A conventional commercial aircraft generally includes a fuselage, a pair of wings, and a propulsion system that provides thrust. The propulsion system typically includes at least two aircraft engines, such as turbofan jet engines. Each turbofan jet engine is mounted to a respective one of the wings of the aircraft, such as in a suspended position beneath the wing, separated from the wing and fuselage.
More recently, propulsion systems have been proposed of a hybrid-electric design. With these propulsion systems, an electric power source may provide electric power to an electric fan to power the electric fan. These systems have been designed to operate at relatively low voltages (e.g., at or below 270 volts), as when the aircraft incorporating the propulsion system is operated at high altitudes, as is typical during cruise operation, a reduction in ambient air pressure may make higher voltage systems unwieldy.
However, the inventors of the present disclosure have found that utilizing a relatively low voltage system may be undesirable for situations requiring any substantial amount of power given a weight of the cables required to carry the increase in electrical current. Accordingly, a propulsion system capable of overcoming these obstacles would be useful.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds