Mobile platform for transporting articles

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a thrust assembly for mounting on an aerial platform and configured for generating thrust power to allow a controllably accelerated air mass flow into and out of the thrust assembly. The thrust assembly includes one or more fluid-based rotary actuators or motors in fluid communication with a source of energized / pressurized working fluid for receiving energized working fluid to drive the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators. The thrust assembly also includes one or more actuator disc devices, each actuator disc device including a plurality of blades rotatable by the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators. A valve mechanism of the thrust assembly is disposed along a flow path between an energized working fluid source and one or more fluid-based rotary actuators. The pushing assembly further comprises at least one processing circuit. One or more memories, and a processor coupled to the at least one processing circuit and storing program instructions for execution by the at least one processing circuit to: (1) control the valve mechanism to generate at least one of: the following; (i) a selected flow rate, (ii) a selected fluid pressure, and (iii) a selected temperature of the energized working fluid in or received in the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators. This configuration of the thrust assembly makes it possible to control the instantaneous angular acceleration and rotational speed of the motor, and thus the rotational movement of the actuator disc arrangement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure is in the field of mobile platforms for transporting items, particularly for use in autonomous robotic applications. General Description

[0002] A mobile platform, vehicle, robot and / or any other structured, mechanized device for transporting payloads, people or items has a mission that is constrained by its power and energy density. It has always been a goal for autonomous robots or mobile platforms to operate quickly, accurately and cheaply. As autonomous robotic applications and robotic missions advance, high power density hardware is needed. The devices and methods described herein allow autonomous applications to accelerate faster and accurately in all 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) in space. Similarly, high energy density hardware, energy storage devices, batteries and / or fuel containers allow autonomous mobile platforms to operate longer and complete their missions faster and more accurately.

[0003] Today, the selection of energy storage devices, motors and / or engines on mobile platforms is a design process that is done based on the mobile platform application and based on the mobile platform mission. Therefore, in most cases, the mobile platform subsystems (such as powertrain, drivetrain, transmission and powerplant) determine the overall power density and energy density of the mobile platform.

[0004] The present disclosure proposes a device, mobile platform and method, which includes a fluid drive subsystem, a part of a power train, a transmission train connected to a power device unit and a transmission subsystem. The fluid drive subsystem and the power device unit together provide a new mobile platform with improved power density and energy density that is most suitable for autonomous robotic mobile platforms.

[0005] In addition, aerial and aerospace mobile platforms (e.g., vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles) can benefit from the technology of the present disclosure, which allows additional physical and aerodynamic capabilities, such as unique disk loading relative to the weight of the mobile platform, low polar inertia of the thrust system, a power train that can be fixed and sized, and a flexible and adaptable structure of the mobile platform. And partially aerial mobile platforms combined with different power sources and / or power plants. This allows high specific power and specific energy for VTOL mobile platforms of different grades, sizes, and shapes of aerodynamic vehicle concepts.

[0006] Thus, one aspect of the present disclosure provides a thrust assembly for mounting on an aerial platform and configured to generate thrust power to allow a controllably accelerated mass flow of air to enter and exit the thrust assembly. The thrust assembly includes one or more fluid-based rotary actuators or motors in fluid communication with an energized / pressurized working fluid source for receiving an energized working fluid to drive the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators. The thrust assembly also includes one or more actuator disk devices, each actuator disk device including a plurality of blades rotatable by the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators. The valve mechanism of the thrust assembly is disposed along a flow path between the energized working fluid source and the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators. The thrust assembly also includes at least one processing circuit; one or more memories coupled to the at least one processing circuit and storing program instructions for execution by the at least one processing circuit to: (1) control the valve mechanism to produce at least one of: (i) a selected flow rate, (ii) a selected fluid pressure, and (iii) a selected temperature of the energized working fluid in or received in the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators. This configuration of the thrust assembly enables control of the instantaneous angular acceleration and rotational speed of the motor, and thus the rotational motion of the actuator disk device.

[0007] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, a plurality of blades are coupled to a respective rotor via a hinge. The angle of attack of the plurality of blades is defined by the forces acting on the hinge. That is, the hinge is a passive hinge, and the blades are pivotable about the hinge in response to forces acting on the hinge, such as instantaneous torque and centrifugal force.

[0008] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism to generate a selected rotation profile of the one or more actuator disk devices. The selected rotation profile includes an angular acceleration that varies in a single rotation or in a selected number of rotations while maintaining a selected RPM (revolutions per minute) in the single rotation, i.e., in a portion of the rotation the blades are accelerating and in a portion of the rotation the blades are decelerating, so that the total time of the single rotation is in accordance with a given and desired RPM, or maintaining a selected RPM in the selected number of rotations, i.e., in a portion of the rotation within the selected number of rotations the blades are accelerating and in a portion of the rotation the blades are decelerating, so that the total time of the selected number of rotations is in accordance with a given and desired RPM.

[0009] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the processing circuit is configured to directly or indirectly control the source of energized working fluid to affect a fluid pressure output therefrom toward the fluid-based rotary actuator.

[0010] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the energized working fluid is a liquid, ie, a hydraulic fluid, and the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators are hydraulic motors.

[0011] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the liquid flows in a closed loop flow having one or more low pressure circuits and a high pressure circuit.

[0012] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the energized working fluid is a gas and the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators are pneumatic motors and / or heat pump rotary expanders.

[0013] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the gas is air and the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators operate based on an open loop flow of the gas, that is, air that participates in the operation of the motor is released back to the surrounding environment and new air is drawn into the motor to be compressed.

[0014] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, each of the one or more actuator disk devices includes a rotor shaft coupled to the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators for allowing rotation of the corresponding fluid-based rotary actuator. The thrust assembly also includes a rotor shaft angular position sensor configured to sense an angular position of the rotor shaft and generate rotor angular position data based on the angular position of the rotor shaft. The processing circuit is configured to allow control of the rotor shaft rotation profile based on the fluid-based rotary actuator angular position data, and thereby control the fluid-based rotary actuator rotation profile, and selectively control the rotation speed at each angular position based on the desired rotation profile.

[0015] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the processing circuit is configured to control a rotational acceleration of the blades and an angle of attack of each blade.

[0016] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the processing circuit is configured to independently control the angle of attack of each blade based on the time domain and / or based on the instantaneous angular position of the actuator disk.

[0017] In some embodiments, the thrust assembly further comprises a tilt sensor for sensing the tilt of an aerial platform (vehicle) carrying the thrust assembly and generating tilt data based thereon, wherein the processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism based on the tilt data.

[0018] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism by pulse width modulation techniques. That is, the electronics operating the valve receive pulses at a faster rate than is required to carry a significant change in load.

[0019] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism to allow controlled maneuvering of an aerial platform (vehicle) carrying the thrust assembly in at least six degrees of freedom.

[0020] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the energized fluid source includes at least two energized working fluid sub-sources, each sub-source configured to provide energized working fluid at a different pressure to allow a range of fluid pressures to be supplied to one or more fluid-based rotary actuators.

[0021] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the source of energized working fluid includes one or more liquid pumps.

[0022] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the source of energized working fluid includes one or more compressors.

[0023] In some embodiments, the thrust assembly further comprises a cooling device in fluid communication with the energized working fluid source for cooling the energized working fluid.

[0024] In some embodiments, the thrust assembly further comprises a power source for providing power to the energized working fluid source. The power source may be a battery or a generator based on the consumption of non-renewable materials (eg, fuel).

[0025] In some embodiments, the thrust assembly further comprises a source of the energized working fluid.It should be noted that energized fluid refers to a fluid characterized by any pressure and / or chemical reactivity above ambient pressure.

[0026] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism to control the angular position, velocity and acceleration of one or more fluid-based rotary actuators or at least a shaft rotatable by the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators, thereby controlling the mechanical movement of one or more actuator disk devices, which in turn generates thrust power and acceleration of air mass flow through the thrust assembly.

[0027] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, each of the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators includes a rotatable motor shaft coupled to a corresponding actuator disk arrangement of the one or more actuator disk arrangements for allowing the corresponding rotor to rotate. The thrust assembly also includes a motor shaft angular position sensor configured to sense an angular position of the motor shaft and generate motor angular position data based on the angular position of the motor shaft. The processing circuit is configured to allow control of the motor shaft rotation profile based on the motor angular position data, and thus control the motor and rotor rotation profile, and selectively control the rotation speed at each angular position according to the desired rotation profile.

[0028] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators are operable to cause mass air flow through the thrust assembly in two opposite directions. That is, air can flow downward from the top of the thrust assembly and upward from the bottom of the thrust assembly. In other words, the mass air flow can change direction within the thruster assembly because some mass air flow can enter the thruster inlet and in some cases the mass air can exit via the thruster inlet.

[0029] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism to controllably cause the air mass flow through the thrust assembly in two opposing directions depending on a desired maneuver of the airborne platform.

[0030] In some embodiments, the thrust assembly further comprises a combustion component configured to heat the mass air flow flowing out of one or more actuator disk devices, thereby further accelerating the mass air flow. The combustion component allows a hypersonic flow of the mass air flow through the thrust assembly to be obtained. The combustion component is arranged downstream of the actuator disk device relative to the air flow path through the thrust assembly.

[0031] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the combustion component includes a nozzle, wherein the air mass flow is heated to thereby be accelerated within the nozzle, for example to a hypersonic speed.

[0032] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the one or more actuator disc arrangements are configured to allow hypersonic flow rates of the air mass therethrough.

[0033] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators are operable to achieve the hypersonic flow.

[0034] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the aerial platform is an autonomous aerial platform or an aerial vehicle.

[0035] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the propulsive force of the thrust assembly comprises a disc load curve controlled by at least one characteristic of the one or more actuator disc devices: instantaneous torque, instantaneous angular torque, alternating instantaneous angular torque, instantaneous rotational speed, global rotational speed, or any combination thereof.

[0036] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the thrust assembly is configured to generate autorotational energy in response to autorotation of one or more fluid-based rotary actuators (ie, passive rotation of blades), such as when the aerial platform is descending.

[0037] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the auto-rotational energy is used directly to drive the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators, or is stored in an energy storage device of the thrust assembly for later use.

[0038] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, the one or more actuator disk devices include one or more tandem actuator disk devices, each tandem actuator disk device having a pair of coaxial actuator disk device members.

[0039] In some embodiments, the thrust assembly comprises an odd number of the one or more tandem actuator disc arrangements.

[0040] In some embodiments of the thrust assembly, each member of a pair of coaxial actuator disk arrangements is configured to rotate in an opposite direction to the other member.

[0041] In some embodiments, the thrust assembly includes one or more powerplant units. The powerplant may be an integral part of the aerial platform, in other embodiments the powerplant is external to the mobile platform and may be grounded or part of another vehicle or fixed structure.

[0042] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an aerial platform or aerial vehicle. The aerial platform includes a thrust assembly of any of the above embodiments or any combination thereof. The aerial platform also includes platform mission and application facilities, which are configured to operate desired operations when the aerial platform is in the air.

