Hybrid aircraft propulsion power plants
An aircraft power plant has: an electric motor; a compressor; a combustion engine; an output shaft drivingly engageable to a thrust generator for propelling an aircraft equipped with the aircraft power plant; and a transmission including a gearbox having a first input drivingly engaged by the electric motor, a first output drivingly engaging the compressor, a second input drivingly engageable by the combustion engine, and a second output drivingly engageable to the output shaft, wherein the transmission has: a propulsion configuration in which the output shaft and the compressor are drivingly engaged to the electric motor and to the combustion engine via the gearbox, and an auxiliary power unit configuration in which the combustion engine and the output shaft are at rest while the electric motor drivingly engages the compressor.
1. An aircraft power plant comprising:
an electric motor;
a compressor;
a combustion engine;
an output shaft drivingly engageable to a thrust generator for propelling an aircraft equipped with the aircraft power plant; and
a transmission including a gearbox having a first input drivingly engaged by the electric motor, a first output drivingly engaging the compressor, a second input drivingly engageable by the combustion engine, and a second output drivingly engageable to the output shaft,
wherein the transmission has:
a propulsion configuration in which the output shaft and the compressor are drivingly engaged to the electric motor and to the combustion engine via the gearbox, and
an auxiliary power unit configuration in which the combustion engine and the output shaft are at rest while the electric motor drivingly engages the compressor.
2. The aircraft power plant of claim 1 , wherein the gearbox is a planetary gear train having a sun gear, planet gears meshed with the sun gear and rollingly supported by a planet carrier, and a ring gear meshed with the planet gears.
3. The aircraft power plant of claim 2 , wherein the first input is engaged to one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the first output engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the second input engaged to another one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, and the second output engaged to the other one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear.
4. The aircraft power plant of claim 3 , wherein the first input is engaged to the ring gear, the first output engaged to the ring gear, the second input engaged to the planet carrier, and the second output engaged to the planet carrier.
5. The aircraft power plant of claim 3 , comprising a brake engaged to a remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the brake having an engaged configuration in which rotation of the remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear is blocked and a disengaged configuration in which rotation of the remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear is permitted, the brake being in the engaged configuration in the propulsion configuration and in the disengaged configuration in the auxiliary power unit configuration.
6. The aircraft power plant of claim 2 , wherein the first input is engaged to one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the first output engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the second input engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, and the second output engaged to another one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear.
7. The aircraft power plant of claim 6 , wherein the first input is engaged to the ring gear, the first output engaged to the ring gear, the second input engaged to the ring gear via a clutch, and the second output engaged to the planet carrier.
8. The aircraft power plant of claim 6 , comprising a brake engaged to a remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the brake having an engaged configuration in which rotation of the remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear is blocked and a disengaged configuration in which rotation of the remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear is permitted, the brake being in the engaged configuration in the propulsion configuration and in the disengaged configuration in the auxiliary power unit configuration.
9. The aircraft power plant of claim 2 , wherein the first input is engaged to one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the first output engaged to another one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the second input engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, and the second output engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, and a second electric motor engaged to a remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear.
10. The aircraft power plant of claim 9 , wherein the first input is engaged to the planet carrier, the first output engaged to the sun gear, the second input engaged to the planet carrier, the second output engaged to the planet carrier, the second electric motor engaged to the ring gear.
11. The aircraft power plant of claim 10 , wherein the second electric motor is operable to drive the compressor while rotation of the planet carrier is blocked by a brake engageable to the planet carrier.
12. The aircraft power plant of claim 1 , comprising a turbine having a turbine inlet fluidly connected to an exhaust of the combustion engine, the turbine drivingly engaged to the combustion engine to compound power with the combustion engine.
13. An aircraft power plant comprising:
an electric motor;
a compressor;
a combustion engine;
an output shaft drivingly engageable to a thrust generator for propelling an aircraft equipped with the aircraft power plant; and
a planetary gear train having a sun gear, planet gears meshed with the sun gear and rollingly supported by a planet carrier, and a ring gear meshed with the planet gears, the electric motor engaged to one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the compressor engaged to the one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the output shaft engaged to another one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the combustion engine engaged to the other one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear; and
a brake having operatively connected to a remaining one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the brake having:
a first configuration in which the output shaft and the compressor are drivingly engaged to the electric motor and to the combustion engine via the planetary gear train, and
a second configuration in which the combustion engine and the output shaft are at rest while the electric motor drivingly engages the compressor.
14. The aircraft power plant of claim 13 , wherein the electric motor and the compressor are engaged to the ring gear, the combustion engine and the output shaft engaged to the planet carrier, the brake operatively connected to the sun gear.
15. The aircraft power plant of claim 13 , comprising a turbine having a turbine inlet fluidly connected to an exhaust of the combustion engine, the turbine drivingly engaged to the other one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear to compound power with the combustion engine in driving the output shaft.
16. The aircraft power plant of claim 13 , wherein the electric motor and the compressor are engaged to the ring gear, the output shaft engaged to the planet carrier, the combustion engage selectively drivingly engaged to the ring gear via a clutch, the brake engaged to the sun gear.
17. An aircraft power plant comprising:
an electric motor;
a compressor;
a combustion engine;
an output shaft drivingly engageable to a thrust generator for propelling an aircraft equipped with the aircraft power plant; and
a gearbox having a plurality of gears meshed with one another, the gearbox having a first input drivingly engaged by the electric motor, a first output drivingly engaging the compressor and in driving engagement with the first input, a second input drivingly engageable by the combustion engine, and a second output drivingly engageable to output shaft and drivingly engaged to the second input and to the first input;
a first clutch between the combustion engine and the second input, the first clutch having a first engaged configuration in which the combustion engine is drivingly engaged to the second input and a first disengaged configuration in which the combustion engine is disengaged from the second input; and
a second clutch between the output shaft and the second output, the second clutch having a second engaged configuration in which the output shaft is drivingly engaged to the second output and a second disengaged configuration in which the output shaft is disengaged from the second output.
18. The aircraft power plant of claim 17 , wherein the electric motor is engaged to the compressor via a first set of gears of the plurality of gears, the second input drivingly engaged to the second output via at least one gear of the first set of gears of the plurality of gears.
19. The aircraft power plant of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of gears have different diameters to provide speed ratios.
20. The aircraft power plant of claim 17 , wherein the first clutch is in the first engaged configuration while the second clutch is in the second engaged configuration, the first clutch being in the first disengaged configuration while the second clutch is in the second disengaged configuration.