US 11,939,068 B2
Hybrid flight vehicle
Keisuke Kawai, Wako (JP)
Assigned to Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Oct. 22, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/660,552.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-206994 (JP), filed on Nov. 2, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0148376 A1, May 14, 2020
Int. Cl. B64D 27/24 (2006.01); B60L 58/00 (2019.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64D 27/10 (2006.01); B64D 31/06 (2006.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 10/14 (2023.01); B64U 50/12 (2023.01); B64U 50/19 (2023.01); B64U 50/33 (2023.01); F02C 9/00 (2006.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 50/13 (2023.01); B64U 50/34 (2023.01)
CPC B64D 27/24 (2013.01) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64D 27/10 (2013.01); B64U 50/33 (2023.01); B60L 58/00 (2019.02); B64D 31/06 (2013.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 10/14 (2023.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 50/12 (2023.01); B64U 50/13 (2023.01); B64U 50/19 (2023.01); B64U 50/34 (2023.01); B64U 2201/10 (2023.01); F02C 9/00 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hybrid flight vehicle, comprising:
a frame;
multiple rotors attached to the frame and configured to produce propelling force to propel the frame;
a gas turbine engine attached to the frame and configured to drive the rotors by combustion when fuel is supplied in a combustion chamber;
a generator connected to an output shaft of the gas turbine engine and configured to generate electric power;
a battery configured to store the electrical power generated by the generator;
multiple first electric motors each connected to the rotors to drive associated one of the rotors by the electric power supplied from the battery;
a second electric motor connected to the output shaft of the gas turbine engine to motor the gas turbine engine by the electric power supplied from the battery;
an engine temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the gas turbine engine;
a lubricant temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of lubricant of the gas turbine engine;
a battery residual detector configured to detect a residual of the battery; and
a control unit configured to control flight by regulating driving of the multiple rotors by either or both of the first electric motors and the gas turbine engine;
wherein the control unit stops supply of the fuel to the gas turbine engine when the residual of the battery detected by the battery residual detector is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and supplies electric power to the second electric motor from the battery to motor the gas turbine engine while stopping supply of the fuel to the gas turbine engine when the temperature of the gas turbine engine detected by the engine temperature detector is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, and when the temperature of the lubricant of the gas turbine engine is equal to or lower than a predetermined lubricant temperature.