Wingtip Jet Autogyro Hybrid Power System

Abstract

The tip-jet autorotative rotor compound power system of the present invention features a high power-to-weight ratio and low fuel consumption. It includes a tip-jet rotor, a gas generator, an engine, a variable-pitch propeller, a centrifugal supercharger, a centrifugal clutch, and a fuel tank. This compound power system is achieved by two power sources during the vertical takeoff and landing phase and the forward flight phase. The engine can operate at full load throughout the process, making full use of the power. During vertical takeoff and landing, the engine drives the centrifugal supercharger to work under the transmission of the centrifugal clutch to generate compressed gas. At the same time, boost fuel injected into the fuel tank and the high-temperature exhaust gas of the engine are mixed and reacted in the gas generator to produce gas for tip injection, driving the rotor to rotate to generate the large lift required for lifting. During forward flight, the engine drives the variable-pitch propeller to work to propel the aircraft forward. At the same time, the rotor rotates at a low speed to maintain lift without consuming the engine power, overcoming the problem of the flight speed limitation of traditional helicopters and enabling a higher flight speed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of vertical take-off and landing aircraft power systems, and in particular to a wingtip jet autorotating rotor composite power system. Background Art

[0002] The rotor is the main lifting device of vertical take-off and landing aircraft at present, but the traditional shaft-driven rotor inevitably has problems such as fuselage anti-torque balance, poor flight safety and low flight speed. The wingtip jet autorotor can rely on the wingtip jet to drive the rotor to rotate to generate lift during take-off, landing and hovering. It is not hard-connected to any power machinery. In the event of a power machinery failure, even without the wingtip jet, it can rely on the rotor's autorotation to safely slow down. Since the wingtip jet autorotor does not have a hard-driven rotor anti-torque, the tail rotor system and long tail fuselage can be omitted. When flying at high speed, the rotor can be allowed to rotate at a low speed to generate lift, avoiding problems such as wingtip shock waves on the forward side of the rotor and airflow separation on the rearward side that restrict flight speed.

[0003] Although the wingtip jet autogyro has the above-mentioned recognized benefits, unfortunately, although the wingtip jet autogyro has appeared and developed for more than half a century, and there are many implementation plans, the overall effect is still unsatisfactory. There are still many problems in terms of simple, efficient and reliable power, which need to be solved urgently. At present, the bottleneck and technical key of the wingtip jet autogyro compound helicopter lies in the power system, which needs to meet the following requirements: it can effectively drive the rotor during vertical take-off and landing and hovering, and can release the rotor to rotate when flying forward at high speed, and at the same time have high efficiency. However, any single wingtip jet, gas generator, internal combustion engine, electric motor and other power systems are not competent at present. Therefore, a new type of wingtip jet autogyro compound power system is developed to solve a series of core key technologies, which has positive significance for vertical take-off and landing aircraft such as ship-borne helicopters and drones. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wingtip jet autorotating rotor composite power system to overcome the above problems existing in the prior art. The wingtip jet autorotating rotor composite power system of the present invention has an ingenious structural design, and has the characteristics of high power-to-weight ratio and low fuel consumption; it is realized by two-way power in the vertical take-off and landing stage and the forward flight stage, and the engine can work at full load throughout the whole process, and the power is fully utilized: during vertical take-off and landing, the engine drives the centrifugal supercharger to work under the transmission of the centrifugal clutch to produce compressed gas, and at the same time, the booster fuel and the high-temperature exhaust gas of the engine injected into the fuel tank are mixed and reacted in the gas generator to produce gas for wingtip injection, driving the rotor to rotate and generate the large lift required for lifting; during forward flight, the engine drives the variable pitch propeller to work, propels the aircraft to fly, and at the same time, the rotor rotates at a low speed to maintain lift, does not consume engine power, overcomes the problem of traditional helicopter flight speed limitation, and can achieve a higher flight speed.

[0005] Technical solution of the present invention: A wingtip jet autorotative rotor compound power system, comprising a wingtip jet rotor, a gas generator, an engine, a variable pitch propeller and a centrifugal supercharger; an air outlet of the gas generator is communicated with a hollow main shaft of the wingtip jet rotor; an air inlet of the gas generator is communicated with an exhaust pipe of the engine; a jet injection port of the gas generator is communicated with a fuel tank; the variable pitch propeller is connected to an output shaft of the engine; a centrifugal clutch is provided on the output shaft; the centrifugal clutch includes a driving member, a driven member and centrifugal blocks; the driving member is provided on the output shaft; the driven member is in transmission connection with a driving shaft of the centrifugal supercharger through an acceleration mechanism; the engine is connected to a fuel tank.

