surface of the motor outer wall 74. The motor inner surface 77 is the inner surface of the motor outer wall 74. The motor inner surface 77 forms a motor space 171. The motor outer surface 76 is provided outside the motor inner surface 77. Motor fins 79 are provided on the motor outer surface 76.

[0180] In the motor device 60, gas flows through the motor space 171. In the motor space 171, a reverse internal wind Fc flows in association with the rotation of the reverse flow fan 111. The reverse internal wind Fc is a flow of gas such as outside air. By flowing through the motor space 171, the reverse internal wind Fc can release heat and the like of the motor 61 to the outside of the motor device 60.

[0181] The motor housing 70 has a motor inlet hole 175 and a motor outlet hole 176. The motor inlet hole 175 is a hole for allowing gas to flow into the motor space 171. For example, the reverse internal wind Fc flows into the motor space 171 from the motor inlet hole 175. The motor inlet hole 175 penetrates the motor outer wall 74 so as to open the motor space 171 to the outside of the motor housing 70. The motor inlet hole 175 opens the motor space 171 toward the downwind side with respect to the propeller wind Wp. The motor inlet hole 175 corresponds to a housing inlet hole.

[0182] The motor inlet hole 175 is provided in the motor facing wall 73 on the leeward side of the propeller wind Wp, out of the pair of motor facing walls 73. For example, the motor inlet hole 175 is provided in the motor facing wall 73 provided on the opposite side to the propeller 20, out of the pair of motor facing walls 73. The motor inlet hole 175 penetrates the motor facing wall 73 in the axial direction AD. The motor inlet hole 175 extends in the axial direction AD so as to span between the motor outer surface 76 and the motor inner surface 77.

[0183] The motor inlet hole 175 is provided in the center of the motor facing wall 73. The motor inlet hole 175 is located away from the motor outer peripheral wall 71 toward the inner periphery. That is, the motor inlet hole 175 is located away from the motor outlet hole 176 toward the inner periphery in the radial direction RD. The motor inlet hole 175 is located closer to the motor axis line Cm than the motor outer peripheral wall 71 in the radial direction RD. In the radial direction RD, the distance between the motor inlet hole 175 and the motor axis line Cm is smaller than the distance between the motor outlet hole 176 and the motor axis line Cm.

[0184] The motor outflow hole 176 is a hole for allowing gas to flow from the motor space 171 to the outside of the motor housing 70. For example, the reverse internal wind Fc flows out from the motor space 171 through the motor outflow hole 176. The motor outflow hole 176 penetrates the motor outer wall 74 so as to open the motor space 171 to the outside of the motor housing 70. The motor outflow hole 176 opens the motor space 171 toward the outer circumferential flow path 123a. The motor outflow hole 176 connects the motor space 171 and the outer circumferential flow path 123a in a manner that allows ventilation. The motor outflow hole 176 corresponds to a housing outflow hole. The motor outflow hole 176 is also an exhaust hole for discharging heat of the motor 61 to the outside.

[0185] The backflow fan 111 blows air so that the reverse internal wind Fc flows from the motor space 171 through the motor outlet hole 176 into the outer circumferential flow path 123a. The backflow fan 111 blows air so that gas flows. The backflow fan 111 corresponds to a blower fan. The EPU duct 120 covers the motor outlet hole 176 from the outside so that the motor outlet hole 176 is not exposed to the outer circumferential side. The EPU duct 120 corresponds to an outer duct.

[0186] The motor outflow hole 176 is provided in the motor outer peripheral wall 71. The motor outflow hole 176 penetrates the motor outer peripheral wall 71 in the radial direction RD. The motor outflow hole 176 is in a state of bridging between the motor outer peripheral outer surface 76a and the motor outer peripheral inner surface 77a in the motor outer peripheral wall 71. A plurality of motor outflow holes 176 are arranged in the circumferential direction CD. The motor outflow holes 176 are arranged in the axial direction AD on the motor fins 79. A plurality of motor outflow holes 176 are arranged in the axial direction AD. The motor fins 79 are provided between two motor outflow holes 176 adjacent to each other in the axial direction AD.

