Single-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft

Abstract

The invention discloses a single-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, which relates to the technical field of flight and comprises an aircraft body, a rotor wing structure and a duct structure. The rotor wing structure comprises two first rotor wings, two second rotor wings and two third rotor wings. The duct structure comprises a first duct and a second duct, and the thrust directions of the first duct and the second duct are opposite. According to the scheme, the first rotor wing, the second rotor wing and the third rotor wing are deployed in a non-coaxial distributed mode, the problem of aerodynamic interference existing between coaxial rotor wings can be avoided, reduction of extra power loss is facilitated, meanwhile, through cooperation of the first duct and the second duct on the same side, when a single rotor wing or duct fails, the first duct and the second duct on the same side are matched, and the rotor wing or the third rotor wing cannot be damaged. The thrust compensation of the duct on the other side is used for quickly complementing part of lift gaps, stable yaw control torque can be output through the accurate matching of reverse thrust, and the flight stability and safety of the aircraft in a single-shot failure scene are effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of flight technology, and in particular to a single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] The development of single-seat ultralight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft relies on technological advancements such as high-energy-density batteries and high-power-density motors, and is currently at a critical stage of transitioning from technology verification to commercialization. The quadcopter-eight-propeller architecture is the mainstream choice for ultralight eVTOLs. This architecture, through coaxial counter-rotating propellers on the motor arms, naturally counteracts anti-torque and increases thrust density, achieving a balance between structural compactness and power output. However, significant aerodynamic interference exists between the upper and lower propeller disks. The lower propeller blades are affected by the upper pre-swirling flow, leading to decreased aerodynamic efficiency and reduced range. Simultaneously, the interaction of wake vortices causes noise and vibration problems, affecting flight quality and component lifespan.

[0003] In existing technologies, the Ryse RECON adopts a pure six-rotor, tilt-free architecture, which avoids aerodynamic interference from the rotor disk. However, its frame structure lacks an integrated fuselage design and redundant control forces, making it impossible to achieve high-level single-engine failure power redundancy, thus limiting flight safety. The American Pivotal Helix aircraft adopts a hybrid approach of rotor and tandem wing, which reduces the tilt mechanism, but it has problems such as special take-off and landing attitudes, complex control logic, and aerodynamic interference between rotors, fuselage, and wings, making aerodynamic design and control difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, which aims to solve the technical problems in the prior art where aircraft are unable to simultaneously avoid propeller disk aerodynamic interference and achieve power redundancy and yaw control.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft. The EVTOL aircraft includes a fuselage, a rotor structure, and a ducted structure. The rotor structure includes two first rotors, two second rotors, and two third rotors. The two first rotors are respectively located at the nose and tail of the fuselage. The two second rotors are respectively located on both sides of the fuselage. The two third rotors are also located on both sides of the fuselage. The second rotors and third rotors are spaced apart along the axial direction of the fuselage, with the second rotors located closer to the nose of the fuselage. The ducted structure includes a first duct and a second duct. The first duct is connected to the second rotors, and the second duct is connected to the third rotors. The first duct and the second duct are located on the same side of the fuselage, and the thrust directions of the first duct and the second duct are opposite.

[0006] In one embodiment, there are two first ducts and two second ducts. The two first ducts are respectively connected to the two second rotors, and the thrust directions of the two first ducts are the same. The two second ducts are respectively connected to the two third rotors, and the thrust directions of the two second ducts are the same.

[0007] In one embodiment, the outer surface of the fuselage is a sealed structure, and the aircraft further includes a float structure, which includes a first float and a second float, and the first float and the second float are respectively connected to the rotor structure.

[0008] In one embodiment, the first float and the second float are respectively connected to two second rotors located on both sides of the fuselage.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first float and the second float are respectively connected to the two third rotors located on both sides of the fuselage.

[0010] In one embodiment, there are two first floats and two second floats. The two first floats are respectively connected to the second rotor and the third rotor located on one side of the fuselage, and the two second floats are respectively connected to the second rotor and the third rotor located on the other side of the fuselage.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first pontoon is a hollow structure or a polyethylene foam structure; the second pontoon is a hollow structure or a polyethylene foam structure.

[0012] In one embodiment, the fuselage includes a cabin and a canopy, the canopy being a transparent structure and movably connected to the cabin; the canopy rotates toward the cabin to achieve a sealing fit between the canopy and the cabin; the canopy rotates away from the cabin to open.

