Air flow guidance structure and aircraft

The airflow guiding structure in the boom of VTOL aircraft efficiently channels airflow from VTOL rotor blades to a radiator, addressing inefficiencies in airflow direction and enhancing cooling efficiency for rotor components.

JP7611129B2Active Publication Date: 2025-01-09HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021208129
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-12-22
Publication Date
2025-01-09
Estimated Expiration
2041-12-22

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft face challenges in efficiently guiding airflow generated by VTOL rotors to cool the rotor controllers, particularly in structures like the boom where airflow is required to be efficiently directed to a heat exchanger.

Method used

The aircraft incorporates an airflow guiding structure within the boom that includes an inlet and outlet design, positioned to efficiently channel airflow generated by the VTOL rotor blades to a radiator for cooling, with the inlet aligned to face the rotational direction of the blades, ensuring optimal airflow guidance and cooling efficiency.

Benefits of technology

This design effectively directs airflow to the radiator, enhancing cooling efficiency of the VTOL rotor components, thereby improving the performance and reliability of the aircraft's cooling system.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To efficiently guide airflow generated by a rotor into a boom via an inlet.SOLUTION: An aircraft 100 includes: a fuselage 12; a front wing 14 and a rear wing 16 provided to extend laterally from the fuselage for generating lift during cruising; a boom 18 extending in a front-rear direction and supported by these wings while being spaced apart from the fuselage; a VTOL rotor 20 supported on the boom and having one or more blades 23 for generating thrust in a vertical direction during take-off and landing; a cooling system 60 for cooling the VTOL rotor by using a radiator 61 arranged within the boom; and an airflow guide structure 70 which is a structure provided in part of the boom for guiding airflow generated by rotation of the one or more blades to the radiator, and which includes an inlet 70a provided on a side opposite to a rotation direction of the one or more blades with respect to a rotation axis 21a of the VTOL rotor, of a surface of the boom positioned below a rotation plane of the one or more blades.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4A
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airflow guidance structure and an aircraft. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vertical take-off and landing aircraft (also called vertical take-off and landing aircraft or simply aircraft) are known that take off and land by ascending and descending vertically using take-off and landing (VTOL) rotors arranged on the left and right sides of the fuselage, and fly horizontally using a cruise rotor arranged at the rear of the fuselage. In such aircraft, the controller of the VTOL rotor is cooled using the airflow (downwash) generated by the VTOL rotor. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an enclosure in which an inlet is provided on the top surface of a boom to which a VTOL rotor is attached, and the airflow is taken into the boom through the inlet and guided to a heat exchanger through an inlet cowl. Here, it is required that the airflow be efficiently guided into the boom through the inlet. Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent No. 10150560 Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aircraft comprising: a fuselage; a wing body extending laterally from the fuselage and generating lift during cruising; a boom extending in the fore-aft direction and supported at a distance from the fuselage by the wing body; a rotor supported on the boom and having one or more blades generating vertical thrust during takeoff and landing; a cooling device that cools the rotor using a radiator arranged within the boom; and an airflow guidance structure that is provided on a part of the boom and has a structure for guiding an airflow generated by the rotation of the one or more blades to the radiator, the airflow guidance structure including an inlet provided on a surface of the boom located below the plane of rotation of the one or more blades, on the side facing the rotation direction of the one or more blades with respect to the rotation axis of the rotor.

