Body structure of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202522090695.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-30
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-09-28
AI Technical Summary
[0002]目前eVTOL（Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing，电动垂直起降）飞行器的机体结构存在以下局限性：1、普遍采用机翼与电机臂融合的结构设计，然而，电机臂连接处的凸起结构破坏机翼上表面的气流，尤其在垂直上升阶段易引发上翼面气流分离，增加机翼阻力，降低全机的升阻比；2、普遍采用机身与尾翼直接刚性连接的结构设计，尾翼需通过加强框架与机身结合，这种设计不仅增加了机身结构重量，还会导致翼根区域承受更大的弯矩载荷，迫使翼根部位进行增厚处理，由此产生的附加重量将加剧能耗负担，导致飞行器续航里程缩减
[0014]基于上述技术方案，本申请提供的电动垂直起降飞行器的机体结构及电动垂直起降飞行器，机体结构采用电机臂与机翼悬挂安装且电机臂上表面与机翼前缘无结构干涉的结构设计，能够保证机翼上表面的气流附着流动，有效抑制流动分离和脱体涡产生，从而降低了流动阻力，提高了机翼的升阻特性，该设计还能够降低翼根弯矩，减小机翼重量，加上机身和尾翼相分离的结构设计可以减轻机体重量；采用该机体结构的电动垂直起降飞行器可以提升全机升阻比和气动特性，增加续航里程。
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Figure CN224916162U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of aircraft technology, specifically to the airframe structure of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft and the EVTOL aircraft itself. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, the airframe structure of eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft has the following limitations: 1. The common design is a wing-motor arm integrated structure. However, the protruding structure at the motor arm connection disrupts the airflow on the upper surface of the wing, especially during the vertical ascent phase, which can easily cause airflow separation on the upper wing surface, increasing wing drag and reducing the overall lift-to-drag ratio of the aircraft; 2. The common design is a direct rigid connection between the fuselage and the tail. The tail needs to be integrated with the fuselage through a reinforced frame. This design not only increases the weight of the fuselage structure, but also causes the wing root area to bear a greater bending moment load, forcing the wing root area to be thickened. The resulting additional weight will exacerbate the energy consumption burden, leading to a reduction in the aircraft's range. Utility Model Content
[0003] In view of the above, the purpose of this application is to provide an airframe structure and an electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) aircraft to solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems.
[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides an airframe structure for an electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft, comprising: a fuselage; two wings respectively connected to the two sides of the fuselage; two first motor arms respectively mounted on the two wings, each first motor arm extending along the length of the fuselage and the rear end of the first motor arm extending beyond the rear end of the fuselage; at least two second motor arms distributedly mounted on the two wings and arranged close to the wingtips relative to the first motor arms; and a tail fin connected to the rear of the two first motor arms; wherein the first and second motor arms are both suspended from the corresponding wings, and the upper surfaces of the first and second motor arms do not structurally interfere with the leading edge of the corresponding wings.
[0005] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some optional embodiments, each wing includes a front spar and a rear spar. A wing connector is provided at the corresponding first motor arm and second motor arm on the front side of the front spar and the rear side of the rear spar. The upper surfaces of the first motor arm and the second motor arm are provided with grooves corresponding to the wing. A motor arm connector is provided on the front sidewall and the rear sidewall of each groove. The motor arm connector on the front sidewall of the groove is connected to the wing connector on the front side of the front spar, and the motor arm connector on the rear sidewall of the groove is connected to the wing connector on the rear side of the rear spar.
[0006] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some alternative embodiments, each of the corresponding front and rear wing portions of the first motor arm is provided with at least one first lift propeller mounting position for mounting a lift propeller, and the rear end of the first motor arm is provided with a thrust propeller mounting position for mounting a thrust propeller.
[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some alternative embodiments, each of the corresponding front and rear wing portions of the second motor arm is provided with at least one second lift propeller mounting position for mounting the lift propeller.
[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some alternative embodiments, the front end of the second motor arm is shorter than or flush with the front end of the first motor arm, and the rear end of the second motor arm extends beyond the rear end of the fuselage but is shorter than the rear end of the first motor arm.
[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some alternative implementations, the wingtips are connected to low-drag wingtips.
[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some alternative embodiments, the outer trailing edge of the wing is provided with a two-segment aileron arranged along the span of the wing.
