A hollow lander for an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft

Abstract

The present invention discloses a hollow lander for an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, which includes a transport vehicle and a reticulated platform. A load-bearing bracket is bolted to the lower end of the reticulated platform. A lifting section is installed at the rear end of the load-bearing bracket. A lifting pillar is installed in the middle of the lifting section. The lifting pillar is composed of several standard section members. A pillar base is welded to the lower top end of the lifting pillar. The load-bearing bracket, the lifting section, the standard section, and the lifting pillar are all made of hollow steel beam structures. The reticulated platform and the load-bearing bracket form a landing platform, and the landing platform can be separated from the lifting section. Through this device, the present invention can raise the height of the entire aircraft or reduce the time spent in the landing and hovering stage, thereby greatly reducing the running time of the aircraft in the stage with the fastest energy consumption rate, successfully achieving the purpose of saving energy, and the saved energy also improves the endurance of the aircraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of urban air traffic supporting facilities, and particularly to a hollow landing device for an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Background Art

[0002] Urban air mobility (UAM) is a new market in the aviation industry and a typical representative of advanced air mobility (AAM) and on-demand aviation (ODA) concepts, often referred to as "air taxis". As early as the 1940s, the idea of using aircraft for commercial passenger transportation in the low-altitude airspace of cities was proposed and put into practice. However, due to the then aviation industry's technical level and the operating scale of this transportation mode, the prospects of this idea were not clear. In recent years, with the emergence of various electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (e-VTOL), UAM has returned to the spotlight as an extension and continuation of the urban airspace aviation transportation concept;

[0003] The characteristics of e-VTOL aircraft are short range, with emphasis on economy, safety, convenience, and low noise. Its main application target is urban transportation. In the urban air traffic network, since aircraft can operate at different altitude layers, they can often choose shorter and more flexible route planning methods, and the probability of traffic congestion is also lower. Therefore, it can reduce traffic delays at the system level and ensure arrival times. Using e-VTOL as the main carrier to provide passenger or cargo transportation services within the urban area, its greatest advantage is that the energy cost of the electric propulsion system is only 30% of the fuel cost of the internal combustion engine propulsion system, and the efficiency of the electric propulsion system is 2 - 4 times that of the internal combustion engine. It is easier to reduce costs and expand production scale compared to helicopters, meeting the needs of the market;

[0004] However, in actual use of the existing technology, although the market development prospect of e-VTOL aircraft is bright, there are still many problems to be solved. First is the endurance problem of the aircraft. For the electric propulsion system of e-VTOL, the battery is the key. The quality and energy density of the battery directly determine the endurance of e-VTOL. However, in terms of current battery technology, increasing the range can only be achieved by simply increasing the battery mass, which means a reduction in the effective load. And the vertical take-off and landing stage is the full-power operation stage of the aircraft, and the energy consumption rate per unit time is the fastest. Therefore, on the premise of a certain battery mass and energy density, the mission planning for the take-off and landing stage will greatly affect the performance of the entire aircraft. In addition, since vertical take-off and landing rotorcraft are prone to ground effect when taking off and landing, this effect will cause a sudden increase in the overall lift of the aircraft, thereby affecting the operation stability and safety of the aircraft. This is also the main reason for the high accident rate of rotorcraft during the take-off and landing stage;

[0005] In addition to technical reasons, the development of e-VTOL aircraft also depends on the development of the urban air transportation supporting system, including comprehensive factors such as helipad construction, charging facilities, and urban planning. Building a large number of supporting infrastructure in cities will increase the overall transportation cost, especially in cities with dense population and tight land resources. Some foreign researchers have also proposed that the infrastructure in the UAM system should be combined with existing ground transportation facilities. The helipad for e-VTOL can be located at important transportation hubs such as railway stations, or at existing infrastructure such as the top floor of buildings and helicopter positions, which is conducive to reducing the upfront infrastructure construction cost. However, in the long run, the limited facility transformation will severely limit the later development of the entire transportation system, and being close to densely populated areas will also bring a series of environmental problems such as noise and dust. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a hollow landing device for an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to solve the problems raised in the above-mentioned background technology, namely, the problem that the flight range of e-VTOL aircraft is limited by the mission time plan of vertical takeoff and landing, the problems of operational stability and operational safety caused by ground effect at the moment of takeoff and landing, the lack of basic supporting facilities for system operation, and the negative impact on the urban environment caused by setting up traditional helipads on the ground and buildings. The present invention aims to provide a hollow landing device for an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, which can solve the shortage of basic supporting facilities in the UAM system and at the same time solve the technical problems and safety problems of existing e-VTOL aircraft by improving the helipad equipment, and reduce the impact of traditional helipads on the city.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: It includes a transport vehicle and a reticulated platform. The lower end of the reticulated platform is bolted with a load-bearing bracket. The rear end of the load-bearing bracket is installed with a lifting section. The middle of the lifting section is installed with a lifting pillar. The lifting pillar is composed of several standard section members. The lower top end of the lifting pillar is welded with a pillar base. The load-bearing bracket, the lifting section, the standard section, and the lifting pillar are all made of hollow steel beam structures. The reticulated platform and the load-bearing bracket form a landing platform, and the landing platform can be separated from the lifting section;