[0187] The motor device 60 has a motor seal 181. The motor seal 181 is provided in the motor housing 70 in a state in which the motor outlet hole 176 can be opened and closed. The motor seal 181 is formed of a valve member, an opening and closing member, a lip seal, etc. The motor seal 181 is provided individually for each of the multiple motor outlet holes 176.

[0188] The motor seal 181 can be transitioned between a closed state in which the motor outlet hole 176 is closed and an open state in which the motor outlet hole 176 is open. When in the closed state, the motor seal 181 restricts ventilation through the motor outlet hole 176. In this case, the motor seal 181 restricts the reverse internal wind Fc from flowing out from the motor outlet hole 176 to the outer circumferential flow path 123a. The closed state of the motor seal 181 corresponds to a restricted state. The motor seal 181 corresponds to an outflow restriction portion.

[0189] When the motor seal 181 is in an open state, it opens the motor outlet hole 176 to allow ventilation through the motor outlet hole 176. In this case, the motor seal 181 allows the reverse internal wind Fc to flow from the motor outlet hole 176 to the outer circumferential flow passage 123a. The open state of the motor seal 181 corresponds to the permitted state.

[0190] The motor seal 181 is made of a resin material, a rubber material, or the like, and is formed to be elastically deformable. The motor seal 181 has an air permeability blocking property that blocks air. The motor seal 181 covers the motor outlet hole 176 from the outer peripheral flow passage 123a side. The motor seal 181 is fixed to the motor outer wall 74 in a state that can be switched between a closed state and an open state. The motor seal 181 extends along the motor outer surface 76 so as to cover the motor outlet hole 176.

[0191] The motor seal 181 has a fixed end fixed to the motor outer wall 74 and a free end that is not fixed to the motor outer wall 74. The motor seal 181 transitions from a closed state to an open state by elastically deforming such that the free end moves outwardly away from the motor outer wall 74. The motor seal 181 corresponds to an elastic regulating portion.

[0192] The motor seal 181 is elastically deformed so as to transition from a closed state to an open state when an external force is applied by the reverse cooling air Fb or the reverse internal air Fc. For example, when the reverse internal air Fc presses the motor seal 181 toward the outer periphery, the motor seal 181 transitions from a closed state to an open state due to the pressing force of the reverse internal air Fc. Then, when the pressing force of the reverse internal air Fc becomes smaller than the restoring force of the motor seal 181, the motor seal 181 transitions from the open state to the closed state due to its own restoring force.

[0193] In the motor housing 70, when the internal pressure becomes higher than the external pressure to the extent that the motor seal 181 elastically deforms, the motor seal 181 transitions from a closed state to an open state due to the internal pressure. The internal pressure is the pressure of the gas in the motor space 171. The external pressure is the pressure of the gas in the outer peripheral flow passage 123a. When the internal pressure drops to the extent that the motor seal 181 exerts its restoring force, the motor seal 181 transitions from the open state to a closed state due to its own restoring force.

[0194] When the flow of the reverse cooling air Fb is strong, a force acts on the motor seal 181 to draw the motor seal 181 toward the outer peripheral flow passage 123a, causing the motor seal 181 to transition from a closed state to an open state. In this case, the reverse cooling air Fb is likely to draw the gas in the motor space 171 out of the motor outlet hole 176 as the reverse internal air Fc. The strength of the reverse cooling air Fb is determined by the amount and speed of the reverse cooling air Fb. An example of a case in which the flow of the reverse cooling air Fb is strong is when the amount and speed of the reverse cooling air Fb are so large that the motor seal 181 transitions from a closed state to an open state. When the flow of the reverse cooling air Fb becomes weak, the motor seal 181 transitions from an open state to a closed state due to its own restoring force.

[0195] Furthermore, when the flow of the reverse cooling air Fb is strong, the reverse cooling air Fb turns over the motor seal 181 so as to lift the free end of the motor seal 181 from the motor outer surface 76, causing the motor seal 181 to transition from a closed state to an open state. Even in this case, the reverse cooling air Fb draws out the reverse internal air Fc from the motor outlet hole 176, causing the reverse internal air Fc to flow.

