AIRCRAFT PROPULSION UNIT

Abstract

The invention relates to an aircraft thruster (30) comprising at least a first propeller (32) provided with a plurality of radial blades (34) extending about an axis (A) of rotation of the said first propeller (32), which is driven in rotation by a first electric motor (36), the electrical supply means of which comprise power circuits (42) carried by a fairing of the thruster characterised in that the power circuits (42) are arranged in an annular manner in an annular part (40) integral with the fairing of the thruster (30), this annular part (40) being arranged around the said first propeller (32).

Claims

1.-8. (canceled)

9. An aircraft thruster (30) comprising at least a first propeller (32) provided with a plurality of radial blades (34) extending about an axis (A) of rotation of the said first propeller (32), which is driven in rotation by a first electric motor (36), the power supply means of which comprise power circuits (42) carried by a fairing of the thruster, characterized in that the circuits of the power electronics (42) are arranged in an annular part (40) integral with the fairing of the thruster (30), this annular part (40) being arranged around said first propeller (32), the annular part (40) integral with the fairing surrounding a stator annular part (36b) of the electric motor (36), the annular part (40) integral with the fairing and the stator annular part (36b) of the electric motor (36) together delimiting an annular space (46), one end of which opens out along the axis (A) of the first propeller (32) and towards the upstream side of the first propeller (32) with respect to the air flow.

10. A thruster according to claim 9, wherein the electric motor (36) comprises an annular rotor part (36a) surrounding and integral with the radially outer ends of the blades (34).

11. A thruster according to claim 9, wherein the electric motor (74, 76) comprises a rotor ring part (74a, 76a) integral with the radially inner ends of the blades (34).

12. A thruster according to claim 10, wherein the electric motor (74, 76) comprises a rotor ring part (74a, 76a) integral with the radially inner ends of the blades (34).

13. A thruster according to claim 11, wherein the annular rotor part (74a, 76a) surrounds a stator part (74b, 76b) of the electric motor (74, 76) carrying windings, said stator part (74b, 76b) of the electric motor (74, 76) being connected to the annular part integral with the fairing of the aircraft.

14. A thruster according to claim 9, wherein said at least one first propeller is guided in rotation in a central hub integral with the annular part integral with the fairing.

15. A thruster according to claim 10, wherein said at least one first propeller is guided in rotation in a central hub integral with the annular part integral with the fairing.

16. A thruster according to claim 11, wherein said at least one first propeller is guided in rotation in a central hub integral with the annular part integral with the fairing.

17. A thruster according to claim 13, wherein said at least one first propeller is guided in rotation in a central hub integral with the annular part integral with the fairing.

18. A thruster according to claim 9, wherein said at least one first propeller (54, 56) lacks a central hub connected to the radially inner ends of the blades (34).

19. A thruster according to claim 10, wherein said at least one first propeller (54, 56) lacks a central hub connected to the radially inner ends of the blades (34).

20. A thruster according to claim 9, wherein the power supply means comprises a voltage source connected in parallel to a capacitor (44) annularly shaped within the annular part (40) of the fairing.

21. A thruster according to claim 10, wherein the power supply means comprises a voltage source connected in parallel to a capacitor (44) annularly shaped within the annular part (40) of the fairing.

22. A thruster according to claim 11, wherein the power supply means comprises a voltage source connected in parallel to a capacitor (44) annularly shaped within the annular part (40) of the fairing.

23. A thruster according to claim 13, wherein the power supply means comprises a voltage source connected in parallel to a capacitor (44) annularly shaped within the annular part (40) of the fairing.

24. A thruster according to claim 18, wherein the power supply means comprises a voltage source connected in parallel to a capacitor (44) annularly shaped within the annular part (40) of the fairing.

25. A thruster according to claim 9, wherein it comprises a second propeller (56) counter-rotating the first propeller (54), this second propeller (56) being arranged downstream of said first propeller (54) and being driven in rotation by a second electric motor.

26. A thruster according to claim 10, wherein it comprises a second propeller (56) counter-rotating the first propeller (54), this second propeller (56) being arranged downstream of said first propeller (54) and being driven in rotation by a second electric motor.

27. A thruster according to claim 11, wherein it comprises a second propeller (56) counter-rotating the first propeller (54), this second propeller (56) being arranged downstream of said first propeller (54) and being driven in rotation by a second electric motor.

