US 12,434,832 B2
Systems and methods for lifter motor cooling in evtol aircraft
Karthik Kumar Bodla, Houston, TX (US); Bharat Tulsyan, San Jose, CA (US); Christopher M. Heath, Avon, OH (US); Kerry Manning, Parker, CO (US); and Alan D. Tepe, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to Archer Aviation Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Archer Aviation Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 22, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/956,397.
Application 18/956,397 is a continuation of application No. 18/163,372, filed on Feb. 2, 2023, granted, now 12,240,599.
Application 18/163,372 is a continuation of application No. 18/055,268, filed on Nov. 14, 2022, granted, now 11,613,350, issued on Mar. 28, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/378,680, filed on Oct. 7, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2025/0083807 A1, Mar. 13, 2025
Int. Cl. B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64D 33/08 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 29/0033 (2013.01) [B64D 33/08 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for aircraft propulsion, comprising:
a propeller;
an electric engine mounted to a support structure and configured to rotate the propeller, the electric engine being located within an enclosure;
a first heat transfer element that is thermally coupled to the electric engine via a fluid flow path, wherein at least part of the first heat transfer element is located external to the enclosure;
a second heat transfer element that is integral to or thermally coupled to the electric engine for air cooling without a fluid intermediary;
the first heat transfer element and the second heat transfer element being located within the support structure;
at least one air inlet located at an upper side of the support structure, wherein the at least one air inlet is configured to receive downwash from the propeller;
a first enclosed cooling path configured to direct a first portion of the downwash from the at least one air inlet to the first heat transfer element;
a second enclosed cooling path configured to direct a second portion of the downwash from the at least one air inlet to the second heat transfer element; and
a first air outlet configured to exhaust the first portion of the downwash from the first heat transfer element.