[0196] In the EPU 50, the reverse internal wind Fc flows from the motor inlet hole 175 through the internal space of the motor shaft 65 into the motor space 171. The motor shaft 65 is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole. The motor shaft 65 has a shaft space 165. The shaft space 165 is the internal space of the motor shaft 65. The motor space 171 is open to the outside of the EPU 50 through the shaft space 165.

[0197] The motor shaft 65 is formed into a cylindrical shape as a whole. The motor shaft 65 has a shaft outer wall 161. The shaft outer wall 161 is the outer wall of the motor shaft 65. The shaft outer wall 161 forms the outer surface and the inner surface of the motor shaft 65. The shaft outer wall 161 forms a shaft space 165. The shaft outer wall 161 extends in a wall shape along the outer surface and the inner surface of the motor shaft 65. The shaft outer wall 161 extends in the axial direction AD along the motor axis Cm.

[0198] The motor shaft 65 penetrates the motor housing 70 in the axial direction AD. A backflow fan 111 is provided in the motor shaft 65 at a portion extending from the motor housing 70 toward the propeller 20. In addition, in the motor shaft 65, an end of a shaft outer wall 161 is exposed to the outside of the motor housing 70 through a motor inlet hole 175. For example, in the motor shaft 65, the shaft outer wall 161 is inserted into the motor inlet hole 175.

[0199] The motor shaft 65 has a shaft inlet hole 166 and a shaft outlet hole 167. The shaft inlet hole 166 and the shaft outlet hole 167 are provided in the shaft outer wall 161. The shaft inlet hole 166 penetrates the shaft outer wall 161 in the axial direction AD. The shaft inlet hole 166 is provided in a portion of the motor outer wall 74 that is exposed to the outside of the motor housing 70. The shaft inlet hole 166 opens the shaft space 165 to the outside of the motor housing 70. Gas flowing into the shaft space 165 through the shaft inlet hole 166 flows into the motor space 171 through the motor inlet hole 175.

[0200] The shaft inlet hole 166 and the motor inlet hole 175 are open to the outside of the EPU 50 via the inverter housing hole 95. The shaft inlet hole 166 and the motor inlet hole 175 are aligned with the inverter housing hole 95 in the axial direction AD. The shaft inlet hole 166 connects the internal space of the inverter housing hole 95 and the shaft space 165 in a manner that allows ventilation. The reverse internal wind Fc passes through the inverter housing hole 95 and flows from the shaft inlet hole 166 into the shaft space 165. The motor inlet hole 175 connects the internal space of the inverter housing hole 95 and the motor space 171 in a manner that allows ventilation. The reverse internal wind Fc passes through the inverter housing hole 95 and flows from the motor inlet hole 175 into the motor space 171.

[0201] The shaft outlet hole 167 penetrates the shaft outer wall 161 in the radial direction RD. The shaft outlet hole 167 is provided in a portion of the motor outer wall 74 accommodated in the motor space 171. The shaft outlet hole 167 opens the shaft space 165 to the motor space 171. In other words, the shaft outlet hole 167 connects the shaft space 165 and the motor space 171 in a manner that allows ventilation. A plurality of the shaft outlet holes 167 are arranged in the circumferential direction CD. A plurality of the shaft outlet holes 167 are arranged in the axial direction AD. The reverse internal wind Fc that flows into the shaft space 165 from the shaft inflow hole 166 flows out from the shaft outlet hole 167 to the motor space 171.

[0202] The EPU 50 has an air filter 185. The air filter 185 allows gas to pass through while removing foreign matter such as water, dust, and dirt from the gas. For example, the air filter 185 allows the reverse internal wind Fc to flow from the motor inlet hole 175 into the motor space 171 while restricting foreign matter from flowing from the motor inlet hole 175 into the motor space 171 together with the reverse internal wind Fc. The air filter 185 is formed into a sheet shape from a filter member such as nonwoven fabric. The air filter 185 corresponds to a foreign matter restricting portion. The air filter 185 is sometimes referred to as a dust filter.

