Improved electrostatic propulsion system that utilizes undercarriage thrust boxes

Abstract

An electrostatic propulsion (ESP) system to be used on the fuselage of an aircraft. Wherein the system comprises an ESP layer that covers at least a portion of the top surface of the fuselage 20, conf

Description

Background The present invention provides an improved electrostatic propulsion system for an aircraft. The use of small aircraft is becoming more common, particularly when used for short journeys and public transport, such as intercity travel in the form of Airbuses, or business travel, and sometimes for recreation. With a low-fuel, low-cost aircraft, a small aircraft can offer services to destinations that no bigger airliners can. This can enable operators to offer competitively priced airfares to destinations otherwise unobtainable for point-to-point flights by an aircraft. As such journeys are usually carried out often, with only a few passengers, it would be impractical to use larger aircraft. Further, for these uses, the use of a smaller aircraft can reduce the overall amount of pollution produced when compared to larger aircraft, they may also produce less noise pollution as well, due to the use of smaller turbines and / or engines. One problem with the increased use of such aircraft is the lack of suitable options for takeoff and landing locations, that is small aircraft used for commuting and business journeys require a suitable runway, meaning the aircraft would need to take off and land at suitable locations, such as airports or airfields, which limits their practicality. Therefore, there is a desire to have small aircraft with better acceleration to allow the use of a small runway, or better the ability for vertical or near vertical takeoff, which would remove the need for a runway entirely and instead allow the aircraft to land and take off from suitable platforms, such as a helicopter pad. This will increase the practicality of the small aircraft by increasing the number of suitable locations the aircraft can reach, for example when being used for business travel for a board meeting, vertical takeoff would allow the aircraft to land on the roof of the building where the meeting would be taking place. It is also noted that small aircraft can suffer from the problems caused by drag, in particular ‘parasite drag’ caused by any breaks or changes in the surface of the aircraft, such as those around windows and doors. Though all aircraft can suffer from such drag effects, it is noted that this additional drag may cause additional wear on the aircraft, or at least affect its performance, relatively more when compared to larger aircraft, especially at high speeds. Therefore, there is a need to provide methods of reducing the overall drag on the aircraft, such as by changing the shape of the aircraft, removing windows, or the need for windows, and by looking at using steering mechanisms that produce less parasite drag, while still providing effective steering. One way to address the pollution and noise problems can be through the use of electrical or hybrid aircraft that replaces the need for engines and fuel-burning turbines. Additionally, the use of an electric aircraft can vastly decrease the amount of noise pollution created by the aircraft, not only when taxiing across the ground, but also when performing takeoff and landing maneuvers. However, there are some problems with the use of an electric aircraft, for example, an electric aircraft may produce less thrust when compared to other propulsion methods, one way to help address this problem will be to make the aircraft from a lighter material, however, such materials tend to be relatively weak, and therefore would wear more easily and may not be strong enough to withstand the impact force when the aircraft is landing or the force caused by the changes in pressure at high altitude. Therefore, such aircraft are formed of a material that is both strong and lightweight. In particular, the material will need relatively high strength, and stiffness to withstand not only the force of the aircraft from landing but also to withstand the forces caused by takeoff and from the pressure changes at high altitudes. While also being light enough to allow the small aircraft to travel at high speed, reduce the amount of thrust needed to reach such speeds, and allow the aircraft to accelerate enough to have a short takeoff distance, or to perform a vertical takeoff. Another way the aircraft can reduce the amount of thrust needed to propel the aircraft is to shape the fuselage of the aircraft in a manner that can reduce the air resistance and drag on the aircraft in flight, it is also possible that the shape of the fuselage could be designed in a manner to direct airflow to provide additional lift, or at least to reduce the amount of lift required. In some light aircraft, such as the one from US3632064A, the additional lift is provided by a secondary set of wings. However, as stated the aircraft should be as light as possible so instead this problem could be addressed by including a fuselage with curved and sloped surfaces that can improve the aerodynamics of the aircraft. Such a fuselage can be seen in lifting-body aircraft, such as those in W01997043176A1, which can take an array of shapes, at usually have small or no wings as it is the surface of the fuselage itself that generates lift. In WO1997043176A1, the fuselage has an elliptical cross-section to redirect the airflow over the surface of the aircraft to generate additional lift, as opposed to the more common cylindrical fuselage shape used in many other aircraft. However, in recent times, these self-lifting fuselages have been used more often in spacecraft, than aircraft, as the specific shapes of such aircraft often generate not only lift but also a lot of drag, which can make the aircraft unstable, further alternatives such as delta wing fuselages produced faster aircraft, which can remain stable even when traveling at high speeds. It is noted that in several of these alternatives, slopes, and wedges are used to create surfaces that can redirect airflow to reduce the amount of air resistance / drag, allowing the aircraft to maintain higher speeds. Therefore, there is a need for a fuselage for a small aircraft that not only provides lift to the aircraft but can also redirect airflow in a manner that will allow the aircraft to reach and maintain high speeds and higher altitudes. It is noted that for an aircraft designed for commercial use, there are additional factors that need to be considered, regarding the fuselage. For example, many of the current self-lifting aircraft are designed for there will be a desire to include windows, so that passengers can see out of the aircraft, but the inclusion of such windows will introduce gaps, or breaks within the surface of the aircraft, which can cause additional drag, across the surface of the aircraft thereby, reducing the speed of the aircraft, as well as any lift generated by the fuselage. With regards to the claimed aircraft, an electrostatic propulsion (ESP) system is installed on the aircraft to help address some of the issues described above, for example, such a system can produce less noise and pollution compared to the other propulsion methods. However, as shown, for example in EP0890739A1 and US20170210493A1, such ESP systems are more commonly used for spacecraft, in the form of ion thrusters. However, as the air surrounding an aircraft can interfere with such thrusters, they may not be suitable for use in an aircraft. Further, the amount of thrust from such ion thrusters produces may not be sufficient for propelling an aircraft, especially at high speeds. Therefore, if an ESP system is to be implemented, the system would need to be redesigned to overcome these flaws. For example, the aircraft may be designed in a manner to allows the ESP system to be implemented over almost the entire upper surface of the vehicle, while also providing a means to amplify, direct and / or focus the force of the ESP system, especially during takeoff where a greater force will be needed to bring the aircraft up to speed. Another way to reduce the overall weight of the aircraft would be to replace the motor, or thrusters used when taxiing the vehicle with an electric motor, as shown in