WO2010020199A1

WO2010020199A1 - Aircraft hybrid propulsion

Info

Publication number: WO2010020199A1
Application number: PCT/CZ2009/000102
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jiri Vycital; Tomas Moravec
Original assignee: Jiri Vycital; Tomas Moravec
Priority date: 2008-08-20
Filing date: 2009-08-19
Publication date: 2010-02-25
Also published as: CZ2008500A3; CZ300681B6

Abstract

The invention relates to the aircraft hybrid propulsion, consisting of two propeller propulsion units, one of which is based on the principle of an internal combustion engine (1). with a propeller and the second one on the principle of an electric motor (2) with a propeller characterized in that the propulsion units are installed without an interdependent mechanical coupling in the push-pull configuration in the direction of flight on the aircraft fuselage, so that one of the propulsion units (1, 2) is located in the forward fuselage and generates a propulsion effect using a tractor propeller and the second one of the propulsion units (1, 2) is located in the rear fuselage and generates a propulsion effect using a pusher propeller and the batteries supplying the energy to the electric motor are rechargeable by recuperation during flight. From the electric motor with a propeller (2) and/or from a generator installed on the internal combustion engine (1).

Description

Aircraft Hybrid Propulsion

Technical Field

The invention relates to an aircraft propulsion system, applying the electric motor and internal combustion engine principles.

Background Art

At present, most of the practically usable aircraft are powered by propulsion units^', creating the propulsion by converting the chemical energy contained in the fuel to the thermal energy and then by the expansion to the mechanical energy, this energy is used for accelerating the air flow by the propeller and based on -the momentum conservation principle the thrust necessary for the aircraft motion ' is-; generated. Besides this basic principle of the energy conversion ^;used for the propulsion, attempts to utilize for the propulsion the electrical energy by its conversion to the mechanical energy in the electric motor are emerging recently. These electric motors are able, because of the limited capacity of the batteries, .to power only lighter aircraft, mostly aircraft models. There appear also experirfigήts^* attempting to overcome the limitations of the capacity of the batteries by /thφ application of a hybrid propulsion (a combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor), which are conceived as an analogy to the hybrid automobiles drive systems. In the frame of the this concept, there exists either a mechanical coupling between the combustion engine and the electric motpjv constituting a coupled drive train to a single propeller only and this way both propulsion units are interdependent, or the combustion engine is only a source of energy for the battery charging. These designs have disadvantages, from the point of view of the aircraft applications, mainly with regard to their complexity, weight ■

the hydrocarbon fossil fuels on the crude oil bases, the trend of the electrical energy utilization for the aircraft propulsion gains increasing importance. Disclosure of the Invention

The disadvantages and limited capabilities of a purely electrically powered aircraft are eliminated by the proposed hybrid propulsion, which simply combines two independent propeller propulsion units, comprising an internal combustion engine with a propeller and an electric motor with a propeller.

The basis of the conceptual arrangement according to the invention is^the push^piill configuration of both kinds of propeller propulsion units on the aircraft fuselage. One propeller propulsion unit is installed in the forward fuselage in the tractor configuration and the other propeller propulsion unit is located in the rear fuselage in the pusher configuration. This propulsion units arrangement has no internal mechanical coupling and allows either a combined operation of both propulsion units, when both units generate maximum propulsive effect or, coincidentally, thjs arrangement allows independent operation of one of the propulsion units only, e.g. during the cruise flight, when the energy of the second propulsion unit is saved. At the same time, another advantage of this concept presents the alignment of both propulsion units / propeller axes with the main longitudinal fuselage / aircraft axis jso. that the propulsion units axes may be located either in the proximity of the main aircraft/ fuselage axis or may be identical with the main aircraft / fuselage axis aηd this way is eliminated the yawing moment, which is otherwise important during the one engine inoperative flight of the aircraft with a conventional configuration of; engines installed on the wings.

Another advantage of the independent configuration of the propulsion ' units presents the possibility of a recuperation charging of batteries during flight using the electric motor in a generator mode, driven by the propeller. This system of charging during flight may be also combined with charging of the batteries from the generator on the internal combustion engine as well as from the ground source and tjie electricity distribution grid.

Brief Description of Drawings

The invention will be further explained by the Figure 1 , showing a side schematic view of the propeller propulsion units' installation in the aircraft fuselage. Best Mode for carrying out the Invention

The aircraft hybrid propulsion, according to the Figure 1 , consists of two propeller . propulsion units, independent of each other, in a push-pull configuration. The forward tractor propeller propulsion unit 1 may be either electric motor or internal combustion propulsion unit. The rear pusher propeller propulsion unit 2 is located on the rear of the fuselage and may be either electric or internal combustion; propulsion unit depending on what kind of propeller propulsion unit is used as the_, forward unit. The propeller axes of both the propulsion units, the forward as well the rear, are arranged in parallel/ coaxial with the fuselage main longitudinal axis of symmetry.

The batteries supplying the electric motor 2 are rechargeable during flight by the, recuperation from the electric propeller with a propeller 2 and/or from the generator installed on the internal combustion propulsion engine 1

Claims

1. The aircraft hybrid propulsion consisting of two propeller propulsion units, one of which is based on the principle of an internal combustion engine (1) with a . propeller and the second one on the principle of an electric motor (2) with a propeller, characterized in that the propulsion units are installed without an interdependent mechanical coupling in the push-pull configuration in the direction of flight on the aircraft fuselage, so that one of the propulsion units (1 , 2) is installed in the forward fuselage and generates a propulsion effect using a tractor propeller and the second one of the propulsion units (1 , 2) is installed in the rear fuselage and generates a propulsion effect using a pusher propeller and the batteries supplying the energy to the electric motor are rechargeable during flight.

2. The aircraft hybrid propulsion according to the claim 1 , characterized in that the batteries supplying the energy to the electric motor (2) are rechargeable during flight by recuperation using the electric motor with a propeller (2) and/or using a generator installed on the internal combustion engine (1).