[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some optional embodiments, the tail fin includes a horizontal tail fin, two vertical tail fins, and two motor arm connecting parts. The trailing edge of the horizontal tail fin is provided with an elevator. The two vertical tail fins are respectively connected to the two sides of the horizontal tail fin and are bent upward relative to the horizontal tail fin. The trailing edge of each vertical tail fin is provided with a rudder. The connection between each vertical tail fin and the horizontal tail fin is connected to the rear of the second motor arm on the same side through a motor arm connecting part.
[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, some alternative implementations also include: landing gear, attached to the bottom of the fuselage.
[0013] Secondly, this application provides an electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft, including the airframe structure of the EVTOL aircraft in any of the embodiments of the first aspect described above.
[0014] Based on the above technical solutions, the airframe structure and the electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft provided in this application adopt a structural design in which the motor arm is suspended from the wing and there is no structural interference between the upper surface of the motor arm and the leading edge of the wing. This design can ensure the airflow attachment flow on the upper surface of the wing, effectively suppress flow separation and the generation of detached vortices, thereby reducing flow drag and improving the lift-drag characteristics of the wing. This design can also reduce the wing root bending moment and reduce the wing weight. In addition, the structural design of separating the fuselage and tail can reduce the weight of the airframe. The EVTOL aircraft using this airframe structure can improve the overall lift-drag ratio and aerodynamic characteristics, and increase the range. Attached Figure Description
[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the airframe structure of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between a first motor arm and a wing provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between a motor arm connector and a wing connector provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0020] Figure 5 This is a side view schematic diagram of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0021] Reference numerals: 100, fuselage structure; 10, fuselage; 20, wing; 21, wingtip; 22, aileron; 23, front spars; 24, rear spars; 25, wing rib; 26, skin; 27, wing joint; 30, first motor arm; 31, first lift rotor mounting position; 32, thrust rotor mounting position; 33, groove; 34, motor arm joint; 40, second motor arm; 41, second lift rotor mounting position; 50, tail; 51, horizontal tail section; 511, elevator; 52, vertical tail section; 521, rudder; 53, motor arm connection; 60, landing gear; 200, lift rotor; 300, thrust rotor; 1000, electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Detailed Implementation
[0022] The specific embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the description of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0023] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "setup," "installation," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0024] The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “center,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” “outer,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “clockwise,” “counterclockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” and “circumferential” indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use. They are used only for the convenience of description and simplification, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.
[0025] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., are used only to distinguish elements with similar properties, and do not indicate or imply relative importance or a specific order, unless otherwise explicitly stated or limited.
[0026] The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase “comprising one…” does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.
[0027] The term "multiple" means two or more (including two).
[0028] The term "and / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.
[0029] The terms "an embodiment," "as an example," and "in one implementation" refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which may be included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. These illustrative expressions do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor are they independent or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined in a suitable manner.
[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the airframe structure 100 of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this application provides an airframe structure 100 for an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, including a fuselage 10, wings 20, a first motor arm 30, a second motor arm 40, a tail fin 50, and a landing gear 60.
[0031] There are two wings 20, which are respectively connected to the two sides of the fuselage 10. The wingtip (the end away from the fuselage 10) of each wing 20 is connected to a low-drag wingtip 21. Ailerons 21 are provided on the outer trailing edge of the wing 20. As an example, the aileron 21 is a two-section structure arranged along the span of the wing 20. The outer section controls the roll motion of the aircraft, and the inner section provides auxiliary control.
[0032] There are two first motor arms 30, each mounted on one of the two wings 20 and positioned close to the wing root. Each first motor arm 30 extends along the length of the fuselage 10, with its rear end extending beyond the rear end of the fuselage 10. The first motor arm 30 is suspended from the corresponding wing 20, and its upper surface does not structurally interfere with the leading edge of the corresponding wing 20. The first motor arm 30 has a hollow structure design, primarily used to install the motor driving the propeller blades, and can also be used to install a removable battery pack. The front and rear sides of the corresponding wing 20 of the first motor arm 30 each have at least one first lift propeller mounting position 31 for mounting a lift propeller, and the rear end of the first motor arm 30 has a thrust propeller mounting position 32 for mounting a thrust rotor.