[0203] The air filter 185 is provided so as to cover the motor inlet hole 175 and the shaft inlet hole 166 from the axial direction AD. For example, the air filter 185 covers the motor inlet hole 175 from the axial direction AD via the inverter housing hole 95. The air filter 185 is provided in the inverter housing 90 so as to cover the inverter housing hole 95 from the side opposite the propeller 20. The air filter 185 is fixed to the inverter facing wall 93 with an adhesive or the like. The air filter 185 extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD.

[0204] According to this embodiment, the motor inlet hole 175 opens the motor space 171 to the outside of the motor housing 70. In this configuration, the reverse internal wind Fc flows into the motor space 171 from the outside of the motor housing 70, and the reverse internal wind Fc promotes heat dissipation from the motor 61. Therefore, the motor inlet hole 175 can enhance the heat dissipation effect of the propulsion device 15. Moreover, the motor inlet hole 175 opens the motor space 171 toward the downwind side of the propeller wind Wp. In this configuration, it is difficult for the propeller wind Wp to directly flow into the motor inlet hole 175. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the entry of foreign matter into the motor space 171 from the motor inlet hole 175 together with the propeller wind Wp. Therefore, it is possible to realize both a situation in which gas flows into the motor housing 70 while foreign matter flows in, and an effective cooling of the motor 61.

[0205] <Thirteenth embodiment> In the twelfth embodiment, the backflow fan 111 is provided between the motor device 60 and the propeller 20. In contrast, in the thirteenth embodiment, the backflow fan 111 is provided on the opposite side of the motor device 60 from the propeller 20. Configurations, actions, and effects of the thirteenth embodiment that are not specifically described are similar to those of the twelfth embodiment. The thirteenth embodiment will be described mainly with respect to the points that are different from the twelfth embodiment.

[0206] 18, the backflow fan 111 is provided between the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 in the axial direction AD. That is, the backflow fan 111 is provided between the motor housing 70 and the inverter housing 90 in the axial direction AD. The motor housing 70 and the inverter housing 90 are arranged in the axial direction AD via the backflow fan 111. The motor shaft 65 protrudes from the motor housing 70 toward the inverter housing 90. The backflow fan 111 is provided at a portion of the motor shaft 65 that protrudes from the motor housing 70 toward the inverter housing 90.

[0207] According to this embodiment, the backflow fan 111 is provided between the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 in the axial direction AD. The backflow fan 111 is provided on the opposite side of the motor device 60 from the propeller 20. In this configuration, the backflow fan 111 blows air around the inverter device 80 against the propeller wind Wp so as to suck the gas toward the propeller 20, and the reverse cooling air Fb flows along the inverter device 80. This makes it possible to reduce pressure loss in the reverse cooling air Fb flowing around the inverter device 80. This makes it possible to more effectively flow the reverse cooling air Fb while preventing foreign matter from passing through the inverter device 80 in the outer circumferential flow passage 123a.

[0208] <Other embodiments> The disclosure of this specification is not limited to the exemplified embodiments. The disclosure includes the exemplified embodiments and modifications by those skilled in the art based thereon. For example, the disclosure is not limited to the combination of parts and elements shown in the embodiments, and can be implemented in various modifications. The disclosure can be implemented by various combinations. The disclosure can have additional parts that can be added to the embodiments. The disclosure includes those in which parts and elements of the embodiments are omitted. The disclosure includes the replacement or combination of parts and elements between one embodiment and another embodiment. The disclosed technical scope is not limited to the description of the embodiments. The disclosed technical scope is indicated by the description of the claims, and should be interpreted as including all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the description of the claims.

[0209] In each of the above embodiments, the EPU fixing portion 58 may be provided at any location on the EPU housing 55. The EPU fixing portion 58 may be provided on at least one of the gear housing 105, the motor housing 70, and the inverter housing 90. For example, the EPU fixing portion 58 may be provided individually on each of the gear housing 105 and the motor housing 70. The EPU fixing portion 58 may also be provided on the inverter housing 90. In this configuration, it is preferable that the inverter housing 90 has a sufficiently high strength so that the strength of the inverter housing 90 is sufficient for the EPU fixing portion 58 to support the EPU 50.

