A novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of mechanical technology, specifically to a novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami, comprising a rotating system and an origami structure. The rotating system includes a rotating shaft and three extendable blades. The outer shells of the extendable blades are mounted on one side of the outer periphery of the rotating shaft. A guide rod is connected in the middle of the main rotating shaft, and a mass weight is mounted on the guide rod to achieve equal force distribution in the structure. The lower end of the mass weight is connected to a sliding tube, and a diaphragm joint is installed inside the sliding tube. This deformable propeller structure is achieved by using an SMO structure, which allows the blade length to change automatically according to the rotational speed of the system, thereby changing the effective propeller diameter. The SMO structure is integrated into the rotating shaft system to create a deformable blade system, enabling the deformable structure to quickly respond to the rotational speed and switch blades between different lengths to achieve higher thrust output and energy efficiency during operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mechanical technology, specifically to a novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of technology, propeller mechanisms have been widely used in power systems and daily life applications. Whether it's the power systems of wind turbines, airplanes, and ships, or the most common fan systems in life, people are trying to find ways to achieve higher thrust output and energy efficiency during operation. A published patent application titled "New Propeller System" with publication number CN114644100A describes a system that controls the flow of medium from the guide port to the exhaust port through a fluid channel and flow conversion, achieving more efficient utilization of axial flow. It also incorporates a generator set and compression components for added functionality. A one-way valve structure and sensor structure effectively help control the safe flow of the medium, enabling more accurate application of aerodynamics. However, once the propeller system in the aforementioned patent application is put into use, its physical parameters (such as blade shape, pitch angle, and effective blade length) and operating conditions (such as fluid density) will be fixed. The only way to control thrust output and energy dissipation is to change the propeller speed. However, during different speeds, the fixed blade length leads to power loss and energy dissipation. Furthermore, issues such as heavy propeller blades and centrifugal force control also exist. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems with propellers in related technologies, this invention provides a novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami. This deformable propeller structure is achieved by using a stacked Miura-ori (SMO) structure, which allows the blade length to change automatically according to the system's rotational speed, thereby altering the effective propeller diameter. The SMO structure is integrated into the rotating shaft system to create a deformable blade system, enabling the deformable structure to quickly respond to rotational speed and switch blades between different lengths, thereby achieving higher thrust output and energy efficiency during operation.

[0004] This invention provides a novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure, the technical solution of which is as follows:

[0005] A novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure includes a rotating system with an extendable blade shell and an origami structure based on the deformable structure. The rotating system includes a rotating shaft and three extendable blades. The extendable blade shells are mounted on the outer periphery of one side of the rotating shaft. A guide rod is connected in the middle of the main rotating shaft, and a mass counterweight is provided on the guide rod to achieve equal force distribution in the structure. The lower end of the mass counterweight is connected to a sliding tube, and a membrane joint is installed inside the sliding tube. The sliding tube is engaged with the blades through the membrane joint, and the mass counterweight is connected to the blade shell through the guide rod. The deformable structure component uses an SMO structure to automatically adjust the effective length of the blades.

[0006] Furthermore, the guide rod, the counterweight, and the sliding tube constitute a linkage structure. The linkage structure is shared by the system's rotation shaft and three extendable blade assemblies. A counterweight is mounted on the guide rod, and the lower part of the counterweight is connected to the sliding tube. The sliding tube is connected to the blade through a diaphragm joint, and the counterweight is connected to the blade shell through the guide rod.

[0007] Furthermore, the SMO structure consists of two layers of different Miura-ori units. The geometry of each Miura-ori unit includes its standard facet and two sides of the sector angle. At the connecting facets, one side of the facet from each sheet shares the same parameters. And the other two parameters At least one of them is independent; by assuming rigid origami folding conditions, all surfaces are rigid during the folding process, and the two surfaces are kinematically compatible.

[0008] Furthermore, the SMO structure is in a concave stable state and the blade length is kept to a minimum when it is stationary or in a non-working state; when the system rotates at different speeds in the working state, the SMO structure can switch between concave and convex states according to the centrifugal force and its asymmetric bistable state.

[0009] Furthermore, the bottom end of the SMO structure is fixed to the guide rod, and the other end of the SMO structure can slide freely along the guide rod at the free end; the mass counterweight is installed at the free end of the SMO structure and connected to the extendable blade shell.

[0010] Furthermore, the origami structure uses edge module trimming and groove compliant joints to avoid potential collisions at the folds due to their thickness, as well as the joint portion with the rod.

[0011] Furthermore, the edge module trimming allows rigid material to be directly attached to the faceted frame to increase the bending stiffness of the hollow facets, ensuring their rigidity.

[0012] Furthermore, the grooved compliant joint can be applied to all folded portions, and the joint corners on each face are trimmed to avoid collisions during the folding process. The film joint between the origami sheet and the sliding tube on the guide rod has different patterns depending on its folding conditions.

[0013] Furthermore, the blades are hollow-faceted to minimize energy dissipation caused by air friction at the SMO facets, and to avoid possible deflection of the facets, the facets of the origami structure are hollowed out to minimize energy dissipation and aerodynamic effects during system rotation.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure provided by this invention has the following advantages:

[0015] 1. As a specific form of deformable structure, the present invention has the characteristics of compact structural layout, strong storage capacity and high reconfigurability. The origami structure can be stored in a small size when folded and can be used in full size when unfolded.

[0016] 2. In the initial state (static or non-working state), the SMO structure is in a concave stable state and the blade length is kept to a minimum. In the working state, when the system rotates at different speeds, the SMO structure can switch between concave and convex states according to centrifugal force and its asymmetric bistable state. Therefore, the propeller system is equivalent to a mechanism of two propeller systems with two sets of different blade lengths, which is fundamentally different from the standard system with fixed blade length.

[0017] 3. Compared with the standard fixed propeller system, the thrust output performance of the novel deformable propeller structure in low-speed operation mode is similar to that of the standard system with blades of fixed initial length. When in high-speed operation mode, the thrust output of the proposed deformable structure can achieve the same performance as that of the standard system with fixed blades of larger length. Compared with the standard propeller system, the longer the novel deformable propeller structure system of this invention stays in low-speed operation mode, the more energy can be saved when switching to high-speed operation mode. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the invention in its initial state when the blades are relatively short;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a front view of the SMO structure and blades in the initial state of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 The images show side views of the SMO structure and blades in the initial and extended states of this invention.

[0021] Figure 4This is a three-dimensional SMO structure diagram with mass counterweight and facet trimming of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a detailed diagram of the SMO structure of the tissue and rod connection portion of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a top view of the SMO structure with edge module trimming facets according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the SMO structure of Miura-ori sheets with different parameters according to the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the SMO structure of the present invention;

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Main rotating shaft, 2. Blade, 3. Mass counterweight, 4. Guide rod, 5. Blade shell, 6. Rotary disk, 7. Fixed end, 8. Free end, 9. Sliding tube, 10. Diaphragm joint. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that: in the present invention, unless otherwise specified, all embodiments and preferred methods mentioned herein can be combined to form new technical solutions. In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, all technical features and preferred features mentioned herein can be combined to form new technical solutions. In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the numerical range "a~b" represents an abbreviation of any combination of real numbers between a and b, where a and b are real numbers. For example, the numerical range "1.5~2.5" means that all real numbers between "1.5~2.5" have been listed herein, and "1.5~2.5" is just an abbreviation of these numerical combinations. The "range" disclosed in the present invention can be in the form of a lower limit and an upper limit, and can be one or more lower limits and one or more upper limits respectively. In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the various reaction or operation steps can be performed sequentially or in order. Preferably, the reaction methods described herein are performed sequentially. Unless otherwise stated, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those familiar to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, any methods or materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein may also be used in this invention.

[0028] Specific Implementation Example 1: The following is a detailed description with reference to the appendix... Figure 1 To the instruction manual Figure 8The following further explains the specific operation and use of this invention. The purpose of this invention is to provide a novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami. This deformable propeller structure system is achieved by using a stacked Miura-ori (SMO) structure, which allows the blade length to automatically change according to the system's rotational speed, thereby altering the effective propeller diameter. The SMO structure is integrated into the rotating shaft system to create a deformable blade system, enabling the deformable structure to quickly respond to rotational speed and switch blades between different lengths, thereby achieving higher thrust output and energy efficiency during operation. Specifically, as shown in the appendix to the specification... Figure 1 To the instruction manual Figure 8 As shown, the present invention provides a novel deformable propeller structure and implementation method based on origami structure, comprising two main components: a rotating system with extendable blade shell 5 and a deformable origami structure. The rotating system includes a rotating shaft 1 and three extendable blades 2. The extendable blade shell 5 is mounted on the outer periphery of one side of the rotating shaft 1. A guide rod 4 is connected in the middle of the main rotating shaft 1. A mass counterweight 3 is provided on the guide rod 4 to achieve equal force distribution in the structure. The lower end of the mass counterweight 3 is connected to a sliding tube 9. A membrane connector 10 is installed inside the sliding tube 9. The sliding tube 9 is connected to the blades 2 through the membrane connector 10. The mass counterweight 3 is connected to the blade shell 5 through the guide rod 4. The deformable structure component uses an SMO structure to automatically adjust the effective length of the blades.

[0029] As per the instruction manual Figure 2 As shown, the SMO structure consists of two layers of different Miura-ori units. The geometry of each Miura-ori unit includes its standard facet and two sides of the sector angle. At the connecting facets, one side of the facet from each sheet shares the same parameters. And the other two parameters At least one of them is independent. By assuming rigid origami folding conditions, all surfaces are rigid during the folding process, and the two surfaces are kinematically compatible. Therefore, the independent design parameters should satisfy the following relationship to ensure their compatibility:

[0030]

[0031]

[0032] in and It is the dihedral fold angle from the facet on each sheet to the reference panel, when sheet I is nested therein and the dihedral fold angle is... When the plate I flattens, the stable state is called the "concave" state; otherwise, it is similarly called the "convex" state. At a certain degree, there is also a metastable state, in which the dihedral folding angle of sheet II is minimized.

[0033] The external dimensions of the SMO structure can be determined by using the dihedral angle folding angle from the facet on sheet I to the reference panel. The dihedral angle can also be used to indicate folding conditions.

[0034]

[0035]

[0036]

[0037] Where L, W, and H represent the length, width, and height of the element in the xyz direction.

[0038] Assuming the material properties of the two Miura-ori sheets are uniform but different from each other, the stiffness of the two torsional springs per unit length will be... This can be allocated to the two sheets accordingly, and the shared crease at the reference panel is allocated to the torsional spring stiffness per unit length of the other sheet. Therefore, the torsional spring stiffness of each crease Corresponding to its length It can be defined as

[0039]

[0040] in , and .

[0041] Based on the folding conditions of each crease in the SMO structure, the five sets of folding angles can be expressed according to their geometric relationships as follows:

[0042]

[0043]

[0044]

[0045]

[0046]

[0047] Among these angles This indicates the facet corner at the intersection (crease) of the internal folds around the Miura-ori sheet.

[0048] As per the appendix to the specification of this invention Figure 2 and instruction manual attached Figure 3 As shown, the bottom fixed end 7 of the SMO structure is on the guide rod 4, and the other end of the SMO structure can slide freely along the guide rod 4 at the free end 8. The design weight (mass counterweight) 3 is applied to the free end 8 of the SMO structure and connected to the extendable blade housing 5. The weight and extension displacement of the blade housing 5 will be synchronized with the shape change of the SMO structure in the sliding direction. The centrifugal force of the design weight generated by the rotation of the system can be applied to the SMO structure and enable the SMO structure to switch between its two stable states.

[0049] As per the appendix to the specification of this invention Figure 5 and instruction manual attached Figure 6 As shown, the origami structure uses an edge module trimming method and a groove compliant joint to avoid potential collisions at the folds due to their thickness, as well as at the joint with the guide rod 4. It also employs hollow facets to minimize unwanted energy dissipation due to air friction at the SMO facets and to prevent possible facet deflection. The groove compliant joint can be applied to all folds, and trimming is performed at the joint corners of each facet to avoid collisions during folding. Meanwhile, the film joint 10 between the origami sheet and the sliding tube 9 on the guide rod 4 has different patterns depending on its folding conditions. The blade 2 in this invention employs hollow facets to minimize energy dissipation due to air friction at the SMO facets and to prevent possible facet deflection. The facets of conventional origami structures are hollowed out to minimize energy dissipation and aerodynamic effects during the rotation of the proposed system.

