US 11,834,186 B2
Aircraft equipped with a distributed propulsion system having suction and pressure fans
Brendan Michael Freely, Loveland, OH (US); Kurt David Murrow, Springboro, OH (US); Michael James McMahon, Cincinnati, OH (US); and Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Aug. 31, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/006,965.
Prior Publication US 2022/0063796 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 27/02 (2006.01); B64D 27/24 (2006.01); B64C 23/00 (2006.01); B64D 31/12 (2006.01); F04D 25/16 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 27/02 (2013.01) [B64C 23/00 (2013.01); B64D 27/24 (2013.01); B64D 31/12 (2013.01); F04D 25/166 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating an aircraft, comprising:
actively rotating one or more fans of a suction fan array with one or more fan drive units, the one or more fans of the suction fan array each being mounted to a wing of the aircraft and being positioned primarily above a top surface of the wing; and
windmilling one or more fans of a pressure fan array, simultaneously with the active rotation of the one or more fans of the suction fan array, to slowdown the aircraft, the one or more fans of the pressure fan array each being mounted to the wing of the aircraft and each being positioned primarily below a bottom surface of the wing, wherein in windmilling the one or more fans of the pressure fan array, the one or more fans of the pressure fan array are driven about their respective axes of rotation by incoming airflow so that one or more electric machines operatively coupled thereto output electrical power.