A hybrid electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The hybrid electric VTOL aircraft generally includes a fuselage, a pair of wings, a pair of booms, a plurality of flight components and a power system. The wings are connected to the fuselage and extend generally laterally therefrom with each wing on either side of the fuselage. Each boom is connected to a respective one of the wings and extends generally longitudinally and parallel to the fuselage. The plurality of flight components is configured to provide thrust to the hybrid electric VTOL aircraft. The power system is configured to power the plurality of flight components and includes at least a fuel tank and a generator, and at least a battery. The at least a fuel tank is mounted to at least one of the booms. The at least a battery configured to power the plurality of flight components.

A method and apparatus for lifting a payload wherein a first mechanical-rotor is driven by an internal combustion engine. A portion of the mechanical work developed by the internal combustion engine is used to generate electrical power, which is either stored in a battery or used to power an electric motor that drives a second rotor. Thrust developed by the mechanical and electrical rotors is directed downward to provide lift for the payload.

A power unit includes an engine including a driving shaft, a power generator provided on the driving shaft and configured to supply electric energy to a flight vehicle, and a thrust generator provided on an outer side of the power generator and configured to provide a propulsion force to the flight vehicle. When a temperature of the power generator is greater than or equal to a first temperature, the power generator and the thrust generator are decoupled from each other, and the power generator is driven by an output of the engine and supplies the electric energy to the flight vehicle. When the temperature of the power generator is less than the first temperature, the power generator and the thrust generator are coupled to each other, and the thrust generator is driven by the output of the engine and provides the propulsion force to the flight vehicle.

A turbomachine of an aircraft comprising an outer casing delimiting with an inner hub, a flow path of a gas stream in which is disposed a low-pressure turbine configured to rotationally drive a low-pressure shaft; said turbomachine comprising, in the direction of flow of the gas stream, a first propeller; and a second propeller downstream of the first propeller, the first propeller being rotationally driven by said low-pressure shaft and the second propeller being rotationally driven by an electric motor, the second propeller being further disposed at a distance between 1.5 and 4 cord lengths from the first propeller defined between the respective axes of shimming of each of the first and second propellers.

The invention relates to an aircraft power architecture comprising a power transmission gearbox (12), located in a first compartment (30), a gas turbine (14), located in a second compartment (32) comprising a gas generator (18) and a free turbine (22) connected to the power transmission gearbox (12) by a power shaft (26) of the gas turbine (14), and an accessory gearbox (16), the gas turbine (14) being set into the main transmission gearbox (12), characterized in that the gas turbine (14) comprises a first electric machine (38), and in that the accessory gearbox (16) is placed in the first compartment (30) and comprises a second electric machine (42) configured to supply energy to the accessory equipment and to receive electrical energy transmitted via the first electric machine (38).

An aircraft having a hybrid power source includes two horizontal drive units, four vertical drive units, a vertical drive unit comprising a power supply bus the output of which may be connected to a single horizontal drive unit which may be connected to at least two vertical drive units via a switch, two power generation sources connected, on the one hand, to each of the power supply buses by a respective input of the corresponding vertical drive unit and, on the other hand, to each horizontal drive unit via the respective output of each vertical drive unit, and a power supply command arranged to send a power command to the power generation sources according to the power requirements of the vertical drive units and/or horizontal drive units. The power generation sources are also suitable for recharging power sources of the vertical drive units.

A system and a method for driving a fan of an engine of an aircraft, including an electric motor operatively coupled to a drive axle of the fan, and a control unit in communication with the electric motor. The control unit is configured to operate the electric motor to rotate the fan.

A combustion section includes a casing that defines a diffusion chamber. The combustion section further includes a combustion liner that is disposed within the diffusion chamber and that defines a combustion chamber. The combustion liner is spaced apart from the casing such that a passageway is defined between the combustion liner and the casing. The combustion section further includes a fuel cell assembly that is disposed in the passageway. The fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells. The plurality of fuel cells extend from an inlet end in fluid communication with the diffusion chamber to an outlet end extending through the combustion liner and in fluid communication with the combustion chamber.

A combustion section defines an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction. The combustion section includes a casing that defines a diffusion chamber. A combustion liner is disposed within the diffusion chamber and defines a combustion chamber the combustion liner is spaced apart from the casing such that a passageway is defined between the combustion liner and the casing. A fuel cell assembly is disposed in the passageway. The fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell stack that has a plurality of fuel cells each extending between an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end receives a flow of air and fuel and the outlet end provides output products to the combustion chamber. The fuel cell assembly further includes an electrical circuit that is electrically coupled to the plurality of fuel cells and that extends through the casing.

Hybrid powertrains for a fixed wing aircraft, a helicopter, and a V/STOL aircraft. A core of the jet engine rotates an integral generator without gear train, that provides current to charge batteries located in various locations on the aircraft. The batteries are used to power electric motors that provide the sole source of torque to fans, propellers, or rotors that propel the aircraft. These differ from the prior configurations by provisioning integrated architectures.