[0013] In one embodiment, the cabin includes a shell, an integrated seat, a flight control joystick, a display panel, a front equipment bay, and a rear cabin, with the canopy movably connected to the shell. The integrated seat, the flight control joystick, the display panel, the front equipment bay, and the rear cabin are all disposed within the shell. The flight control joystick is electrically connected to the display panel. The front equipment bay is located at the head of the shell, and the rear cabin is located at the tail of the shell.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first rotor includes a first arm, a first power unit, and a first blade. The first arm is fixedly connected to the cabin, the first power unit is located at the end of the first arm away from the cabin, and the first blade is connected to the first power unit. The second rotor includes a second arm, a second power unit, and a second blade. The second arm is fixedly connected to the cabin, the second power unit is located at the end of the second arm away from the cabin, and the second blade is connected to the second power unit. The third rotor includes a third arm, a third power unit, and a third blade. The third arm is fixedly connected to the cabin, the third power unit is located at the three ends of the third arm away from the cabin, and the third blade is connected to the third power unit.

[0015] The above-mentioned technical solution of this application has at least the following beneficial technical effects: The technical solution of this application avoids the aerodynamic interference problem between coaxial rotors by adopting a non-coaxial distributed deployment of the first rotor, second rotor and third rotor, which helps to reduce additional power loss and thus improve the overall aerodynamic efficiency and endurance of the aircraft. At the same time, through the coordinated cooperation of the first duct and the second duct on the same side, not only can the thrust compensation of the other duct be used to quickly make up part of the lift gap when a single rotor or duct fails, forming a reliable redundant thrust guarantee, but also can output a stable yaw control torque through the precise ratio of reverse thrust, effectively improving the flight stability and safety of the aircraft in the single-engine failure scenario, thus achieving a dual balance between attitude control accuracy and flight safety redundancy. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft provided in this application; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft provided in this application.

[0017] Figure label: 1. Fuselage; 11. Cabin; 111. Shell; 112. Integrated Seat; 113. Flight Control Stick; 114. Display Panel; 115. Forward Equipment Cabin; 116. Rear Cabin; 12. Canopy; 2. Rotor Structure; 21. First Rotor; 211. First Arm; 212. First Power Plant; 213. First Blade; 22. Second Rotor; 221. Second Arm; 222. Second Power Plant; 223. Second Blade; 23. Third Rotor; 231. Third Arm; 232. Third Power Plant; 233. Third Blade; 3. Duct Structure; 31. First Duct; 32. Second Duct; 4. Float Structure; 41. First Float; 42. Second Float. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of this application.

[0019] The embodiments described in this application are only some, not all, of the embodiments described herein. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments described herein without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application. In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0020] The development of single-seat ultralight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft relies on technological advancements such as high-energy-density batteries and high-power-density motors, and is currently at a critical stage of transitioning from technology verification to commercialization. The quadcopter-eight-propeller architecture is the mainstream choice for ultralight eVTOLs. This architecture, through coaxial counter-rotating propellers on the motor arms, naturally counteracts anti-torque and increases thrust density, achieving a balance between structural compactness and power output. However, significant aerodynamic interference exists between the upper and lower propeller disks. The lower propeller blades are affected by the upper pre-swirling flow, leading to decreased aerodynamic efficiency and reduced range. Simultaneously, the interaction of wake vortices causes noise and vibration problems, affecting flight quality and component lifespan.

[0021] In existing technologies, the Ryse RECON adopts a pure six-rotor, tilt-free architecture, which avoids aerodynamic interference from the rotor disk. However, its frame structure lacks an integrated fuselage design and redundant control forces, making it impossible to achieve high-level single-engine failure power redundancy, thus limiting flight safety. The American Pivotal Helix aircraft adopts a hybrid approach of rotor and tandem wing, which reduces the tilt mechanism, but it has problems such as special take-off and landing attitudes, complex control logic, and aerodynamic interference between rotors, fuselage, and wings, making aerodynamic design and control difficult.