US9227725B2 and US20130048781A1. It may be considered that the inclusion of a central electric motor could add too much weight to the aircraft, therefore another option to consider would be the inclusion of smaller electrical motors, likely placed inside the rims of the wheels directly, as these smaller motors may reduce the overall mass of the aircraft. If the smaller motors were mounted within each of the aircraft’s wheels, it may be possible that the motor could remove the need for brakes on said wheels, which could help remove the need for maintenance regarding replacing the brakes due to wear over time. It is also noted that with a small aircraft, slight differences in weight, between different portions of the aircraft, may have a significant effect on the force / impact experience by the aircraft’s wheels, for example when landing or taxiing over uneven surfaces. This could lead to additional wear on the wheels or may affect the vehicle’s steering, therefore, there is a need for the wheels of the aircraft to accurately monitor the weight of each portion of the vehicle, and where possible adjust the dampening of the aircraft’s wheels to account for any additional impact force specific wheels may experience. Such adjusted dampening would also reduce the airframe fatigue caused by hard impacts upon landing. Additionally, it is noted that if the undercarriage of the aircraft includes one or more wheels, it may also include one or more electric motors, and it may be possible for said motors to be used to provide additional thrust, propulsion, and / or to reach Vr (rotation velocity) at a shorter take-off distance, and may provide lift to the aircraft when it is taking off or in flight, through other additional components coupled to the undercarriage. Though, it should be ensured that the additional driving force provided, outweighs the additional thrust needed to compensate for the weight of such components. It should also be noted that the undercarriage may include housing boxes, designed to house other components that are necessary for the aircraft, such as water, fuel, sewage tanks, batteries, or any technical devices in need of easy access. In some embodiments, the side boxes that house the undercarriage will contain four landing wheels, two on each side, fore and aft. This will enable better acceleration in the take-off run. It may also be desired that the tires used for said wheels have grip patterns, enabling better force in the first seconds on acceleration, as well as better 5 braking properties after landing touch-down and for regenerative braking as described in more detail below. Therefore, to address all of the problems outlined above, the claimed invention is providing an aircraft for personal, business, and commercial use. With control systems designed to further reduce weight, steering systems and fuselage designed 10 to reduce unwanted drag forces, and an outer frame made of a material that is lightweight but still relatively strong to withstand the forces such an aircraft would experience when in common use. Said aircraft using on an electronic ESP system to reduce both noise and pollution made by the aircraft when in use. Wherein the aircraft includes new features designed to increase the amount of propulsion 15 produced by the aircraft to compensate for the relatively low propulsion from the ESP system and provides means of reducing the drag created when using said ESP systems. Summary: The present invention provides a means of improving the lift produced by an aircraft that utilizes an electrostatic propulsion (ESP) system to use ESP to propel the aircraft. In particular, when an aircraft includes an ESP system in the form of an ESP layer that covers at least a portion of the aircraft, the ESP layer may cover the bottom of the aircraft to provide lift, especially during take-off. However, in many cases, the bottom of the aircraft would need to be curved, normally concave, to ensure an even pressure within the pressurized cabin within the aircraft, while at the same time reducing the cross-sectional area of the aircraft. The problem is the curved surface reduces the amount of lift / thrust the ESP system can produce as there would be reduced air pressure under the fuselage which would reduce the force produced, further the lift would be counteracted by the downward force produced by the ESP layer on the upper surface of the fuselage. This difference in the airflow volume can result in reduced lift and additional drag acting on the aircraft. Further, the ESP layer on the upper side of the fuselage may cause additional drag for example the airflow caused by the ESP layer may cause drag when passing over the door, windows, and steering mechanisms of the aircraft, as these features will require joints that will create breaks and gaps within the surface of the aircraft that may cause drag, especially at high speeds. The claimed invention seeks to find a way to improve the amount of lift and propulsion produced by the undercarriage of an aircraft that uses an ESP layer. One method of achieving this is to incorporate ducts under the fuselage so that the ionized airflow under the aircraft is contained within the ducts, this way the static air under the duct can be used to maintain ambient air pressure and by extension maintain the lift on the aircraft. To clarify the ESP layer on the aircraft would preferably cover the entire fuselage to provide more propulsion and lift. This ESP layer comprises a plurality of anodes and cathodes designed to produce a high voltage that can be used to produce a plasma layer over the ESP layer, by charging the air surrounding the ESP layer. Once this plasma layer is formed, the charged particles within the plasma layer can then be accelerated using one of the anodes or cathodes to produce a propulsion force, this is achieved by altering the current supplied to a select group of the anodes or cathodes to produce an asymmetric electrostatic force that would accelerate the charged particles of the plasma layer in the desired direction. In some embodiments, one of the anodes or cathodes could be replaced with a single large cathode or anode that forms a cathode / anode layer, with the other electrodes being dispersed over the anode / cathode layer. For example, the ESP layer may comprise an anode layer that covers at least a portion of the aircraft’s fuselage, then a plurality of cathodes, likely in the form of cathode tufts are placed over the surface of the anode layers. This arrangement allows the spaces between the cathodes to act as a plurality of anodes, thereby providing the same effect described above. This layout may be preferable as the anode / cathode layer would likely require less power to operate compared to a plurality of anode and cathode nodes, therefore the use of the anode / cathode layer reduces the overall power demand of the ESP layer. This single layer also helps to provide the fuselage with a smooth outer surface. By making the surface of the fuselage smooth the user reduces the risk of parasitic drag forming, which may slow the aircraft when in flight. The smooth surface would also allow the plasma layer to form more easily as the smooth fuselage surface can provide a more consistent electromagnetic force, that is to say, there is less risk of there being any inconsistencies or asymmetrical forces due to sudden gradients in the fuselage / ESP layer shape, which would cause the plasma layer to be uneven and may cause the layer to dissipate as the charged particles are accelerated away by the asymmetrical force. The underside with thrust boxes will strengthen the cabin floor’s ability to withstand cabin air pressure even if the underside of the fuselage is flat, though a curved surface can help strengthen the fuselage further. However, this exposed surface on the underside of the fuselage would result in the force produced by the ESP layer on the fuselage having vertical and horizontal components, which may result in the plasma layer being dissipated over a wider area, or concentrated towards the center based on the direction of the undercarriages curve, reducing the amount of propulsion force that would be produced in a given direction. This not only reduces the propulsion produced by the ESP layer by reducing the number of charge particles within the plasma