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

Claim 7:
8. An airframe comprising:
a plurality of series propulsion units positionally mirrored across a centerline of an airframe, 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 at least one of one or more electrical busses;
a parallel propulsion unit mounted on the centerline of the airframe, the parallel propulsion unit comprising: a propulsor, a gas turbine engine configured to drive the propulsor, and an electrical machine selectively configurable to:
generate, for output via the one or more electrical busses, electrical energy using mechanical energy derived from the propulsor or the gas turbine engine; and
drive the propulsor of the parallel propulsion unit using electrical energy received via the one or more electrical busses; and

one or more electrical energy storage devices operably coupled to at least one of the one or more electrical busses, wherein the one or more electrical energy storage devices are configured to both:
charge using electrical energy sourced via the at least one of the one or more electrical busses; and
discharge to provide electrical energy to the at least one of the one or more electrical busses.