[0043] In some embodiments of the aerial platform, the platform missions and application facilities are driven by an energized working fluid supplied from an energized working fluid source. The platform missions and application facilities can perform any robotic applications, such as collecting fruit, drilling, and the like. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] In order to better understand the subject matter disclosed herein and to illustrate how it may be implemented in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1A and Figure 1B is a block diagram illustrating different non-limiting embodiments of the thrust assembly of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a non-limiting example of a thrust assembly according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a non-limiting example of a thrust assembly according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 4is a schematic diagram of a non-limiting example of an operating scheme of a valve mechanism of a thrust assembly of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 5A-Figure 5B is a schematic diagram illustrating a non-limiting embodiment of a thrust assembly according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 6A-6B are schematic diagrams illustrating different non-limiting implementations of a thrust assembly according to one aspect of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The technology of the present disclosure provides a novel method for constructing and operating a mobile platform for transporting various items. The technology provides a Fluid Powered Thrust Vectoring System (FTVU) that can be attached / mounted on a mobile platform (e.g., a robot).

[0051] refer to Figure 1A to Figure 1B , which is a block diagram of a non-limiting example of a thrust assembly 100 configured and operable in accordance with the present disclosure. The thrust assembly is mounted on an aerial platform 650.

[0052] Figure 1A A thrust assembly 100 is shown that includes one or more fluid-based rotary actuators 200 driven by a working fluid (WF) supplied from an energized working fluid source 440 mounted on an aerial platform 650 or mounted on an auxiliary land vehicle connected to the aerial platform 650. The working fluid WF, which may be a liquid for hydraulically implementing the fluid-based rotary actuator 200 or a gas for pneumatically implementing the fluid-based rotary actuator 200, is delivered to a powertrain 300 that is in turn configured to controllably supply the working fluid WF to the fluid-based rotary actuator 200 via a controllable valve mechanism 720 that is controlled by a processing circuit 700 (sometimes referred to below as a computer system or control system). The processing circuit 700 is configured to control the valve mechanism 720 by executing commands (EC) that are transmitted to the valve mechanism 720 and cause valves in the valve mechanism 720 to open and close, thereby allowing a controllable flow rate of energized working fluid WF to flow toward the fluid-based rotary actuator 200 .

[0053] The processing circuit is in data communication with a plurality of platform state sensors 779 configured to sense the airborne platform state of the airborne platform and generate platform state data (PSD) and transmit it to the processing circuit 700. The platform state data PSD may include any of the following: position data of the platform, such as the tilt of the platform, the air speed of the platform, the ground speed of the platform, the pitch, roll and yaw of the platform, the angular position of each fluid-based rotary actuator, the angular position of each actuator disk device, or any combination thereof. Based on the platform state data PSD, the processing circuit 700 is configured to generate an execution command EC accordingly to cause the desired torque and rotation speed of the fluid-based rotary actuator 200 to achieve the desired flight mode or curve. The execution command EC may be in the form of pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse duration modulation (PDM) technology.

[0054] The fluid-based rotary actuator 200 is coupled to one or more actuator disk devices 120 that are rotatable by kinetic energy KE delivered to the actuator disk devices 120 by the fluid-based rotary actuator 602. As a result of the rotation of the actuator disk devices 120, air mass flows through them and causes acceleration of the airborne platform or a desired maneuver thereof.

[0055] It should be noted that in some embodiments, platform state sensors 779 or at least some of them may be part of thrust assembly 100. Furthermore, in some embodiments, energized working fluid source 440 may be part of thrust assembly 100.

[0056] The powertrain 300 should be broadly interpreted as a delivery means for delivering an energized working fluid, which may be, for example, a pipeline or an array of pipelines. The energized working fluid may be generated by an energized working fluid generator 440, which may not even be installed on the aerial platform 650. For example, the aerial platform 650 may be coupled to a land-based vehicle that includes the energized working fluid generator 440 and delivers it to the energized working fluid source 440 on the aerial platform 650. However, in some embodiments, the energized working fluid generator 440 may be on the aerial platform 650 itself. The energized working fluid generator 440 may be a pump or an array of pumps that is configured to increase the pressure of the working fluid WF (e.g., working liquid) and deliver it to the powertrain 300 at a suitable flow rate.

[0057] The aerial platform 650 may be coupled or integrated with a platform mission and application facility 800 capable of performing selected operations such as drilling, cutting branches, collecting fruit, or any other desired application. The platform mission and application facility 800 is configured to be powered by a working fluid WF supplied to the aerial platform 650 and the thrust assembly 100 by the energized working fluid generator 440. In addition, control of the power source and optionally the control of the operation itself may be performed by the processing circuit 700 of the thrust assembly 100.

[0058] Reference now Figure 1B , and Figure 1A The difference is that the cooling device 370, the fluid energy storage device 325 and the combustion component 550 are included. The cooling device 370 is configured to receive a portion of the working fluid WF, cool it and return it for further use in the thrust assembly 100. This is required due to the heating of the working fluid WF when the working fluid WF is operating in the thrust assembly 100.

[0059] The fluid energy storage device 325 is configured to store energy EN and deliver the energy EN when needed. The energy storage device 325 is used to store the energy EN generated due to the automatic rotation of the actuator disk device 120, such as when the aerial platform 650 descends, so its potential energy is converted into kinetic energy (KE), and the fluid-based rotary actuator 200 is configured to also act as a generator when driven by the actuator disk device 120, and the energy EN they generate is delivered to be stored in the electrical energy storage device 470.

[0060] The combustion component 550 is arranged such that it is configured to receive the air mass flow moved by the actuator disk arrangement 120, i.e., the combustion component 550 is located downstream of the actuator disk arrangement 120 along the air mass flow path. The combustion component 550 is configured to heat the air mass received therein to accelerate it through a nozzle (not shown) that is part of the combustion component, thereby allowing the air mass to be accelerated to hypersonic speeds.

[0061] Reference below Figure 2-Figure 4 , Figure 5A-Figure 5B as well as Figure 6A-6B Various specific but non-limiting examples of configuration and operation of the thrust assemblies / systems of the present disclosure are described.

[0062] It should be noted that if the present disclosure refers to a specific figure and an element does not appear in the figure, the teaching of such element should be completed from the figure in which it appears.

[0063] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology / systems, the FTVU 100 is driven by a fluid power train, fluid drive train, and / or fluid drive subsystem 300, which may include, but is not limited to, a portion of an autonomous robotic mobile platform 650 or any vehicle for locomotion, manipulation, hovering, flight, and thrust and / or projectile. The configuration and operation of the FTVU 100 described herein allows an autonomous robotic application or any mobile platform 650 to accelerate faster and more accurately in all six degrees of freedom (6DOF) in space. Six degrees of freedom (6DOF) refers to the freedom of motion of a rigid body in three-dimensional space.

[0064] Thus, according to a broad aspect of the present invention, one or more FTVUs 100 are provided that are configured to be attached / mounted on a single mobile platform and / or robot 650. However, a single mobile platform 650 may carry a combination of different types of thrust vectoring systems. For example, a single mobile platform 650 may have one or more FTVUs 100 combined with another type of thrust vectoring system. Thus, a single mobile platform 650 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be further associated with a combination of different types of thrust vectoring systems, such as any thrust vectoring of a FTVU 100, a gas dynamic steering (GDS), a gas dynamic control (GDC), an electric thrust vectoring system (ETVS) 801, a shaft cup thrust vectoring system (STVS) with a fuel engine, a propellant injection vectoring system (PIVS), a vernier thruster system (VTS), and / or a rocket nozzle.

[0065] A single mobile platform 650 may include, but is not limited to, a missile, a rocket, a low-orbit satellite, an aerospace mobile platform / carrier, an airborne mobile platform, an airplane, and / or any type of aircraft and / or vehicle. A mobile platform 650 with a FTVU 100 as described herein attached may travel through the atmospheric air on and around the Earth, and / or the atmospheric air on any planet in the solar system and / or in space between planets.

[0066] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, the FTVU 100 has an actuator disk 120 configuration with coaxial / coaxial rotors and / or tandem rotors and / or intermeshing rotors, resulting in a disk load 500 with a radial area 520. The two coaxial / coaxial rotors 121, 122 can rotate in opposite directions 291, 292 on the rotation axis 195 of the fluid dynamic thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100. Figure 2 The FTVU 100 in the example shown in FIG. 1 includes two fluid actuators 200, each connected to a rocking hinge rotor / blade system 120. Figure 2As shown in FIG. 1 , the fluid actuator 201 is mechanically coupled 130 to the rotor 121 via a passive rocking hinge mechanism 131. Similarly, the hollow shaft fluid actuator 202 is coupled to the passive rotor system 122 via a mechanical hub 132.

[0067] In some other embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the fluid dynamic thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 is attached to the mobile platform 650 via a mechanical joint 660 . Figure 2 The mobile platform in has a payload 615 and wings and control surfaces 620. Alternatively, in Figure 2 In the configuration schematically shown in , the computer system 700 and / or the drive train / powertrain 300 and / or the powerplant 400 may be part of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and / or part of the mobile platform 650 and / or part of the payload 615 and / or part of the vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 main application 815 and / or the payload and remote operation 820 of the main application 815.

[0068] Thus, according to the present disclosure, a thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 may be powered by an unknown powerplant 400, while the powertrain 300 acts as a network of conduits 330 and / or fluid lines 401, 409, 325, 730, 735, 250, 260 and / or internal components and accessories of devices such as fluid actuators 200, fluid transmission subsystems 130, fluid pumps 440, and fluid valve devices 720. In other cases, the FTVU 100 may be powered only by a pressurized tank 325 or accumulator 325 portion of the powertrain 300 network of fluid lines without the powerplant 400 being coupled. In other cases (where the powerplant 400 is coupled to the powertrain 300), such as Figure 2 As shown in FIG, an accumulator 325 as part of a powertrain 300 is configured to power and regulate one or more fluid actuators 200 of a FTVU 100 while being connected in parallel and / or in series and / or directly and / or indirectly to fluid lines 401, 405, and 409 of a powerplant 400.

[0069] Reference again Figure 2, the computer system 700 can be a part of the FTVU 100 and / or a part of the mobile platform 650 and / or a part of the payload 615 and / or a part of the main application 815, 820. The computer system 700 has a fluid valve device 720, which is connected to the powered electronic board 710 managed by the real-time software 780. The software 780 operates on the computer system 700, and sends and receives signals via the embedded cable 705 and / or via the connection 705 and / or via the wireless link 705 to and from the powered electronic board 710, the signals being digital, optical, analog and / or radio frequency (RF) signals.

[0070] In some embodiments and as in Figure 4 As schematically shown in FIG. 1 , the powered electronic board 710 converts and calculates the signals, data and information received from the software 780 into Figure 4 The energizing electrical signals 711, 719 in one or more different methods and configurations of the control systems 717 and 713 shown in FIG. These examples of the energizing electrical signals 711, 719 are applied to the electromechanical valve device 720 in watts / second, voltage / second, and / or amps / second.

[0071] Reference again Figure 2 , these energizing electrical signals 711, 719 generated by the power electronics board 710 are transmitted via the coupling 715 and applied to the electromechanical valve device 720. The valve device 720 converts the electrical power and / or signals 711, 719 received from the power electronics board 710 in watts per second into mechanical energy, which acts as a valve mechanism on the working fluid 320 entering the valve device 720. The working fluid 320 enters the device 720 from the network of conduits 330 of the powertrain 300 via the inlet port 730 and the outlet port 735.

[0072] In some embodiments, Figure 2 Although not specifically shown in the drawings, the valve device / mechanism 720 may be operated within the fluid actuator 200 itself, within the hub mechanism 130, within an accessory of the powertrain 300, and / or within a component of the powerplant 400. Alternatively, as Figure 2 As schematically shown in , computer system 700 may be an embedded part of FTVU 100 and / or may be configured as a modular part of mobile platform 650 and / or mobile platform application 815 .

[0073] Additionally or alternatively, fluid entering the valve device 720 via the pipeline 730 is measured by the fluid sensor 760 of the computer system 700. Similarly, the working fluid 320 exiting the valve device 720 via the fluid pipeline 735 is measured in real time by the fluid sensor 765. These fluid sensors 760 and 765 (part of the computer system 700) are configured to measure the performance of the valve device 720 and / or the properties of the working fluid 320, such as: temperature, pressure, volume rate and / or physical state before and after entering and exiting the electromechanical valve actuator mechanism 720.

[0074] In another embodiment, Figure 3 As shown in , the electromechanical fluid valve device 720 can be directly connected to the inlet port 250 of the fluid rotary actuator 200 as part of the powertrain 300 configuration. In other cases, such as Figure 4 As shown in , the valve device 720 can drive the fluid rotary actuator 200 in a pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse duration modulation (PDM) manner, wherein rapid real-time modulation of the volume 220 and / or pressure 230 occurs.

[0075] Therefore, according to the present disclosure and as Figure 2 As shown, fluid actuators 201 , 202 within FTVU 100 may be supplied via inlet port 250 and / or restricted via outlet port 260 and / or directly connected to fluid lines 730 , 735 , 405 , 401 , 409 , 730 , 735 , and / or 325 of powertrain 300 .

[0076] like Figure 2 As further shown in FIG. 4 , the power plant 400 may have one or more energy container storage devices 420 or fuel tanks 420. The fuel tanks 420 are connected to the engine 430 through piping hardware 425 and / or fuel supply machinery 425, and the engine 430 thermodynamically converts the fuel chemical energy in the storage device 420 into useful mechanical energy 460 by performing combustion and / or mixing one or more types of fuel and gas. In some embodiments of the power plant 400 configuration, a utility outlet 470 and / or a fuel cell 470 and / or a battery 470 and / or any type of chemical energy storage device 470 of electronics and electricity can provide power to the electric motor 430. In some embodiments, the electric motor 430 converts the electrical energy received from the battery 470 via the grid cable 740 into useful mechanical energy 460.

[0077] Thus, useful mechanical energy 460 generated by the engine 430 and / or motor 430 is then transferred to the fluid pump 440 via the mechanical coupling 450. The useful mechanical energy 460 obtained by the mechanical coupling 450 is applied to the pumping mechanism 440. Thus, the pumping mechanism 440 energizes the fluid that enters the pump 440 via the inlet line 405 from the powertrain 300 and exits the pump via the outlet fluid line 401. Similarly, the pumping mechanism 440 can generate a pressure difference and / or volume movement between the fluid that enters the pump 440 via the inlet line 405 and the energized fluid that exits the pump via the outlet fluid line 401.

[0078] Thus, according to the present disclosure, the powertrain 300 can accommodate different types of working fluids 320, such as air and / or oil and / or any type of liquids and gases. Additionally or alternatively, the powertrain 300 can be configured as an open-loop system and / or a closed-loop system having a network of one or more layers of pipes 330. In some cases, additional layers of pipes 330 and accessories (part of the powertrain 300 subsystem) can be used for the purpose of cooling 370 by heat pump fluid and / or by the working fluid itself 320. Similarly, the powertrain 300 can include lubrication devices, additional pilot lines for the actuator 200, and the pump 440 and / or the powertrain 300 can include high-pressure, medium-pressure, low-pressure and negative-pressure fluid lines.

[0079] According to the present disclosure, Figure 5A As shown, the afterburner nozzle configuration 500 is used by arranging a nozzle afterburner device 550 on the outlet 160 of the FTVU 100. This nozzle vector unit (FTVU) 100 arrangement includes a fan actuator disk 120 powered by a fluid actuator 200 and an afterburner 550, which allows the vector unit (FTVU) 100 and / or the mobile platform 650 to accelerate rapidly with an additional 3 times thrust-to-weight ratio during activation of the afterburner 550. Similarly, afterburner activation can provide an additional +500km / h above the 1000km / h absolute speed of the vector unit (FTVU) 100 and / or the mobile platform 650, while the disk loading configuration 500 is a fan.

[0080] Alternatively, in Figure 5A-Figure 5B In the configuration schematically shown in FIG. 5 , the arrangement 500 of the nozzle vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 allows for hypersonic speeds by: using Figure 6A-6B The active fluid stator 180 and built-in hypersonic passage 185 , not shown, redirect the inlet 150 air mass 580 of the vector unit (FTVU) 100 to pass through and flow directly through the nozzle 550 configuration.

[0081] The autonomous robotic application 800 in the present disclosure may include one or more fluid dynamic thrust vectoring units (FTVUs) 100 attached to a single mobile platform and / or autonomous robot 650. Each fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 may have a different or similar disk load configuration 500. Each fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 attached to a single mobile platform 650 may have a different or similar power output or may have a different or similar thrust distribution 525, shape and size 520 of the disk load 500, and may have a different or similar type of working fluid 320 type, and may have a different or similar thrust output 170 as a tool for air mass flow 590, 595.

[0082] The techniques of this disclosure may utilize one or more fluid dynamic thrust vectoring units (FTVUs) 100 that are attached to an aircraft, airborne and / or aerospace vehicle, and / or mobile platform 650. One or more attached thrust vectoring units (FTVUs) 100 allow the mobile platform 650 to project, lift, hover, move, glide, fly, float, dive, bank, yaw, roll, pitch, maneuver, and navigate in 6DOF in space.

[0083] refer to Figure 5B , the thrust output 170 of the vector unit (FTVU) 100 refers to the thrust vector or propulsive force 170 resulting from the acceleration of the air mass output flow 590, 595 of the vector unit (FTVU) 100. The force output 170 of the vector unit (FTVU) 100 is represented by the shape 520 and distribution 525, disk load 500 measured relative to the vector unit (FTVU) geometry 101. The thrust vector unit (FTVU) 100 generates a controllable propulsive force 170 with variable thrust acceleration, which provides the mobile platform 650 with rapidly changing linear acceleration and angular acceleration values ​​as it maneuvers in space with 6DOF.

[0084] In some embodiments, such as in Figure 5B As shown in FIG. 1 , the magnitude 175 or amplitude 175 of the force vector 170 is measured in Newtons or kg. The force vector 170 is a physical representation of the kinetic and thermodynamic energy of the air mass flow 590, 595, which is measured in m / sec. 2 The acceleration is multiplied by the nozzle configuration 550, 553 exiting the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and / or as in Figure 5AThe force vector 170 may be combined in the form of an air mass at the exhaust 160 of the vector unit (FTVU) 100 shown in FIG. The force vector 170 magnitude or amplitude 175 may have a geometric relationship 101 with the center of gravity and / or second moment of area and / or polar angular momentum and / or center of inertia and / or gyroscopic axis and / or center of lift (CL) of the vector unit (FTVU) 100 and / or the mobile platform 650.

[0085] Similarly, the angle 179 and / or angular direction 179 of the force vector 170 is measured in radians, wherein the origin 173 of the force vector 170 is measured relative to the geometry 101 of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and / or relative to the center of gravity and / or the second moment of area and / or the polar angular momentum and / or the center of inertia and / or the gyro axis and / or the center of lift (CL) of the vector unit (FTVU) and / or the mobile platform 650.

[0086] Thus, according to the present disclosure, the origin 173, angle 179, and magnitude 175 of a thrust force 170 of a vector unit (FTVU) 100 may refer to one or more thrust vector units (FTVU) 100 in combination and / or may refer to mass distribution, thermodynamic, and aerodynamic properties of a mobile platform 650 relative to all types of three-dimensional (3D) axes and coordinates 101 and / or relative to quaternion force 170 representation in 6DOF.

[0087] In some embodiments, a combination of one or more fluid dynamic thrust vectoring units (FTVUs) 100 are attached to a single mobile platform 650, which may result in, but is not limited to, a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle and / or allow for short take-off and landing (STOL) for any type of mobile platform 650, such as a piece of mechanized equipment 670, 690 that carries or transports something on land, at sea, and / or in the air. For example, in some embodiments, a subsystem of the power plant 400 that is part of the mobile platform 650 may be capable of short take-off and landing, while the rest of the mobile platform 650 may be a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL).

[0088] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, an aerial mechanized equipment, aircraft and / or aerospace vehicle and / or mobile platform 650 may use a combination of a thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 with ailerons and / or elevators, by aerodynamic deflection using rudders, flaps and / or any other combination of flight control surfaces 620 of aircraft control type, to aerodynamically control the force output 170 of the vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and / or the dynamics of the mobile platform 650 in space. The aerodynamic surface control 620 may interact with air that may have different levels of air density, air pressure and air temperature. Thus, the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 with or without attached control surfaces 620 allows the mobile platform 650 to maneuver with 6DOF while controlling the angle of attack of the mobile platform 650, providing additional stability and / or managing landing, lift and potential energy changes of the mobile platform 650 itself.

[0089] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology, an aerial and / or aerospace mobile platform 650 may have one or more fluid dynamic thrust vectoring units (FTVUs) 100 attached to a single mobile platform 650. Each thrust vectoring unit 100 may have its own main frame 110. The attached thrust vectoring system 100 may be used in a variety of ways, such as by using a conventional thrust vectoring system 100. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in the example in FIG. 1 , the joint connector 660 portion of the main frame 610 of the mobile platform 650 can be gimbaled, tilted, flipped, flapped, aligned, moved, and rotated when physically connected to the main frame 610 of the mobile platform 650.

[0090] According to some embodiments, the fluid dynamic thrust vectoring unit main frame 110 is the mobile platform 650 itself. For example, the fluid dynamic thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can be part of the mobile platform 650, the main body / main frame 610, the landing gear, the control surface 620, the rotating cylinder structure, the fuel tank 420, the engine battery 420 and / or the wing 630 and / or the anti-parashot configuration. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the thrust vectoring unit 100 main frame 110 can act aerodynamically and thermodynamically to simulate the tube shell 115 configuration, which is part of the mobile platform 650 main frame 610.

[0091] Therefore, according to the present disclosure, the fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can have an overall specific power and / or power density between 6 kg / kW and 0.01 kg / kW, depending on the total mass (in kg) of the vector unit (FTVU) 100 and the attached mass of the vector unit (FTVU) 100. The vector unit (FTVU) 100 specific power also depends on the geometric configuration 101 of the vector unit (FTVU) 100, such as the fluid rotary actuator 200 properties, the type of working fluid 320, and the disk loading configuration 500 of the actuator disk 120.

[0092] In some embodiments, Figure 5A As shown in , when chemical propellants and / or binary propellant combinations and / or fuels mixed with an oxidizer can be used in nozzle configuration 550, the total power-to-weight ratio (PWR), specific power or power-to-mass ratio can reach 100 kW / kg. The vector unit (FTVU) 100 device is similar to a turbofan with an afterburner device.

[0093] According to the present disclosure, and if Figure 5A , the fan configuration in this example has a plurality of actuator disks 120 mechanically coupled to a rotary actuator 200, and the afterburner is a nozzle configuration 550. In the nozzle configuration 550, a combustion unit 577 is configured to burn fuel from a fuel tank 420 to heat air received in the nozzle to accelerate it, optionally to hypersonic speeds.

[0094] In some non-limiting examples, there may be a joint operation 660 between two or more solid bodies such as a fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and between a mobile platform 650. The joint operation 660 is accomplished by introducing mechanical movement and motion between the mobile platform 650 and the vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 itself, which results in managing and directing the force output 170 generated from one or more thrust vectoring units (FTVU) 100 attached to the mobile platform 650. In some embodiments, the combination of mechanical joints 660 may include a universal joint mechanism, a prismatic joint, a pin joint, a ball joint, a knuckle joint, a threaded rotary snap cotter pin, a universal joint, a U-joint, and / or a fluid actuator and / or an electric actuator.

[0095] Additionally or alternatively, such as Fig. 6AAs shown in FIG. 6 , the joint 660 on the mobile platform 659 can be part of a cable drum that holds the conduit (330) and other cables and / or connections (715, 740, 705), represented here by line 640. The joint cable 640 connects between the modular mobile platforms 659 and / or between the modular arrangements of the thrust vectoring units (FTVU) 100. Such modular arrangements of the mobile platforms 659 can allow the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 or multiple thrust vectoring units (FTVU) 100 to operate when the mobile platform 650 can be separated from the application task 820 and / or from the main application robotic hardware 815 and / or from the mobile platform payload 615 and / or from the mobile platform 650 and / or from the power plant 400. Each mechanical joint 660 can include a set of motion sensors 779 that measure the 6DOF movement of the joint. This allows the weight of the payload 615 and / or the forces and torques of the main application 815 to be measured. The motion sensors 779 may measure additional information in real time 777 , such as the angle of attack of the mobile platform 650 relative to the total thrust vector 170 of the total mobile platform and / or the thrust vector 170 of each separate thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 .

[0096] Reference again Fig. 6A , a fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 may be attached to a powerplant 400 main frame 410 via a joint 660 as shown in mobile platform 659. This joint operation 660 allows the powerplant unit 400 to hover on its own at a specific power density of less than 1 kg / kW. For example, at this specific power density, the powerplant unit 400 may include multiple masses added together, such as fuel tanks 420, 425, engines 430, and fluid pumps 440 portions of the powertrain 400 main components as its energy source. However, when the hovering detached powerplant 400 secures itself to a position such as Fig. 6A When the payload 615 shown in FIG. 4 is attached to the mobile platform 651 as a mobile platform, the payload itself becomes the main frame 610 of the mobile platform 650. When the modular power unit 400 is hovering with the attached payload 615, the specific power of the total mobile platform 651 can reach 6 kg / kW. According to some embodiments, the mechanical joint 660 can be a part of the main frame 110, 115 of the unit 100 and / or a part of the payload 615 and / or any part of the mobile platform 650, such as the control surface 620, the wing 630, the payload 615 and / or its main frame 610 and / or the application of the mobile platform 815, 815.

[0097] According to Figure 3In some embodiments of the present disclosure shown in , an inlet area 150 in meters squared of a thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 allows air mass flow 580 to enter the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and exit the unit 100 as accelerated air mass flow 590 through the area of ​​the unit outlet 160 , thereby generating propulsive force 170 .

[0098] Additionally or alternatively, the vector unit 100 may include, for example, Figure 5A The built-in passage 185 shown in FIG. 6 , which may include one or more inlet ports 150 and one or more outlet ports 160 to coexist on a single thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and / or mobile platform 650 .

[0099] Reference again Figure 3 , in some other cases, the air fluid stator 180 configuration may be used as the main frame 110 of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100. In some embodiments, the stator configuration is an active air stator 180 and its angle of attack may be adjusted actively, dynamically, and in real time by sending and receiving information from the computer system 700. The activation and control of the stator 180 configuration may be managed by real-time decision making software 780 of the computer system 700 and / or based on information received by a set of sensors 771 that measure the temperature, pressure, and velocity / acceleration of the air masses 580, 585, 590 before and after passing through the stator 180 configuration of the unit 100.

[0100] In some embodiments, the combination of the air-fluid stator configuration 180 may be a portion of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 main frame 110 and / or a portion of the mobile platform 650 and / or a portion of the mobile platform main frame 610. The air-fluid stator configuration 180 may provide laminar airflow of the air mass 580 before entering the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and / or when the air mass flow 585 is traveling within the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and / or when the air masses 590, 595 are leaving or exiting or evacuating the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100. In some embodiments, the air-fluid stator configuration 180 may act as, for example, Figure 5A Air masses 590 , 595 are shown exiting the rudder configuration of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 .

[0101] The fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 may include an actuator disk 120 or a combination of one or more disks, such as a propeller, rotor, pusher (Prop), fan, thruster (Airscrew), blade group and / or any actuator disk whose working fluid is the atmosphere. When the fluid rotary actuator 200 rotates, the actuator disk 120 provides movement of the air mass flow 580, 585, 590 through the fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100.

[0102] Thus, the thrust vectoring system 100 may be constructed from a main frame 110 attached to a mobile platform 650. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 may be constructed with an aerodynamic structure in mind, such as a ducted aerodynamic structure 115, while one or more actuator disks 120 rotate in opposite directions within the fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100. Such a coaxial actuator disk 120 and / or tandem rotor 120 configuration, also referred to as a coaxial / coaxial rotor and / or tandem rotor and / or intermeshing rotor, may provide a thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 that does not have gyroscopic forces, torque shaft cancellation, and effective area doubling of disk loads 520 when compared to a single actuator disk configuration 120.

[0103] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in , the coupling mechanism 130 can mechanically couple the actuator disc 120 with the fluid rotary actuator 200. This allows the actuator disc 120 to obtain its power and / or torque and / or its rotational motion in the form of mechanical energy from the coupled fluid motor 200 or fluid shaft drive motor 200 or fluid rotary actuator 200. Additionally or alternatively, the coupling mechanism 130 can be an integral mechanical part of the actuator disc 120 and / or can be an integral element of the fluid rotary actuator 200. In some cases, but not limited to the present invention, the coupling mechanism 130 may include gears, gear boxes, in layman's terms, gears, Jesus nuts, idler units, belt and pulley structures, masts, rollers, shafts, cup shafts and other transmission mechanisms, rocker links, scissor links, swash plates, hinges and / or mechanical bearings, such as sliding bearings, ball bearings, roller bearings, rolling element bearings, roller fluid, flexure bearings, ceramic bearings, journal bearings, sleeve bearings, Rifle bearings, composite bearings, non-contact bearings and / or magnetic bearings.

[0104] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the actuator disk 120 is mechanically driven and powered by kinetic energy from an attached fluid rotary actuator 200. One actuator disk 120 may be powered and driven by one or more fluid rotary actuators 200. In some other non-limiting examples, a fluid rotary actuator 200 may power and drive one or more actuator disks 120. The fluid rotary actuator 200 may couple and transfer mechanical energy and motion to the actuator disk 120, such as force, velocity, acceleration, torque, angular momentum, linear momentum, angular acceleration, and / or any other type of mechanical energy and motion.

[0105] In a similar manner, the actuator disk 120 can be powered by an air mass flow 580 that forces itself into the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100. This forced air mass flow 580 can be generated by the motion of the mobile platform 650 in space and / or when the vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 loses potential energy. Therefore, this forced air mass flow 580 forces the actuator disk 120 to rotate. This automatic rotation of the actuator disk 120 within the unit 100 generates mechanical energy on the coupled fluid rotary actuator 200, forcing it to act as a fluid pump. Therefore, the accumulated mechanical energy generated on the fluid rotary actuator 200 is then converted into fluid energy as an energized working fluid 401 on the powertrain 300.

[0106] Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, when a forced air mass 580 enters the unit (FTVU) 100, the forced fluid rotary actuator 200 generates energized fluid 401 and sends it to the power plant 300 via the pipe network 330. At the same time, the power train 300 can distribute the generated energized fluid 401 to an adjacent fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 attached to the mobile platform 650. This auto-rotation configuration can allow one unit (FTVU) 100 to generate fluid energy, while a second adjacent fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can use the generated fluid energy to create thrust vector 170. According to some embodiments, the energized fluid 401 generated by the forced fluid rotary actuator 200 can be transferred to the power train 300 and stored as fluid energy within a fluid storage device 325 and / or accumulator 325 and / or reflux tank 325 portion of the power train 300.

[0107] For example, forced air mass 580 may pass through thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 while mobile platform 650 loses or experiences changes in potential and kinetic energy. This may occur when mobile platform 650 is braking and / or during gliding and / or parachuting and / or when mobile platform 650 may change its angle of attack.

[0108] Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, this event of the forced air mass 580 passing through the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 may occur while other vectored thrust systems 801 and / or one or more thrust vectoring units (FTVU) 100 on the mobile platform 650 are still operating and / or generating thrust. The fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 through which the forced air mass 580 passes may generate energized fluid 401 through forced rotation of the actuator disk 120 resulting from the forced air mass flow 580 passing through the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100. In a similar manner, an electric vectored thrust system 801 attached to the mobile platform 650 may generate electricity on the grid 740 from the energy of the forced air mass 580 passing through.

[0109] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the actuator disc 120 is driven and powered by the fluid rotary actuator 200. In other cases, the actuator disc 120 may be automatically operated or idled into the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 through the forced air mass 580. Additionally or alternatively, the torque generated by the actuator disc 120 from the forced air mass 580 may balance the torque output 190 of the fluid rotary actuator 200 and even exceed the stall torque 190 of the rotary actuator 200.

[0110] Reference now Figure 4 According to the present disclosure, the fluid rotary actuator 200 can change, alternate, pause, interrupt, interrupt, start, activate its drive torque 210 based on the fluid rotary actuator 200 and / or actuator disk 120 angular position 290 and / or angular velocity 295 and / or angular acceleration 299. This allows for management and control of the air mass 585 passing through the unit 100 and generating the thrust vector 170. The drive torque 210 generated by the fluid rotary actuator 200 can be controlled by the energized working fluid 401 entering the rotary actuator 200 and / or by the working fluid exiting 409 the rotary actuator 200.

[0111] Since the fluid rotary actuator 200 can operate at the stall torque 190 when needed, the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can immediately pause the motion of the actuator disk 120 at a specific angular position 290. The immediate pause of the actuator disk 120 by the rotary actuator 200 can switch the fixed actuator disk 120 to the control surface 620 and / or the stator configuration 180 and / or the wing 630. Similarly, the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can immediately generate a negative instantaneous torque 211 and / or immediately generate an opposite mechanical motion, which in turn slows the rotation speed of the disk 120 or even rotates the actuator disk 120 in the opposite direction. This instantaneous torque 210 may instantaneously generate a negative magnitude 175 of the thrust 170 of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100. Similarly, the fluid rotary actuator 200 can be decoupled from the torque 212 of the actuator disk 120 , allowing the disk 120 to automatically operate or idle with the rotary actuator 200 without introducing kinetic energy to the working fluid 409 entering the actuator 200 and / or without introducing kinetic energy to the working fluid 409 exiting the actuator 200 .

[0112] In some cases, but not limited to the present invention, such as Figure 4 The output torque 210 of the rotary actuator 200 shown in the example in FIG. 1 may result from changes in the working fluid in the volume 220, and / or the changing pressure 230 of the working fluid 409 entering and / or exiting the rotary actuator 200 relative to the rotational angle properties 290, 295 and 299, and / or according to the time domain 777 driven by the real time clock 707 of the computer 700. For example, the angular position 290 of the rotary actuator 200 and / or the actuator disk 120 may be measured by the set of sensors 775, which measure additional mechanical and fluid dynamic properties of the rotary actuator 200 and / or the actuator disk 120 and / or the working fluid 409 entering and exiting the rotary actuator 200, which enables the real time decision making software 780 of the computer 700 to change and modify the angular instantaneous torque 210.

[0113] exist Figure 3In another embodiment shown in FIG. 7 , the real-time decision software 780 of the computer 700 can change and modify the angular instantaneous torque 210 of the rotary actuator 200 based on information from sensors 781, 785, 789 that measure the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and / or the mobile platform 650 and / or the mobile platform 650 mission 800. For example, a navigation sensor 781 (such as a GPS module, an IMU, and a timing aid in local horizontal (NED) coordinates) can measure the position on the earth and in space. The sensor 781 can provide a real-time clock 707 with astronomical time, which allows the real-time software 780 to determine and filter the motion of the mobile platform 650 and / or the vector unit (FTVU) 100 in space and time. The sensor 785 measures motion vectors (such as acceleration) in 3 degrees of freedom (3DOF) and similar angular velocity in 3 degrees of freedom. According to some embodiments, the sensors 785 may also measure physical movement of the wing 630 and / or control surface 620 relative to the mobile platform 650 geometry and / or relative to the vector unit (FTVU) 100 geometry. Additionally or alternatively, the sensors 789 may be part of the main application 800 task 815 and / or the application robot payload or job 820. The set of sensors 789 may include vision hardware, artificial intelligence (AI) sensors, and / or any optical sensing hardware, radio frequency (RF) sensing hardware, and embedded electronic hardware for communication and computing devices.

[0114] exist Figure 5B In some other embodiments shown in FIG. 1 , a thrust vector 170 of a vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 has an angle 179 and a magnitude 175. This vector 170 may be generated by an actuator plate mechanism 120 similar to a helicopter main head system including hinges, sliding plates, scissor links, torque links, hub trunnions allowing each blade and / or all blades together to mechanically feather, oscillate, and lead / lag.

[0115] like Figure 2 As shown in , according to the present disclosure, the actuator disk mechanism 120 can include a single screw machine configuration and / or a non-sliding disk rotor configuration that allows each blade and / or all blades together to passively mechanically pitch, swing, and lead / lag during a single rotation by changing and alternating the instantaneous angular torque 210 while the disk 120 rotates.

[0116] Additionally or alternatively, in e.g. Figure 2In the non-slip disk rotor configuration 130 shown in FIG, the instantaneous angular torque 210 may alternate between relative angular positions 290 or may oscillate in a single rotation of the oscillating hinge angle. This may cause the actuator disk 120 to change its rotating blades from high pitch to low pitch, similar to changing the rotor 120 attack angle of each blade that is part of the actuator disk 120.

[0117] This can be achieved by alternating the rotational torque 210 of the actuator disk 120 during a single rotation while maintaining the rotational speed of the disk 120 at a constant speed or constant revolutions per minute (RPM). For example, the rotational speed of the disk 120 is constant when repeatedly measuring the time it takes the disk 120 to complete a single rotation of 360 degrees or 2π. However, during a single rotation at a particular angular distance 290 or at multiple angular positions 290, the angular instantaneous velocity 295 can change and / or the angular acceleration 299 can change. The changes in the instantaneous angular velocity and acceleration 295, 299 during a single rotation can occur two or more times per revolution in order to maintain a constant rotational speed of the disk 120.

[0118] According to the present disclosure, the rotation 200 and disk 120 can repeatedly change and modify the angular torque 210 based on the angular position 290 that is related to the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 main frame 110 and / or the mobile platform 650 main frame 615 on the geometry 101 and / or the vector nature of the thrust 170, 173, 175, 179. This change in the instantaneous angular torque 210 along the angular position 290 of the fluid rotary actuator 200 and the fixed reference thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 main frame 110 and / or the geometry 101 can provide real-time adjustments to the disk load 500 distribution 525, size 520 and shape while the disk 120 rotates.

[0119] Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, repeated changes and modifications to the instantaneous angular torque 210 based on aerodynamic requirements and mission 800 of the mobile platform 650 may result from pressure changes 230 and / or volume changes 220 of the working fluid 320 entering and / or exiting the fluid rotary actuator 200 .

[0120] Reference again Figure 2In the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , combined forces (such as: instantaneous angular torque 210, fractional, centrifugal and gyroscopic forces) may act on the blade rocking hinge mechanism 130, 131, 132 simultaneously. When, for example, the instantaneous torque 210 may change its value, a change in the sum of the forces acting on the blade rocking hinge angle, which is a part of the hinge mechanism 130, may also occur. Therefore, the blade connected to the hinge mechanism 130 may change its angle of attack, which results in a change in the disk load thrust distribution 525 of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100. Such rocking forces may act and be applied to the disk 120 while the disk 120 is rotating. In some cases, but not limited to the current invention, the rocking hinge angle may have a built-in actuator (not shown) as part of the hinge mechanism 130 to actively correct the rocking angle, and in other cases the rocking hinge mechanism 130 may balance itself by the total force acting on the hinge, resulting in the blade angle of attack changing in real time and in relation to the angular position 290.

[0121] According to the present disclosure, for example, Figure 3 As shown in , the real-time decision software 780 can calculate 700 the sway combined force of the disk 120 by fusing information from sensors 779, which provide in 6DOF the pitch, acceleration, gyroscopic and / or noise and vibration acting on the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 main frame 110 about its geometric 101 properties. According to some embodiments, the sensor 771 provides information about the output of the disk 120 in real time by measuring the air mass 580, 585, 590, 595 phase and thermodynamic state (such as temperature, pressure, volume flow, air mass and / or air entropy, air humidity / air density), mainly measuring the disk load distribution 525. Additionally or alternatively, information about the instantaneous angular torque 210 of the actuator 200 can be derived from the sensor 775, while the actuator disk 120 still rotates at a constant speed measured in RPM.

[0122] like Figure 2 As schematically shown in FIG. 1 , according to the present disclosure, within a single thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100, two rotary actuators 201, 202 may have a coupling mechanism 130, 131, 132 with coaxial actuator disks 120, 121, 122. For example, the single rotary actuator 202 is a fluid motor 200 with a hollow shaft 132 connected to a non-sliding disk rocking hinge rotor 132 that rotates clockwise 291. The second coaxial actuator disk 121 in this example is connected to a second rocking hinge rotor 131 driven by the second rotary actuator 201. Thus, the two disks 121, 122, along with the two shafts 131, 132 and the actuators 201, 202 may share a single rotation axis 195 and may share the same disk load area 520.

[0123] In some embodiments of the present invention, the actuator disk 120 is driven and powered by a fluid rotary actuator 200. Since the fluid rotary actuator 200 can adjust its maximum torque at any desired rotational speed 190 and at the same time to alternate its instantaneous angular torque 210 in real time. Therefore, the actuator disk 120 can accommodate almost any suitable geometric rotor solidity ratio. Similarly, depending on the application 800, the actuator disk 120 can be designed with a rotor hub and blade ratio, because the fluid rotary actuator 200 can provide any desired instantaneous rotational speed 295 and / or any instantaneous torque 210 at the global rotational speed 190.

[0124] For example, according to the present disclosure, the mobile platform 650 may be designed in some cases in the shape of an air cushion vehicle (ACV), a hovercraft and / or a vertical take-off and landing vehicle, a short take-off and landing vehicle. The mobile platform 650 may have a thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100, which includes an actuator disc 120 as a centrifugal blade, which provides the mobile platform 650 with an inflation pressure within its main frame 615 and / or its inflation skirt. One or more additionally attached vector units (FTVU) 100 on the mobile platform 650 may have an actuator disc 120 with a high rotor solidity>0.8 to provide air cushion mass flow and / or vertical take-off and landing thrust vector 170 to the mobile platform 650. Similarly, the additionally attached vector unit (FTVU) 100 may provide the mobile platform 650 with an actuator disc 120 with a low rotor solidity ratio of, for example, 0.1. The one or more vector units (FTVUs) 100 with a low rotor-to-solidity ratio may provide the mobile platform 650 with thrust surge and sway forces 170 of the mobile platform 650 .

[0125] Alternatively, in a configuration where the mobile platform 650 has only two or more tandem rotor configurations, one vector unit (FTVU) 100 may rotate clockwise with an actuator disk 120 having a large disk load area 520 and a rotor solidity ratio of, for example, 0.1. However, a second tandem vector unit (FTVU) 100 may rotate counterclockwise and have an actuator disk 120 with a smaller disk load area 520 but a rotor solidity ratio of, for example, greater than 0.6. This tandem rotor configuration may allow an odd number of tandem vector units (FTVU) 100 to be attached to a single mobile platform 650.

[0126] exist Figure 3In some embodiments of the present disclosure shown in , the actuator disk 120 is driven and powered by a fluid rotary actuator 200. The fluid rotary actuator 200 has one or more inlet ports 250 and has one or more outlet ports 260 that are connected to a network of pipes 330 that are part of a powertrain 300. When the working fluid 320 is a compressible fluid such as a gas and / or air, the powertrain 300 can operate in an open loop configuration. Alternatively, in an open loop configuration, the outlet port 260 of the rotary actuator 200 can be used as an exhaust port, a vent, a throttle valve, and / or any pressure or flow resistor.

[0127] In some embodiments, when the working fluid 320 is an incompressible fluid, such as oil, the powertrain 300 can operate in a closed loop configuration. In the closed loop configuration, the rotary actuator 200 outlet port 260 is connected to a low pressure return piping network 330 that is part of the powertrain 300 .

[0128] In some cases, but not limited to the present invention, the fluid valve device 720 is an integral electromechanical component of the fluid rotary actuator 200 and / or powertrain 300, a part of the conduit network 330, and / or an integral component of the powerplant 400, a part of the fluid pump mechanism 440. The electromechanical fluid valve device 720 can control, restrict, release, alternate and / or valve the working fluid 320, 401, 405, 409 entering the inlet port 250 of the rotary actuator 200. Similarly, the fluid valve device 720 can act on the working fluid 320, 401, 405, 409 exiting the outlet port 260 in the same manner.

[0129] In some embodiments, a combination of electromechanical fluid valve devices 720 can be placed before the working fluid 320, 401, 405, 409 enters the rotary actuator 200 and / or can be placed after the working fluid 320, 401, 405, 409 leaves the rotary actuator 200, which allows the computer system 700 to manage and control the physical effects of the rotary actuator 200 by the software 780, such as the disconnection and / or instantaneous change of direction of the disk 200 rotation and / or allowing idling. In addition, the fluid valve device 720 physically controls and manages the amount of fluid 213, 212, 211 (in terms of molecular weight) and / or the volume 220 and / or the pressure 230 and / or the entropy of the fluid passing through the actuator 200, in Figure 4 Shown in the figure are the integrals of the curves of area 213, area 212 and area 211 or 210.

[0130] In some embodiments, a combination of one or more fluid dynamic thrust vectoring units (FTVU) 100 is attached to a single mobile platform 650. In this example, each thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can result in a total power density of 0.3 kg / kW, where the weight of the thruster unit 100 is between 0.05kg and 500kg. Such a fluid dynamic thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 includes a fluid rotary actuator 200 that operates on a compressible fluid such as air as part of the thrust vectoring system (TVU) 100. An aerodynamic thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can be used in volatile environments where the use of electric motors is neither allowed nor suitable. Similarly, an aerodynamic thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can provide an actuator disc 120 that has a rated torque of about 1N*m when the vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 is less than 1kg, and has a rated torque of up to 1kN*m when the weight of the thrust unit 100 is above 1kg.

[0131] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, a combination of one or more fluid power thrust vectoring units (FTVU) 100 are attached to a single mobile platform 650. Each thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can result in a total power density of 0.05 kg / kW, where the weight of the thruster unit 100 is between 1 kg and 5,000 kg. Such fluid power thrust vectoring units (FTVU) 100 include a fluid rotary actuator 200 that acts on an incompressible fluid 320 such as hydraulic oil. The hydraulic power thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can achieve a power rate density of 1.5 MW / kg*s, while the hydraulic power thruster unit 100 (e.g., weighing 1000kg) can achieve a power rate of 1 MW / s. For example, a mobile platform 650 with one or more hydraulically powered thrusters (FTVU) 100 may have a total weight of less than 8 tons, and the mobile platform 650 may lift a payload of up to 30 tons, with a disk load area 520 of, for example, 50 kg / m 2 and below.

[0132] Additionally or alternatively, the fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 described herein has a polar moment of inertia 190 that is ten times lower than the existing engine shaft cup / direct thrust vectoring system (STVS) 804 and / or electric thrust vectoring system (ETVS) 801 having similar mechanical power, torque, angular motion, and having the same total disk load area. For example, the mobile platform 650 may include multiple thrust vectoring units (FTVU) 100 attached, and include the power plant 400 and the power train 300 and may have a total dry weight of, for example, 100 kg. When the rotating element within the mobile platform 650 is primarily the actuator disk 120 as part of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100, this mobile platform 650 device can generate up to 500 kgf with little or no polar moment of inertia 190. This mobile platform 650 may not include rotating masses in the form of shafts, nor rotating masses in the form of electrical coils and / or magnets. According to the present disclosure, a mobile platform 650 having a low polar moment of inertia 190 can be maneuvered and accelerated without resistance to angular displacement to forces such as rotation, centrifugal forces, and internal torque / torsion.

[0133] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the fluid rotary actuator 200 is powered by a working fluid 320 originating from the fluid power system 300 through a pipeline network 330. The working fluid 320 can be a compressible fluid, such as air gas. These types of working compressible fluids 320 can allow the fluid rotary actuator 200 (which is part of the thrust vectoring unit 100) to have a mechanical configuration of an air motor, such as a rotary vane, axial piston, radial piston, gear rotor, turbine, V-type, and diaphragm motor. Similarly, these mechanical configurations of air motors can be used as air pumps and / or compressors 440 when useful mechanical work 460 from the engine 430 drives these air pumps 440. Therefore, the air pump and / or compressor 440 as part of the power plant 400 can supply an energized working fluid 401, 409 with a mass flow rate and pressure into the pipeline network 330 of the power system 300.

[0134] In some embodiments, the working fluid 320 of the fluid rotary actuator 200 may be an incompressible fluid, such as hydraulic oil. Thus, in accordance with broad aspects of the present invention, the fluid rotary actuator 200 as part of a hydraulically powered thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 may include hydraulic and / or hydrostatic and / or incompressible fluid motor configurations, such as gear motors, vane motors, piston motors, radial piston motors, axial piston motors, helical axis motors, low speed hydraulic motors, outboard cam motors, inboard eccentric cam motors, dual flow motors, and / or low end orbit motors. In some cases, but not limited to the current invention, such incompressible fluid motor configurations may be used as working fluid pumps 440 that derive their mechanical work 450 from an attached engine and / or power unit 430 and / or from a self-generated energized working fluid unit 670, 680, 690 that is a remote portion of the mobile platform 650.

[0135] According to the present disclosure, the mechanical configuration and / or working principle of the pump 400 for the energized working fluid 401 may include a pump device such as a positive-displacement pump, a centrifugal pump, an axial flow pump, a radial pump, a positive displacement pump, a reciprocating pump, a rotary pump, a gear pump, an external gear pump, a rotary vane pump, an internal gear pump, a cycloid pump, a cam pump, a screw pump, a vane pump, a piston pump, an axial piston pump, a radial piston pump, and a reciprocating pump.

[0136] According to some embodiments, Figure 5A As shown, the nozzle configuration 550 can be placed on the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 outlet 160, providing additional control of the propulsive force 170 leaving the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100. In some embodiments, the nozzle configuration 550 of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can dynamically and in real time change the characteristics and / or entropy of the air mass 590 entering the nozzle mechanism 550. The nozzle 550 can transfer the fluid properties of the incoming air mass flow 590, which are the temperature and / or pressure and / or mass and / or velocity and / or acceleration and / or fluid energy and / or entropy of the passing air mass. This transformation can occur by changing the nozzle discharge area 553 and / or adding the combustion process 577 and / or by adding the propellant 420 and / or by changing the nozzle angle 551 relative to the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 geometry 101. These processes are also referred to as nozzle control by geometric area ratio, by effective area ratio and / or by differential area ratio.

[0137] Thus, according to the present disclosure, additional degrees of freedom are introduced to the propulsive force 170 in angle 179 and magnitude 175 while being configured through the nozzle 550. The mass air flow 580 entering the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 may exit the vectoring unit (FTVU) outlet 160 as an accelerated mass air flow 590. Additionally or alternatively, a portion or some of the accelerated mass air flow 590 may exit the vectoring unit (FTVU) 100, while a portion or some may enter the nozzle mechanism 550, 551, 553 and then exit or exit or exhaust the vectoring unit (FTVU). Similarly, a portion or some of the incoming mass air flow 580 to the vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 may pass directly through the nozzle mechanism 550 through the built-in passage 185 and exit the vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 through the nozzle outlet 553 as an accelerated mass air flow 595.

[0138] Thus, the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and / or the computer system 700 of the mobile platform 650 can control the thrust vectoring 170 of the vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 by actively managing the characteristics of the nozzle 550. In some cases, but not limited to the current invention, the nozzle mechanisms 550, 551, 553 and methods can include axisymmetric convergent-divergent nozzles (CD), convergent nozzles, effective vector angle nozzles, fixed nozzles, fluid thrust vectoring nozzles, geometric vector angle nozzles, three-bearing rotating duct nozzles (3BSD), three-dimensional (3-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) vectoring nozzles, thrust vectoring (TV) nozzles, thrust vectoring flight control (TVFC) nozzles, two-dimensional convergent-divergent (2-D CD) nozzles.

[0139] The mobile platform 650 may have a fluid power train 300 that uses a pipe set 330 to physically connect between the power plant 400 and the thrust vectoring system (FTVU) 100. In some embodiments, one or more thrust vectoring systems 100 may be connected to one or more power plants 400 using long, flexible, and lightweight pipe sets 330, 640. In other embodiments, the pipe network 330, 640 of the fluid power train 300 is rigid as part of the mobile platform main frame 610 and / or the power plant main frame 410 and / or the thrust vectoring system (FTVU) 100 main frame 110.

[0140] According to the present disclosure, the fluid power train 300 transfers an energized working fluid 401 generated by a power plant 400 and / or by another FTVU 100 and / or by stored fluid energy 325 to another thrust vertical system 100. Thus, the energized working fluid 401 may flow from the fluid power train 300 into the fluid rotary actuator 200 (which is part of the thrust vectoring system 100). The fluid rotary actuator 200 converts the fluid energy 401 into kinetic energy as useful mechanical work 120 on the actuator disk 120. After the work is performed, the working fluid 409 exits the fluid rotary actuator 200 via the output port 220 and returns to the power train 300 via the conduit network 330.

[0141] The term "fluid power system" 300 may include, but is not limited to, fluid power equipment, fluid mechanical piping networks 330, fluid connectors, fluid accessories (such as hydrostatic transmissions), pneumatic components, and / or hydraulic elements. According to the present disclosure, the fluid power system 300 may include one or more accumulators 325, control valves 720, filter regulators, lubricators and / or silencers, and / or fluid sensors and / or embedded fluid electronic hardware connected in parallel and / or in series. Similarly, the electromechanical valve control device 720 may have power system 300 accessories and elements, such as electro-hydraulic controls and solenoids, which provide a rotary actuator 200 with an A port, a B port, a slot, a pilot link, 705 communications, 715 power cables, and 740 power inputs and outputs.

[0142] Thus, according to the present disclosure, the powertrain 300 may include a hydrostatic or hydrostatic hydraulic powertrain and / or a pneumatic powertrain and other gas fluid dynamics, pilot pipes, electrical attachment mechanisms on fluid directly operated devices, which may include energy storage devices, pressurized tanks, exhaust tanks or tanks, lubricating gears and cooling / heat recovery equipment, heat pumps and / or refrigeration units, and fluids. According to some embodiments, the working fluid 320 may be used as a refrigeration fluid, for example in Figure 3 Heat exchange ribs 370 are shown in FIG. In other cases, a heat pump device is included in the powertrain subsystem 300, allowing the use of fluid energy 401 for cooling purposes.

[0143] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the fluid power system 300 is connected to one or more fluid rotary actuators 200, and at the same time, the fluid power system 300 is also connected to one or more power devices 400. The term "power device" may include, but is not limited to, an energy source 420 that provides energy to, for example, Figure 2The engine / motor 430 shown in FIG. supplies electrical energy 450 and / or fuel energy 450. The engine / motor 430 is mechanically coupled 450 to a fluid pump / compressor 440. The power plant 400 may have one or more energy sources 420, 470, such as a battery pack 470 and / or a fuel tank 420. Similarly, the power plant 400 may have one or more engines / motors 430 that are mechanically coupled to one or more pumps / compressors 440. The power plant 400 may have a structural frame 410 that is part of the mobile platform 650. In some embodiments, the power plant 400 has its own frame 410 that is not part of the main frame 610 of the mobile platform.

[0144] exist Figure 6B In other configurations shown in , the power plant 400 and its frame 410 may have wheels, flywheels, track wheels, rail wheels, flange wheels, tracks and / or any other means of traveling on the ground and / or generating friction with objects on the ground. In some configurations 650, 670, 680, 690, the power plant 400 may have a ground drive device that generates friction between the ground and the power plant 400 and / or displacement in meters between the bottom surface and the main frame 410 of the power plant 400.

[0145] Similar configurations in other embodiments may allow the power plant 400 to be part of a vessel, ship-shaped container, boat, and / or other device that floats and / or propels and / or is submerged in and between bodies of water, on, below, and above the surface of the water, and / or between mobile power plants 400. The water movement of the power plant 400 may include other phases / phases of water, such as liquid, snow, and ice. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the power plant 400 is anchored on the ground and / or on a body of water and / or on ice and snow and / or on a known mobile platform.

[0146] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 6BAs shown in , the mobile platform configuration 600 has a powerplant 400 configuration 680, which may have one or more thrust vectoring systems 100 attached to its frame 410, which provides the powerplant 400 with the ability to jump, hover, move, glide, fly, tilt, yaw, roll, pitch, and maneuver independently of the mobile platform main frame 610. In some other embodiments, the powerplant main frame 410 may be maneuvered in 6DOF independently of other thrust vectoring systems (FTVU) 100 portions of the mobile platform 650. According to some embodiments, the powerplant frame 410 may be independently maneuvered in 6DOF while sharing and connecting 640 with other self-hovering thrust vectoring systems (FTVU) 100, which may also be shared and connected through the same powertrain 300 piping network 330 and cables. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the power plant 400 main frame 410 can be connected and share the powertrain piping network 330 and other cables 740, 715, 705 and communication devices 799, 795, 791, which are Fig. 6A Shown in FIG. 6 is line 640 .

[0147] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the engine / motor 430 as part of the powerplant 400 consumes energy from the energy sources 420, 470 and converts this energy into useful work 460, generating kinetic energy on the shaft 450. The engine / motor 430 transmits this useful mechanical work 460 to the fluid pump / compressor 440, and the fluid pump / compressor 440 in turn injects fluid energy into the incoming working fluid 405. For example, in some embodiments, the working fluid 320 is oil, so the fluid pump 440 injects hydraulic energy into the incoming working fluid 405. Similarly, when the working fluid 320 is air, the fluid pump 440 injects pneumatic energy into the incoming working fluid 405. This working fluid 401 pipeline enters the powertrain subsystem 300 and then enters the fluid rotary actuator 200 as part of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100.

[0148] In some cases, the power plant 400 may include multiple pumps 440, each coupled directly to the rotary actuator 200 via a conduit set 330. In some embodiments, a combination of fluid pumps may be used, with one fluid pump, for example, cupelled to the engine 430 as a heat pump 440, using a radiator 320 to release heat accumulated by the working fluid 320, wherein other pumps 440 on the same power plant 400 may be used to energize the working fluid 320 for the purpose of propelling one or more actuators 200 using the energized working fluid 401.

[0149] In some embodiments, the combination of one or more FTVUs 100 attached to a single mobile platform 650 results in a total disk loading configuration 500 for the mobile platform 650. Each FTVU 100 may result in a well-defined disk loading dimension 520 (in square meters).

[0150] According to some embodiments, the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 can have a dish load configuration 500, where the mobile platform 650 payload 615 acts as the main frame 610 of the mobile platform 650. Once the mobile platform 650 has completed the mission of transferring the payload 615, the mobile platform can continue its mission in a modular manner without its payload 615. In some embodiments, the modular mobile platform 650 can be separated from its main frame 110, 410, 610 while landing, ascending, carrying, hovering, and / or during a mission. This separation mode of the mobile platform can allow powertrain 300 elements (such as piping 330) and / or portions of the computer system 700 (such as communications 705, power electronics 715, and / or power grid 740 cables) to be connected between the separated and modular portions of the mobile platform 650 while hovering and maneuvering in the air. According to this example, the assembled configuration 650 of the modular mobile platform 650 can have a power density of more than 6 kg / kW and a disk load of 50 kg / m when lifting and hovering with a payload of, for example, 30 tons. 2 According to this example, and in the case of a separate modular mobile platform 650, the mobile platform 650 can have a higher hovering efficiency when there is no payload 615, for example, when the disk load is less than 20 kg / m 2 In the case of less than 3kg / kW.

[0151] According to some embodiments, mobile platform 650 can achieve high hovering vertical lift efficiency when no payload 615 is present, where the area of ​​flexible disk load 520 reaches a ratio of the total weight of the mobile platform to the disk load area of ​​0.1 kg / m 2 Additionally or alternatively, a combination of one or more fluid dynamic thrust vectoring units (FTVUs) 100 may be used as a human powered helicopter. According to this example, the human powered mobile platform may have a human as power plant 400, generating up to 7-4W / kg, producing a vertical lift efficiency of, for example, 512kg / kW, and a disk load of 0.1 kg / m2.

[0152] Similarly, a highly efficient maneuvering platform 650 powered by a fuel engine 430 having a total gross weight of, for example, 200 kg may have one or more thrust vectoring units (FTVUs) 100. According to this example, the fuel powered mobile platform may provide the mobile platform 650 with only 1 kg / kW while maintaining a mass of less than 15 kg / m 2 The disk load, assuming the power plant 400 is up to 0.5 kg / kW, including the fuel tank.

[0153] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the actuator disc 120 and the fluid rotary actuator 200 as part of the fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 have an onboard and / or attached and / or wired / embedded internal computer system 700. The real-time clock 707 may in this case have an interrupt handling function 777 or a timer interrupt handling program 777 to perform the above-mentioned periodic tasks on the electromechanical valve 720 in a PWM manner 711 with electrical power changes 713 and / or a servo control 719 positioned with power changes 717. In some cases, the signals 711, 719 driving the electromechanical valve device 720 are represented as digital signals 711 and / or analog signals 719, which control and manage the working fluid entering 730, passing 320 and / or leaving 735 the valve device 720. In some cases, the signals 711, 719 can act together and simultaneously on the valve device 720 synchronized by a timeline 777 (timeline). In other embodiments, the signals 711 , 719 may function independently and / or may alternate between the two signals 711 and 719 being synchronized via the timeline 777 .

[0154] In some embodiments, Figure 2 and Figure 3 , power electronics pulses (volts / amperes) and / or signals 711, 719 and / or electrical average power (watts) 711, 719 are transmitted to and from the fluid valve device 720 via power electronics and control connections 715. Once the signals 711, 719 have reached the fluid valve device 720, the device converts the direct current (DC) and / or alternating current (AC) and / or electrical instantaneous power (W) and / or instantaneous electrical energy (W / sec) 711, 719 and / or any pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse duration modulation (PDM) of the electrical signals 711, 719 into mechanical movement that acts as a valve mechanism on the fluid entering 730 and leaving 735 the valve device 720.

[0155] For example, Figure 4As shown, the valve device 720 as part of the body of the actuator 200 may include one or more solenoids and / or servomotors and / or a combination of both. The computer system 700 may send power electronic signals 711 and / or 711 from the power electronic board 710 to the valve device 720. Thus, the electromechanical valve device 720 may provide the rotary actuator 200 with an instantaneous torque 210 and / or fluid power 213, 212, and 211, which acts on the internal mechanism of the actuator 200 to provide useful work on the actuator disk 120. Thus, the instantaneous torque 210 controls and manages the angular motion and position 290, 295, 299 of the actuator 200. This control method may occur repeatedly in a synchronized manner via line time 777.

[0156] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, each mobile platform has one or more thrust vectoring units (FTVU) 100. Each thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 may have a separate computer system 700 embedded therein and / or one or more real-time thruster control units 700 with a clock 707 and one real-time software 780 per single mobile platform 650. In other embodiments, there is a single computer system 700 connected to multiple power electronics boards 710, each of which is attached to and manages in real time a single thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 as part of a single platform 650. Similarly, each thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 may have only one or more power electronics boards 710 attached / connected to a remote computer system 700 and / or a remote server cloud 791.

[0157] The computer system 700 may include a power electronics controller board 710 and may include a fluid valve device 720, each of which may be part of and / or connected to the computer and control system 700 through digital and analog transmission and reception of voltage / power and / or electromagnetic signals and / or optical signals. The connection between the internal elements 780, 710, 720 of the computer system 700 may be accomplished via wireless RF and / or wireless free optics and / or by cabling means such as optical fibers and / or metallic wires.

[0158] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the mobile platform 650 may include one or more fluid thrust vectoring units (FTVU) 100 and additional one or more electronic vector thrust systems (ETVS) 801 powered by a power grid 740. The power grid 740 is part of the computer system 700 and is managed by the thruster control system software 780. The power electronics controller 710, which is part of the computer unit 700, can power, manage, and control the attached fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 and / or the thrust system (ETVS) 801 attached to the mobile platform 650.

[0159] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the mobile platform 650 may include one or more fluid thrust vectoring units 100 and additionally one or more electronic vector thrust systems (ETVS) 801. In some cases, and during the mobile platform 650 mission 800, the electronic vector thrust system (ETVS) 801 may operate autonomously and self-generate electricity through the forced air mass flow 580 entering the electronic vector thrust system (ETVS) 801. The electricity generated by the thrust system (ETVS) 801 is blocked from entering the power grid 740 and may be stored on the battery unit 470 portion of the power plant 400.

[0160] In other cases, one or more computer units / systems 700 may generate electricity using a fluid generator, where the self-generated electricity may be used by the power electronics board 710. As in, for example, Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 2 , a fluid generator 745 is attached to the actuator 200 . This generator 745 may be part of the powerplant 400 and / or inline on the fluid power train 300 and / or part of a fluid power thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 .

[0161] Additionally or alternatively, a mechanical generator 745 may be attached to the fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 main frame 110 and self-generate its electrical power / energy in Joules, Watts, and / or kilowatt-hours. The mechanical generator 745 may generate its power from the mechanical motion of the fluid rotary actuator 200 and / or from the energized working fluid 401 and / or from the air mass flow 580, 585, 590, 595 passing through the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100.

[0162] Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, the computer system 700 is comprised of the thruster control software 780, the power electronics system 710, and the fluid valve device 720. Thus, the computer system 700 is also connected to a set of sensors, as follows: Sensors 760 and 765 measure the valve device 720 performance and / or the working fluid 320 entering and leaving the valve device 720. Similarly, sensors 771, 775, and 779 sense and measure the performance of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 by providing calculation information and calculating the thrust vector 170, size 175, and angle 179 using the air mass physical reference 580, 585, 590, 595 and / or by measuring the total entropy of the working fluid 320 entering and leaving the actuator 200 and / or by measuring the motion of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100.

[0163] Alternatively, as in Figure 3 In the configuration schematically shown in , sensor groups 781, 785, and 789 can measure the motion and position of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 for navigation purposes and / or can measure 6DOF information for application purposes 800. Additionally or alternatively, remote sensors 799 can provide the mobile platform 650 and / or the application 800 and / or the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 with measurable information of the remote position of the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) and / or the surrounding space and / or measurable information of the air quality around and / or away from the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100.

[0164] The real-time software 780 and computer hardware 700 may include different software and hardware layers attached to the mobile platform 650 and / or the fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100. The software 780 may operate in a closed-loop algorithm and / or an open-loop algorithm under a fast real-time clock (RTC) 707. Thus, the real-time clock 707 as part of the computer system 700 provides a time record 777 of the instantaneous torque 210 generated by the rotary actuator 200 with a high sampling rate, higher than 10k samples per second, while the rotational speed 190 of the actuator 200 is, for example, less than 10k RPM. In some cases, the computer hardware 700 attached to the actuator 200 may use a time record device such as a temperature-controlled crystal, optical and / or radioactive oscillator to tick and time 707 at a rate of 100kHz, up to 10'0GHz.

[0165] Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, computer software 780 (programming and algorithms) is part of computer system 700 and may receive physical data from mobile platform 650 and / or fluid thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 via attached sensors and / or remote sensors 799 using remote communication devices 795 and / or internal and external communication and power cables 705 and 715. This may include radio frequency (RF) communications between components, elements and layers of computer system 700 of mobile platform 650 and / or thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100.