layer but would also reduce the lift, both because of the smaller plasma layer and because the airflow on the underside of the fuselage would be small that the airflow over the upper surface resulting in the fuselage producing a downward force. There is a need to alter the undercarriage of the aircraft in a way that would increase the amount of propulsion produced and lift produced by the ESP layer on the underside of the fuselage. One way to address this problem may be to divide the undercarriage of the aircraft into a series of channels or ducts, forming thrust boxes. Wherein each of these ducts would contain ESP layers as described above. By using such channels, the plasma cloud produced by the undercarriage is divided between the duct, as the curvature in each duct would be reduced compared to the overall undercarriage the plasma layer within each duct would not dissipate, and as the ducts are spread evenly across the undercarriage they would produce an even amount of force, which would have a higher magnitude. It is also noted that these ducts would help to concentrate the airflow under the undercarriage, allowing the airflow on the underside of the fuselage to be increased relative to the airflow on the upper surface of the fuselage thereby producing more lift when compared to the curved undercarriage alone. It is noted that this improved undercarriage would comprise one to more channels or ducts. But it is preferable that the system comprises a plurality of covered ducts. That is to say, the ducts would be open at the ends to allow air to enter and leave the ducts, but would otherwise be sealed, with the internal walls of the ducted covered in the ESP layer. Note that in some cases, the outer surface of the downward-facing wall of the duct may also be covered in an ESP layer to provide additional lift and thrust. The ducts would preferably be covered to help prevent the plasma and airflow formed within the duct from dissipating, or otherwise escaping the channel of the duct, and would allow the airflow within the duct to be accelerated at a greater speed as there would be more electrodes to provide an electrostatic force on the plasma layer, and would allow the force applied to the air within the duct to be spread evenly over the cross-section of the ducts channel reducing the risk of the airflow dissipating as the force applied increases. The reason a plurality of ducts would be preferable over a single duct is that it would allow greater control over the force produced by the undercarriage as the propulsion produced by each duct can be altered independently. Allowing the ducts to assist in steering and maneuvering the aircraft by adjusting the amount of propulsion from specific ducts. Also, by including multiple ducts the aircraft can increase the overall propulsion as the volume of each duct would be reduced, though the total mass flow of air moving within the ducts collectively would remain consistent, further, the surface area of the ducts would be increased, increasing the size of the ESP layer, these factors combined would increase the amount of force per-unit area produce by the undercarriage thereby increasing the overall propulsion produced. Further, the air within the enclosed space within the walls of the duct would experience a Coanda effect, wherein the motion of the charged particles generated by the ESP layer would cause the static air within the duct to also be accelerated down the channel of the duct through friction, even when the air in the center of the duct is not ionized. Note that this Coanda effect would be reduced if the ducts were open. In the preferred embodiment, the aircraft would comprise a plurality of ducts of equal width that are as long as the fuselage. Wherein the ducts would comprise three to five ducts that are positioned in the center of the undercarriage, with a space on either side of the ducts, wherein the space at the sides of the ducts is sufficiently large to store the aircraft landing gear. In some cases, the space beside the ducts, or between the ducts, is sufficiently large to provide additional storage space. This storage space may be used to store fuel, batteries, passenger luggage, water, and / or a propellent to be used by the ESP layers of the aircraft. It is noted that the preferred propellent for the ESP layer is OH gas formed from the electrolysis of water, therefore the space may be used to store water that is used both as water for the aircraft and for producing OH gas. It is also noted that in the preferred embodiments the storage spaces would have a width at least equal to the width of the ducts to ensure they are wide enough to accommodate the landing gear of the aircraft. In the preferred embodiment, the ESP layer inside of the duct would comprise a plurality of anodes and cathodes arranged in alternating rings, wherein the rings of anodes and cathodes are about 30cm in length. Wherein the power to each anode and cathode ring can be controlled separately to allow the electrostatic force generate by each ring to be changed independently and to allow certain rings to be deactivated to promote the acceleration of certain charged particles through the duct. For example, the OH gas used as a propellent in the preferred system has a negative charge, so the system may reduce the power to the cathodes in the duct, or increase the output of the anodes in the duct to increase the acceleration of the OH gas. In the claimed invention, the inlet of the duct may be sloped such that the duct inlet has an increased volume relative to the rest of the duct. This sloped inlet may be formed by having the duct follow the curvature of the fuselage. By including a sloped inlet, the duct would increase the volume of air entering the duct, thereby allowing the duct to accelerate a greater volume of air to provide additional lift and thrust to the aircraft. It is also noted that the sloped shape of the inlet may help to give some momentum to the air as it enters the duct to help propel the air through the duct as it follows the curvature of the duct. Further in some embodiments, the ducts may be configured to split into smaller channels as the air travels downstream. Due to the smaller volumes of these channels compared to the initial channel the airflow would accelerate as it enters the smaller channels, thereby providing more propulsion as the air exits the smaller channel. Note that the plurality of smaller channels would be configured so that the total volume of air traveling through the smaller channels would be equal to the air in the larger channel so that momentum from the initial acceleration of the air within the duct is not lost. In some cases, the ducts may include one or more compressors / fans within the duct which can be used to provide additional propulsion. Note that these fans may be configured to use the force exerted by the accelerated air within the duct to provide additional thrust, or may be powered separately to help accelerate the air within the duct when the ESP layer within the duct is not producing sufficient propulsion for the aircraft. Further, in some cases, the outlet of the duct may include a combustor configured to ignite the air ejected by the duct. By including a combustor, the aircraft can use the airflow from the ducts to generate a reaction jet effect, this effect can be used to provide further propulsion and lift to the aircraft depending on the configuration of the combustor, as the heated air from the combustor may be directed downwards, towards the ground, to provide lift, or rearwards relative the aircraft to provide propulsion. Further, the heat from the combustor may also cause the air traveling over the upper surface of the fuselage to rise as it approaches the rear of the aircraft, as the air would become heated and therefore less dense than the surrounding ambient air. In some cases, the ducts may include a fan within the duct or may narrow the ducts channel, to increase the pressure ratio inside the duct before combustion, to increase the jet effect created by the duct. In some cases, the ducts may include a plurality of morph points configured to be actuated to adjust the shape or dimensions of the undercarriage ducts. Wherein said morph points comprise a material that can be actuated to expand or contract along one or more