[0033] At least two second motor arms 40 are provided, distributed and mounted on the two wings 20 and arranged close to the wingtips relative to the first motor arm 30 on the same side. Each second motor arm 40 extends along the length of the fuselage 10, and the length of the second motor arm 40 is less than that of the first motor arm 30. The front end of the second motor arm 40 is shorter than or flush with the front end of the first motor arm 30, and the rear end of the second motor arm 40 extends beyond the rear end of the fuselage 10 but is shorter than the rear end of the first motor arm 30. The second motor arm 30 is suspended from the corresponding wing 20, and the upper surface of the second motor arm 30 has no structural interference with the leading edge of the corresponding wing 20. The second motor arm 40 adopts a hollow structure design, and the interior is mainly used to install the motor that drives the propeller blades. It can also be used to install a removable battery pack. The front and rear sides of the corresponding wing 20 of the second motor arm 40 are each provided with at least one second lift propeller mounting position 41 for installing a lift propeller.
[0034] This connection structure, in which both the first motor arm 30 and the second motor arm 40 are suspended and installed on the corresponding wing 20, can reduce the bending moment at the wing root. Consequently, the cross-sectional dimensions and material usage of the load-bearing structures such as the wing spars and wing ribs of the wing 20 can be reduced, and no additional thickening treatment is required at the wing root, thereby reducing the weight of the wing 20.
[0035] Regarding the specific structure of the connection between the first motor arm 30 and the second motor arm 40 and the wing 20, taking the connection structure between the first motor arm 30 and the wing 20 as an example, as follows: Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the wing 20 adopts a double-spar structure, including a front spar 23, a rear spar 24, multiple ribs 25, and a skin 26 (the skin at the connection point between the wing 20 and the first motor arm 40 is hidden in the figure). At least two spanwise distributed wing joints 27 are provided on the front side of the front spar 23 and the rear side of the rear spar 24 corresponding to the first motor arm 30. The first motor arm 30 does not penetrate the wing 20. The upper surface of the first motor arm 30 has a groove 33 corresponding to the wing 20. At least two spanwise distributed motor arm joints 34 are provided on both the front and rear sidewalls of the groove 33. Each motor arm joint 34 on the front sidewall of the groove 33 is connected to each wing joint 27 on the front side of the front spar 23 via fasteners, and each motor arm joint 34 on the rear sidewall of the groove 33 is connected to each wing joint 27 on the rear side of the rear spar 24 via fasteners. This connection structure, where the first motor arm 30 is suspended and mounted on the wing 20, is not only stable and robust, facilitating the installation and disassembly of the first motor arm 30 and the wing 20, but also features a small coupling area between the first motor arm 30 and the wing 20. There is no structural interference between the upper surface of the first motor arm 30 and the leading edge of the wing 20, meaning the upper surface of the first motor arm 30 does not damage the leading edge of the wing 20, and it does not affect or damage the upper surface of the wing 20. This ensures the upper surface of the wing 20 remains as intact as possible, guaranteeing the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoil profile, allowing airflow over the upper surface of the wing 20 to adhere, and effectively suppressing flow separation and the generation of detached vortices. Furthermore, the connection between the wing 20 and the first motor arm 40 is covered with a skin to maintain the integrity of the leading and trailing edges of the wing 20.
[0036] Similarly, the connection structure between the second motor arm 40 and the wing 20 is set with reference to the connection structure between the first motor arm 30 and the wing 20, and will not be described again here.
[0037] The tail fin 50 is not connected to the rear end of the fuselage 10, but to the rear of the two first motor arms 30. This structure eliminates the need for the tail fin 50 to be connected to the fuselage 10 through a reinforcing frame, thus reducing the weight of the fuselage.
[0038] As an example, the tail fin 50 includes a horizontal tail fin 51, two vertical tail fins 52, and two motor arm connecting portions 53. An elevator 511 is provided at the trailing edge of the horizontal tail fin 51. The two vertical tail fins 52 are respectively connected to both sides of the horizontal tail fin 51 and are bent upwards relative to the horizontal tail fin 51. A rudder 521 is provided at the trailing edge of each vertical tail fin 52. The connection between each vertical tail fin 52 and the horizontal tail fin 51 is connected to the rear of the second motor arm 40 on the same side via a rib-shaped motor arm connecting portion 53.
[0039] There are two landing gears 60, which are connected to the bottom of the fuselage 10.
