A system includes a thermal engine operatively connected to drive a propeller. An electric motor is operatively connected to the thermal engine to drive the propeller together with the thermal engine. An external input system is configured to accept input and output a thrust command. A protection function module is configured to enforce limits on the thermal engine, electric motor, and propeller. A low select module is operatively connected to receive input from the external input system and form the protection function module and to output the lower of input from the protection function module and external input system to the thermal engine, the electric motor, and the propeller.

A turbo engine includes a system for changing a pitch of blades of a propeller, the system including an annular fluid cylinder with a linear drive and a link mechanism linking the cylinder to the blades of the propeller to change an orientation of the propeller. The annular cylinder of the system can be rigidly mounted on a fixed housing supporting the propeller and internal to the propeller, unlike the blades mounted in an external rotating hub of the propeller, and the link mechanism includes a displacement transfer bearing fixed, on one side, to the mobile part of the cylinder and cooperating, on the other side, with a mechanism linking to the blades of the rotating hub of the propeller.

A turbo engine includes a system for changing a pitch of blades of a propeller, the system including an annular fluid cylinder with a linear drive and a link mechanism linking the cylinder to the blades of the propeller to change an orientation of the propeller. The annular cylinder of the system can be rigidly mounted on a fixed housing supporting the propeller and internal to the propeller, unlike the blades mounted in an external rotating hub of the propeller, and the link mechanism includes a displacement transfer bearing fixed, on one side, to the mobile part of the cylinder and cooperating, on the other side, with a mechanism linking to the blades of the rotating hub of the propeller.

Freezing of an electrical component of a VTOL rotor is prevented. The aircraft 100 includes a fuselage 12, a VTOL rotor 20 including one or more blades 23 that is supported on the boom 18 to be spaced apart from the fuselage for generating thrust in a vertical direction during take-off and landing, a motor 21 that is stored in the boom and is configured to cause the one or more blades to rotate, and an inverter 22 for controlling the motor, a detection unit 80 configured to detect a temperature of at least one apparatus of the motor or the inverter, and a control unit 99 configured to run the at least one apparatus based on a thrust request for a plurality of VTOL rotors and a detection result of the temperature.

There is provided a pitch control assembly for a rotor of an aircraft, the rotor rotatable about a longitudinal axis and having blades each rotatable about a span-wise axis to adjust a blade pitch angle thereof, the assembly comprising a plurality of position markers spaced circumferentially around the longitudinal axis and having lengths along the longitudinal axis which vary monotonically and incrementally, at least one sensor configured for producing at least one sensor signal in response to detecting a relative movement between the plurality of position markers and the at least one sensor, and a control unit communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and configured to generate a feedback signal indicative of the blade pitch angle in response to the at least one sensor signal received from the at least one sensor.

A method and control system for an aircraft engine comprising a gas turbine driving a fan propeller with a mechanical gear-train and a dedicated pitch change mechanism for the fan propeller includes a fuel flow signal input; a pitch change mechanism signal input; a controlled plant for relating a pitch change mechanism pitch angle (BetaP) and a fuel flow (Wf) to at least two controlled outputs and a set of constraints. A decoupling control decoupling the controlled plant and/or the constraints into two separate single-input single-output (SISO) control loops for the first and second controlled outputs and a decoupling control decoupling the constraints from the decoupled controlled outputs and the constraints from one another provide gas turbine and fan propeller coordinate control while coordinately controlling constraints and outputs. A feedforward control can compensate the load change effect on engine speed and fan propeller rotor speed control.

A rotor assembly for generating vehicle thrust. The rotor assembly includes a rotor hub with a plurality of rotor blade assemblies coupled thereto. Each rotor blade assembly includes a metallic bearing race, a composite rotor blade and a split collet assembly. The split collet assembly includes two circumferentially distributed collet members each having an inner inboard conical seat configured to mate with a radially outwardly extending conical feature of the bearing race and an inner outboard conical seat configured to mate with a radially outwardly extending conical feature of the rotor blade. The split collet assembly also includes an outer sleeve having an inner conical surface that mates with outer conical surfaces of the collet members to maintain the collet members in a circumferential orientation around the bearing race and the rotor blade such that the split collet assembly provides a centrifugal force load path therebetween.

This patent discloses improvements over a mechanism to modulate the pitch of the blades of a fan, turbine or propeller driven by a rotating shaft bearing a helical thread onto which a nut made of a ferromagnetic material was threaded; this nut was spun by electromagnets disposed about it on the stator system and its resultant axial motion manipulated the blades' pitch. This patent discloses refinement of control of the electromagnets employed to spin the axial modulator by embedding a plurality of ferrous protuberances in this nut—the rotational position of which is determined via metallic edge detection sensors whose logic levels are used to selectively energize electromagnets that apply a force onto the protuberances in order to induce rotation and axial motion on the nut. This additional degree of rotational freedom is controlled by this reluctance-motor like configuration while a second motor is used to spin the blades.

To reduce the overall mass of an engine assembly for aircraft, this assembly comprises a part of the fuselage of an aircraft, a turbomachine comprising an unfaired propeller, together with an annular row of unfaired after-guide vanes located aft of the propeller and rotationally fixed in relation to a longitudinal axis of the turbomachine, and a mounting pylon. At least part of the leading edge of the pylon is incorporated within the annular row between two after-guide vanes.

To reduce the overall mass of an engine assembly for aircraft, this assembly comprises a part of the fuselage of an aircraft, a turbomachine comprising an unfaired propeller, together with an annular row of unfaired after-guide vanes located aft of the propeller and rotationally fixed in relation to a longitudinal axis of the turbomachine, and a mounting pylon. At least part of the leading edge of the pylon is incorporated within the annular row between two after-guide vanes.