specific dimensions to alter the shape of the aircraft. These morph points may be positioned at the inlet of the ducts to adjust the size of the inlet to increase or decrease the volume of air entering the duct, this may be done to increase or decrease the amount of propulsion produced by the ducts. Further, the duct output may include morph points to adjust the size of the outlet to increase or decrease the volume of air that is ejected from the outlet, the morphing points may also be used to adjust the shape of the outlet to change the direction of the airflow, this may be done to provide steering to the aircraft or to provide additional lift, by changing the direction of the propulsive force generated by the duct. By using an aircraft with the ESP system and ducts described above the user can create an aircraft that overcomes the downward drag produced by using an ESP system on both the upper and undersides of the fuselage of the aircraft, due to the difference in air pressure on the underside of the fuselage. More specifically, the ESP layer and the shape of the fuselage may result in the aircraft having a larger airflow over the top of the aircraft compared to the airflow under the fuselage, this would result in a downward drag force acting on the aircraft, which would reduce the aircraft’s lift and propulsion. By using the above-mentioned ducts, the increased mass flow through the duct will be accelerated by the thrusters causing an effect similar to the compressor effect of a conventional turbine engine. By accelerating air this way, neither a turbine nor compressor is needed. Instead, the air accelerated by ionic thrusters will be suited for highly efficient combustion. Thereby allowing the aircraft to produce more lift and more propulsion from the ESP system. Detailed Description: The present invention is illustrated in the following drawings: Figure 1 - depicts an example fuselage with an ESP layer. Figure 2 - depicts an example of how the ESP layer functions. Figure 3 - depicts the example fuselage with a plurality of ducts coupled to the undercarriage of the fuselage. Figure 4 - depicts the undercarriage of the example fuselage from Fig.3. Figure 5 - depicts an example of the ducts from Fig.3 with the addition of a combustor. Figure 6 - depicts how the inclusion of a combustor affects the airflow over the fuselage. These drawings comprise the following features: 10 - Fuselage 12 - Upper surface of the fuselage 20 - ESP layer on the upper surface of the fuselage 22 - ESP layer on the lower surface of the fuselage 30 - Side storage boxes 40 - plasma layer 50 - Landing gear 60 - Propulsion ducts 70 - Combustor 72 - Lines represent combustor output 80 - Arrows indicating the airflow over the fuselage Figure 1 shows an example of a fuselage 10 that may be used to form the aircraft described above. Please note that this example fuselage 10 has a dual wedge shape, meaning that the fuselage comprises a front-facing and rear-facing wedge or slope, wherein the slope height decreases as you move away from the center of the fuselage. This shape is preferable as the shape provides a large smooth surface onto which the ESP layer 20 can be mounted, additionally, the slopes help to direct the airflow over the aircraft making it more streamlined and thus able to travel at higher speeds, additionally, this shape may direct the airflow over the fuselage in a manner that would some lift to the aircraft when traveling at high speed. Though only this shape has been used in the drawings it should be noted that other shapes for the fuselage 10 may be considered. As already mentioned, this fuselage 10 would have an ESP layer 20,22 mounted to its surface, in the depicted example the ESP layer is covering the upper surface and lower surface of the fuselage 10, but may also cover the entire fuselage 10, or only a portion of the upper and / or lower surface of the fuselage. Regardless the ESP layer 20,22 is configured to generate a larger airflow over the surface of the aircraft to provide lift and / or thrust to the aircraft using the fuselage 10. In this case, the fuselage comprises both an ESP layer on the upper surface 20 and a separate ESP layer 22 on the lower surface of the fuselage 10, note that these layers 20,22 would operate in the same manner with one controlling the flow of air over the top of the fuselage 10 and one controlling the flow of air under the fuselage 20. The ESP layer 20,22 used by this aircraft would comprise one or more anodes and one or more cathodes, configured to provide a large voltage, sufficient to ionize the air surrounding the aircraft. In some cases, the ESP layer 20,22 may comprise a plurality of anodes and cathodes evenly distributed over the ESP layer 20,22. While in other cases, the ESP layer 20,22 may comprise an anode / cathode layer that would cover the entire ESP layer 20,22, with a plurality of the opposite electrodes, likely in the form of tuffs or fibers, being evenly distributed over this anode / cathode layer, for example, the ESP layer 20,22 may comprise an anode layer which acts as a giant anode, covered in cathode tuffs, thereby dividing the anode layer into sections that would act as a plurality of anodes. The key element here is that the anodes and cathodes in the ESP layer 20,22 are evenly distributed to produce an evenly distributed electrostatic force. This way the ESP layer 20,22 can generate a layer of ionized air or plasma 40 as shown in Figure 2, without the risk of said plasma layer 40 dissipating. As any inconsistencies within the electrostatic force generated by the ESP layer 20,22 would cause the plasma to accelerate away from the aircraft, as the regions where the electrostatic field is stronger would accelerate the plasma layer 40 away from the rest of the ESP layer, and the areas where the electrostatic force is weaker would allow the plasma 40 to leak away from the rest of the layer and eventually cause the plasm to dissipate. As shown in Figure 2, when in use the ESP layer 20,22 would supply equal amounts of power to the anodes and cathodes within the ESP layer 20,20 to produce enough electrostatic force to partially ionize the air adjacent to the ESP layer 20,22, forming the plasma cloud / layer 40 over the ESP layer 20,22. The electrostatic force of the ESP layer 20,22 would hold the plasma in place over the ESP layer 20,22, though in some cases the edge of the ESP layer 20,22 may be configured to generate more force than the rest of the layer, possibly by having a larger density of anodes and cathodes, or by receiving more power relative to the rest of the layer, to produce a force barrier around the plasma layer 40 to reduce the risk of the plasma 40 dissipating before it can be used for propulsion. Once the plasma layer 40 is formed the aircraft would be configured to alter the power provided to the anodes and cathodes of the ESP layer 20,22 to create an imbalance in the electrostatic force the layer is producing. This imbalance may be produced by increasing the power to specific anodes and / or cathodes to increase the force they produce, or by decreasing and / or halting power to specific anodes and / or cathodes to reduce the force they produce. For example, the ESP layer 20,22 may be configured to decrease or stop supplying power to an edge or portion of the ESP layer 20,22 to allow the plasma layer to dissipate into the direction of the portion that has been deactivated. In another example, the ESP layer 20,22 may increase the power to specific anodes / cathodes, such as increasing the power to a line of anodes, to accelerate charged particles within the plasma layer 40 in a specific direction, the aircraft may then alternate which regions of the ESP layer 20,22 are receiving more power to create pulses that pull the plasma layer in the desired direction, similar to the magnets in a particle accelerator. As the force from the ESP layer 20,22 accelerates the plasma layer 40 it will increase the airflow in a certain direction to provide propulsion to the aircraft in a desired direction. For example, the ESP layer may accelerate the plasma layer toward the rear of the fuselage to provide more forward propulsion as the force produced would pull the aircraft forward while pushing the plasma backward. One problem with using an ESP layer 20,22 as described above