[0050] The working principle of a novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure according to the present invention is as follows:

[0051] This invention provides a novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami, allowing the blade length 2 to change automatically according to the system's rotational speed, thereby altering the effective propeller diameter to achieve higher thrust output and energy efficiency during operation. Specifically: in the initial state (stationary or non-operating state), the SMO structure is in a concave stable state, with the blade length 2 kept to a minimum; in the operating state, when the system rotates at different speeds, the SMO structure can switch between concave and convex states based on centrifugal force and its asymmetric bistable state; based on the effective propeller diameter and system output (thrust output), two operating modes can be defined: a low-speed operating mode and a high-speed operating mode; in the low-speed operating mode, the propeller structure system has an output level similar to a standard system with fixed blades 2, wherein the length of the fixed blades 2 is equal to the initial length of the blades 2 when the proposed system is stationary. In high-speed mode, the propeller structure system can produce an output level similar to that of the standard system, which has fixed blades 2 at maximum extended length. Due to the rapid pass-through behavior of the origami structure, two critical speed points are referred to as the expansion point and the contraction point. The expansion point is associated with the point where the speed increases from low-speed mode to high-speed mode, and the contraction point is associated with the speed decreases from high-speed mode to low-speed mode. Overall, the deformable propeller structure system of the present invention is achieved by using a stacked Miura-ori (SMO) structure, which allows the blade length to change automatically according to the system's speed, thereby changing the effective propeller diameter. The SMO structure is combined with the rotating shaft system to create a deformable blade system, which allows the deformable structure to respond quickly to the speed and switch blades between different lengths to achieve higher thrust output and energy efficiency during operation.

[0052] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure, characterized in that, The rotating system includes a rotating system with an extendable blade shell (5) and a deformable origami structure. The rotating system includes a rotating shaft (1) and three extendable blades (2). The extendable blade shell (5) is mounted on the outer periphery of one side of the rotating shaft (1). A guide rod (4) is connected in the middle of the main rotating shaft (1). A mass counterweight (3) is provided on the guide rod (4) to achieve equal force distribution in the structure. The lower end of the mass counterweight (3) is connected to a sliding tube (9). A membrane connector (10) is installed in the sliding tube (9). The sliding tube (9) is connected to the blade (2) through the membrane connector (10). The mass counterweight (3) is connected to the blade shell (5) through the guide rod (4). The deformable structure uses an SMO structure to automatically adjust the effective length of the blade. The SMO structure consists of two layers of different Miura-ori units. The geometric features of each Miura-ori unit include a standard plane and an included angle formed by the two sides of the standard plane. One side of the two standard planes are joined together, and their side lengths are equal. The side lengths of the other side of the two standard planes are respectively , The included angles formed by the two standard planes are respectively , Two parameters ( , )and( , At least one of them is not equal, so as to satisfy the origami folding condition that all surfaces are rigid during the folding process, making it possible for the two standard surfaces to be kinematically realizable.

2. The novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide rod (4), the counterweight (3) and the sliding tube constitute a linkage structure. This linkage structure is shared by the rotating shaft (1) of the system and the three extendable blade (2) components. The counterweight (3) is mounted on the guide rod. The lower part of the counterweight (3) is connected to the sliding tube. The sliding tube is connected to the blade through a diaphragm joint. The counterweight is connected to the blade shell through the guide rod.

3. The novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The SMO structure is in a concave stable state and the blade length is kept to a minimum when it is stationary or in a non-working state. When the system rotates at different speeds during operation, the SMO structure can switch between concave and convex states according to centrifugal force and its asymmetric bistable state.

4. A novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom end of the SMO structure is fixed on the guide rod, and the other end of the SMO structure can slide freely along the guide rod (4) at the free end; the mass counterweight (3) is installed at the free end of the SMO structure and connected to the extendable blade shell (5).

5. A novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The origami structure uses edge module trimming and groove compliant joints to avoid potential collisions at the folds due to their thickness.

6. A novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The edge module trimming allows rigid material to be directly attached to the faceted frame to increase the bending stiffness of the hollow facets, ensuring their rigidity.

7. A novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The grooved compliant joint can be applied to all folded sections, and the joint corners on each face are trimmed to avoid collisions during the folding process. The film joint between the origami sheet and the sliding tube on the guide rod has different patterns depending on its folding conditions.

8. A novel deformable propeller structure system based on origami structure according to claim 7, characterized in that, The blade (2) is hollow to minimize energy dissipation caused by air friction at the SMO facets. In order to avoid facet deflection, the facets of the origami structure are hollowed out to minimize energy dissipation and aerodynamic effects during system rotation.

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