28. A thruster according to claim 13, wherein it comprises a second propeller (56) counter-rotating the first propeller (54), this second propeller (56) being arranged downstream of said first propeller (54) and being driven in rotation by a second electric motor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0015] FIG. 1, already described above, represents an embodiment of an aircraft of a known type;

[0016] FIG. 2, already described above, represents an electro-mechanical diagram of a propeller drive;

[0017] FIG. 3,

[0018] FIG. 4,

[0019] FIG. 5,

[0020] FIG. 6 and

[0021] FIG. 7 represent different embodiments as described below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which represents a first embodiment of the invention representing an aircraft thruster 30 comprising a propeller 32 provided with a plurality of blades 34 extending radially with respect to an axis A of rotation of the thruster 30. The propeller 32 is rotated by an electric motor 36 having a rotor ring part 36a and a stator ring part 36b. The radially inner ends of the blades 34 are integrally connected to each other by a central hub 38 and the radially outer ends are integral with the rotor ring part 36a which thus externally surrounds the blades 34. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the stator ring part 36b of the electric motor 36 is arranged radially outside the rotor ring part 36a of the electric motor 36. The stator ring part 36b of the electric motor 36 carries windings for electromagnetically coupling with the armature carried by the rotor ring part 36a.

[0023] Also, it is observed that this stator annular part 36b of the electric motor 36 is surrounded externally by an annular part 40 of the thruster fairing 30. To operate the electric motor 36, according to the invention, the circuits 42 of the power electronics are arranged in the annular part 40 of the thruster fairing 30 and are distributed in an annular manner which allows for a reduction in space requirements. Moreover, this positioning ensures that the power circuits 42 are cooled since they are located close to the outside air circulation. The power circuits 42 are connected to a capacitor 44 which is also annularly shaped in the annular part 40 of the thruster fairing 30. A voltage source (not shown) is connected to the capacitor 44. The voltage source, capacitor and power circuits form means for supplying power to the electric motor.

[0024] To further improve cooling, an annular space 46 is formed between the annular part 40 of the fairing and the stator annular part 36b of the electric motor 36, said annular space 46 opening along the axis A of the propeller 32 and upstream thereof with respect to the air flow. In this way, the suction effect created by the propeller 32 induces a circulation of air in the annular space 46, which makes it possible to ventilate the radially inner face of the annular part 40 of the fairing and thus to cool the circuits 42 of the power electronics even better. It is observed that the cables 48 for electrical connection to the windings pass through the annular space 46.

[0025] In order to provide rotational guidance of the rotor ring part 36a of the electric motor 36 to the stator ring part 36b of the electric motor 36, rolling bearings 50 can be mounted between said rotor ring part 36a and stator ring part 36b.

[0026] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the invention in which the thruster 52 no longer comprises a single propeller, but a first propeller 54 and a second propeller 56, the two propellers 54, 56 being configured to rotate in opposite directions, thereby reducing the nominal rotational speed of each propeller 54, 56. Each propeller is driven by its own electric motor, which can have the same configuration as described in FIG. 3. It is observed that the stator ring part 58b of the first electric motor 58 and the stator ring part 60b of the second electric motor 60 are fixed to each other and at least one first rolling bearing 62 ensures the rotational guidance of the rotor ring part 58a in a first direction of rotation direction of rotation relative to the first stator ring part 58b of the first electric motor 58 and at least one second rolling bearing 64 guides the second rotor ring part 60a in a second direction of rotation relative to the second stator ring part 60b of the second electric motor 60. In FIG. 4, the annular part of the fairing is not shown but can, as shown in FIG. 3, surround the first stator annular part 58b of the first electric motor 58 and the second stator annular part 60b of the second electric motor 60 and an annular space can be defined therein.

[0027] In FIG. 4, each propeller 54, 56 of the thruster 52 is connected to its own central hub 54a, 56a.

[0028] Obviously, each propeller 54, 56 could be without a central hub as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 5. This could also be the case for the realization of FIG. 3.

[0029] FIG. 6 shows yet another embodiment of a thruster 63 of the invention which is similar to that described with reference to FIG. 4. The annular space and the annular part of the fairing are not shown. In this embodiment, a stationary central hub 62 provides rotational guidance for the first propeller 54 and the second propeller 56 via roller bearings 64, 66. This central hub 62, which extends along the axis A of the thruster 63, is connected to radial arms 68 for connection to the stator ring parts 58b, 60b of the first 58 and second 60 electric motors. These arms 68 are arranged axially between the first propeller 54 and the second propeller 56 and are shaped so as to provide force recovery while avoiding maximum impact on the air flow from the first propeller 54 to the second propeller 56.

[0030] Lastly, FIG. 7 shows a last embodiment of a thruster 70 with two counter-rotating propellers 54, 56, in which the power circuits 42 are obviously mounted in the annular part 40 of the fairing. This part 40 is connected by radial arms 68 to a central hub 72 which is surrounded at an upstream end by a stator part 74b of the first electric motor 74 and at a downstream end by a stator part 76b of the second electric motor 76. Each of the stator parts 74b, 76b of the electric motors 74, 76 is surrounded by an annular rotor part 74a, 76a of the first 74 and second 76 electric motors which is integral with the radially inner ends of the blades 34. At least one rolling bearing 64, 66 is interposed between each stator part 58b, 60b and an annular rotor part 58a, 60a of an electric motor 58, 60.