is that the amount of propulsion produced is limited by the size of the particles within the plasma layer 40. For in many cases, it may only be the electrons within the plasma layer 40 that are accelerated, and due to their low mass even with many electrons in the plasma layer 40 only a small amount of kinetic force would be generated, note that in these cases the ionized particles in the plasma layer would also be accelerated but due to their relatively high mass compared to the electrons, they would have only a small increase in momentum which would not provide sufficient force to propel the aircraft when compared to the force generated by the electrons. In some cases, the ESP layer 20,22 may include a propellent that is sprayed over the ESP layer 20,22 to form heavier charged particles to increase the amount of propulsion created from the plasma layer 40, one example of this propellent would be OH gas, made of negatively charged OH ions formed from the electrolysis of water, as the charged ions would be accelerated alongside the electrons in the plasma layer 40 to provide more momentum and create more propulsion. It should also be noted that the force generated by the ESP layer 20,22 may be sufficient to propel a light aircraft or maintain a slow speed, or may even be used to steer the aircraft by propelling the plasma layer sidewise relative to the aircraft, but would not produce sufficient force to maintain high speeds. Another potential problem is that the increased airflow generated by the ESP layer 20,22 may produce drag when it passes over the rear side, and rear edge of the fuselage 10, this drag would lower the propulsion produced by the ESP layer 20,22 and may reduce the aircraft’s lift when traveling through the air at high speed. Another problem with using the ESP layer 20,22 is that when using the ESP layer 20,22 on both the upper and lower surfaces of the fuselage 10 is that the shape of these layers may cause a force imbalance on the fuselage 10. More specifically, as can be seen in figure 1 the lower surface or undercarriage of the fuselage may be curved, this curve reduces the risk of the undercarriage being damaged during an impact and ensures the inside of the fuselage has an even pressure when pressurized during flight, due to the upper surface 12 also being curved. Further, the undercarriage may comprise a pair of storage boxes 30, these boxes may be used to hold the landing gear 50 of the aircraft, but may also be used to store fuel, water, luggage, or other supplies for the aircraft such as propellent for the ESP layer 20,22, with the inclusion of these boxes 30 the area between the boxes 30 may need a steeper curve due to the smaller width. As a result of the smaller size, the ESP layer 22 on the lower surface may have a reduced output compared to the wider ESP layer 20 on the upper surface of the fuselage. Having the lower ESP layer 22 be curved as shown in Fig. 1 can increase the surface area of the ESP layer, however, the steeper gradient of the curve would cause the force from the lower ESP layer 22 to be focused on the center of the layer and therefore the lower ESP layer 22 would likely create a smaller plasma layer compared to the plasma layer formed by the ESP layer 20 on the upper surface, the curved side may also increase the risk of the plasma layer dissipating as the force from the anodes / cathodes of the lower ESP layer 22 would have more of a horizontal component which may push the plasma layer towards the sides of the undercarriage and away from the ESP layer 22, additionally, the ESP layer would be pushing the center of the plasma layer downwards away from the aircraft, without a means of preventing the plasma from falling away, as gravity would help prevent the plasma on the upper surface being pushed away from the aircraft. Both of these factors would allow at least a portion of the plasma layer on the lower surface of the fuselage to escape the ESP layer 22 and would dissipate, resulting in a smaller plasma layer on the underside of the fuselage 10. As a result, the airflow generated by the ESP layer 22 on the lower surface would be smaller than the airflow generated by the ESP layer 20 on the upper surface. This means the propulsion generated by the upper surface would be larger than the propulsion generated by the lower surface, which can result in a downward drag force acting on the fuselage 10, which would reduce the lift of the aircraft, especially during take-off or when traveling at high speeds. Therefore, there is a need for an improved ESP system that can increase the propulsion produced by the aircraft’s undercarriage. Figures 3 and 4 show an example of an improved ESP system that overcomes the above-mentioned problems, in this system the undercarriage of the fuselage includes a plurality of propulsion ducts 60. These ducts 60 would comprise an elongated channel with an ESP layer as described above covering at least a portion of the inside of the duct 60, wherein the ESP layer within the duct is configured to generate propulsion as described above, and to accelerate the air flowing through the duct when the aircraft is in motion. The duct 60 would help increase the airflow passing under the fuselage 10 using the Coanda effect, wherein the motion of the charged particles generated by the ESP layer would cause the static air within the duct 60 to also be accelerated down the channel of the duct through friction, even when the air in the center of the duct is not ionized. It is noted that in the preferred embodiment the ESP layers would cover the entirety of the inside of the ducts to maximize the acceleration on the generated plasma within the duct 60 and would maximize the Coanda effect within the duct 60. This occurs as the duct 60 would produce a larger plasma layer, with more charged particles that would be accelerated to higher speeds, as there are more moving particles within the duct the transfer of momentum to the static air through the Coanda effect would be increased. Further by covering the entire duct with the ESP layer, there are more anodes / cathodes within the duct, producing more electrostatic forces, to increase the acceleration of the plasma layer, in turn increasing the amount of propulsion produced. In some cases, the outside of the ducts 60, specifically the lower surface of the duct may also be covered in an ESP layer to form a plasma layer 40 over the underside of the aircraft to produce additional lift by accelerating the particles within the plasma downwards. This outer ESP layer may also produce some propulsion though this would be minimal compared to the propulsion from the ducts 60, for the reasons described above. Another way to increase the lift produced by the ducts 60 would be to remove the bottom surface of the duct, thereby leaving the duct open to accelerate the plasma layer downwards. However, the problem with an open duct is that the plasma of the plasma layer may escape through the open side of the duct when the charged particles are being accelerated down the duct 60, similarly, the flow of air within the duct can also escape through the open surface lowering the amount of propulsion produced by the open duct. It is noted that in some cases, at least one of the ducts may need to be open, or partially open to accommodate the landing gear 50 of the aircraft. However, the preferred embodiment would comprise storage boxes 30 that run the length of the undercarriage to contain the landing gear as shown in Figs.3 and 4, with the rest of the undercarriage being covered with the above-mentioned ducts 60, so that each of the ducts can be cover to increase the propulsion produced by each duct. It is noted that the undercarriage may comprise a single duct, or a plurality of ducts, with the ducts preferably covering at least half of the width of the undercarriage to ensure a sufficient airflow can be produced to counteract the downward drag from the ESP layer 20 on the upper surface of the fuselage 10. Of these options, the plurality of ducts 60 is the preferred choice. By using a plurality of ducts 60, the aircraft controls may adjust the ESP layer in each duct separately allowing the propulsion from each duct to be altered independently, this may be used to limit the amount of power being used, by deactivating ducts that are no longer