System, propulsion system and vehicle

摘要

A system, which may be a propulsion system or a vehicle having a propulsion system, for example, an air-vehicle, a land vehicle or a marine vehicle, includes a gas turbine engine operative to drive a propulsor. The propulsor may be, for example, a fan/turbofan, a propeller, a turbine, or any rotor system for propelling an aircraft; a system for providing tractive effort for a land vehicle, such as one or more transmissions and wheel/track systems; and/or may be one or more marine propulsive devices, such as shrouded or unshrouded propellers, hydrojets and/or jet-pumps for surface vessels and/or submarines. The system also includes an auxiliary power unit. The auxiliary power unit is coupled to the gas turbine engine, and is operative to supply rotational power to the propulsor and to the impart motion to the vehicle using the propulsor, without starting the gas turbine engine.

主权项

1. A propulsion system for a vehicle, comprising:
a gas turbine engine having a high pressure spool and a low pressure spool, wherein the low pressure spool is configured to mechanically drive a propulsor, wherein the propulsor is configured to impart motion to the vehicle during normal vehicle moving operations; and an auxiliary power unit (APU) mechanically coupled to only the low pressure spool, wherein the APU is a thermodynamic machine operative to mechanically supply rotational power to the propulsor; and a controller configured to selectively engage the APU to the low pressure spool to impart the motion of the vehicle without starting the gas turbine engine.