Distributed Inverter Aircraft Propulsor for Lightweight Fault Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional aircraft propulsors are heavy due to the need for gearboxes, bearings, and cooling systems, and generate significant acoustic noise, while electric motor-assisted propulsors often lack sufficient power for takeoff and are less reliable, requiring additional engines for operation.
Innovation Solution
A motor-driven propulsor system with a nacelle-mounted electric motor, permanent magnets in fan shrouds, and a distributed inverter assembly that converts direct current to alternating current to rotate fan blades, eliminating the need for separate gearboxes and cooling systems and reducing noise through external heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a gas turbine engine with separate gearboxes, bearings, and cooling systems is used, then thrust generation is achieved, but the weight of the aircraft increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the motor, inverter, and cooling system into an integrated assembly mounted directly on the nacelle. This merging eliminates the need for separate gearboxes and bearings, reducing the overall weight while maintaining thrust generation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical gearbox and bearing system with an electric motor direct-drive system. The motor is mounted on the nacelle and directly drives the fan blades, eliminating the need for mechanical transmission components and reducing weight.
2Power
If a gas turbine engine is used, then thrust is generated, but significant acoustic noise is produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the gas turbine engine with an electric motor system that directly drives the fan blades. This substitution eliminates the combustion process and mechanical transmission components that generate significant acoustic noise, resulting in quieter operation while maintaining thrust capability.
3Use of energy by moving object
If an electric motor is used to assist fan blade rotation, then power consumption is reduced, but the motor generates significant heat requiring separate cooling systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cooling system with the motor assembly, using the same airflow that drives the fan blades to cool the motor. The motor is mounted on the nacelle where it is directly exposed to the incoming air stream, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems while managing the heat generated during operation.
4Weight of moving object
If motors are used instead of gas turbine engines, then weight is reduced, but reliability decreases due to inverter failure risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the inverter system into multiple independent inverter units, each capable of driving a portion of the fan blades. This segmentation ensures that if one inverter fails, the others can continue to operate, maintaining partial thrust capability and improving overall system reliability while keeping the propulsor weight reduced.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration achieves significant weight savings, reduces acoustic noise, and enhances reliability by allowing the propulsor to continue generating thrust even with partial component failures, as each inverter power stage and gate driver can operate independently.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the inverter power stages is configured to convert the direct current supplied to the inverter power stage to an alternating current that is supplied to the corresponding coil in the stator to rotate the magnets and the fan blades
Data Source
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AI summary
A motor driven propulsor (200) of an aircraft (10) includes magnets (402) disposed in fan shrouds (724) of fan blades (208) connected with a fan hub (208), a stator (218) having individual conductive coils (400) in a nacelle (702)located radially outside of the fan hub (208), and a distributed inverter assembly (500) having several inverter power stages (404) and gate drivers (504), each of the inverter power stages (404) coupled with a separate gate driver (504) of the gate drivers (504) and a separate coil (400) of the coils (400) in the stator (218). Each of the gate drivers (504) is configured to individually control supply of direct current to the corresponding inverter power stage (404). Each of the inverter power stages (404) is configured to convert the direct current supplied to the inverter power stage (404) to an alternating current that is supplied to the corresponding coil (400) in the stator (218) to rotate the magnets (402) and the fan blades (208) around a center line (226) of the fan hub (208) for propelling the aircraft (10).