TIGON Enertec, Inc.

Tigon Solution

The Tigon parallel hybrid is a patent pending light-weight clutch-less gear system optimized for unmanned vehicles, a design that increases efficiency and reliability.

The prime benefit of the Tigon design is the opportunity for modular and variable optimization of power sources depended on the purpose of application and the vehicle operation.

The engine can be designed to fit specific application and operation needs of the customer, in contrast to one-fits-all systems. For example the customer can fine-tune select modules based on specific concepts of operations:

Gas, diesel, and electric motors can be combined in any grouping
- Gas-gas, diesel-gas, electric-electric, electric-gas/diesel
Gas, diesel, and electric engines can be operated individually and cooperatively
Adjust Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) size and power
Adjust (independently of ICE) the Electric Motor (EM) size
Size ICE and EM engines for Range/Operating Time Extension
ICE operation optimization for fuel efficiency
Optimize volume versus weight for payload, fuel and battery needs
Battery size can be optimized for fuel cell system and/or ICE regeneration
Quiet Mode and low IR signature with EM only operation
Increased safety with recovery in case of single engine failure

Value Beyond Green

Consumers correctly associate hybrid propulsion with fuel economy and reduced emissions. These benefits accepted, there are other real benefits of hybrid propulsion, and TIGON has the only solution light enough to be considered for aircraft, and inexpensive enough to be applied to small engines.

Reduced Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Size:

Consider a 170hp ICE aircraft engine. The engine is that size because it has to satisfy the peak torque and power requirement of take off. At cruise, the requirement is more like 80-90hp. With a hybrid system, a lighter, less expensive, more fuel efficient 100hp engine is paired with a similarly sized electric motor to handle the transient requirements of take-off and climb. The Tigon parallel hybridization allows for safe operation of JP8/diesel/biodiesel engines in the cold environments at altitude.

Range/Operating Time Extension:

Systems relying on electric only power are range/time limited. Batteries are heavy. Current fuel cell technology has disadvantages as well in terms of mass for needed power. Hybrid propulsion pairs many of the benefits of electric propulsion with the range/endurance of liquid fuel burning systems. Adopting the hybrid solution now allows for future adjustments as battery and fuel cell technologies improve, leading to a full electric vehicle when time is right.

Internal Combustion Engine Mode Optimizatio:

The operating RPM, torque and power range of an ICE typically has to handle all possible transient requirements of the vehicle being propelled. This limits which engines can be used to only those with sufficiently wide operating envelopes. Hybridization allows for engines with narrow operating ranges (e.g. Diesels) to be augmented by high torque electric propulsion response at the margins.

Concept of Operations (ConOps):

The hybrid system allows for designing the aircraft for a specific mission with volume and mass trade-offs regarding to fuel and battery volume or mass and payload volume or mass requirements. ICE and EM can also be exchanged for a specific mission, providing the gearbox specifications are met.

Quiet Mode:

Extremely popular with DoD customers, hybrid propulsion systems can be mechanized such that electric only propulsion is available on demand, creating a quiet operating mode of the system, while reducing the IR signature of the ICE operation. The available power also allows for a dash mode if detected. Using electric motor as an alternator to recharge batteries, the hybrid propulsion system allows for recharging while loitering safely nearby an ISR mission location requiring quietness.

High Altitude Long Endurance:

The proposed hybrid solution is also applicable to airship operation at very high altitude. ICE operation is predominant at lower altitude. Current solutions include multiple compressors on ICEs at altitude. The TIGON hybrid solution allows for electric flight to very high altitudes, perhaps supported by photovoltaic recharging given the large surface area of airships.

Safety:

The parallel hybrid provides additional safety over a serial hybrid, especially in GA. Should one engine fail; the second power source will continue to provide propulsion and move the aircraft from hostile territory and to safe landing site. Operating 2 motors at full throttle provides superior dash mode operation, in the air, or on ultra-short runways.

First generation HELIOS parallel system with engine offset

TIGON's Patent Pending Hybrid Solution

Second generation SOLSTICE coaxial engine system

Solstice

TIGON integrates torque providing engines chosen by customer.