Hybrid-electric ducted fan and vectored thrust Vtol aircraft

Abstract

This invention discloses a hybrid electric canard vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft equipped with a vector nozzle and ducted fans. The aircraft includes a fuselage with a streamlined canard configuration. Symmetrical canards are arranged on the front of the fuselage, each equipped with a left and right electric ducted fan. The inlet and outlet of each electric ducted fan are sealed with ducted fans. Main wings are located on both sides of the mid-fuselage, and a vertical tail assembly is located at the rear. The main engine is located at the rear of the fuselage, with a vector nozzle connected to its tail. The main engine is electrically connected to an energy management system via a generator to provide energy to the left and right electric ducted fans, achieving hybrid electric propulsion. This arrangement constitutes a hybrid lift structure of "front canard ducted fan + rear vector nozzle," which, combined with a hybrid electric power system, enables smooth switching between four flight modes: VTOL, hovering, transition, and forward flight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace vehicle design, and more specifically to a hybrid electric canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft equipped with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of urban air mobility (UAM) and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technologies, the requirements for aircraft in terms of safety, noise control, cruise efficiency, and range are becoming increasingly stringent. Traditional helicopters are limited by rotor aerodynamic speed and cannot achieve high-speed cruise; while conventional fixed-wing aircraft, although having high cruise efficiency, cannot meet the needs of vertical takeoff and landing applications. Currently, existing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft mostly adopt the following solutions: Pure electric multi-rotor type: simple structure but limited range, low thrust-to-weight ratio, not suitable for high load or long-range missions; Tiltrotor / tilt propeller type: It has high efficiency, but the transmission structure is complex and the weight is relatively large; Jet vectoring type: It has powerful thrust and vertical take-off and landing capabilities, but it consumes a lot of energy and is noisy, making it unsuitable for civilian use; Ducted fan eVTOL type: It has the advantages of concentrated thrust, high efficiency and low noise, but the control is complicated during the transition phase.

[0003] Furthermore, traditional single-power systems are inefficient in certain operating modes, lack energy redundancy and safety guarantees, and cannot simultaneously meet the requirements of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and forward cruise. Therefore, it is necessary to propose an electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft structure that is simple in structure, has a reasonable thrust distribution, smooth transition, and can achieve automatic duct closure to improve cruise efficiency, in order to balance the requirements of stability, low noise, high efficiency, and high reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the above shortcomings, this invention provides a hybrid canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft equipped with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan. It adopts a hybrid lift layout of "front double tilting duct + tail vectoring nozzle" to solve the center of gravity matching problem; and introduces a hybrid power architecture to improve range and mission payload.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention to solve the above problems is as follows: This application provides a hybrid electric canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft equipped with a vector nozzle and a ducted fan, including a fuselage with a streamlined canard layout; symmetrical left and right canards are arranged at the front of the fuselage, and left and right electric ducted fans are respectively installed on the left and right canards, with duct sealing devices at the inlet and outlet of the left and right electric ducted fans; main wings are located on both sides of the middle of the fuselage, and a vertical tail assembly is located at the rear of the fuselage; a main engine is located at the rear of the fuselage, and the tail of the main engine is connected to a vector nozzle. The main engine is electrically connected to an electric power management system through a generator to provide energy to the left and right electric ducted fans, realizing hybrid electric coordinated propulsion.

[0006] In one alternative embodiment, the main wing and vertical tail assembly are respectively provided with main wing control surfaces and vertical tail control surfaces.

[0007] In one alternative embodiment, an air intake is provided at the front of the lower surface of the fuselage.

[0008] In one alternative embodiment, the vector nozzle has pitch and yaw deflection capabilities and is composed of three nozzle segments that rotate on their respective tangential axes to complete vector motion.

[0009] In one alternative approach, the main engine is a turbofan or turbojet engine.

[0010] In one alternative embodiment, the power management system includes a power generation module, a battery module, and a power distribution control module. The main engine drives the power generation module to generate electrical energy, which is then discharged by the battery module. The power distribution control module dynamically allocates the electrical energy output ratio according to the flight phase.

[0011] In one alternative embodiment, the duct enclosure is an electrically operated hinged cover structure that smoothly transitions with the surfaces of the left and right canards when closed, and does not affect the flow field inside the duct when opened.

[0012] In one alternative, the left and right electric ducted fans are each driven by an independent motor.

[0013] In one alternative, the main wing adopts a medium aspect ratio straight wing or trapezoidal wing structure, and the vertical tail assembly adopts a large vertical tail.

[0014] In one alternative approach, the aircraft has four flight modes: Vertical takeoff and landing mode: The left and right canards remain horizontal, the duct enclosure is fully open, the thrust of the left and right electric duct fans is vertically downward, and the vector nozzle is deflected downward by 90°. The three-point thrust works together to achieve vertical takeoff and landing. Hovering mode: Stable attitude control is achieved by adjusting the speed difference between the left and right electric ducted fans and the deflection angle of the vector nozzle; Transition mode: When the aircraft gradually transitions from hovering mode to forward flight mode, as aerodynamic lift is gradually built up, the rotation speed of the left and right electric ducted fans gradually decreases, the duct sealing device gradually closes, and the vector nozzle gradually returns from a downward deflection of 90° to a horizontal state. Forward flight mode: When the speed of the aircraft reaches the target threshold, the left and right electric ducted fans stop working, the duct sealing device is fully closed, and the vector nozzle remains in a horizontal state; the left and right canards serve as aerodynamic control surfaces, and the pitch trim and attitude control of the aircraft are achieved by deflecting the angle.

[0015] In summary, the canard ducted fan vertical takeoff and landing aircraft of the present invention, equipped with hybrid electric power and vector nozzle control, has the following advantages: (1) A hybrid electric system is adopted, with an electric ducted fan driving the vertical take-off and landing phase and a gasoline-powered main engine driving the cruise phase, thereby achieving efficient energy utilization and improved range performance; (2) The vector nozzle can be deflected vertically to achieve multi-dimensional attitude control and work in conjunction with the front ducted fan to improve flight stability and maneuverability; (3) The symmetrical layout of “front double duct + tail vector nozzle” is adopted to keep the thrust center and the center of gravity in coordination at all times; the canard layout improves the pitch control efficiency of the airframe, moves the aerodynamic center forward, improves the pitch response characteristics, and achieves rapid attitude response and transition stability through duct fan thrust adjustment. The duct structure effectively covers the rotor blades, improving safety and low noise performance. (4) This configuration combines vertical take-off and landing with high-efficiency cruise capability, and can be widely used in urban air traffic (UAM), unmanned transport, vertical take-off and landing UAVs, special reconnaissance and high-speed tilt aircraft, etc. It has the advantages of high thrust-to-weight ratio, high efficiency, high safety and multi-mission adaptability. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are provided to further illustrate the invention and constitute a part of this invention, are illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structural layout of the aircraft of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of the aircraft of the present invention in vertical take-off and landing mode; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the attitude of the aircraft of the present invention in transition mode; Figure 4 This is a top view of the aircraft of the present invention in forward flight mode (duct closed). Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the attitude of the aircraft of the present invention in forward flight mode; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the aircraft duct sealing device of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the vector nozzle of the aircraft of the present invention.

[0018] Attached image captions: 1-Fuselage; 2-Right canard; 3-Left canard; 4-Right electric ducted fan; 5-Left electric ducted fan; 6-Main wing; 7-Vertical tail assembly; 8-Main engine; 9-Vectoring nozzle; 10-Electric power management system; 11-Duct enclosure; 12-Main wing control surfaces; 13-Vertical tail control surfaces; 14-Landing gear; 15-Air intake. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, and not all of the structures.

[0020] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0021] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0022] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," and "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used solely for ease of description and simplification of operation, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are merely used for descriptive distinction and have no special meaning.

[0023] This invention discloses a hybrid electric canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft equipped with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan. For example... Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the fuselage 1 is a streamlined structure with a canard configuration to reduce aerodynamic drag during forward flight. The fuselage 1 has symmetrical canards 2 and 3 on the front, and electric ducted fans 4 and 5 are installed on the left and right sides respectively, both of which are driven by independent motors. The inlet and outlet of the electric ducted fans 4 and 5 are equipped with duct sealing devices 11. The duct sealing devices 11 are electrically operated hinged cover structures. When closed, they smoothly transition with the surfaces of the canards 2 and 3. When opened, they do not affect the flow field inside the duct.

[0024] Furthermore, the fuselage 1 has main wings 6 on both sides of the middle section. The main wings 6 adopt a medium aspect ratio straight wing or trapezoidal wing structure to provide the main aerodynamic lift in forward cruise mode. The fuselage 1 has a vertical tail assembly 7 at the tail, which adopts a large vertical tail design to enhance directional stability and yaw control capability. The main wing control surface 12 and the vertical tail control surface 13 are respectively located at the trailing edge of the main wing 6 and the vertical tail assembly 7 for directional stability control.

[0025] Furthermore, a main engine 8 is located at the rear of the aircraft 1, and a vectoring nozzle 9 is connected to the tail of the main engine 8. The vectoring nozzle 9 has pitch and yaw deflection capabilities, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the nozzle is composed of three sections, each rotating on its tangential axis to complete vector motion. It can deflect downwards by up to 90° in the pitch direction. Chinese patent CN201811406595.5 – A transmission structure and control method for a miniature three-bearing vector nozzle – discloses a similar multi-section vector nozzle design, and this technology has already been applied in existing aircraft. This solution mainly protects the symmetrical layout and coordinated use of the "front dual-duct + tail vector nozzle" configuration; therefore, the principle of the vector nozzle will not be further explained here. The main engine 8 is electrically connected to the power management system 10 via a generator, providing energy to the left and right electric ducted fans 4 and 5, achieving hybrid electric coordinated propulsion.

[0026] Specifically, the power management system 10 includes a power generation module, a battery module, and a power distribution control module. The main engine 8 drives the power generation module to generate electricity, which is then discharged by the battery. The power distribution control module dynamically distributes the power output according to the flight phase and also has a two-way energy feedback function: during vertical takeoff and landing and hovering, the battery module prioritizes supplying the left and right electric ducted fans 4 and 5; during forward cruise, the main engine 8 directly drives the aircraft and uses surplus power to charge the battery, reducing the power supply to maintain energy recovery and battery charging. During this phase, the main engine 8 provides the main propulsion, thus achieving an efficient hybrid propulsion mode. When the main engine 8 or the power management system 10 fails, the hybrid system can operate independently, achieving power redundancy and ensuring flight safety.

[0027] Optionally, the main engine 8 is a turbofan or turbojet engine.

[0028] Preferably, a triangularly distributed landing gear 14 is provided below the fuselage 1 to support the aircraft during takeoff and landing.

[0029] Preferably, an air intake duct 15 is provided at the front of the lower surface of the fuselage 1. The air intake efficiency is improved by utilizing the favorable shielding of the fuselage 1, which effectively prevents the main engine 8 from surging and ensures the stable operation of the main engine 8 during high angle-of-attack maneuvers.

[0030] In practical applications, the aircraft has four flight modes: (1) Vertical take-off and landing mode: the left and right canards 2 and 3 are kept in a horizontal state, the duct sealing device 11 is fully opened, the thrust direction of the left and right electric duct fans 4 and 5 is vertically downward, and the vector nozzle 9 is deflected downward by 90°. The front double duct fans and the rear vector nozzle together form a triangular fulcrum to provide balanced vertical lift. The three-point thrust works together to achieve vertical take-off and landing. (2) Hovering mode: The aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft is consistent with the vertical take-off and landing mode. The flight control system precisely distributes power through the power management system 10 to maintain the thrust balance between the left and right electric ducted fans 4 and 5 and the main engine 8. By adjusting the speed difference between the left and right electric ducted fans 4 and 5 and the deflection angle of the vector nozzle 9, the attitude is stabilized. (3) Transition Mode: As the aircraft gradually transitions from hovering mode to forward flight mode, the rotational speeds of the left and right electric ducted fans 4 and 5 gradually decrease as aerodynamic lift is gradually established, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the duct sealing device 11 gradually closes, and the vector nozzle 9 gradually returns to a horizontal state from a downward deflection of 90°. (4) Forward Flight Mode: When the aircraft speed reaches the target threshold, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the left and right electric ducted fans 4 and 5 stop working, the duct enclosure device 11 is completely closed, and the left and right canards 2 and 3 form smooth and continuous streamlined wing surfaces to minimize aerodynamic drag; the vector nozzle 9 remains horizontal, with the main engine 8 providing all forward thrust and the main wing 6 providing all lift. The left and right canards 2 and 3 serve as aerodynamic control surfaces, achieving pitch trim and attitude control of the aircraft by deflecting their angles. The aircraft performs cruise missions in a highly efficient fixed-wing jet mode.