[0210] In each of the above embodiments, the EPU fixing portion 58 may be any portion of the EPU housing 55. For example, in a configuration in which a fixing hole is provided in the EPU outer peripheral wall 56, the EPU fixing portion 58 includes the fixing hole and the surrounding portion of the fixing hole in the EPU outer peripheral wall 56. In this configuration, the EPU fixing portion 58 does not need to have a protrusion.

[0211] In each of the above embodiments, the motor housing 70 may be common to the multiple motor devices 60. For example, in the seventh embodiment, the motor housing 70 may be common to the first motor device 60A and the second motor device 60B. In this configuration, the motor facing wall 73 is not provided between the first motor 61A and the second motor 61B. For the multiple inverter devices 80, the inverter housing 90 may be common as in the third embodiment. Also, the housing may be common to the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80. For example, the motor facing wall 73 and the inverter facing wall 93 may not be provided between the motor 61 and the inverter 81 and the inverter control unit 82.

[0212] In each of the above embodiments, the multiple components may be arranged in any manner in the EPU 50. For example, the gear device 100 and the EPU fan 110 may be provided between the motor device 60 and the inverter device 80 in the axial direction AD. The gear device 100, the EPU fan 110, and the inverter device 80 may also be provided between two motor devices 60 adjacent to each other in the axial direction AD. Furthermore, the gear device 100, the EPU fan 110, and the motor device 60 may also be provided between two inverter devices 80 adjacent to each other in the axial direction AD.

[0213] In addition, two components adjacent in the axial direction AD may be provided at positions spaced apart from each other in the axial direction AD. For example, two motor devices 60 adjacent in the axial direction AD may be provided at positions spaced apart from each other in the axial direction AD. Also, two inverter devices 80 adjacent in the axial direction AD may be provided at positions spaced apart from each other in the axial direction AD.

[0214] In each of the above embodiments, it is sufficient that the EPU 50 has at least one motor device 60 and a plurality of inverter devices 80. For example, the EPU 50 may have a plurality of motor devices 60 and more inverter devices 80 than the motor devices 60. Also, one inverter device 80 may drive a plurality of motor devices 60. For example, in the above seventh embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in one of the inverter devices 80A, 80B, the other may drive both of the motor devices 60A, 60B.

[0215] In each of the above embodiments, the EPU fan 110 does not have to be housed in the EPU duct 120. For example, the EPU fan 110 may be provided upwind or downwind of the EPU duct 120 in the axial direction AD. Furthermore, the EPU duct 120 does not have to house all of the gear device 100, the motor device 60, and the inverter device 80. For example, the EPU duct 120 may house at least one of the gear device 100, the motor device 60, and the inverter device 80. Furthermore, the EPU 50 does not have to have the EPU fan 110 or the EPU duct 120. In addition, the EPU duct 120 may be made of a resin material, a rubber material, or the like.

[0216] In each of the above embodiments, the motor 61 does not have to be a double-rotor motor. For example, the motor 61 may be a single-rotor motor. Furthermore, the motor 61 does not have to be an axial gap motor. For example, the motor 61 may be a radial gap motor. In a radial gap motor, a rotor and a stator are aligned in the radial direction RD.

[0217] In each of the above embodiments, the flight control device may have at least one of the overall control unit 40 and the inverter control unit 82. For example, the flight control device may have only the inverter control unit 82 out of the overall control unit 40 and the inverter control unit 82. In this configuration, the inverter control unit 82 performs flight control processing.

[0218] In each of the above embodiments, the vertical take-off and landing aircraft on which the propulsion device 15 is mounted may be an electrically-driven vertical take-off and landing aircraft in which at least one propeller 20 is driven by at least one EPU 50. For example, a configuration in which one propeller 20 is driven by multiple EPUs 50, or a configuration in which one EPU 50 drives multiple propellers 20 may also be used.

[0219] In each of the above embodiments, the aircraft on which the propulsion device 15 is mounted does not have to be a vertical take-off and landing aircraft as long as it is electrically powered. For example, the aircraft may be an electrically powered aircraft capable of take-off and landing with a runway. Furthermore, the aircraft may be a rotorcraft or a fixed-wing aircraft. The aircraft may be an unmanned aircraft with no people on board.