[0004] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the features of the present invention. Also, subcombinations of these features may also be inventions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1] 1 shows a configuration of an aircraft according to this embodiment as viewed from above. [Figure 2A] The internal structure of the boom is shown. [Figure 2B] 1 shows the configuration of the radiator as viewed from the front. [Figure 2C] 1 shows the configuration of a radiator as viewed from the side. [Figure 2D] The configuration of the cooling circuit is shown. [Diagram 3] 2B shows a cross-sectional structure of the air flow guide structure with respect to the reference line CC in FIG. 2A. [Figure 4A] The upper configuration of the air flow guidance structure and the arrangement of the inlets are shown. [Figure 4B] 1 shows the configuration of the underside of the air flow guidance structure and the placement of the outlets. [Diagram 5] 11 shows a cross-sectional structure of an air flow guide structure according to a modified example. [Figure 6A] 1 shows a first example of the installation location of the radiator and inlet within the boom. [Figure 6B] 2 shows a second example of the location of the radiator and inlet within the boom. [Figure 7A] 3 shows a third example of the location of the radiator and inlet inside the boom. [Figure 7B] 4 shows a fourth example of the installation location of the radiator and inlet inside the boom. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0006] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0007] 1 shows a configuration of an aircraft 100 according to the present embodiment in a top view. The aircraft 100 is a vertical take-off and landing aircraft that has a rotor with an electric motor as a drive source, and takes off and lands vertically by generating thrust using a take-off and landing (VTOL) rotor, and flies horizontally by generating thrust using a cruise rotor (also called a cruise rotor). It is also a hybrid aircraft that can operate the electric motor with power supplied from a battery and a motor generator, and charge the battery with the motor generator. The aircraft 100 according to the present embodiment has an airframe that is configured to efficiently guide the airflow (i.e., downwash) generated by the VTOL rotor into the radiator, and includes a fuselage 12, a front wing 14, a rear wing 16, two booms 18, eight VTOL rotors 20, two cruise rotors 29, a cooling system 60, and an airflow guide structure 70.

[0008] The fuselage 12 is a structure that provides space for crew and passengers to board and for carrying cargo, etc., and stores devices such as a battery and a motor generator (both not shown). The fuselage 12 is symmetrical with respect to a central axis L, extends in a front-rear direction parallel to the central axis L, and has a shape that is narrow in a left-right direction perpendicular to the central axis L in a horizontal plane. Here, the direction parallel to the central axis L is the front-rear direction, the left and right of the drawing are the front (F) and rear (B), respectively, the direction perpendicular to the central axis L in the horizontal plane is the width direction (or left-right direction), and the top and bottom of the drawing are the right (R) and left (L), respectively. The vertical direction is perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the width direction, and the upward and downward vertical directions are also called the upward (U) and downward (L), respectively. The fuselage 12 has a front end that is rounded in a top view, and a rear end that is somewhat narrower than the torso and parallel to the width direction.

[0009] The forewing 14 is a wing body that extends laterally from the fuselage 12 and generates lift during cruising, i.e., by moving forward, and functions as a canard for the aircraft 100. The forewing 14 has a V-shape with two wing bodies extending from the center to the left front and right front, respectively, and is fixed at the center to the upper part of the front body part of the fuselage 12 with the opening of the V-shape facing forward. The forewing 14 includes elevators 14a arranged on each of the double tracks of the two wing bodies.

[0010] The rear wing 16 extends laterally from the fuselage 12 and is a wing body that generates lift during cruising, i.e., by moving forward, and functions as a swept-back wing that reduces air resistance. The rear wing 16 has a V-shape with two wing bodies extending from the center to the left rear and right rear, respectively, and is fixed at the center to the upper part of the rear end of the fuselage 12 via a pylon 32 with the opening of the V-shape facing rearward. The rear wing 16 includes elevons 16a arranged on each of the double tracks of the two wing bodies and vertical tails 16b arranged at the wing tips.

[0011] Here, the wing area of ​​the rear wing 16 is larger than that of the front wing 14, and the wingspan of the rear wing 16 is longer than that of the front wing. As a result, the lift generated by the rear wing 16 as it moves forward is larger than the lift generated by the front wing 14, and the rear wing 16 functions as the main wing of the aircraft 100. Note that the wing areas, lengths, etc. of the front wing 14 and the rear wing 16 may be determined based on the balance of the lift generated by each, the position of the center of gravity, the attitude of the aircraft during cruising, etc.