[0022] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

[0023] In one embodiment of this application, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft includes a fuselage 1, a rotor structure 2, and a ducted structure 3. The rotor structure 2 includes two first rotors 21, two second rotors 22, and two third rotors 23. The two first rotors 21 are respectively located at the nose and tail of the fuselage 1, the two second rotors 22 are respectively located on both sides of the fuselage 1, and the two third rotors 23 are respectively located on both sides of the fuselage 1. The second rotors 22 and third rotors 23 are spaced apart along the axial direction of the fuselage 1, with the second rotors 22 closer to the nose of the fuselage 1. By employing a non-coaxial distributed deployment of the first rotors 21, second rotors 22, and third rotors 23, aerodynamic interference problems existing between coaxial rotors can be avoided, allowing each rotor to efficiently output lift in a stable airflow environment. This helps reduce additional power loss, thereby improving the overall aerodynamic efficiency and range of the aircraft. The duct structure 3 includes a first duct 31 and a second duct 32. The first duct 31 is connected to the second rotor 22, and the second duct 32 is connected to the third rotor 23. The first duct 31 and the second duct 32 are distributed on the same side of the fuselage 1. The thrust directions of the first duct 31 and the second duct 32 are opposite. Through the interaction of the reverse thrust, the additional force in the axial direction (flight direction) of the fuselage 1 can be precisely offset, ensuring that no unnecessary forward or backward displacement will occur during yaw adjustment, and ensuring the purity of attitude adjustment. At the same time, the lever arm formed by the reverse thrust and the vertical axis of the fuselage 1 will be superimposed to form a torsional moment around the vertical axis. This moment directly provides power support for yaw control, ensuring that the yaw action response is direct and precise. This implementation method, through the coordinated operation of the first duct 31 and the second duct 32 on the same side, can not only quickly make up for part of the lift gap by means of the thrust compensation of the other duct when a single rotor or duct fails, forming a reliable redundant thrust guarantee, but also output a stable yaw control torque through the precise ratio of reverse thrust, effectively improving the flight stability and safety of the aircraft in the single-engine failure scenario, and achieving a dual balance between attitude control accuracy and flight safety redundancy.

[0024] The technical solution of this application avoids the aerodynamic interference problem between coaxial rotors by adopting a non-coaxial distributed deployment of the first rotor 21, the second rotor 22 and the third rotor 23, which helps to reduce additional power loss and thus improve the overall aerodynamic efficiency and endurance of the aircraft. At the same time, through the coordinated cooperation of the first duct 31 and the second duct 32 on the same side, not only can the thrust compensation of the other duct be used to quickly make up for part of the lift gap when a single rotor or duct fails, forming a reliable redundant thrust guarantee, but also can output a stable yaw control torque through the precise ratio of reverse thrust, effectively improving the flight stability and safety of the aircraft in the single-engine failure scenario, thus achieving a dual balance between attitude control accuracy and flight safety redundancy.

[0025] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1There are two first ducts 31 and two second ducts 32. The two first ducts 31 are connected to the two second rotors 22 respectively, and the thrust directions of the two first ducts 31 are the same. The two second ducts 32 are connected to the two third rotors 23 respectively, and the thrust directions of the two second ducts 32 are the same. This embodiment, by configuring two sets of ducts with thrust in the same direction, can enhance the stability and controllability of thrust output on one side, which is beneficial to improving the response rate and control accuracy of aircraft attitude adjustment.

[0026] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1 The outer surface of the fuselage 1 is a sealed structure. The aircraft also includes a float structure 4, which comprises a first float 41 and a second float 42, respectively connected to the rotor structure 2. This embodiment, through the sealed design of the fuselage 1 and the inclusion of the float structure 4, enables the aircraft to take off and land on water and float. During land takeoff and landing, it assists in adjusting the landing attitude; during water takeoff and landing or floating, it provides partial buoyancy, preventing excessive tilting of the fuselage 1, thereby improving the aircraft's applicability in complex water and land environments.

[0027] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1 The first float 41 and the second float 42 are respectively connected to the two second rotors 22 located on both sides of the fuselage 1. This embodiment optimizes the rotor load distribution and the force balance of the fuselage 1 by correspondingly connecting the floats to the second rotors 22 on both sides of the fuselage 1, which is beneficial to ensuring the stability of the aircraft during water surface parking and take-off and landing.

[0028] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1 The first float 41 and the second float 42 are respectively connected to the two third rotors 23 located on both sides of the fuselage 1. This embodiment, by connecting the two floats to the second rotor 22 near the nose of the fuselage 1, allows the buoyancy support point to be adapted to the nose position of the fuselage 1, which is beneficial to improving the front attitude stability of the aircraft when parked on the water and taking off and landing.