[0008] The reticulated platform is a rigid woven net or a flexible woven net component. The mesh gap of the reticulated platform is selected to minimize the duty ratio of the ground effect. The material and size of the reticulated structure of the reticulated platform can withstand the static load stress generated by the maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft and the transient impact load stress generated during the landing of the aircraft. The reticulated platform and the load-bearing bracket are connected by an integrated fastener, and the cooperation form between the load-bearing bracket and the lifting section is a sleeve fastener installation form.

[0009] Preferably, the load-bearing bracket is composed of an arm beam and a cross beam. The cross beam is in a "one" shape or an X-shaped structure. The arm beam and the cross beam are of solid, hollow or hollowed-out structures. The material of the load-bearing bracket is carbon steel or alloy steel. The structure, material and dimensions of the load-bearing bracket can withstand the static load stress jointly generated by the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft and the mesh platform, and can also withstand the transient impact load stress jointly generated by the aircraft during landing and the mesh platform.

[0010] Preferably, the lifting equipment used for the lifting section is driven by an electric motor or a hydraulic drive. The standard section is of solid, hollow or hollowed-out structure. The material of the standard section is steel or alloy, and it is required that the overall structure, material and dimensions of the standard section can meet the overall load strength requirements of the lander.

[0011] Preferably, the connection methods of the standard section include fastener connection and welding connection. The material of the pillar base is a cement base or a steel base.

[0012] Preferably, the structural dimensions of the matching part between the lifting section and the load-bearing bracket can withstand the static load stress jointly generated by the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft, the mesh platform and the load-bearing bracket. The structure of the matching part between the lifting section and the load-bearing bracket can withstand the transient impact load stress jointly generated by the aircraft during landing, the mesh platform and the load-bearing bracket. The lifting pillar structure can bear all the load stresses brought by the aircraft, the mesh platform, the load-bearing bracket and the lifting section as a whole during the operation stage.

[0013] Preferably, the transport vehicle is in the form of a truck, a trailer or a rail transit vehicle, and the transport vehicle needs to meet the size and load requirements of the platform and the aircraft combination.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0015] Energy saving: Since the height position of the lander is controllable, the height of the entire aircraft can be lifted through this device or the time spent in the landing hover stage can be reduced, so that the operation time of the aircraft in the stage with the fastest energy consumption rate is greatly reduced, successfully achieving the purpose of saving energy, and the saved energy also improves the endurance mileage of the aircraft;

[0016] Safety: The hollowed-out structure of the lander avoids the ground effect brought by a similar solid apron, ensuring the safety and reliability of the aircraft during take-off and landing maneuvers;

[0017] High efficiency: The lifting function of the lander can also enable the aircraft to enter and exit the boarding station more quickly, making the entire air traffic system operate more efficiently and avoiding congestion and control caused by excessive air traffic flow;

[0018] Economy: The aircraft has higher operating efficiency and longer endurance when taking off and landing using the landing pad compared to traditional aprons. At the same time, its construction cost is much lower than that of traditional aprons, making the landing pad highly economical in urban air traffic operations;

[0019] Environmental friendliness: Taking off and landing at high altitudes can effectively avoid the impact of aircraft noise on the living and working areas of residents around the boarding station, and also avoid the negative environmental impacts such as dust generated by takeoff and landing on the ground. Description of the Drawings

[0020] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of a hollow landing pad for an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0021] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of a hollow landing pad for an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to the present invention Figure 2 。

[0022] In the figure: 1, reticulated platform; 2, load-bearing bracket; 3, lifting section; 4, standard section; 5, lifting strut; 6, strut base; 7, transport vehicle. Detailed Implementation Modes