[0006] Compared with the prior art, the wingtip jet autorotative rotor compound power system of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0007] (1) By arranging a wingtip jet rotor, a gas generator, an engine, a variable pitch propeller and a centrifugal supercharger, and with the cooperation of each component, during vertical takeoff and landing, it can rely on the wingtip jet to drive the rotor to rotate and generate lift, without a counter torque, and no longer requires a balance tail rotor system, thus simplifying the structure of the aircraft; during forward flight, it relies on the rotation of the variable pitch propeller to generate thrust, while the rotor rotates at a low speed to maintain lift, and the rotor does not consume the engine power, thus overcoming the problem of the flight speed limitation of traditional helicopters and enabling a higher flight speed; in addition, the wingtip jet rotor is not directly connected to the engine, and it can spin and land safely when the power system fails.

[0008] (2) The centrifugal supercharger, the exhaust pipe of the engine and the fuel tank are all communicated with the gas generator. When high power is required for vertical takeoff, the high-temperature exhaust gas of the engine, the compressed air generated by the centrifugal supercharger and the boost fuel in the fuel tank enter the gas generator to be mixed together to generate gas for wingtip jetting to drive the rotor to generate lift. Since the energy of the engine exhaust gas is utilized and the energy of the boost fuel is additionally added, the work capacity of the gas generator is improved, so that the total power of the rotor can be more than twice the rated power of the engine, thus making it possible to select a lighter and smaller engine, achieving the effect of a small horse pulling a big cart.

[0009] (3) The high-temperature exhaust gas of the engine can be directly used to heat and react with the boost fuel, no additional ignition or catalytic device is required, and the complex catalytic reaction control system is avoided.

[0010] (4) The composite power system is cleverly designed to be powered by two power sources during the vertical take-off and landing phase and the forward flight phase, so that the engine can work at full load throughout the entire process (i.e., at the maximum power state of the engine), and the power is fully utilized, thus overcoming the problem of existing aircraft power systems that some power is idle and wasted during vertical take-off and landing and forward flight. During vertical take-off and landing, the engine drives the centrifugal supercharger under the transmission of the centrifugal clutch to produce compressed air, and at the same time, the booster fuel injected into the fuel tank and the high-temperature exhaust gas of the engine are mixed and reacted in the gas generator to produce gas for wingtip injection, driving the rotor to rotate and generate the larger lift required for lifting and lowering. During forward flight, the centrifugal supercharger stops working and the booster fuel injection is stopped at the same time. Only the variable pitch propeller is driven by the engine to propel the aircraft into flight, which is conducive to achieving a high power-to-weight ratio and low fuel consumption.

[0011] As an optimization, in the aforementioned wingtip jet autogyro hybrid power system, the driven member is connected to the driving shaft of the centrifugal supercharger through a vertical axis gear acceleration mechanism. The vertical axis gear acceleration mechanism is used to realize the transmission connection between the driven member and the driving shaft, which has the advantages of small size, high transmission efficiency, and stable performance. Further, the vertical axis gear acceleration mechanism includes a large bevel gear provided at the end of the driven member and a small bevel gear provided at the end of the driving shaft; the large bevel gear and the small bevel gear are meshed with each other. At this time, the structure is simple, the space occupied is small, and the assembly is convenient. Further, the large bevel gear and the driven member are integrally formed; the small bevel gear and the driving shaft are integrally formed. At this time, the manufacturing is convenient, which is conducive to cost control.

[0012] As an optimization, in the aforementioned wingtip jet autogyro composite power system, the centrifugal supercharger includes a housing, a centrifugal impeller, an annular diffuser and a rectifier bracket; the annular diffuser is connected to the centrifugal impeller; the centrifugal impeller is sleeved on the drive shaft; the rectifier bracket is fixed on the housing; the drive shaft is rotatably connected to the rectifier bracket. After the centrifugal supercharger adopts the above-mentioned structure, the number of parts is small, the structure is simple, and the axial size is small, and the working stability is high. Furthermore, the drive shaft is connected to the rectifier bracket through a rolling bearing. Thereby, the friction coefficient during the rotation of the drive shaft can be reduced, and its rotation accuracy and normal working position during rotation can be ensured.

