Lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system

Abstract

Conventional airplanes do not have vertical takeoff and landing or hovering capabilities. While helicopters and drones do have these capabilities, their horizontal flight speed is slow, their range is short, and their payload capacity is limited, so there is a need for alternative aircraft. [Solution] The objective is to provide a lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system characterized by a structure in which the intake lift fan is installed in a three-stage configuration to greatly increase the amount of air inflow, and the exhaust thrust is efficiently increased by the exhaust lift fan being in a three-stage configuration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lift fan vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that can perform vertical takeoff and landing, horizontal flight, and stably move left and right, front and back, and up and down while maintaining a stable posture, and its attitude motion control.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional aircraft need to taxi on a runway. On the other hand, as an alternative to the aircraft, the vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOL) was considered. The world's first practical aircraft was the Harrier, an attack aircraft developed by the UK in 1960. Subsequently, the US developed the F35B as a successor to the Harrier. Its structure is equipped with one propulsion (horizontal flight) engine at the rear of the attack aircraft fuselage, and a lift fan is arranged vertically in front of it. The drive of the lift fan extends a shaft from the jet engine to drive the lift fan, causing the front of the aircraft to rise, and the rear to eject gas by turning the engine nozzle injection port 90 degrees downward, enabling the entire aircraft to rise in a horizontal position and also hover (stop in the air). In addition, for example, as the aircraft described in Document 2, helicopters, drones, multicopters, etc. are known. This type of aircraft is used corresponding to vertical takeoff and landing, hovering, and horizontal flight respectively.

[0003] Aircraft that fly through the air are broadly classified into two types based on the principle of gaining the power to overcome their weight: airships that gain ascent through buoyancy, and fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft that gain ascent through wing lift. In contrast, for example, the lift-fan type vertical take-off and landing aircraft described in Reference 1 has not yet been put into practical use as a civilian aircraft. All of the vertical take-off and landing aircraft that have been put into practical use are military aircraft. Factors that make practical use difficult include the difficulty of maintaining the aircraft's attitude stability during aerial stopping such as hovering or during low-speed flight. The helicopters and drones have propellers that can be tilt-controlled, and by controlling the tilt angle of these propellers, the hovering function and horizontal flight are possible. However, accidents are likely to occur when changing the position of the propeller from vertical to horizontal. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-118891 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-100396 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art, and the problem to be solved is to provide a lift fan vertical take-off and landing aircraft and its attitude control method, in particular a lift fan vertical take-off and landing aircraft and its attitude motion control method that can stably and quietly control the aircraft's attitude during aerial stopping such as hovering and low-speed flight without affecting the operation of the lift fan, and that can move in the left, right, forward, backward and up and down directions while maintaining a stable attitude. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This invention provides an explanation for solving the aforementioned problems. It is characterized by having a lift fan inside a cylindrical fuselage that draws in air from above and ejects it downwards to generate thrust. The lift fan vertical take-off and landing aircraft has a configuration in which an intake lift fan 2, an exhaust lift fan 3, a movable exhaust nozzle 4, and an exhaust port 7 are provided inside the cylindrical fuselage. This is also a means different from an autogyro that cannot perform vertical ascent and hovering. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention, according to the lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system and its attitude motion control method, enables aerial hovering and other forms of suspension using the thrust generated by the lift fan. Furthermore, it is a groundbreaking invention that provides a lift fan vertical takeoff and landing type high-speed, long-distance, safe flight vehicle that maintains a high horizontal flight speed, travels long distances with energy efficiency, is all-weather, and is safe, stable, and comfortable to fly. It features lift fan vertical takeoff and landing and hovering functions, simplifying takeoff and ascent control and ensuring high-speed, long-distance travel. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a plan view of the external fuselage of the lift-fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the internal intake port of the lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the internal nozzle of the lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system according to the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle of the lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion system of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The details of the lift fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion system, which is a key part of the embodiment of the present invention, will be described below with reference to the drawings, and will be denoted by reference numerals.

[0010] The present invention, made in view of the above-mentioned problems, is a new lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion system as shown in Figure 1. The objective is to provide a new type of lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion system that can perform high-speed ascent and descent, forward movement, hovering, and horizontal flight, and can perform stable long-distance flight with minimal energy loss. It is noteworthy that the present invention is a novel concept that differs from conventional drones, helicopters, and multicopters.