[0031] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0032] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hybrid electric canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft equipped with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan, characterized in that: The fuselage (1) is a streamlined structure with a canard layout. The fuselage (1) is symmetrically provided with left and right canards (2, 3) at the front. The left and right canards (2, 3) are respectively equipped with left and right electric ducted fans (4, 5). The inlet and outlet of the left and right electric ducted fans (4, 5) are provided with duct sealing devices (11). The fuselage (1) is provided with main wings (6) on both sides of the middle. The fuselage (1) is provided with a vertical tail assembly (7) at the rear. The fuselage (1) is provided with a main engine (8) at the rear. The main engine (8) is connected to a vector nozzle (9) at the rear. The main engine (8) is electrically connected to the power management system (10) through a generator to provide energy for the left and right electric ducted fans (4, 5) and realize hybrid electric co-propulsion.

2. The hybrid canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main wing (6) and the vertical tail assembly (7) are respectively provided with main wing control surfaces (12) and vertical tail control surfaces (13).

3. The hybrid canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, An air intake (15) is provided on the front part of the lower surface of the fuselage (1).

4. The hybrid canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vector nozzle (9) has pitch and yaw deflection capabilities and is composed of three nozzle sections that rotate on the tangential axis to complete vector motion.

5. The hybrid canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main engine (8) is a turbofan or turbojet engine.

6. The hybrid canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power management system (10) includes a power generation module, a battery module and a power distribution control module. The main engine (8) drives the power generation module to generate electrical energy, and the battery module assists in discharging it. The power distribution control module dynamically distributes the electrical energy output ratio according to the flight phase.

7. The hybrid canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The duct sealing device (11) is an electrically operated hinged cover structure. After closing, it smoothly transitions with the surfaces of the left and right canards (2, 3). After opening, it does not affect the flow field inside the duct.

8. The hybrid canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The left and right electric ducted fans (4 and 5) are both driven by independent motors.

9. The hybrid canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main wing (6) adopts a medium aspect ratio straight wing or trapezoidal wing structure, and the vertical tail assembly (7) adopts a large vertical tail.

10. The hybrid canard vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a vectoring nozzle and a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aircraft has four flight modes: Vertical take-off and landing mode: The left and right canards (2, 3) remain horizontal, the duct sealing device (11) is fully open, the thrust direction of the left and right electric duct fans (4, 5) is vertically downward, and the vector nozzle (9) is deflected downward by 90°. The three-point thrust works together to achieve vertical take-off and landing. Hovering mode: Stable attitude control is achieved by adjusting the speed difference between the left and right electric ducted fans (4, 5) and the deflection angle of the vector nozzle (9); Transition mode: When the aircraft gradually transitions from hovering mode to forward flight mode, as the aerodynamic lift is gradually established, the rotation speed of the left and right electric ducted fans (4, 5) gradually decreases, the duct sealing device (11) gradually closes, and the vector nozzle (9) gradually returns to a horizontal state from a downward deflection of 90°. Forward flight mode: When the speed of the aircraft reaches the target threshold, the left and right electric ducted fans (4, 5) stop working, the duct sealing device (11) is fully closed, and the vector nozzle (9) remains in a horizontal state; the left and right canards (2, 3) serve as aerodynamic control surfaces, and the pitch trim and attitude control of the aircraft are achieved by deflecting the angle.

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