Patent ID: 11866180
Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F  Y | IPC B  F

Claim 9:
10. A method comprising:
propelling, by a plurality of series propulsion units positionally mirrored across a centerline of an aircraft, the aircraft, each series propulsion unit of the plurality of series propulsion units comprising a respective propulsor of a plurality of propulsors and a respective electrical machine of a plurality of electrical machines, each respective electrical machine configured to drive a respective propulsor of the plurality of propulsors using electrical energy received from one or more electrical busses;
selectively, by an electrical machine of a parallel propulsion unit mounted on the centerline of the aircraft:
generating, for output via the one or more electrical busses, electrical energy using mechanical energy derived from a propulsor of the parallel propulsion unit or a gas turbine engine of the parallel propulsion unit configured to drive the propulsor of the parallel propulsion unit; and
driving the propulsor of the parallel propulsion unit using electrical energy received via the one or more electrical busses;

charging, by one or more electrical energy storage devices of the aircraft that are operably coupled to at least one of the one or more electrical busses, using electrical energy sourced via the at least one of the one or more electrical busses; and
discharging, by the one or more electrical energy storage devices, to provide electrical energy to the at least one of the one or more electrical busses.