[0220] In each of the above embodiments, the moving body on which the propulsion device 15 is mounted does not have to be an air vehicle as long as it can move by rotation of a rotating body. For example, the moving body may be a vehicle, a ship, a construction machine, or an agricultural machine. In an air vehicle, the propeller 20 corresponds to a rotating body that rotates as the motor device 60 is driven, and a housing fixing part such as the EPU fixing part 58 is fixed to the airframe 11. For example, if the moving body is a vehicle or a construction machine, a wheel for moving corresponds to the rotating body, and a housing fixing part is fixed to the vehicle body. In this case, the EPU 50 may be provided inside the wheel.

[0221] In each of the above embodiments, the general control unit 40 and the inverter control unit 82 are provided by a control system including at least one computer. The control system includes at least one processor that is hardware. If this processor is referred to as a hardware processor, the hardware processor can be provided by the following (i), (ii), or (iii).

[0222] (i) A hardware processor may be a hardware logic circuit. In this case, the computer is provided by digital circuits including a number of programmed logic units (gate circuits). The digital circuits may include a memory that stores at least one of a program and data. The computer may be provided by analog circuits. The computer may be provided by a combination of digital and analog circuits.

[0223] (ii) The hardware processor may be at least one processor core that executes a program stored in at least one memory. In this case, the computer is provided with at least one memory and at least one processor core. The processor core is referred to as a CPU, for example. The memory is also referred to as a storage medium. The memory is a non-transitive and tangible storage medium that non-transiently stores "at least one of a program and data" that can be read by the processor.

[0224] (iii) A hardware processor may be a combination of (i) above and (ii) above, where (i) and (ii) are located on different chips or on a common chip.

[0225] That is, at least one of the means and functions provided by the general control unit 40 and the inverter control unit 82 can be provided by hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0226] (Disclosure of technical ideas) This specification discloses multiple technical ideas described in the following multiple dependent claims. Some of the claims may be described in a multiple dependent form, where the subsequent claim alternatively refers to the preceding claim. Furthermore, some of the claims may be described in a multiple dependent form, where the subsequent claim alternatively refers to the preceding claim. The claims described in these multiple dependent forms define multiple technical ideas.

[0227] (Technical thought 1) A propulsion device (15) that propels an aircraft (10) by rotation of a propeller (20), a motor device (60, 60A, 60B) having a motor (61, 61A, 61B) and driving the flying object to propel the flying object; a motor drive device (80, 80A, 80B) having a power conversion unit (81, 81A, 81B) that converts power supplied to the motor and drives the motor device; an apparatus housing (55) that houses the motor and the power conversion unit; Equipped with the motor device can be driven by a plurality of the motor drive devices; A propulsion device, wherein the multiple motor drive devices are each capable of driving at least one of the motor devices, and each are arranged so as to be aligned with the motor device in an axial direction (AD) along which the rotation axis (Cm) of the motor extends, and so as to be aligned with each other in the axial direction.

[0228] (Technical thought 2) The propulsion device described in technical idea 1, wherein the multiple motor drive devices are arranged so that one motor drive device is adjacent to the motor device in the axial direction, and so that the motor drive devices are adjacent to each other in the axial direction without the motor device in between.

[0229] (Technical Thought 3) The device housing has a housing fixing portion (58) that is fixed to the body (11) of the flying object, A propulsion device as described in Technical Idea 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the motor drive devices is arranged at a position in the axial direction where the distance between the motor drive device and the housing fixing portion is greater than the distance between the motor device and the housing fixing portion.

[0230] (Technical Thought 4) The device housing has a housing fixing portion (58) that is fixed to the body (11) of the flying object, A propulsion device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 3, wherein the motor device is arranged at a position in the axial direction where the distance between the motor device and the housing fixing portion is smaller than the distance between the motor drive device and the housing fixing portion.

[0231] (Technical Thought 5) The device housing comprises: a motor housing (70, 70A, 70B) included in the motor device and accommodating the motor; a motor drive housing (90, 90A, 90B, 90C) included in the motor drive device and accommodating the power conversion unit; The propulsion device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 4, comprising:

[0232] (Technical Thought 6) The propulsion device according to technical idea 5, wherein the strength of the motor drive housing is less than the strength of the motor housing.

[0233] (Technical Thought 7) The device housing comprises: a high housing (105, 70) having a strength greater than that of the motor drive housing; a housing fixing portion (58) provided on the high housing and fixed to a body (11) of the aircraft; The propulsion device according to Technical Idea 5 or 6,

[0234] (Technical Thought 8) A propulsion device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 7, wherein the motor device is switchable between being driven by all of the plurality of motor driving devices and being driven by the remaining motor driving devices except for at least one.

[0235] (Technical Thought 9) A propulsion device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 8, wherein the motor device is switchable between driving of n phases as multiple phases by only one of the motor driving devices, and driving of m×n phases, which is m times the n phase, which is a natural number, by all of the multiple motor driving devices.

[0236] (Technical Thought 10) The propulsion device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 9, wherein the motor device is provided between the propeller and the motor drive device in the axial direction.

[0237] (Technical Thought 11) The propulsion device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 10, wherein the motor device and the motor drive device are arranged in the axial direction on an air-cooled fan (110, 111) that flows air in the axial direction to cool the device housing.

[0238] (Technical Thought 12) an outer periphery duct (120) provided to cover the device housing from the outer periphery side and forming an outer periphery flow path (123a) between the device housing and the outer periphery duct (120) for flowing air along the outer periphery surface of the device housing; The propulsion device according to technical idea 11, wherein the air-cooled fan flows air so that the air passes through the outer peripheral flow passage in the axial direction.

[0239] (Technical Thought 13) The propulsion device according to Technical Idea 11 or 12, further comprising, as the air-cooling fan, a counterflow fan (111) that blows air in a direction opposite to the direction of the air blown by the propeller in the axial direction.

[0240] (Technical Thought 14) The propulsion device according to technical idea 13, wherein the counterflow fan is disposed between the propeller and the device housing in the axial direction.

[0241] (Technical Thought 15) The propulsion device according to Technical Idea 13 or 14, wherein the backflow fan is provided between the motor device and the motor drive device in the axial direction.

[0242] (Technical Thought 16) an outer periphery duct (120) provided to cover the device housing from the outer periphery side and forming an outer periphery flow path (123a) between the device housing and the outer periphery duct (120); a duct hood (130) provided between the propeller and the outer circumferential flow passage in the axial direction so as to block the gap between the outer circumferential flow passage and the propeller; The propulsion device according to any one of Technical Ideas 13 to 15, comprising:

[0243] (Technical Thought 17) The device housing comprises: A propulsion device as described in any one of technical ideas 13 to 16, having a housing inlet hole (175) that opens the internal space to the outside of the equipment housing toward the downwind side of the propeller wind (Wp) generated by the rotation of the propeller, so that air flows from the outside of the equipment housing into the internal space (171) of the equipment housing by the blowing of the backflow fan.

[0244] (Technical Thought 18) The motor is A stator (62) fixed to the device housing; rotors (64a, 64b) arranged in the axial direction on the stator; The propulsion device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 17, wherein: [Explanation of symbols]

[0245] 10... eVTOL as an aircraft, 11... airframe, 15... propulsion device, 20... propeller, 55... EPU housing as device housing, 58... EPU fixing part as housing fixing part, 60... motor device, 60A... first motor device, 60B... second motor device, 61... motor, 61A... first motor, 61B... second motor, 62... stator, 64a... first rotor, 64b... second rotor, 70... motor housing as high housing, 70A... first motor housing, 70B... second motor housing, 80... inverter device, 80A... first inverter device, 80B... second inverter device, 81... inverter motor, 81A...first inverter, 81B...second inverter, 90...inverter housing, 90A...first inverter housing, 90B...second inverter housing, 90C...common inverter housing, 105...gear housing as high housing, 110...EPU fan as air-cooled fan, 111...reverse flow fan as air-cooled fan, 120...EPU duct as outer periphery duct, 123a...outer periphery flow path, 130...duct hood, 171...motor space as internal space, 175...motor inlet as housing inlet, Wp...propeller wind, Cm...motor axis as rotation axis, AD...axial direction.