[0011] Figure 1 is a plan view of the entire body of the lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system. The rear outer surface of the lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system is a differential gearbox 6 with a movable nozzle electric motor, which is a motor installed to drive the movable nozzle 4.

[0012] In Figure 2, the air intake is equipped with the intake lift fan 2, and the three-stage lift fan is used to increase the airflow. The intake lift fan 2 rotates clockwise. The shaft 5 with the electric motor for driving the lift fan is the motor that drives the intake lift fan 2.

[0013] Figure 3 shows that the nozzle lift fan 3 is installed in the three-stage configuration, and the direction of rotation of the nozzle lift fan 3 is counterclockwise. This is to stabilize the airflow by having the fans rotate in opposite directions. The shaft 5 with the electric motor for driving the lift fan is the motor that drives the nozzle lift fan 5.

[0014] Figure 4 shows the lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system of the present invention, in which the movable nozzle 4 is for changing the flight path, the differential gear 8 drives the variable nozzle, and the nozzle 7 is structurally supported and shared.

[0015] Figure 2 shows that both the intake fan and the outlet fan in Figure 3 are three-stage fans. By making the lift fan a three-stage design, the amount of air inflow is increased, thereby strengthening the thrust. The fan is not limited to a three-stage design.

[0016] Figure 4 illustrates that when changing course during flight, a differential gearbox 6 with a movable nozzle electric motor is attached to the rear of the cylindrical outer surface of the main body to drive the movable nozzle 4, and by driving this, the course during flight can be changed. The nozzle 7 is set to increase thrust by narrowing the exit.

[0017] This invention introduces the purpose of using the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) propulsion system. (Hereafter, the VTOL lift fan propulsion system will be abbreviated as the VTOL lift fan propulsion system.) The system is designed to be a vehicle that can travel on the ground and fly, equipped with flight capabilities and EV functionality. It is completely different from the recently emerging passenger drones, because those drones use two or more propellers to blow air downwards, causing them to float in the air and move forward. They do not have the ability to travel on roads, and finding a place to park them is not easy. To use a passenger drone, one has no choice but to move it to a designated location, which is inconvenient.

[0018] In the future, I aim to work on the development of an electric lift fan vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. I will install the lift fan propulsion device I invented on the vehicle. The installation locations are inside the bonnet (engine room) and inside the rear trunk room. Two units will be installed in each location, for a total of four units. The lift fan propulsion device will be installed in a vertical position, with two units arranged side by side and the lower part set to flare out. When in horizontal flight, the lift fan propulsion device will be in a forward-tilted posture and move forward. When using it, consider the surrounding environment, check for obstacles, and then take off and move horizontally. When flying in the air, it is controlled, and when driving on the road, it is operated like an ordinary car, performing dual functions. In the future, it will become as common as a matter of course in daily life to take an airborne vehicle from the front yard of one's home and use the air and roads to reach the destination. Additionally, it can also be used for disaster relief, making it possible to fly over roads where cars cannot pass and reach the destination, and enabling rapid response to any situation.

[0019] The electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle of my invention aims to fly in the air, run on the ground, and also run on the ground and fly in the air at high speeds. It is also useful for emergency transportation even in distant locations and for mountain rescue and shipwreck rescue.

Description of Symbols

[0020] 1 Body fuselage 2 Inlet lift fan 3 Outlet lift fan 4 Outlet movable nozzle 5 Shaft with electric motor for lift fan drive 6 Outlet movable differential gearbox with electric motor 7 Outlet 8 Differential gear

Claims

1. A lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system having a cylindrical fuselage with an intake port and an exhaust port, wherein thrust is obtained by expelling air drawn in from the intake port from the exhaust port, characterized in that an intake lift fan is provided inside the front of the fuselage, an exhaust lift fan is provided inside the rear of the fuselage, and a differential gearbox with an exhaust port movable electric motor is provided on the outer surface of the rear of the fuselage at the exhaust port.

2. The lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotational speed of the nozzle lift fan is set to rotate at a speed higher than the rotational speed of the nozzle lift fan.

3. The lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system according to claim 2, characterized in that the rotation direction of the intake lift fan is set to be opposite to the rotation direction of the outlet lift fan.

4. The lift fan vertical takeoff and landing propulsion system according to claim 3, characterized in that the movable nozzle can change its direction of airflow ejected from the nozzle by a differential gearbox with a movable nozzle electric motor attached to the rear of the fuselage, thereby enabling a change of course.

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