[0013] As an optimization, in the aforementioned wing-tip jet autorotative rotor compound power system, the hollow main shaft is connected to the gas generator through a rotary joint. At this time, the assembly is convenient. Further, the rotary joint includes a driven part and a driving part that are rotatably connected; the driven part is sleeved outside the hollow main shaft; the driving part is provided with a bellows, and the bellows is sleeved outside the gas generator. The bellows can adapt to the thermal expansion and contraction of the gas generator; after the bellows is arranged on the rotary joint, it can be used to compensate for thermal deformation and coaxial error to ensure the normal operation of the rotary joint. Further, the hollow main shaft is fixedly welded to the driven part, ensuring the connection firmness between the hollow main shaft and the rotary joint. Further, the driven part is rotatably connected to the driving part through a bearing, and a seal is provided between the driven part and the driving part. Thus, the rotation accuracy and sealing performance between the driven part and the driving part are ensured.

[0014] As an optimization, in the aforementioned wing-tip jet autorotative rotor compound power system, 2-4 blades can be arranged on the hollow main shaft; hydrogen peroxide or fuel or a mixture thereof can be filled in the fuel tank. Description of the Drawings

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the wing-tip jet autorotative rotor compound power system of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the wing-tip jet autorotative rotor compound power system of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the centrifugal clutch in the present invention;

[0018] Figure 4 is an assembly schematic diagram of the centrifugal supercharger and the gas generator in the present invention;

[0019] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the rotary joint in the present invention.

[0020] The reference signs in the drawings are: 1 - rotor, 101 - hollow main shaft, 102 - blade; 2 - gas generator; 3 - engine, 301 - output shaft, 302 - tail gas pipe; 4 - variable pitch propeller; 5 - centrifugal supercharger, 501 - drive shaft, 502 - housing, 503 - centrifugal impeller, 504 - annular diffuser, 505 - rectifying bracket, 506 - rolling bearing; 6 - centrifugal clutch, 601 - driving member, 602 - centrifugal block, 603 - driven member, 604 - bearing, 605 - end cover; 7 - vertical shaft gear acceleration mechanism; 8 - fuel tank; 9 - oil tank; 10 - rotary joint, 1001 - driven part, 1002 - driving part, 1003 - seal, 1004 - bearing, 1005 - bellows. Detailed Embodiments

[0021] The present application is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments, but they are not intended to limit the present application.

[0022] See also Figures 1 to 5 The wingtip jet autogyro composite power system of the present application comprises a wingtip jet rotor 1, a gas generator 2, an engine 3, a variable pitch propeller 4 and a centrifugal supercharger 5; the gas outlet of the gas generator 2 is connected to the hollow main shaft 101 of the wingtip jet rotor 1; the air inlet of the gas generator 2 is connected to the tail gas pipe 302 of the engine 3; the injection port of the gas generator 2 is connected to the fuel tank 8 through a fuel pipe, and an electric valve is provided on the fuel pipe; the fuel tank 8 is filled with hydrogen peroxide booster fuel; the variable pitch propeller 4 is connected to the output shaft 301 of the engine 5; the output shaft 301 is provided with a centrifugal clutch 6; the centrifugal clutch 6 comprises an active member 601, a driven member 603 and a centrifugal block 602; the centrifugal block 602 is slidably mounted on the active member 601; the active member 601 is provided on the output shaft 301; the driven member 603 is connected to the driving shaft 501 of the centrifugal supercharger 5 through an acceleration mechanism; the engine 3 is connected to the fuel tank 9 through an oil pipeline.