Claims

1. A propulsion device (15) that propels a moving body (10) by rotation of a rotating body (20), a motor device (60, 60A, 60B) having a motor (61, 61A, 61B) and driving the moving body to propel the moving body; A power conversion unit (81, 81A, 81B) that converts power supplied to the motor, A motor drive device (80, 80A, 80B) that drives the motor device; An apparatus housing (55) that houses the motor and the power conversion unit; Equipped with the motor device can be driven by a plurality of the motor drive devices; the plurality of motor drive devices are each capable of driving at least one of the motor devices, and are arranged so as to be aligned with the motor device in an axial direction (AD) along which a rotation axis (Cm) of the motor extends, and are arranged so as to be aligned with each other in the axial direction while being fixed to each other; At least one of the plurality of motor drive devices is fixed to the motor device; The device housing comprises: A motor housing (70, 70A, 70B) included in the motor device and housing the motor; a motor drive housing (90, 90A, 90B, 90C) provided at a position aligned with the motor housing in the axial direction, included in the motor drive device, and housing the power conversion unit; A propulsion device having a

2. 2. The propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the motor drive devices are arranged so that one motor drive device is adjacent to the motor device in the axial direction and so that the motor drive devices are adjacent to each other in the axial direction without the motor device therebetween.

3. The device housing has a housing fixing portion (58) that is fixed to a body (11) of the moving body, 3. The propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the motor drive devices is provided at a position in the axial direction where the distance between the motor drive device and the housing fixing portion is greater than the distance between the motor device and the housing fixing portion.

4. The device housing has a housing fixing portion (58) that is fixed to a body (11) of the moving body, The propulsion device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the motor device is provided at a position in the axial direction such that a distance between the motor device and the housing fixing portion is smaller than a distance between the motor drive device and the housing fixing portion.

5. 3. A propulsion device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the motor drive housing has a strength less than that of the motor housing.

6. The device housing comprises: A high housing (105, 70) having a higher strength than the motor drive housing; a housing fixing portion (58) provided on the high housing and fixed to a body (11) of the moving body; 3. A propulsion device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

7. The propulsion device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the motor device is switchable between being driven by all of the plurality of motor drive devices and being driven by the remaining motor drive devices except for at least one.

8. 3. The propulsion device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the motor device is switchable between driving of n phases as a plurality of phases by only one of the motor drive devices and driving of m×n phases, which is m times the n phase, which is a natural number, by all of the multiple motor drive devices.

9. The propulsion device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the motor device is provided between the rotor and the motor drive device in the axial direction.

10. 3. A propulsion device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the motor device and the motor drive device are aligned in the axial direction with an air-cooling fan (110, 111) which blows air in the axial direction to cool the device housing.

11. an outer periphery duct (120) provided to cover the device housing from the outer periphery side and forming an outer periphery flow path (123a) between the device housing and the outer periphery duct (120) for flowing air along the outer periphery of the device housing; The propulsion device according to claim 10 , wherein the air-cooled fan flows air through the outer circumferential flow passage in the axial direction.

12. The propulsion device according to claim 10, further comprising, as the air-cooling fan, a counterflow fan (111) that blows air in a direction opposite to the direction of air blown by the rotor in the axial direction.

13. The propulsion device according to claim 12 , wherein the counterflow fan is provided between the rotor and the device housing in the axial direction.

14. The propulsion device according to claim 12 , wherein the counterflow fan is disposed axially between the motor device and the motor drive device.

15. an outer periphery duct (120) provided to cover the device housing from the outer periphery side and forming an outer periphery flow path (123a) between the device housing and the outer periphery duct (120); a duct hood (130) provided between the rotor and the outer peripheral flow passage in the axial direction so as to block the gap between the outer peripheral flow passage and the rotor; 13. The propulsion device of claim 12, comprising:

16. The device housing comprises: The propulsion device according to claim 12, further comprising a housing inlet hole (175) that opens the internal space to the outside of the equipment housing toward the downwind side of the wind (Wp) generated by the rotation of the rotor, so that the air blown by the backflow fan flows from the outside of the equipment housing into the internal space (171) of the equipment housing.

17. The motor is a stator (62) fixed to the device housing; rotors (64a, 64b) arranged in the axial direction on the stator; 3. A propulsion device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

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