Electrically powered engine
View Patent ↗According to the subject-matter of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrically powered fan engine. The fan engine includes: an energiser chamber between an inlet and an exhaust of the electrically powered fan engine; a first rotor within the energiser chamber, the first rotor including a plurality of blades and being configured to receive a fluid from the inlet and configured to rotate at a first velocity; and a second rotor within the energiser chamber, the second rotor including a plurality of blades and being configured to receive the fluid after passing through the first rotor and configured to rotate at a second velocity. The first velocity is different from the second velocity.
1. An electrically powered fan engine including:
an energiser chamber between an inlet and an exhaust of the electrically powered fan engine;
a first rotor within the energiser chamber, the first rotor including a plurality of blades and being configured to receive a fluid from the inlet and configured to rotate at a first velocity; and
a second rotor within the energiser chamber, the second rotor including a plurality of blades and being configured to receive the fluid after passing through the first rotor and configured to rotate at a second velocity,
wherein the first velocity is different from the second velocity,
wherein the first rotor includes a rim and the second rotor includes a rim,
wherein the electrically powered fan engine further comprises a first electromagnetic circuit configured to drive the rim of the first rotor and a second electromagnetic circuit configured to drive the rim of the second rotor,
wherein the electrically powered fan engine further comprises a by-pass duct extending between a by-pass inlet and a by-pass outlet, wherein the by-pass inlet is positioned upstream of the first rotor, and wherein the by-pass outlet is positioned in the exhaust nozzle, and
wherein the first electromagnetic circuit and the second electromagnetic circuit are each provided within the by-pass duct for cooling, in-use.
2. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 1 , wherein the first rotor is configured to rotate in a first direction, the second rotor is configured to rotate in a second direction, and wherein the first direction is different from the second direction.
3. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 1 , wherein the first rotor and the second rotor are independently driven, and wherein a first speed of the first rotor is different from a second speed of the second rotor.
4. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 1 , wherein the first rotor and the second rotor are axially aligned.
5. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 1 further comprising a static guide vane between the first rotor and the second rotor, the static guide vane include a plurality of blades configured to control an angle of incidence of the fluid to the blades of the second rotor.
6. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 5 , wherein the first rotor, the static guide vane, and the second rotor each include a hub from which the respective blades extend radially.
7. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 6 , wherein the hubs of each of the first rotor, the static guide vane, and the second rotor cooperate with an interior surface of the energiser chamber to gradually decrease a cross-sectional area of the energiser chamber from the inlet to the exhaust.
8. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 7 , wherein the hubs of each of the first rotor, the static guide vane, and the second rotor combine to form a substantially frusto-conical shaped surface having a diameter that gradually increases from the inlet to an exhaust.
9. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 6 , wherein the hub of the static guide vane includes a front stub axle and a rear stub axle respectively extending fore and aft therefrom, and wherein the hub of the first rotor and the hub of the second rotor are journalled about the respective front and rear stub axles.
10. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 5 further comprising a pylon attachment, wherein the static guide vane is coupled to the pylon attachment to transmit a thrust force thereto.
11. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 1 further comprising an exhaust nozzle at the exhaust and an exhaust fairing extending from the hub of the second rotor, wherein the exhaust nozzle and the exhaust fairing cooperate to maintain a cross sectional area of the exhaust from the energiser chamber to downstream.
12. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 11 , wherein the exhaust nozzle is convergent and the exhaust fairing is substantially bullet shaped.
13. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 1 , wherein the first electromagnetic circuit includes a plurality of windings and a stator iron mounted to a wall surrounding the energiser chamber and a rotor iron and a plurality of magnets mounted to the rim of the first rotor, and wherein the second electromagnetic circuit includes a plurality of windings and a stator iron mounted to the wall surrounding the energiser chamber, and a rotor iron and a plurality of windings mounted to the rim of the second rotor.
14. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 1 , wherein the static guide vane includes a rim coupled to an interior surface of the wall, wherein the rim includes a fluid passage to enable fluid to pass from the by-pass inlet to the by-pass outlet.
15. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 1 , wherein the electrically powered fan engine is for providing thrust and/or lift to an aircraft.
16. The electrically powered fan engine of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is air.
17. An aircraft comprising the electrically powered fan engine of claim 1 .
18. An aircraft comprising the electrically powered fan engine of claim 1 .