[0023] During vertical takeoff and landing, the engine 3 rotates at high speed. The variable pitch propeller 4 is feathered, and the blade angle is rotated to a state where no thrust is generated, without consuming work. The rotational speed of the output shaft 301 of the engine increases. When a certain rotational speed is reached, the centrifugal blocks 602 of the centrifugal clutch 6 will be thrown outwards under the action of centrifugal force, overcoming the elastic force of the spring (i.e., the centrifugal force is greater than the elastic force of the spring), and come into contact with the driven member 603. Under the frictional force between the centrifugal block 602 and the driven member 603, the centrifugal block 602 will drive the driven member 603 to rotate synchronously until they rotate at the same speed. When the driven member 603 rotates, it will drive the drive shaft 501 of the centrifugal supercharger 5 to rotate through the acceleration mechanism, driving the centrifugal supercharger 5 to work to generate compressed air. The compressed air enters the gas generator 2. At the same time, the high-temperature exhaust gas of the engine 3 and the boost fuel in the fuel tank 8 also enter the gas generator 2. The high-temperature exhaust gas directly heats the boost fuel, causing it to decompose and release heat, which is used to heat the compressed air to form high-temperature and high-pressure gas. The gas enters the wingtip jet rotor 1 from the air outlet of the gas generator 2 and is sent to the wingtip for spraying, driving the rotor to rotate and generating the lift required for the aircraft (at this time, the rotor has two internal and external flow fields. The internal flow field sends the gas in the gas generator 2 to the wingtip for spraying, providing a driving torque for the rotor, and the external flow field generates the lift required for the aircraft to ascend and descend through the rotation of the rotor). During forward flight, the variable pitch propeller 4 changes the blade angle, generating torque and consuming power, causing the rotational speed of the output shaft 301 of the engine to decrease. The centrifugal force of the centrifugal block 602 cannot overcome the elastic force of the spring (i.e., the centrifugal force is less than the elastic force of the spring), and the centrifugal block 602 disengages from the driven member 603. When the driving member 601 rotates, the driven member 603 no longer rotates, the centrifugal supercharger 5 stops working, and at the same time, the injection of boost fuel stops. The wingtip jet rotor 1 rotates slowly (the rotor rotates under the blowing of the airflow and has a low rotational speed because there is no power drive) to maintain lift, and the variable pitch propeller 4 rotates under the drive of the output shaft 301 of the engine to propel the aircraft to fly (during forward flight, the high-temperature exhaust gas waste of the engine 3 is utilized, enters the gas generator 2, and is sent to the wingtip for spraying to assist in generating lift).

[0024] Embodiment:

[0025] In this embodiment, the engine 3 is a two-stroke heavy oil engine; four blades 102 are provided on the hollow main shaft 101 (a gas passage is provided inside the hollow main shaft 101, and a nozzle is provided at the tip of the blade 102).

[0026] In this embodiment, the driven member 603 is drivingly connected to the drive shaft 501 of the centrifugal supercharger 5 through a vertical-axis gear acceleration mechanism 7. The vertical-axis gear acceleration mechanism 7 includes a large bevel gear provided at the end of the driven member 603 and a small bevel gear provided at the end of the drive shaft 501; the large bevel gear and the small bevel gear mesh with each other. At this time, the structure is simple, the occupied space is small, and the assembly is convenient. Further, the large bevel gear is integrally formed with the driven member 603; the small bevel gear is integrally formed with the drive shaft 501. At this time, the manufacturing is convenient, which is beneficial to cost control.

[0027] In this embodiment, two bearings 604 are provided between the driving member 601 and the driven member 603 and are spaced apart from each other. The bearings 604 are sleeved on the driving member 601; an end cover 605 is provided outside the bearings 604 (the end cover 605 is located on the side away from the large bevel gear), and the end cover 605 is fixed to the driven member 603 by bolts.

[0028] In this embodiment, the centrifugal supercharger 5 includes a housing 502 (the housing 502 can be integrally formed with the outer shell of the gas generator 2), a centrifugal impeller 503, an annular diffuser 504, and a rectifying bracket 505; the annular diffuser 504 is connected to the centrifugal impeller 503; the centrifugal impeller 503 is sleeved on the drive shaft 501; the rectifying bracket 505 is fixed to the housing 502; the drive shaft 501 is rotatably connected to the rectifying bracket 505. After the centrifugal supercharger 5 adopts the above structure, the number of parts is small, the structure is simple, the axial dimension is small, and the working stability is high. Further, the drive shaft 501 is connected to the rectifying bracket 505 through a rolling bearing 506 (specifically, it can be a double-row ceramic roller bearing). Thereby, the friction coefficient during the rotation of the drive shaft 501 can be reduced, and its rotation accuracy and normal working position during rotation can be ensured. The compressed air generated when the centrifugal supercharger 5 works enters the gas generator 2 through the annular diffuser 504.

[0029] In this embodiment, the hollow main shaft 101 of the tip-jet rotor 1 is connected to the gas generator 2 through a rotary joint 10. At this time, the assembly is convenient and easy to implement. Further, the rotary joint 10 includes a driven part 1001 and a driving part 1002 that are rotatably connected; the driven part 1001 is sleeved outside the hollow main shaft 101; the driving part 1002 is provided with a bellows 1005, and the bellows 1005 is sleeved outside the gas generator 2. The bellows 1005 can adapt to the thermal expansion and contraction of the gas generator 2; after the bellows 1005 is arranged on the rotary joint 10, it can be used to compensate for thermal deformation and coaxial error, and ensure the normal operation of the rotary joint 10. Further, the hollow main shaft 101 is fixedly welded to the driven part 1001, ensuring the connection firmness between the hollow main shaft 101 and the rotary joint 10. Further, the driven part 1001 is rotatably connected to the driving part 1002 through a bearing 1004, and two seals 1003 (specifically, a gas-liquid two-phase brush seal) are provided between the driven part 1001 and the driving part 1002. Thus, the rotation accuracy and sealing performance between the driven part 1001 and the driving part 1002 are ensured.