[0166] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the computer system 700 may operate in a cloud computing manner 791 and allow the computer to provide computer power, storage and resources on demand while being functionally connected to distributed sensors 760, 765, 771, 775, 779, 781, 785, 789 and / or distributed power electronics boards 710 and / or distributed fluid valve devices 720 and / or distributed remote components such as 791, 795, 799 at multiple locations, each location being a data center of various sizes, types and shapes, servers, embedded hardware and / or self-managing computer units 700. Such a distributed cloud computing network 700 may provide one or more mobile platforms 650 and / or one or more fluid dynamic thrust vectoring units (FTVUs) 100 to operate and act in real time and in a swarm configuration in time, space and individual geometric configurations while performing a swarm mission 800. For example, a computer system 700 on a mobile platform 650 may act and manage one or more fluid vectoring thrust units 100 in a cloud distributed manner 791 using remote information from 799, 795, 791. Similarly, multiple mobile platforms 650 may undertake a flock mission 800, where each computer system 700 on each mobile platform communicates 795 and works with any thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 that is part of the mobile platform 650 flock.

[0167] In some embodiments, such as in Figure 6B, one or more pump / compressors 440 are connected 441, 442, 443 to the engine / motor 430. In some cases, but not limited to the current invention, the pump / compressor 440 may include a variable displacement pump 440 controlled by a valve device 720 and / or directly controlled by a power electronics board 710 of the computer 700. Each pump 441, 442, 443 may communicate with the electronics board 720 using signals 711, 719 and fluid information in a similar operating method as the valve device 720. In some cases, the servo solenoid control mechanism within the pump 440 mechanism may include a sliding plate and / or an internal electromechanical actuator controlled by the signals 719, 711 and by doing so may manage the working fluid 320 entering the pump 440 and the working fluid leaving the pump 440.

[0168] Reference again Fig. 6A In the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 1 , one or more pumps 441 , 442 , 443 may utilize the fluid conduit network 330 and other cables 740 , 715 , 705 and communication means 799 , 795 , 791 , such as Fig. 6A 640, connected to one or more rotary actuators 200 in a direct manner and / or in parallel and / or in series. Thus, each pump 441, 442, 443 can provide power to any combination of one or more thrust vectoring units (FTVUs) 100 and / or mobile platforms 650 and / or any platform configuration 600. For example, the computer system 700 can generate a plurality of controlled signals 719, 711 by its real-time software 780 and / or the computer system 700 can generate different signals 711, 719, where there is one signal for each pump 441, 442, 443 in an independent manner. These signals 719, 711 can change the pump 440 slide angle and / or displacement volume and / or pressure, while the useful mechanical work 460 is achieved on the pump 440 by the engine / motor 430. This allows each pump 441, 442, 443 to be independently connected to a rotary actuator 200 and / or array of actuators 200. This platform configuration 600 can power each thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 by computer system 700 real-time software 780 simply by varying the displacement of each pump 440.

[0169] Reference again Figure 6B, in some platform configurations 670, 680, 690, the energized working fluid 320 may be generated by an internal pump 440 and / or an unknown generation method 680 of the energized working fluid 320 as part of the remote platform configuration 670, 680, 690. In some cases, the platform configuration 690 may provide useful mechanical work 460 to one or more mobile platforms 650 and / or one or more thrust vectoring units (FTVUs) 100 by activating one or more pumps 440.

[0170] In other cases, such as reference Figure 6B , the platform configuration 680 may include an unknown power plant 400 and a power train 640 connected to one or more rotary actuators 200 that are attached to a wing 630 and / or control surface 620 and / or manage an attached robotic application 800 .

[0171] The term "platform application" 800 may include, but is not limited to, any physically useful work on and / or any physical interaction with an object 820. The object 820 may be in the form of a mass and / or may have a force and / or may have momentum and / or may have a center of gravity, a second moment of area, and / or a moment of inertia. In some applications 800, the object 820 may be a mass having black body radiation and / or an object 820 that emits radiation and / or an object 820 that absorbs radiation. Additionally or alternatively, the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 is directly attached to the object 820, in other cases the thrust vectoring unit (FTVU) 100 is remote from the object 820.

[0172] In some embodiments of the invention, platform configurations 100, 650, 670, 680, 690, and 600 may include payloads 615 and / or application payloads 820 and / or power tools 815 and robotic devices 815. Each platform configuration 100, 650, 670, 680, 690, 600 and / or any combination between these platform configurations may provide a specific application 800 powered by one or more thrust vectoring units (FTVUs) 100.

[0173] In some cases, application 800 may provide torque and / or polar friction between 815 and 820, in other cases application 800 may provide friction and / or any type of force and / or momentum between 815 and 820. Additionally or alternatively, application 800 may provide a communication device and / or a visual device between 815 and 820. Application 800 may provide a thermodynamic environment between 815 and 820 by changing the temperature, fluid entropy, and / or volume and pressure between 815 and 820. Thus, the platform configuration may maintain stability and / or other methods of controlling the system to enable interaction between 815 and 820 and / or between 650 and 615.

[0174] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensors and devices of the platform configuration 100, 600, 650, 670, 680, 690 may include optical sensors, camera systems, image sensors, vision machines and / or remote sensing sensors, which include fast and parallel computer hardware 700, such as FPGA, GPU, ARM and / or embedded hardware. The application 800 may include a robotic arm, cargo loading as a payload, and / or passenger transportation.

Claims

1. A thrust assembly configured to be mounted on an aerial platform for generating thrust power, the thrust assembly comprising: - one or more fluid-based rotary actuators in fluid communication with a source of energized working fluid for receiving the energized working fluid to drive the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators; - one or more actuator disc devices, each actuator disc device comprising a plurality of blades rotatable by said one or more fluid-based rotary actuators; - a valve mechanism disposed along a flow path between the source of energized working fluid and the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators; - at least one processing circuit; one or more memories coupled to the at least one processing circuit and storing program instructions for execution by the at least one processing circuit to: Controlling the valve mechanism produces at least one of: (i) a selected flow rate, (ii) a selected fluid pressure, and (iii) a selected temperature of the energized working fluid in or received in the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators.

2. The thrust assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of blades are coupled to respective rotors via hinges, wherein angles of attack of the plurality of blades are defined by forces acting on the hinges.

3. The thrust assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism to produce a selected rotation profile of the one or more actuator disk devices, the selected rotation profile comprising a varying angular velocity in a single rotation or in a selected number of rotations while maintaining a selected RPM (revolutions per minute) in the single rotation or in the selected number of rotations.

4. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The processing circuit is configured to directly or indirectly control the source of energized working fluid to affect a pressure of fluid output therefrom.

5. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The energized working fluid is a liquid and the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators are hydraulic motors.

6. The thrust assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The liquid flows in a closed loop flow.

7. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The energized working fluid is a gas and the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators are pneumatic motors.

8. The thrust assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The gas is air, and the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators operate based on an open loop flow of the gas.

9. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: Each of the one or more actuator disk devices includes a rotor shaft coupled to the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators for allowing the corresponding fluid-based rotary actuator to rotate; Wherein, the thrust assembly further comprises a rotor shaft angular position sensor, wherein the rotor shaft angular position sensor is configured to sense the angular position of the rotor shaft and generate rotor angular position data based on the angular position of the rotor shaft; Therein, the processing circuit is configured to allow a rotation curve of the rotor shaft to be controlled based on the rotor angular position data.

10. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The processing circuit is configured to control the rotational speed of the blades and the angle of attack of each blade.

11. The thrust assembly according to claim 10, wherein: The processing circuit is configured to independently control the angle of attack of each blade.

12. The thrust assembly of any one of claims 1-11, comprising a tilt sensor for sensing a tilt of an aerial vehicle and generating tilt data based on the tilt of the aerial vehicle, wherein the processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism based on the tilt data.

13. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism by pulse width modulation technique.

14. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: The processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism to allow controlled maneuvering of the aerial vehicle in at least six degrees of freedom.

15. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein: The energized fluid source includes at least two energized working fluid sub-sources, each sub-source configured to provide energized working fluid at a different pressure to allow a range of fluid pressures to be supplied to the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators.

16. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: The source of energized working fluid includes one or more liquid pumps.

17. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein: The source of energized working fluid includes one or more compressors.

18. The thrust assembly of any one of claims 1 to 17, comprising a cooling device in fluid communication with the energized working fluid source for cooling the energized working fluid.

19. The thrust assembly of any one of claims 1-18, comprising a power source for powering the source of energized working fluid.

20. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein: The processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism to control the angular position, velocity and acceleration of the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators or at least a shaft rotatable by the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators, thereby controlling the mechanical movement of the one or more actuator disk devices.

21. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein: each of the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators includes a rotatable motor shaft coupled to a respective one of the one or more actuator disk arrangements for permitting rotation of a respective rotor; Wherein, the thrust assembly further comprises a motor shaft angular position sensor, the motor shaft angular position sensor being configured to sense the angular position of the motor shaft and generate motor angular position data based on the angular position of the motor shaft; Wherein the processing circuit is configured to allow control of the motor shaft rotation curve based on the motor angular position data.

22. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein: The one or more fluid-based rotary actuators are operable to cause air mass flow through the thrust assembly in two opposing directions.

23. The thrust assembly of claim 22, wherein: The processing circuit is configured to control the valve mechanism to controllably cause the air mass flow through the thrust assembly in two opposing directions.

24. The thrust assembly of any one of claims 1-21, comprising a combustion component configured to heat the air mass flow flowing from the one or more actuator disc arrangements, thereby further accelerating the air mass flow.

25. The thrust assembly of claim 24, wherein: The combustion component includes a nozzle, wherein the air mass flow is heated to thereby accelerate within the nozzle.

26. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein: The aerial platform is an autonomous aerial platform.

27. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein: The propulsive force of the thrust assembly includes a disc load curve controlled by at least one characteristic of the one or more actuator disc devices: instantaneous torque, instantaneous angular torque, alternating instantaneous angular torque, instantaneous rotational speed, global rotational speed, or any combination thereof.

28. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein: The thrust assembly is configured to generate auto-rotational energy in response to auto-rotation of the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators.

29. The thrust assembly of claim 28, wherein: The autorotational energy is used directly to drive the one or more fluid-based rotary actuators or is stored in an energy storage device of the thrust assembly.

30. The thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 29, wherein: The one or more actuator disk devices include one or more tandem actuator disk devices, each tandem actuator disk device having a pair of coaxial actuator disk device members.

31. The thrust assembly of claim 30, comprising an odd number of said one or more tandem actuator disc arrangements.

32. A thrust assembly according to claim 30 or 31, wherein: Each member of the pair of coaxial actuator disk devices is configured to rotate in an opposite direction to the other member.

33. The thrust assembly of any one of claims 1-32, comprising the source of energized working fluid.

34. An aerial platform comprising: A thrust assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 33; Platform mission and application facilities configured to perform desired operations while the aerial platform is airborne.

35. The aerial platform of claim 34, wherein: The platform mission and application facilities are driven by the energized working fluid supplied from the energized working fluid source.

Images