required for example when the aircraft is coasting at a lower speed, or to provide additional propulsion when needed for example during take-off. The ducts may also be adjusted separately to provide steering to the aircraft, for example by increasing the output from one or more ducts on a specific side of the aircraft, which may be used to turn the aircraft laterally or to counteract the effects of turbulence or side winds acting on the aircraft. Additionally, the extra walls between the ducts 60 would increase the surface area of the ESP layer on the undercarriage allowing the system to generate more electrostatic force, while the smaller duct channels would allow a larger portion of the air within the duct to be ionized allowing a more efficient transfer of momentum from the plasma to both the aircraft and the air within the duct to produce a larger Coanda effect, thereby producing more propulsion compared to a single duct. In cases where the undercarriage includes storage boxes 30, it is preferable that the storage boxes 30 be no wider than the width of the ducts, as the ducts should make up the majority of the undercarriage’s surface to ensure the duct produces sufficient propulsion to propel the aircraft and overcome the downward drag created by the airflow over the upper surface of the aircraft. It is also noted that like the storage boxes 30, the one or more ducts 60 should have the same length as the fuselage 10, to maximize the length of the duct channel, as this would increase the size of the ESP layer in the duct and allow more air to be accelerated in the duct. It is noted that the ducts should not be longer than the fuselage 10, as the hangover at the ends of the fuselage may cause drag as they would disrupt the flow of air over the undercarriage of the fuselage. As previously noted, the ESP layer within the ducts would comprise a plurality of anodes and cathodes, or an anode / cathode layer covered in a plurality of the opposite electrode thereby effectively separating the layer into a plurality of anodes / cathodes. For the inside of the ducts, it is preferable for the anodes and cathodes of the ESP layer to be arranged into a series of alternating rings, wherein there would be a ring of anodes followed by a ring of cathodes, alternating across the whole length of the ducts 60 elongated channel. This arrangement is preferable as the electrostatic field formed by the ESP layer would more easily accelerate the air through the duct 60, as the charged particles formed by one ring would be accelerated towards the adjacent ring. Further, the aircraft’s controls can alter the power of each of the rings within the duct 60 individually to better direct the airflow through the duct 60. For example, once the plasma layer is formed the controller may increase the power of the anodes or cathodes in the rear half of the duct to pull the particles of the plasma layer to the rear of the duct 60. Alternatively, once the plasma layer is formed the controller may increase the power to either the anode or cathode layer in a gradient with the power of the ring increasing the further down the duct 60 they are, to direct the airflow down the duct 60 and to increase the acceleration of the plasma layer as it moves down the duct 60. Alternatively, in a similar method, the controller may use pulses to increase the power of a single ring at a time, starting at the front of the duct and then moving down the duct 60, thereby accelerating the air in the duct in a similar manner to a particle accelerator or bullet train. It is noted that the rings would also allow the fields produced by the ESP layer to be more focused compared to a more random arrangement, allowing for a more efficient energy transfer between the electrostatic field and the plasma layer as there would be less interference between the fields of the anodes and that of the cathodes. Therefore, the ring arrangement for the ESP layer is preferable as it ensures the plasma layer has the maximum acceleration while traveling down the length of the duct channel to increase the amount of propulsion produced. Figure 5 depicts example ducts 60 that could be used for the aircraft described above. It is noted that the depicted examples all have a rectangular cross-section, and though this shape is preferable other shapes may be used. However, ducts with a square or rectangular cross-section are preferable as this shape maximizes the volume inside the duct for a specific width / height, additionally, the square / rectangle ducts can be easily attached to the fuselage 10 and each other with little to no wasted space in between, further the row of square / rectangular ducts can better support the base of the fuselage 10, especially when under the additional force caused when the inside of the chamber is pressurized during flight, and with the ducts forming such a base for the fuselage the aircraft may remove the need for the curved undercarriage depicted in Fig.1. in the preferred embodiment of the fuselage the ducts 60 would have a square cross-section where the square would have 30cm long sides. These dimensions would allow several ducts 60 to be fitted to even a small fuselage and would have sufficient volume to produce the required propulsion for the aircraft. This width would also be wide enough for the storage boxes 30 to store small landing gear 50 as shown in Fig.4. The shapes of the ducts 60 may also be altered to increase the amount of propulsion they produce. In particular, the ducts 60 may be configured to have a sloped inlet at the front end of the fuselage 10. This shape may help increase the volume of the inlet of the duct allowing more air to enter the channel of the ducts 60. Further, the sloped side of the inlet may help to increase the initial velocity of the air entering the duct 60 as it follows the curves of the duct inlet. Both of these effects can help to increase the propulsion produced by the duct by increasing either the velocity or the volume of the air passing through the duct 60 at a given time thereby increasing the kinetic energy of the airflow accelerated by the ESP layer within the duct 60, which would increase the propulsion produced as the air is ejected from the rear end of the duct. The sloped inlet of the duct 60 may also be configured to follow any curves at the front end of the fuselage 10 helping to ensure there is no gap between the body of the duct 60 and the fuselage 10, as these gaps may create additional drag caused by air impacting the contact point, or overhanging surfaces between the duct 60 and the fuselage 10, as this effect would be reduced by providing a lip that guides the air in front of the fuselage 10 into the ducts 60. In some cases, the ducts 60 may be configured to divide the single duct channel into a plurality of smaller channels at a distance downstream from the inlet of the duct. Alternatively, the duct’s channel may be configured to become narrower as the channel approaches the rear of the fuselage 10, similar to the duct shown in Fig.5. both of these features would have the effect of increasing the pressure of the air within the channels as the air within the duct is compressed into the narrower channel, helping to increase the propulsion output of the duct 60 as the compressed air expands on exiting the duct producing an explosive effect rearward of the fuselage 10, that would provide forward momentum to the aircraft. In some cases, one or more of the ducts 60 attached to the aircraft may include a combustor 70, wherein the combustor will add fuel to the air flowing through the ducts 60 so that the air ejected from the duct 60 can be ignited to create a jet effect at the rear side of the duct to provide additional propulsion to the aircraft. It is noted that the combustor 70 would preferably add fuel vapor to the air within the duct so that the fuel could be carried by the airflow in the duct, and to lower the heat needed to ignite the fuel. In some cases, the combustor 70 may be located within the duct, likely within the rear half of the duct channel, allowing the airflow within the duct to be ignited before the air leaves the duct to increase the amount of propulsion produced as the ignited air would expand more on exiting the duct 60, compared to compressed cold air, providing more propulsion. Though it may also