US 12,358,637 B1
Air inlet configurations for hybrid aircraft
Arthur W. Sibbach, Boxford, MA (US); Vincenzo Martina, Rivalta di Torino (IT); and Tomasz Iglewski, Warsaw (PL)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Evendale, OH (US); and GE Avio S.r.l., Rivalta di Torino (IT)
Filed by General Electric Company, Evendale, OH (US); and GE Avio S.r.l., Rivalta di Torino (IT)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/936,310.
Int. Cl. B64D 33/02 (2006.01); B64D 27/33 (2024.01)
CPC B64D 33/02 (2013.01) [B64D 27/33 (2024.01); B64D 2033/0293 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hybrid electric turboprop, comprising:
a propeller configured to rotate about a propeller axis, the propeller including a plurality of blades extending radially outwardly from the propeller axis such that, as the propeller is rotated about the propeller axis, the plurality of blades define a substantially circular blade path area centered about the propeller axis and having a radius;
a thermal engine;
an electric motor;
a gearbox coupling both the thermal engine and the electric motor to the propeller to enable each of the thermal engine and the electric motor to drive rotation of the propeller about the propeller axis;
an air inlet defining an opening, wherein a radial distance is defined from the propeller axis to a location within the opening; and
an air duct coupling the air inlet to an air intake of the thermal engine, the thermal engine defining a reverse-flow configuration wherein the air intake is disposed farther from the propeller compared to an exhaust of the thermal engine, and
wherein the radial distance is equal to or less than 60% of the radius.