Patent ID: 7485981

Claim:
A power generation system for propelling, and generating electrical power in, an aircraft, the system comprising: a gas turbine engine in an engine compartment in the aircraft having an air inlet open to the atmosphere, an air compressor, a combustor, a turbine and an exhaust exit nozzle open to the atmosphere all positioned along a fluids flow path passing therethrough for generating force, the air compressor having a compressor air transfer duct extending therefrom so as to be capable of providing compressed air therein and to the combustor; a turbine starter/generator unit having therein an electrical machine capable of being selected to be alternatively a motor and an electrical power generator and having a coupling shaft extending therefrom to be engaged with the air compressor in the gas turbine engine and further having an interconnection conductor for electrical energization; an internal combustion engine provided as an intermittent combustion engine in the aircraft having an air intake coupled to combustion chambers therein, a rotatable chamber shaft also coupled to those combustion chambers for generating force, and a fuel system for providing fuel to those combustion chambers, the compressor air transfer duct being connected to the air intake to transfer compressed air thereto, and a supply starter/generator unit having therein an electrical machine capable of being selected to be alternatively a motor and an electrical power generator and having a coupling shaft extending therefrom to be engaged with the chamber shaft and further having an interconnection conductor for electrical energization that is electrically interconnected with the turbine starter/generator unit interconnection conductor.