An aircraft power plant comprising novel air management features for high-power fuel cell applications, the features combine supercharging and turbocharging elements with air and hydrogen gas pathways, utilize novel airflow concepts and provide for much stronger integration of various fuel cell drive components.

An electric propulsion unit (102) for an aircraft is shown. A fan (202) produces a pressured airflow (P) by raising the pressure of an incident airflow (I). An electric machine (201) is arranged to drive the fan and is located within a casing (204). A primary cooling circuit (205) is located within the casing, and includes the electric machine and a first pass of a fluid-fluid heat exchanger (208), thereby placing the electric machine and the fluid-fluid heat exchanger in thermal communication. A secondary cooling circuit includes a second pass of the fluid-fluid heat exchanger and an air-fluid heat exchanger (210) located within the pressurised airflow produced by the fan, thereby placing the fluid-fluid heat exchanger and the air-fluid heat exchanger in thermal communication.

A high efficiency hydrogen fuel system for an aircraft at high altitude which utilizes compressors to compress air to a sufficiently high pressure for the fuel cell. Liquid hydrogen is compressed and then utilized in heat exchangers to cool the compressed air, maintaining the air at a temperature low enough for the fuel cell. The hydrogen is also used to cool the fuel cell as it is also depressurized prior to its entry in the fuel cell cycle. A water condensation system allows for water removal from the airstream to reduce impacts to the atmosphere. The hydrogen fuel system may be used with VTOL aircraft, which may allow them to fly at higher elevations. The hydrogen fuel system may be used with other subsonic and supersonic aircraft, such as with asymmetric wing aircraft.

An environmental control system includes an ambient air conduit and a bleed air conduit, an electric compressor connected to the ambient air conduit and a mechanical compressor connected to the electric compressor. The electric compressor is supported for rotation independent of the mechanical compressor. A turbine is operatively connected to the mechanical compressor, the turbine connected to both the ambient air conduit and the bleed air conduit to provide conditioned air to a conditioned air conduit. Computer program products and methods of providing conditioned air to conditioned air loads are also described.

An aircraft power plant comprising novel air management features for high-power fuel cell applications, said features combine supercharging and turbocharging elements with air and hydrogen gas pathways, utilize novel airflow concepts and provide for much stronger integration of various fuel cell drive components.

A cooling system for an engine of an aircraft of a having hybrid-electric propulsion system including a nacelle body including a bottom cooling air intake disposed below a propeller hub for supplying air to an oil-air cooler, wherein the bottom cooling air intake includes a splitter dividing the bottom cooling air intake into a first channel and a second channel.

An aircraft propulsion assembly includes a first engine and a second engine that are adjacent and a nacelle in which the engines are installed. The nacelle includes a common air inlet lip for the first engine and the second engine, the air flow being divided between the first engine and the second engine by a median lip which extends, at least partly, set back from said common air inlet lip. The common are inlet lip includes, directly in line with the median lip, a bottom lobe and a top lobe extending forward of the nacelle. Such a configuration makes it possible to be able to provide a high aerodynamic form between the fairings of the engines, without the risk of generating overspeeds in the air flow.

An electric propulsion unit (102) for an aircraft is shown. A fan (202) produces a pressured airflow (P) by raising the pressure of an incident airflow (I). An electric machine (201) is arranged to drive the fan and is located within a casing (204). A primary cooling circuit (205) is located within the casing, and includes the electric machine and a first pass of a fluid-fluid heat exchanger (208), thereby placing the electric machine and the fluid-fluid heat exchanger in thermal communication. A secondary cooling circuit includes a second pass of the fluid-fluid heat exchanger and an air-fluid heat exchanger (210) located within the pressurised airflow produced by the fan, thereby placing the fluid-fluid heat exchanger and the air-fluid heat exchanger in thermal communication.

An aircraft propulsion system includes a propulsive fan assembly configured for assembly into an aircraft structure, the propulsive fan assembly that includes a fan rotatable about a fan axis, an inlet duct assembly disposed within the aircraft fuselage, the inlet duct assembly that includes an upper inlet duct with an upper inlet opening and a lower inlet duct with a lower inlet opening. The upper inlet duct and the lower inlet duct merge into a common inlet duct forward of the propulsive fan assembly, and an outlet duct is disposed aft of the propulsive fan assembly.

An aircraft propulsion assembly includes a first engine and a second engine that are adjacent and a nacelle in which the engines are installed. The nacelle includes a common air inlet lip for the first engine and the second engine, the air flow being divided between the first engine and the second engine by a median lip which extends, at least partly, set back from said common air inlet lip. The common are inlet lip includes, directly in line with the median lip, a bottom lobe and a top lobe extending forward of the nacelle. Such a configuration makes it possible to be able to provide a high aerodynamic form between the fairings of the engines, without the risk of generating overspeeds in the air flow.