A propulsion system for an includes a combustion engine, a propulsor, and an electric machine configured to either be driven by the combustion engine or configured to drive the propulsor. The electric machine defines an axis. The electric machine includes a rotor extending along and rotatable about the axis, and a stator having a plurality of winding assemblies, the plurality of winding assemblies spaced along the axis of the electric machine, each winding assembly operable with the rotor independently of an adjacent winding assembly during operation of the electric machine.

The electrical machine according to the invention is a dual machine, and comprises a first machine which can be reversed and a second machine functioning through induction between two windings. The second machine can be used for de-icing a propeller, the induction-receiving winding being mounted on the propeller shaft. The first electrical machine can function as an electrical engine to taxi the aircraft. In certain embodiments, the winding mounted on the stator is common to the two machines and different magnetic flows are utilised to control them. A separate functioning of the two machines and a very good integration into the aircraft engine, with space-saving and low mass, are possible.

A motor driven propulsor of an aircraft includes magnets disposed in fan shrouds of fan blades connected with a fan hub, a stator having individual conductive coils in a nacelle located radially outside of the fan hub, and a distributed inverter assembly having several inverter power stages and gate drivers, each of the inverter power stages coupled with a separate gate driver of the gate drivers and a separate coil of the coils in the stator. Each of the gate drivers is configured to individually control supply of direct current to the corresponding inverter power stage. Each of the inverter power stages is configured to convert the direct current supplied to the inverter power stage to an alternating current that is supplied to the corresponding coil in the stator to rotate the magnets and the fan blades around a center line of the fan hub for propelling the aircraft.

An unmanned aerial vehicle capable of VTOL operation can include: a vehicle body defining longitudinal and transverse directions and opposing longitudinal sides; a first support boom coupled to the vehicle body at a first transverse axis and extending outwardly from the opposing longitudinal sides; a second support boom coupled to the vehicle body at a second transverse axis positioned rearward from the first transverse axis and extending outwardly from the opposing longitudinal sides; a plurality of electric motors coupled to a one of the first and second support booms, at least two electric motors of the plurality of electric motors positioned on each of the first and second support booms, a rotation axis of each of the at least two electric motors coupled to the second support boom offset in a transverse direction from a rotation axis of each of the at least two adjacent electric motors coupled to the first support boom; a plurality of rotors; and a propulsion system.

A gas turbine engine includes an engine spool with a turbine section, a propeller, a motor, and a variable drive arrangement. The variable drive arrangement mechanically couples the engine spool to the propeller, and includes a first gear connection rotationally coupled to the propeller, a second gear connection rotationally coupled to the engine spool, and a sprag clutch rotationally coupled to the first gear connection. The sprag clutch is configured to passively decouple the motor from the first gear connection when a torque input from the engine spool exceeds a torque input from the motor, and is configured to passively couple the motor to the first gear connection when the torque input from motor exceeds a torque input from the engine spool.

A propulsion system for an aircraft can include an electric power source and an electric propulsion assembly having an electric motor and a propulsor. The propulsor can be powered by the electric motor. An electric power bus can electrically connect the electric power source to the electric propulsion assembly. The electric power source can be configured to provide electrical power to the electric power bus. An inverter converter controller can be positioned along the electric power bus and can be electrically connected to the electric power source at a location downstream of the electric power source and upstream of the electric propulsion assembly.

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.

There is provided a supercharging system for an aircraft reciprocating engine, comprising: a plurality of compressors for supplying compressed air to the aircraft reciprocating engine; at least one turbine for obtaining rotational power for at least one of the plurality of compressors, and a plurality of motors for respectively providing rotational power to the plurality of compressors. An object of the present invention is to reduce turbo lag in a reciprocating engine for an aircraft in which multiple-stage supercharging is performed by the turbocharger.

A hybrid electric propulsion system includes a gas turbine engine and an electric machine coupled to the gas turbine engine. A method for operating the propulsion system includes determining, by one or more computing devices, a baseline power output for the gas turbine engine; operating, by the one or more computing devices, the gas turbine engine to provide the baseline power output; determining, by the one or more computing devices, a desired power output greater than or less than the baseline power output; and providing, by the one or more computing devices, power to, or extracting, by the one or more computing devices, power from, the gas turbine engine using the electric machine such that an effective power output of the gas turbine engine matches the determined desired power output.

A hybrid gas turbine engine comprises a turbine, a compressor, and a gear system that is driven by the turbine where the gear system includes a sun gear, a ring gear and a plurality of planet gears, where the ring gear has a ring gear radius of R.sub.Ring gear and the sun gear has a sun gear radius of R.sub.Sun gear such that the gear system provides a reduction ratio of R.sub.Ring gear/R.sub.Sun gear. A fan is driven by the ring gear, and a generator is driven by the ring gear and provides a generator output signal. A power circuit receives the generator output signal and provides a gain R.sub.Ring gear/R.sub.Sun gear to the generator output signal and provides a gain signal indicative thereof to an electrical load.