US 11,673,661 B2
Tiltrotor propulsion system for an aircraft
Randy M. Vondrell, Cincinnati, OH (US); Matthew Ryan Polakowski, West Chester, OH (US); Kurt David Murrow, Liberty Township, OH (US); Glenn Crabtree, Oregonia, OH (US); and Darek Tomasz Zatorski, Fort Wright, KY (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on May 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/329,312.
Application 17/329,312 is a continuation of application No. 16/502,913, filed on Jul. 3, 2019, granted, now 11,046,428.
Application 16/502,913 is a continuation of application No. 15/259,654, filed on Sep. 8, 2016, granted, now 10,384,774, issued on Aug. 20, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0073199 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64C 27/28 (2006.01); A61L 9/12 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01); H02J 50/10 (2016.01); B64C 21/06 (2023.01); B64D 27/14 (2006.01); B64D 27/24 (2006.01); H02P 9/04 (2006.01); B64C 3/38 (2006.01); B64D 27/02 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 29/0033 (2013.01) [A61L 9/122 (2013.01); B64C 21/06 (2013.01); B64C 27/28 (2013.01); B64C 29/00 (2013.01); B64D 27/14 (2013.01); B64D 27/24 (2013.01); H02J 7/0042 (2013.01); H02J 50/10 (2016.02); H02P 9/04 (2013.01); A61L 2209/133 (2013.01); B64C 3/385 (2013.01); B64C 29/0008 (2013.01); B64D 2027/026 (2013.01); B64D 2221/00 (2013.01); Y02T 50/60 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A propulsion system of an aircraft comprising:
at least one unducted fan and at least one ducted fan, the at least one unducted fan and the at least one ducted fan being powered by an electric power source and rotatable between a vertical thrust position and a forward thrust position; and
a controller configured to distribute electrical power between the at least one unducted fan and the at least one ducted fan,
wherein, during a first mode when the at least one unducted fan and the at least one ducted fan are in the vertical thrust position, the controller is configured to distribute the electrical power between each of the at least one unducted fan and each of the at least one ducted fan such that the at least one unducted fan is a primary source of thrust, and
wherein, during a second mode when the at least one unducted fan and the at least one ducted fan are in the forward thrust position, the controller is configured to distribute the electrical power between each of the at least one unducted fan and each of the at least one ducted fan such that the at least one ducted fan is the primary source of thrust.