Propeller Guide Path Cooling for Low-Airspeed Electric Propulsion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric motor cooling systems in aircraft propulsion assemblies are inefficient at low or zero airspeed, and alternative cooling methods increase mass and bulk.
Innovation Solution
A propulsion assembly with a propeller comprising a guide member and compressor vanes that internally accelerate and compress air flow for efficient cooling of the electric motor, even at low speeds, maintaining compactness and reducing mass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling methods are used for the electric motor, then the motor can be cooled during operation, but the cooling efficiency becomes insufficient at low or zero airspeed
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller system cools itself by using its own rotation to drive compressor vanes that intake and compress ambient air through the propeller cone, creating a self-sustaining cooling mechanism that operates independently of aircraft forward speed
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses compressed air flow through pneumatic principles, where the rotating propeller blades compress ambient air and direct it through cooling passages to remove heat from the electric motor, replacing conventional hydraulic or liquid cooling systems
2Temperature
If another cooling fluid is used instead of air, then sufficient cooling can be achieved at low speeds, but the mass and bulk of the system greatly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the propeller's own rotational energy to compress and circulate cooling air, eliminating the need for external cooling fluids or additional heavy cooling equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameters of ambient air (pressure and temperature) through compression by the propeller blades, transforming ordinary air into an effective cooling medium without requiring heavy cooling systems
3Volume of moving object
If the guide member and propeller cone form a compact guide path, then the assembly remains compact, but the air flow compression and acceleration must be highly efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is nested within the propeller cone structure, with the guide path formed between the guide member and the cone, creating a compact nested arrangement that maximizes cooling function within minimal space
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses the radial dimension of the propeller rotation to compress air flow, converting rotational mechanical energy into pneumatic pressure, allowing effective cooling in a compact axial configuration
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
The system provides effective cooling for electric motors in aircraft propulsion assemblies, maintaining compactness and reducing mass, even at low or zero airspeed, by using an integrated air path and vanes to accelerate and compress air flow.
Implementation Method 1
compressor vanes, rotationally integral with the propeller cone, which are positioned in the guide path in such a way as to generate an accelerated air flow
Implementation Method 2
the radial section of the guide path is decreasing from upstream to downstream in order to increase the compression rate and improve cooling
Implementation Method 3
a propulsion assembly comprising an electric motor for driving a propeller to ensure the electric propulsion of an aircraft
Implementation Method 4
The rotation of the blades allows the aircraft to be propelled, i.e. its longitudinal displacement upstream
Implementation Method 5
the electric motor is cooled by its coming into contact with an external air flow
Implementation Method 6
an accelerated air flow taken from the vicinity of a propeller cone
Data Source
AI summary
A propeller for an aircraft propulsion assembly extending longitudinally along an axis X. The propeller comprising a propeller cone, blades, a guide member extending longitudinally along the axis X and rotating as one with the propeller cone, the guide member being mounted outside the propeller cone in such a way as to form between them a guide path, the guide member having an upstream opening configured to convey a flow of air in the guide path and a downstream opening in such a way as to remove the flow of air downstream, the guide member having through-orifices through which extend the blades of the propeller and compressor vanes, which rotate as one with the propeller cone and which are positioned in the guide path in such a way as to generate an accelerated air flow.