be preferable to keep the combustor 70 at the end of the duct 60 to reduce the risk of the fuel building up within the ducts channel and potentially damaging the aircraft when it combusts, as they may cause part of the aircraft to catch fire or even cause an explosion within the duct 60. To reduce this risk the ignitor may be located at the rear of the duct, coupled to the rear of the fuselage as shown in the example in Fig.4. Further, in the case of the duct shown in Fig.5, the combustor 70 may be positioned within the portion of the duct 60 where the channel begins to narrow, as previously stated the narrower channel causes the air within the duct 60 to compress so that the air will expand on leaving the duct to provide propulsion, by using a combustor 70 with this narrowing channel this effect can be amplified as the ignited air will expand faster causing a larger impulse as the force of propulsion would be exerted at a faster rate due to the more rapid expansion of the heated air in the duct. Therefore, the ducts can use one or both of the combustors 70 and the narrower channels to increase the propulsion produced by these ducts 60. Figure 6 shows how using the above-mentioned combustor 70 can help to reduce the downward drag created by the ESP layer 20 on the upper surface of the fuselage 10. As previously mentioned, the ESP layer is configured to generate a layer of plasma over the fuselage, by ionizing the air surrounding the aircraft, the layer then accelerates this plasma across the fuselage to generate propulsion, as the plasma moves it may also carry the static air in and around the plasma layer creating airflow over the aircraft. When this airflow reaches the rear of the fuselage 10 the electrostatic field of the ESP layer may pull the airflow downwards, especially when the rear of the fuselage is curved downwards like in the example shown in Fig. 1, as the airflow would already be directed downwards when it follows the curves of the fuselage. By including a combustor within one or more of the ducts 60 on the underside of the fuselage 10 this effect can be reduced. This is because the air 72 ejected from the ducts 60 would be heated and therefore less dense than the air surrounding the aircraft, resulting in the air from the duct 60 raising as it is ejected. As shown in Fig.6 this current of hot air from the duct 60 would cause the airflow from the fuselage’s ESP layer 20 to raise away from the rear of the fuselage 10, as indicated by the arrows 80 in Fig.6. Also, heat from the ducts 60 would heat the air around the rear of the fuselage causing the otherwise static air at the rear of the aircraft to raise and thereby providing some lift to the air at the rear of the fuselage 10 to help negate some the downward drag force caused by the ESP system. Both of these effects reduce the downward drag created at the rear of the aircraft, by redirecting the downward airflow from the ESP layer 20 upwards, thereby reducing the downward force produced by the airflow, and providing some lift with the upward motion of the ignited air 72 from the ducts 60 and the air that is heated by the ducts 60. Therefore, such ducts 60 reduce the drag on the fuselage 10 thereby providing lift as well as lateral propulsion to the aircraft. It is also noted that the duct may include other features to help accelerate and / or direct the air flowing through the ducts 60. For example, each duct 60 may include a rudder or fan located at the rear of the duct, wherein the rudder or fan can pivot relative to the duct to direct the airflow coming from the duct 60. This may be used as a means to direct the force generated from the ducts to allow the aircraft to be steered or to alter the lift of the aircraft. Further, the aircraft may have one or more fans / propellors within the ducts that may be used to accelerate the airflow within the ducts to further increase the propulsion produced by the ducts, if the propulsion is determined to be insufficient. The walls of the ducts may also comprise morphing points, wherein these morphing points are configured to expand or contract along specific axes. Wherein these morphing points would allow the walls of the ducts 60 to morph to either widen or narrow the size of the ducts channel. Wherein the duct channel can be narrowed to increase the amount of propulsion being produced by increasing the pressure within the ducts 60. These morphing points may also be included in the outlet of the ducts 60, wherein the point can adjust the cross-section of the outlet by morphing the walls of the ducts 60. This may be used to increase the pressure of the air leaving the duct to increase the propulsion produced by the ducts 60, alternatively, the points may alter the shape of the duct outlet to direct the air leaving the duct to provide steering by using the walls of the duct outlet as a rudder. Lastly, it is noted that the aircraft may comprise a control system for controlling the various ESP layers on the aircraft. Specifically, the control system would be configured to adjust the power supplied to each ESP layer, namely the layer 20 on the upper surface of the fuselage, the ESP layer within the ducts, and the ESP layer 22 on the lower surface of the ducts, and be configured to adjust the power supplied to specific anodes and / or cathodes within each of the ESP layers. Wherein the power may be adjusted to change the amount of plasma 40 being produced by each layer or to adjust the magnitude and direction of the acceleration of each of the plasma layers 40 formed by the ESP layers. In cases, wherein there are multiple ducts the controller would be configured to control the ESP layer of each duct separately. The control system may also control the release of propellants over the external ESP layers or into the ducts 60 to increase propulsion. And may similarly control the release of fuel into the duct 60 to be used by the combustor 70. In some cases, OH gas may be used for both purposes as the gas is charged and would only produce water when burned. And in cases where there are features coupled to the ducts 60, such as combustors 70, propeller, rudders, and / or morphing points within the duct, the controller would also be configured to monitor and control these features. In some cases, the control system may also comprise sensors configured to monitor the output of the ESP layer 20 and ducts 60, and / or monitor the movements of the aircraft. Wherein the control system would be configured to make automatic adjustments to the ESP layers, or the features within the ducts 60 when the reading from the sensors passes predetermined thresholds. For example, if the propulsion from the ducts 60 falls below a threshold the controller may adjust the power of the ESP layer within the duct or use features within the duct to increase propulsion, or when the aircraft is drifting due to high winds or experiencing turbulence, the control system may adjust the direction of the ducts propulsion to counteract these effects, by either increasing the output of specific ducts or using features such as rudders to direct the force produced by the duct 60. The control system may also be configured to adjust the output of the ESP layers and ducts 60, and / or adjust the sensor threshold based on the current stage of the flight of the aircraft. For example, the control system may increase the propulsion thresholds during take-off, or increase the output of the ESP layers when there is a headwind slowing the aircraft. By using the aircraft described above a user can improve the efficiency of an aircraft that uses ESP layers to provide propulsion. Specifically, by attaching ducts lined with an ESP layer to the underside of the fuselage, the aircraft increases the airflow on the underside of the fuselage to increase the amount of lift acting on the fuselage, thereby counteracting the downward drag caused by the ESP layer on the upper surface of the fuselage. Further by configuring the ducts to narrow towards the rear of the fuselage the duct can provide additional propulsion when accelerating air down the channel. Lastly, a combustor may be included near the rear of the duct to create a jet by igniting a combination of fuel and the accelerated airflow from the duct to provide additional propulsion and lift to the aircraft utilizing the fuselage.