[0023] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 1-2 , the present invention provides a technical solution: including: reticulated platform 1, load-bearing bracket 2, lifting section 3, standard section 4, lifting strut 5, strut base 6 and transport vehicle 7; the reticulated platform 1 is composed of an outer frame and a high-strength flexible steel wire inner woven net, and forms the entire landing platform with the H-shaped load-bearing bracket 2 below; the landing platform is matched with the double-sided sleeves of the lifting section 3 through the extended part of the load-bearing bracket 2, and can be easily installed and disassembled on the ground;

[0025] The netting platform 1 can be a rigid net or a flexible net. The netting gap can be selected to minimize the duty cycle of the ground effect. The material and size of the netting structure of the netting platform 1 can withstand the static load stress generated by the maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft and the transient impact load stress generated during the landing of the aircraft. The load-bearing bracket 2 is composed of an arm beam and a cross beam. The cross beam can be in the shape of "one" or X, etc., including but not limited to other structural forms mentioned above. The beam can be solid, hollow or hollowed out, etc. Other structural forms. Its material can also be carbon steel, alloy steel or special steel, etc. Other forms, but it is required that the structure, material and size of the load-bearing bracket 2 can withstand the static load stress jointly generated by the maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft and the netting platform 1. The netting platform 1 and the load-bearing bracket 2 can be in an integrated form, or in a fastener connection form, or include other special structural forms including but not limited to the above. The matching form between the load-bearing bracket 2 and the lifting section 3 can be a sleeve structure matching form, or a fastener installation and fixation form, or include other special structural forms including but not limited to the above. The structural dimensions of the matching part between the lifting section 3 and the load-bearing bracket 2 can withstand the static load stress jointly generated by the maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft, the netting platform 1 and the load-bearing bracket 2, and can also withstand the transient impact load stress jointly generated during the landing of the aircraft, the netting platform 1 and the load-bearing bracket 2. The structure of the lifting strut 5 should be able to bear all the load stresses brought by the aircraft, the netting platform 1, the load-bearing bracket 2 and the lifting section 3 as a whole during the operation stage;

[0026] The four degrees of freedom of the front, rear, left and right of the lifting section 3 are completely restricted by the standard section 4, so it can only drive the entire landing platform to achieve uniform upward and downward movement under the drive of the power equipment. The movement distance of the lifting section 3 is determined jointly by the height of the lifting strut 5 and the user; the lifting strut 5 is fixed on the strut base 6 made of concrete to ensure the stability of the overall structure of the lander;

[0027] The lifting equipment used by the lifting section 3 can be driven by an electric motor or a hydraulic drive, and include other drive methods including but not limited to the above. The standard section 4 can be solid, hollow or hollowed out, etc. Other structures, and its material can also be steel, alloy or special materials, etc. Other forms, and it is required that the overall structure, material and size can meet the overall load strength requirements of the lander. The lifting strut 5 is composed of multiple standard sections 4. The connection methods of the standard sections 4 include fastener connection, welding, etc., including other connection methods including but not limited to the above. The material of the above-mentioned strut base 6 can be in various forms such as a cement base and a steel base;

[0028] The transport vehicle 7 can be used in cooperation with the reticulated platform 1 and the load-bearing support 2 to complete the landing transfer and takeoff preparation work. The outer frame of the reticulated platform 1 is welded and assembled with the load-bearing support 2, and the reticulated platform 1 and the load-bearing support 2 are kept parallel. Only when the aircraft is located on the landing platform, it is possible for the reticulated structure to have multiple-point contact with the load-bearing support 2, but this deformation is within the allowable range of the structural strength of the reticulated structure. The bilateral sleeves of the load-bearing support 2 and the lifting section 3 are in clearance fit to ensure that the installation and disassembly can be easily achieved. Moreover, when installed, part of the length of the load-bearing support 2 has a surplus and can penetrate the entire sleeve. In addition, only cooperation is required for installation and disassembly, and no other auxiliary fixing and locking devices or structures are needed. The pillar base 6 adopts a solid concrete structure, and the overall mass of this structure is much greater than the overall mass of the lander. The bottom of the lifting pillar 5 will be fixed in the entire base in the form of concrete pouring. The transport vehicle 7 can completely enclose the projected area of the entire load-bearing support 2. When the lifting section 3 lands on the ground, the height of the load-bearing support 2 from the ground is slightly lower than the vehicle height to ensure that the entire platform load can be completely borne by the vehicle. The transport vehicle 7 can be a truck, a trailer, a rail transit vehicle, or other vehicle transportation forms including the above but not limited to this, but it needs to meet the size and load requirements of the platform and the aircraft combination.