[0030] The above general description of the invention involved in this application and the description of its specific implementation manners should not be construed as a limitation on the technical solution of the invention. Those skilled in the art can, based on the disclosure of this application, without departing from the constituent elements of the invention involved, add, subtract, or combine the disclosed technical features in the above general description or / and specific implementation manners (including embodiments) to form other technical solutions within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. Tip jet autorotating rotor compound power system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a wingtip jet rotor (1), a gas generator (2), an engine (3), a variable pitch propeller (4) and a centrifugal supercharger (5); the gas outlet of the gas generator (2) is connected to the hollow main shaft (101) of the wingtip jet rotor (1); the gas inlet of the gas generator (2) is connected to the tail gas pipe (302) of the engine (3); the injection port of the gas generator (2) is connected to the fuel tank (8); the variable pitch propeller (4) is connected to the engine (3); the gas outlet ... The output shaft (301) of the engine (3) is connected; the output shaft (301) is provided with a centrifugal clutch (6); the centrifugal clutch (6) comprises a driving member (601), a centrifugal block (602) and a driven member (603); the driving member (601) is provided on the output shaft (301); the driven member (603) is connected to the driving shaft (501) of the centrifugal supercharger (5) through a speed increasing mechanism; the engine (3) is connected to the oil tank (9); During vertical takeoff and landing, the engine (3) drives the centrifugal supercharger (5) under the transmission of the centrifugal clutch (6) to generate compressed air, and at the same time, the booster fuel injected into the fuel tank (8) and the high-temperature exhaust gas of the engine (3) are mixed and reacted in the gas generator (2) to generate combustion gas for wingtip injection, driving the rotor (1) to rotate and generate the large lift required for takeoff and landing; during forward flight, the centrifugal supercharger (5) stops working, and the injection of booster fuel is stopped at the same time, and only the variable pitch propeller (4) is driven by the engine (3) to work, so as to propel the aircraft into flight, while the rotor (1) rotates at a low speed to maintain lift.

2. The tip jet autorotating rotor compound power system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driven member (603) is transmission-connected to the driving shaft (501) of the centrifugal supercharger (5) via a vertical shaft gear acceleration mechanism (7).

3. The tip jet autorotating rotor compound power system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vertical axis gear acceleration mechanism (7) comprises a large bevel gear provided at the end of the driven member (603) and a small bevel gear provided at the end of the driving shaft (501); the large bevel gear and the small bevel gear are meshed with each other.

4. The tip jet autorotating rotor compound power system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The large bevel gear and the driven member (603) are integrally formed; the small bevel gear and the drive shaft (501) are integrally formed.

5. The tip jet autorotating rotor compound power system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The centrifugal supercharger (5) comprises a housing (502), a centrifugal impeller (503), an annular diffuser (504) and a rectifier bracket (505); the annular diffuser (504) is connected to the centrifugal impeller (503); the centrifugal impeller (503) is sleeved on a drive shaft (501); the rectifier bracket (505) is fixed on the housing (502); and the drive shaft (501) is rotatably connected to the rectifier bracket (505) via a rolling bearing (506).

6. The tip jet autorotating rotor compound power system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hollow main shaft (101) is connected to the gas generator (2) via a rotary joint (10).

7. The tip jet autorotating rotor compound power system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The rotary joint (10) comprises a driven part (1001) and a driving part (1002) which are rotatably connected; the driven part (1001) is sleeved outside the hollow main shaft (101) and is fixed to the hollow main shaft (101) by welding; the driving part (1002) is provided with a bellows (1005), and the bellows (1005) is sleeved on the gas generator (2).

8. The tip jet autorotating rotor compound power system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driven part (1001) is rotatably connected to the driving part (1002) through a bearing (1004); a seal (1003) is provided between the driven part (1001) and the driving part (1002).

9. The tip jet autorotating rotor compound power system according to claim 6, characterized in that: There are 2 - 4 blades (102) provided on the hollow main shaft (101).

10. The tip jet autorotating rotor compound power system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The fuel tank (8) is filled with hydrogen peroxide or fuel or a mixture thereof.

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