[0029] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1 There are two first floats 41 and two second floats 42. The two first floats 41 are respectively connected to the second rotor 22 and the third rotor 23 located on one side of the fuselage 1, and the two second floats 42 are respectively connected to the second rotor 22 and the third rotor 23 located on the other side of the fuselage 1. This embodiment, by configuring two sets of floats and connecting them to the rotors at the nose and tail of the fuselage 1 respectively, can achieve full coverage of buoyancy support for the nose and tail of the fuselage 1, which is beneficial to ensuring the attitude balance and stability of the aircraft throughout its water surface operation.

[0030] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1The first float 41 is a hollow structure or a polyethylene foam structure; the second float 42 is a hollow structure or a polyethylene foam structure. This embodiment, by using floats with hollow or polyethylene foam structures, can reduce the weight of the floats while ensuring buoyancy performance, which is beneficial to improving the overall flight efficiency and payload capacity of the aircraft.

[0031] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1 The fuselage 1 includes a cabin 11 and a canopy 12. The canopy 12 is a transparent structure, specifically, it can be made of a highly transparent material such as acrylic. The canopy 12 is movably connected to the cabin 11. Specifically, the movable connection can be a hinge connection, a pivot connection, or a rotating shaft connection, and there are no limitations here. The canopy 12 rotates towards the cabin 11 to achieve a sealed fit between the canopy 12 and the cabin 11; the canopy 12 rotates away from the cabin 11 to open. This embodiment, by adopting a transparent and closable canopy 12 design, can provide passengers with a wide field of vision and facilitate entry and exit, thereby improving the comfort and convenience of aircraft use.

[0032] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1 The cabin 11 includes a shell 111, an integrated seat 112, a flight control joystick 113, a display panel 114, a forward equipment bay 115, and a rear cabin 116. The canopy 12 is movably connected to the shell 111. Specifically, the movable connection can be a hinge connection, a pivot connection, or a rotating shaft connection, and there are no restrictions here. The integrated seat 112, flight control joystick 113, display panel 114, front equipment bay 115, and rear bay 116 are all housed within the cabin shell 111. The flight control joystick 113 is electrically connected to the display panel 114 and is used to control the aircraft's ascent, descent, acceleration, deceleration, hovering, steering, and mode switching. The display panel 114 provides various information such as speed, altitude, spatial position, and remaining battery power in graphical form. The front equipment bay 115 is located at the head of the cabin shell 111 and houses batteries and other equipment. The rear bay 116 is located at the tail of the cabin shell 111, with batteries, flight control equipment, and other equipment located at its bottom, and a full-scale parachute located at its top. This embodiment, by integrating the integrated seat 112, control joystick, and other equipment within the cabin and arranging them in separate zones, optimizes cabin space utilization and operational convenience, thereby improving the accuracy of aircraft flight control and passenger experience.

[0033] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1The first rotor 21 includes a first arm 211, a first power unit 212, and a first blade 213. The first arm 211 is fixedly connected to the housing 111. The first power unit 212 is located at the end of the first arm 211 away from the housing 111. The first blade 213 is connected to the first power unit 212. The first power unit 212 includes a DC rotary motor and an electronic speed controller (ESC) to provide rotational driving force for the first blade 213. The second rotor 22 includes a second arm 221, a second power unit 222, and a second blade 223. The second arm 221 is fixedly connected to the housing 111. The second power unit 222 is located at the end of the second arm 211 away from the housing 111. At one end away from the hull 111, the second blade 223 is connected to the second power unit 222, which includes a DC rotary motor and an electronic speed controller (ESC) to provide rotational driving force for the second blade 223. The third rotor 23 includes a third arm 231, a third power unit 232, and a third blade 233. The third arm 231 is fixedly connected to the hull 111. The third power unit 232 is located at the three ends of the third arm 231 away from the hull 111. The third blade 233 is connected to the third power unit 232, which includes a DC rotary motor and an ESC to provide rotational driving force for the third blade 233.

[0034] The technical solution of this application avoids the aerodynamic interference problem between coaxial rotors by adopting a non-coaxial distributed deployment of the first rotor 21, the second rotor 22 and the third rotor 23, which helps to reduce additional power loss and thus improve the overall aerodynamic efficiency and endurance of the aircraft. At the same time, through the coordinated cooperation of the first duct 31 and the second duct 32 on the same side, not only can the thrust compensation of the other duct be used to quickly make up for part of the lift gap when a single rotor or duct fails, forming a reliable redundant thrust guarantee, but also can output a stable yaw control torque through the precise ratio of reverse thrust, effectively improving the flight stability and safety of the aircraft in the single-engine failure scenario, thus achieving a dual balance between attitude control accuracy and flight safety redundancy.