[0029] Working principle: When in use, when the aircraft needs to take off, the transport vehicle 7 will transport the whole composed of the reticulated platform 1, the load-bearing support 2 and the aircraft to the bottom of the tower, and install the extended arm beam of the load-bearing support 2 in cooperation with the sleeves on both sides of the lifting section 3 to ensure the safe and stable operation of the two; the whole composed of the reticulated platform 1, the load-bearing support 2 and the aircraft rises uniformly under the drive of the lifting section 3. After reaching the specified height, the pilot starts the power system of the aircraft, and then the aircraft detaches from the platform and enters the flight stage. When the aircraft needs to land, the landing platform composed of the reticulated platform 1 and the load-bearing support 2 will reach the specified height in advance under the drive of the lifting section 3. The aircraft pilot parks the landing gear of the aircraft on the upper surface of the flexible wire mesh of the reticulated platform 1 according to the visual situation. After the aircraft is completely stable, the pilot shuts down the power system. After the whole machine is in a static state, the landing platform descends uniformly under the drive of the lifting section 3; at the same time, the transport vehicle 7 will wait in advance under the tower. When the load-bearing support 2 is completely in place, the transport vehicle 7 slowly moves forward, detaches the whole composed of the reticulated platform 1, the load-bearing support 2 and the aircraft from the bilateral sleeves of the lifting section 3, and transports it to the boarding station to complete the subsequent operation.

[0030] It should be noted that in this text, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the term "comprising", "including" or any other variation thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements not only includes those elements but also includes other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article or device.

[0031] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A hollow lander for an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising a transport vehicle (7), characterized in that: It includes a reticulated platform (1), a load-bearing bracket (2) is bolted to the lower end of the reticulated platform (1), a lifting section (3) is installed at the rear end of the load-bearing bracket (2), a lifting column (5) is installed in the middle of the lifting section (3), the lifting column (5) is composed of a number of standard sections (4) components, a column base (6) is welded to the lower top end of the lifting column (5), the load-bearing bracket (2), the lifting section (3), the standard section (4) and the lifting column (5) are all of hollow steel beam structures, the reticulated platform (1) and the load-bearing bracket (2) form a landing platform, and the landing platform can be detached from the lifting section (3); The reticulated platform (1) is a rigid or flexible woven component, the reticulated gap of the reticulated platform (1) is selected to minimize the duty cycle of the ground effect, the materials and dimensions of the reticulated structure of the reticulated platform (1) can withstand the static load stress generated by the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft and the transient impact load stress generated during the landing of the aircraft, the reticulated platform (1) and the load-bearing bracket (2) are connected by an integrated fastener, and the matching form of the load-bearing bracket (2) and the lifting section (3) is a sleeve fastener installation form.

2. The hollow lander for an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The load-bearing bracket (2) is composed of arm beams and cross beams, the cross beam is in a "one" shape or an X-shaped structure, the arm beams and cross beams are solid, hollow or hollowed-out structures, the material of the load-bearing bracket (2) is carbon steel or alloy steel, and the structure, material and dimensions of the load-bearing bracket (2) can withstand the static load stress jointly generated by the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft and the reticulated platform (1), and can also withstand the transient impact load stress jointly generated by the aircraft and the reticulated platform (1) during landing.

3. The hollow lander for an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 1, wherein: The lifting equipment used for the lifting section (3) is driven by a motor or hydraulically, the standard section (4) is a solid, hollow or hollowed-out structure, the material of the standard section (4) is steel or alloy, and it is required that the overall structure, material and dimensions of the standard section (4) can meet the overall load strength requirements of the lander.

4. The hollow lander for an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection methods of the standard section (4) include fastener connection and welding connection methods, and the material of the column base (6) is a cement base or a steel base.

5. The hollow lander for an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 1, wherein: The structural dimensions of the matching part between the lifting section (3) and the load-bearing bracket (2) can withstand the static load stress jointly generated by the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft, the reticulated platform (1) and the load-bearing bracket (2), the structure of the matching part between the lifting section (3) and the load-bearing bracket (2) can withstand the transient impact load stress jointly generated by the aircraft, the reticulated platform (1) and the load-bearing bracket (2) during landing, and the structure of the lifting column (5) can bear all the load stresses brought by the aircraft, the reticulated platform (1), the load-bearing bracket (2) and the lifting section (3) as a whole during the operation stage.

6. The hollow lander for an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transport vehicle (7) is in the form of a truck, a trailer or a rail transit vehicle, and the transport vehicle (7) needs to meet the size and load requirements of the platform and the aircraft combination.

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