Claims

05 12 241. An aircraft that utilizes an electrostatic propulsion (ESP) system;Wherein the ESP system comprises:an ESP layer 20 that covers at least a portion of the upper surface of a fuselage 10 of the aircraft;one or more elongated ducts 60 that cover the length of the underside of the fuselage 10 of the aircraft, with an ESP layer that covers the inside of the one or more ducts 60; andwherein the one or more ducts 60 comprised a curved inlet, with a larger cross-section than the rest of the duct.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the ESP layers comprise a plurality of anodes and cathodes.

3. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the ESP layers comprise an anode layer with cathode tuffs placed over the surface of the anode layer.

4. The aircraft of any preceding claim wherein the ESP layer within the one or more ducts 60 comprises alternating rings of anodes and cathodes.

5. The aircraft of any preceding claim, wherein the ESP layer 20 and the ESP layers of each of the one or more ducts 60 can be controlled independently.

6. The aircraft of any preceding claims wherein the ESP system includes a propellent that is sprayed over the ESP layer 20 on the upper surface, and / or the inside of the ducts 60.

7. The aircraft of claim 5 wherein the propellant comprises HO gas or H2O gas.

8. The aircraft of any preceding claim wherein the ducts 60 comprise a plurality of ducts with equal width.

9. The aircraft of claim 8 wherein the plurality of ducts have a width of 30cm.05 12 2410. The aircraft of any preceding claim wherein the undercarriage further comprises store boxes 30 with a width no less than the width of the one or more ducts 60.wherein the storage boxes are configured to house at least one of: the aircraft’s landing gear 50, fuel, batteries, water, luggage, or ESP system propellent11. The aircraft of any preceding claim wherein the one or more ducts 60 divide into a plurality of channels downstream from the inlet of the duct.

12. The aircraft of any preceding claim wherein the ESP system comprises a combustor 70:wherein the combustor is configured to mix fuel into the airflow ejected from the one or more ducts 60 to ignite the air exiting from the one or more ducts 60.

13. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the combustor 70 is coupled to the rear of the fuselage 10 proximate to the outlet of the one or more ducts 60.

14. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the combustor 70 comprises a plurality of combustors positioned in the rear half of a respective one of the one or more ducts 60.

15. The aircraft of the preceding claims wherein the inlet of the one or more ducts include a plurality of morphing points to increase or decrease the size of the duct inlets16. The aircraft of any preceding claim wherein the outlet of the one or more ducts includes a plurality of morphing points, configured to increase or decrease the size of the outlet, and to direct the airflow through the outlet.

17. The aircraft of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more ducts comprise morphing points along the length of the duct, configured to adjust the volume of the channel within the duct 60 by morphing one or more walls of a chosen duct 6005 12 2418. The aircraft of any preceding claim wherein the one or more ducts comprise at least one propellor positioned within each of the ducts.

19. The aircraft of any preceding claim wherein the outlet of the one or more ducts 60 comprises a fan or rudder configured to direct the air leaving the ducts 60.

20. The aircraft of any preceding claim, wherein the aircraft comprises a control system configured to control the power used to operate the ESP layer 20 and the ducts 60.21 .The aircraft of claim 20, wherein the control system is configured to automatically adjust the output of the ESP layer 20 and / or one or more duct 60 based on the current stage of the aircraft’s flight.

22. The aircraft of claims 20 and 21, wherein the control system further comprises one or more sensors configured to monitor the output of the ESP layer 20, ducts 60, and / or the motion of the aircraft; andwherein the control system is configured to adjust the output of the ESP layer 20 and / or ducts 60 based on the readings from the sensors.

23. The aircraft of claims 20 to 22, wherein the controller is configured to control the features coupled to the one or more ducts 60, including combustor 70, morphing points, propellers, and / or rudders.

24. A method of using the aircraft of claims 1 to 23 wherein the ESP layers coupled to the fuselage 10 and one or more ducts 60 generate a layer of plasma 40 over the ESP layers;the anodes or cathodes of the ESP layers accelerate the charged particles of the plasma layer to provide propulsion to the aircraft.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein features within the one or more ducts 60 are rotated to direct the propulsion from the ducts 60.

26. The method of claims 24 and 25 wherein the one or more ducts comprise morphing points, wherein the morphing points are actuated to do at least one of the following: change the volume of the duct inlet, change the volume of the duct outlet, change the volume of the channel within the duct.

27. The method of claims 24 to 26, wherein the method further comprises spraying a propellent over the surface of the ESP layer 20 and / or within the ducts 60.

28. The method of claims 24 to 27, wherein fuel is injected into the one or more ducts 60 to be ignited by a combustor 70 coupled to a point within the rear half of the duct 60, or the duct outlet.05 12 24

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