A propeller propulsion unit, comprising at least one kinematic system comprising at least: a heat engine, an electrical energy generator, an electric motor configured to generate a rotary movement as output from the electrical energy generated by the electrical energy generator, a drive and selection device configured to assume a first configuration, in which it is coupled to the output of the electric motor, and a second configuration, in which it is coupled to the main shaft of the heat engine, and a propeller rotated by the drive and selection device. Such a propeller propulsion unit with a hybrid engine allows more power to be provided and facilitates maintenance and ergonomics and is safer.

An aircraft comprises a fuselage, first and second wing segments each having a leading edge and a trailing edge, a plurality of spokes coupling the fuselage to the first and second wing segments, one or more motors disposed within or attached to the plurality of spokes, and three or more propellers proximate to a leading edge of the plurality of spokes, distributed along the plurality of spokes, and operably connected to the motors to provide lift whenever the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight and provide thrust whenever the aircraft is in forward flight. When the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight, the fuselage is approximately vertical. When the aircraft is in forward flight, the fuselage is approximately in the direction of the forward flight and extends forward beyond the leading edges of the first wing segment and the second wing segment.

Hybrid-electric powertrains for aircraft are disclosed herein. An example hybrid-electric powertrain includes a gas turbine propulsion engine including a first propulsor and a gas turbine engine to drive the first propulsor to produce thrust, a generator operably coupled to a drive shaft of the gas turbine engine, and an electric propulsion unit including a second propulsor and an electric motor to drive the second propulsor to produce thrust. During a first mode of operation, the gas turbine propulsion engine and the electric propulsion unit are activated to produce thrust, and the generator is driven by the gas turbine engine to produce electrical power to power the electric propulsion unit. During a second mode of operation, the gas turbine propulsion engine is activated to produce thrust and the electric propulsion unit is deactivated.

The present disclosure provides absorption refrigeration systems, assemblies and methods utilizing waste heat for climate control and/or cooling (e.g., electric systems cooling; electronics cooling; motor cooling; generator cooling; oil cooling; etc.). More particularly, the present disclosure provides absorption refrigeration systems, assemblies and methods utilizing waste heat (e.g., from aviation/aerospace systems, such as hybrid-electric/electric aircraft/aerospace systems or the like) for climate control and/or cooling (e.g., electronics cooling; motor cooling; generator cooling; oil cooling; electric systems cooling for energy savings on aviation/aerospace systems, such as hybrid-electric/electric aircraft/aerospace systems). In example embodiments, the waste heat utilization provides up to 100% of the energy control system (ECS) input energy, and certain configurations allow for substantially no electric energy input (e.g., allows for gravity flow only).

A turbofan includes a fan, a casing positioned downstream of the fan and separating a primary flowpath from a secondary flowpath, a compressor, a combustion chamber and a turbine being arranged in the primary flowpath, the turbofan having a differential transmission coupled to the turbine, and a power supply device configured to provide additional power to the one provided by the turbine to drive the compressor.

A turbogenerator (1) for an aircraft (2) comprising: a turboshaft engine (3); an electric generator (4) comprising a rotor (5) driven mechanically by the turboshaft engine (3) and a stator (6) supported by a housing (7) of the electric generator (4); characterized in that the turbogenerator (1) comprises a static separator (8) for separating an air/oil mixture coming from the turboshaft engine (3), the static separator (8) being positioned around the housing (7) of the electric generator (4).

Hybrid multirotor vehicles and related methods are disclosed herein. An example aircraft includes a battery, a rotor coupled to a wing, a motor operatively coupled to the rotor, and a processor operatively coupled to the motor. The processor to is cause the motor to operate in a first motor operational state. The rotor is to operate in a first rotor operational state when the motor is operating in the first motor operational state. The processor is to cause the motor to switch from operating in the first motor operational state to a second motor operational state. The rotor is to operate in a second rotor operational state when the motor is in the second motor operational state. The motor is to provide electrical energy to the battery in the second motor operational state and the rotor is to autorotate in the second rotor operational state.

An aircraft hybrid propulsion system (5) comprises an internal combustion engine (10) comprising a main drive shaft (24), an electric machine (28) comprising an electric machine rotor (78), a propulsor (12) mounted to a propulsor shaft (62), and a clutch arrangement configured to selectively couple each of the gas turbine engine main drive shaft (24) and electric machine rotor (78) to the propulsor drive shaft (62). The electric machine rotor (78) is mounted coaxially with the main drive shaft (24) and the clutch arrangement comprises a first overrunning clutch (52) configured to couple the main drive shaft (24) to the propulsor drive shaft (62), and a second overrunning clutch (54) configured to couple the electric machine rotor (78) to the propulsor drive shaft (62).

A powertrain control system is provided for a vertical take-off and landing aerial vehicle for urban air mobility. A powertrain of the vertical take-off and landing aerial vehicle is a hybrid type powertrain, in which the output shaft of a rotor driving motor is directly connected to a rotor, a battery is connected to the rotor driving motor to supply power thereto, and an engine and a generator are connected to a battery to charge and discharge the battery. The driving of the engine and the generator is controlled based on required power of the motor and the SOC of the battery in each flight step of the vertical take-off and landing aerial vehicle, and the SOC of the battery is constantly maintained at a predetermined level or higher.

A thermal management system for an aircraft is provided that includes thermo-acoustic engines that remove and capture waste heat from the aircraft engines, heat pumps powered by the acoustic waves generated from the waste heat that remove and capture electrical component waste heat from electrical components in the aircraft, and hollow tubes disposed in the aircraft configured to propagate mechanical energy to locations throughout the aircraft and to transfer the electrical component waste heat back to the aircraft engines to reduce overall aircraft mass and improve propulsive efficiency.