[0040] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft 1000, which includes the above-described fuselage structure 100 and a plurality of lift propellers 200 and a plurality of thrust propellers 300 mounted on the fuselage structure 100.
[0041] As an example, each of the front and rear portions of the corresponding wing 20 of each first motor arm 30 is equipped with a lift propeller 200, and a thrust propeller 300 is installed at the rear end of the first motor arm 30; each of the front and rear portions of the corresponding wing 20 of each second motor arm 40 is equipped with a lift propeller 200.
[0042] During the cruise phase, the lift of the electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft 1000 is primarily generated by the wing 20. Specifically, after the airflow passes over the leading edge of the wing 20, it splits into two streams, flowing along the upper and lower surfaces of the wing 20 respectively. The airflow flowing over the upper surface of the wing 20 adheres to the surface, while the airflow flowing over the lower surface is constrained by the suspended first motor arm 30 and second motor arm 40, resulting in increased pressure on the lower surface of the wing 20 and a greater pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces, thus generating lift.
[0043] In summary, the airframe structure and the electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft provided in this application embodiment adopt a structural design in which the motor arms are suspended from the wing and there is no structural interference between the upper surface of the motor arms and the leading edge of the wing. The coupling area between each motor arm and the wing is small, which can ensure the airflow attachment flow on the upper surface of the wing, effectively suppress flow separation and the generation of detached vortices, thereby reducing flow drag and improving the lift-drag characteristics of the wing. This design can also reduce the wing root bending moment and reduce the wing weight. In addition, the structural design of separating the fuselage and tail can reduce the weight of the airframe. The EVTOL aircraft using this airframe structure can improve the overall lift-drag ratio and aerodynamic characteristics, and increase the range.
[0044] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these should all be included within the scope of protection of this application.
Claims
1. A fuselage structure for an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, characterized in that, include: body; Two wings are connected to both sides of the fuselage; Two first motor arms are respectively mounted on the two wings, each first motor arm extending along the length of the fuselage and the rear end of the first motor arm extending beyond the rear end of the fuselage; At least two second motor arms are distributed and mounted on the two wings and arranged near the wingtips relative to the first motor arm; as well as The tail fin is connected to the rear of the two first motor arms; Both the first motor arm and the second motor arm are suspended and mounted on the corresponding wing, and the upper surfaces of the first motor arm and the second motor arm do not have structural interference with the leading edge of the corresponding wing.
2. The fuselage structure of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned wings includes a front spar and a rear spar. A wing connector is provided on the front side of the front spar and the rear side of the rear spar, corresponding to the first motor arm and the second motor arm, respectively. The upper surfaces of the first motor arm and the second motor arm are each provided with a groove corresponding to the wing. A motor arm connector is provided on the front and rear sidewalls of each groove. The motor arm connector on the front sidewall of the groove is connected to the wing connector on the front side of the front spar, and the motor arm connector on the rear sidewall of the groove is connected to the wing connector on the rear side of the rear spar.
3. The airframe structure of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the first motor arms has at least one first lift propeller mounting position for mounting a lift propeller on the corresponding front and rear sides of the wing, and the rear end of the first motor arm has a thrust propeller mounting position for mounting a thrust propeller.
4. The fuselage structure of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the second motor arms has at least one second lift propeller mounting position for mounting the lift propeller on the corresponding front and rear sides of the wing.
5. The airframe structure of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front end of the second motor arm is shorter than or flush with the front end of the first motor arm, and the rear end of the second motor arm extends beyond the rear end of the body but is shorter than the rear end of the first motor arm.
6. The airframe structure of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wingtips are connected to low-drag wingtips.
7. The fuselage structure of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer trailing edge of the wing is provided with a two-segment aileron arranged along the span of the wing.
8. The fuselage structure of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tail fin includes a horizontal tail fin, two vertical tail fins, and two motor arm connecting parts. The trailing edge of the horizontal tail fin is provided with an elevator. The two vertical tail fins are respectively connected to the two sides of the horizontal tail fin and are bent upward relative to the horizontal tail fin. The trailing edge of each vertical tail fin is provided with a rudder. The connection between each vertical tail fin and the horizontal tail fin is connected to the rear part of the second motor arm on the same side through one of the motor arm connecting parts.
9. The fuselage structure of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The landing gear is attached to the bottom of the fuselage.
10. An electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, characterized in that, Includes the airframe structure of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft as described in any one of claims 1-9.