IP Library Granted Patent US 12,139,261
Granted Patent B2
US 12,139,261 · App. 17/699,921 · Granted Nov 12, 2024

Propulsion system, anti-icing method of rotor and aircraft

Inventor: Kazuaki Kotani (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
B64D15/06B64U20/60B64U20/70B64U30/20B64U50/19H02K1/32H02K9/20H02K9/225
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,139,261
App. No.
17/699,921
Granted
Nov 12, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one implementation, a propulsion system includes a rotor, a motor and an anti-icing mechanism. The rotor has blades. The motor rotates the rotor. The anti-icing mechanism deices the blades using heat generated by driving of the motor. Further, according to one implementation, an aircraft includes the above-mentioned propulsion system. Further, according to one implementation, an anti-icing method of a rotor having blades includes deicing the blades using heat generated by driving of a motor for rotating the rotor.

Claims (50)

1. A propulsion system for an aircraft, the propulsion system comprising:

rotor blades;

a motor including a stator and a rotor;

a rotating shaft having i) a first portion where the rotor of the motor is mounted around the rotating shaft, and ii) a second portion where the rotor blades are attached to the rotating shaft, wherein the rotating shaft transfers power from the motor to rotate the rotor blades; and

a first heat transfer member disposed inside the rotating shaft to extend from the first portion to the second portion of the rotating shaft such that the first heat transfer member contacts the rotor of the motor at the first portion via a lateral surface of the rotating shaft;

second heat transfer members respectively disposed on the rotor blades to contact the first heat transfer member at the second portion via the lateral surface of the rotating shaft,

wherein the first heat transfer member receives heat generated in the motor via the first portion of the rotating shaft and transfers the heat to the second heat transfer member via the second portion of the rotating shaft to deice the rotor blades; and

wherein the first heat transfer member includes at least one of a first heat conductor and a heat pipe including a first heat transferring fluid, and the first heat conductor is made of at least one of carbon fibers and a material containing carbon nanotube.

2. The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein the first heat transfer member has thermal conductivity higher than thermal conductivity of the rotating shaft.

3. The propulsion system according to claim 2 ,

wherein the second heat transfer members have thermal conductivity higher than thermal conductivity of the rotor blades,

wherein the second heat transfer members transfer the heat from the first heat transfer member to the rotor blades respectively, and

wherein the second heat transfer members each include at least one of a second heat conductor and a second heat transferring fluid.

4. The propulsion system according to claim 3 ,

wherein each second heat conductor is attached to the second end of the rotating shaft,

wherein the rotor blades extend from the second end of the rotating shaft, and

wherein each second heat conductor extends from the second end of the rotating shaft to halfway along a length of each respective blade rotor.

5. The propulsion system according to claim 4 ,

wherein each second heat conductor is made of at least one of carbon fibers and a material containing carbon nanotube.

6. The propulsion system according to claim 4 , further comprising:

deicing boots attached to the rotor blades respectively, the deicing boots including the second heat transfer members and rubbers disposed on surfaces of the second heat transfer members respectively.

7. The propulsion system according to claim 3 ,

wherein each second heat conductor is made of at least one of carbon fibers and a material containing carbon nanotube.

8. The propulsion system according to claim 7 , further comprising:

deicing boots attached to the rotor blades respectively, the deicing boots including the second heat transfer members and rubbers disposed on surfaces of the second heat transfer members respectively.

9. The propulsion system according to claim 3 , further comprising:

deicing boots attached to the rotor blades respectively, the deicing boots including the second heat transfer members and rubbers disposed on surfaces of the second heat transfer members respectively.

10. The propulsion system according to claim 3 ,

wherein the first heat transfer member and the second heat transfer member are configured to deice the rotor blades by transmitting, to the rotor blades, not less than 15% of the heat generated by the motor.

11. An aircraft comprising:

the propulsion system according to claim 3 .

12. The propulsion system according to claim 3 , wherein an end of each second heat conductor is embedded in the second end of the rotating shaft so that each second heat conductor is in contact with the first heat conductor.

13. The propulsion system according to claim 2 ,

wherein the first heat transfer member and the second heat transfer member are configured to deice the rotor blades by transmitting, to the rotor blades, not less than 15% of the heat generated by the motor.

14. An aircraft comprising:

the propulsion system according to claim 2 .

15. The propulsion system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first heat transfer member and the second heat transfer member are configured to deice the rotor blades by transmitting, to the rotor blades, not less than 15% of the heat generated by the motor.

16. An aircraft comprising:

the propulsion system according to claim 15 .

17. An aircraft comprising:

the propulsion system according to claim 1 .

18. An anti-icing method for the propulsion system according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

deicing the rotor blades using the heat generated by driving of the motor for rotating the rotor blades.

19. The anti-icing method of the rotor according to claim 18 ,

wherein the heat generated by the motor is transmitted to the rotor blades through the first heat transfer member of which thermal conductivity is determined to allow transmitting, to the rotor blades, not less than 15% of the heat generated by the motor.

20. The propulsion system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second heat transfer members have thermal conductivity higher than thermal conductivity of the rotor blades,

wherein the second heat transfer members transfer the heat from the first heat transfer member to the rotor blades respectively, and

wherein the second heat transfer members each includes at least one of a second heat conductor and a second heat transferring fluid.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2022
From: KOTANI, KAZUAKI
To: SUBARU CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059328/0915 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-204598 · Nov 12, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2020037668 · Oct 3, 2020
Related Publication 20220212806A1 · Jul 7, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,358,657