[0035] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative or explanatory of the principles of this application and do not constitute a limitation thereof. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made without departing from the spirit and scope of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application. Furthermore, the appended claims are intended to cover all variations and modifications falling within the scope and boundaries of the appended claims, or equivalent forms of such scope and boundaries.

Claims

1. A single seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft characterised in that, The application relates to a flying vehicle, which comprises a fuselage (1), a rotor structure (2) and a duct structure (3), wherein the rotor structure (2) comprises two first rotors (21), two second rotors (22) and two third rotors (23), the two first rotors (21) are arranged at the head and tail of the fuselage (1) respectively, the two second rotors (22) are arranged at the two sides of the fuselage (1) respectively, the two third rotors (23) are arranged at the two sides of the fuselage (1) respectively, the second rotors (22) and the third rotors (23) are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the fuselage (1), and the second rotors (22) are close to the head of the fuselage (1). The duct structure (3) comprises a first duct (31) and a second duct (32), the first duct (31) is connected with the second rotors (22), the second duct (32) is connected with the third rotors (23), the first duct (31) and the second duct (32) are arranged at the same side of the fuselage (1), and the thrust directions of the first duct (31) and the second duct (32) are opposite.

2. The one-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the first duct (31) and the second duct (32) is two, the two first ducts (31) are connected with the two second rotors (22) respectively, and the thrust directions of the two first ducts (31) are the same; the two second ducts (32) are connected with the two third rotors (23) respectively, and the thrust directions of the two second ducts (32) are the same.

3. The one-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the fuselage (1) is a sealed structure, and the flying vehicle further comprises a float structure (4), wherein the float structure (4) comprises a first float (41) and a second float (42), and the first float (41) and the second float (42) are connected with the rotor structure (2) respectively.

4. The one-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first float (41) and the second float (42) are connected with the two second rotors (22) arranged at the two sides of the fuselage (1) respectively.

5. The one-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first float (41) and the second float (42) are connected with the two third rotors (23) arranged at the two sides of the fuselage (1) respectively.

6. The one-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of the first float (41) and the second float (42) is two, the two first floats (41) are connected with the second rotors (22) and the third rotors (23) arranged at one side of the fuselage (1) respectively, and the two second floats (42) are connected with the second rotors (22) and the third rotors (23) arranged at the other side of the fuselage (1) respectively.

7. The one-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first float (41) is a hollow structure or a polyethylene foam structure, and the second float (42) is a hollow structure or a polyethylene foam structure.

8. The one-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The fuselage (1) comprises a cabin body (11) and a cabin cover (12), the cabin cover (12) is a transparent structure, and the cabin cover (12) is movably connected with the cabin body (11); the cabin cover (12) is rotated towards the cabin body (11) to realize sealed cooperation between the cabin cover (12) and the cabin body (11); and the cabin cover (12) is rotated away from the cabin body (11) to realize opening of the cabin cover (12).

9. The one-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cabin body (11) comprises a cabin shell (111), an integrated seat (112), a flight control rocker (113), a display panel (114), a front equipment cabin (115) and a rear cabin (116), the cabin cover (12) is movably connected with the cabin shell (111); the integrated seat (112), the flight control rocker (113), the display panel (114), the front equipment cabin (115) and the rear cabin (116) are all arranged in the cabin shell (111), the flight control rocker (113) is electrically connected with the display panel (114), the front equipment cabin (115) is arranged at the head of the cabin shell (111), and the rear cabin (116) is arranged at the tail of the cabin shell (111).

10. The one-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to any one of claim 9, characterized in that, The first rotor (21) comprises a first arm (211), a first power device (212) and a first blade (213), the first arm (211) is fixedly connected with the cabin shell (111), the first power device (212) is arranged at one end of the first arm (211) away from the cabin shell (111), and the first blade (213) is connected with the first power device (212); The second rotor (22) comprises a second arm (221), a second power device (222) and a second blade (223), the second arm (221) is fixedly connected with the cabin shell (111), the second power device (222) is arranged at one end of the second arm (221) away from the cabin shell (111), and the second blade (223) is connected with the second power device (222); The third rotor (23) comprises a third arm (231), a third power device (232) and a third blade (233), the third arm (231) is fixedly connected with the cabin shell (111), the third power device (232) is arranged at one end of the third arm (231) away from the cabin shell (111), and the third blade (233) is connected with the third power device (232).

Images