Aircraft using turbo-electric hybrid propulsion system for multi-mode operation

摘要

A vehicle incorporating a hybrid propulsion system. In one form, the vehicle may be an aircraft such that the system includes gas turbine engines as a first motive power source, and one or more battery packs as a second motive power source. Through selective coupling to an electric motor that can in turn be connected to a bladed rotor or other lift-producing device, the motive sources provide differing ways in which an aircraft can operate. In one example, the gas turbine engines can provide operation for a majority of the flight envelope of the aircraft, while the battery packs can provide operation during such times when gas turbine-based motive power is unavailable or particularly disadvantageous. In another example, both sources of motive power may be decoupled from the bladed rotor such that the vehicle can operate as an autogyro. In another mode of operation, the movement of a bladed rotor can be both decoupled from the sources of propulsion as well as fixed relative to the aircraft such that the aerodynamic surfaces formed on the bladed rotors can act as a fixed wing. In another particular form, the vehicle may be ground-based or water-based.

主权项

1. An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage; a plurality of rotors each of which is coupled to said fuselage through a rotatable shaft, said plurality of rotors comprising side-by-side rotors comprising:
a first rotor situated on a port side of said fuselage such that said first rotor spins in one of a clockwise or counterclockwise direction; anda second rotor situated on a starboard side of said fuselage such that said second rotor spins in an opposing of said clockwise or counterclockwise direction, each of said plurality of rotors comprising two generally opposed rotor blades each of which defines at least one aerodynamic lift surface thereon; wherein said aircraft does not have a tail rotor; a propulsion system selectively cooperative with each of said rotatable shafts to deliver at least one of torque thereto and thrust to said aircraft such that said aircraft may operate in a plurality of flight modes; and a plurality of devices configured to provide said selective cooperation between each of said rotatable shafts and said propulsion system such that while in a first of said plurality of flight modes, torque generated by said propulsion system is decoupled from movement of each of said rotatable shafts while permitting said plurality of rotors to spin, while in a second of said plurality of flight modes, torque generated by said propulsion system is coupled to said plurality of rotors through movement of each of said rotatable shafts to control said spin of said plurality of rotors, while in a third of said plurality of flight modes, each of said rotatable shafts is decoupled from said torque generated by said propulsion system while said plurality of rotors are further prevented from rotating such that said at least one aerodynamic lift surface is affixed at an orientation relative to a flight path of said aircraft such that said aircraft functions as a fixed-wing vehicle and when said aircraft is operating as said fixed-wing vehicle, said side-by-side rotors are each locked in place at varying degrees by a respective detent locking mechanism, said detent locking mechanisms each engaging a sleeve ring containing notches at select angular locations corresponding to varying degrees of wing sweepback, said notches coupling with companion projections around the periphery of a rotatable coupling rotationally affixed to one of said rotatable shafts.