[0012] The two booms 18 are structures supported by the front wing 14 and rear wing 16 at a distance from the fuselage 12 to the left and right, respectively, and function to support or store each component of the VTOL rotor 20 and the cooling system 60 described later. The two booms 18 have a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction in top view, and have an airfoil-shaped cross-sectional shape with a rounded upper side and a tapered lower side in front view, and are arranged symmetrically in pairs with respect to the fuselage 12 (i.e., the central axis L). The two booms 18 may be formed to extend in the front-rear direction and curve in an arc shape in the width direction. The front ends of the two booms 18 are located forward of the front wing 14 and are supported by the tips of the front wing 14 at the front fuselage (between the two front VTOL rotors 20a, 20b), and the rear ends are located rearward of the rear wing 16 and are supported by the rear fuselage (between the two rear VTOL rotors 20c, 20d) at the rear fuselage.

[0013] FIG. 2A shows the internal configuration of the boom 18. The boom 18 includes a skin 18a, a rib 18b, and a spar 18c. The skin 18a is a member that constitutes the surface of the boom 18, and is formed into a cylindrical shape having an airfoil-shaped cross section and extending in the front-rear direction. The skin 18a rises high upward at a location where the VTOL rotor 20 is disposed and expands in the left-right direction to form a space 18d, and rises somewhat high upward at a location where the cooling system 60 is disposed and expands in the left-right direction to form a space 18e. The rib 18b is a wing-shaped plate-like member that is disposed at multiple locations in the front-rear direction to hold the skin 18a from the inside. The rib 18b partitions the spaces 18d and 18e in the boom 18. The spar 18c is a rod-shaped member that extends in the front-rear direction and constitutes a framework that supports the rib 18b and other members.

[0014] The eight VTOL rotors 20 (20a to 20d) are supported by the two booms 18 and generate vertical thrust during takeoff and landing. Four of the eight VTOL rotors 20, the VTOL rotors 20a to 20d, are supported at approximately equal intervals by the left boom 18, and the remaining four VTOL rotors 20a to 20d are supported at approximately equal intervals by the right boom 18. Here, the VTOL rotor 20a is disposed at the front, the two VTOL rotors 20b and 20c are disposed at the front and rear between the front wing 14 and the rear wing 16, respectively, and the VTOL rotor 20d is disposed at the back. Of the left VTOL rotors 20a to 20d and the four right VTOL rotors 20a to 20d, the two left and right VTOL rotors 20a to 20d that are at the same position in the fore-and-aft direction form a pair and are controlled to rotate in opposite directions to each other. Unless otherwise specified, each of the eight VTOL rotors 20a to 20d will be simply referred to as a VTOL rotor 20.

[0015] The VTOL rotor 20 has one or more blades 23, a motor 21, and an inverter 22. The motor 21 and the inverter 22 are also referred to as electric elements.

[0016] The one or more blades 23 are wing-like members that are supported on the boom 18 as shown in Fig. 2A and generate thrust in the vertical direction by rotating. In this embodiment, the number of blades 23 is two, but any number of blades may be one or three or more. The one or more blades 23 are supported at a position higher than the front wing 14 and the rear wing 16. In Fig. 1, the plane of rotation of the one or more blades 23 of each VTOL rotor 20 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0017] The motor (an example of a rotating device) 21 is an electric motor having a rotating shaft 21a oriented in the vertical direction, which rotates a blade 23 fixed to the tip thereof, and is supported on the spar 18c via a support member and housed in the space 18d of the boom 18.

[0018] The inverter (an example of a control device) 22 is a device that receives DC power from a battery, converts it into AC power, and supplies it to the motor 21, and is supported below the motor 21 by the spur 18c. The inverter 22 can control the rotation speed of the motor 21.

[0019] The two cruise rotors 29 are supported at the rear end of the fuselage 12 and generate thrust during cruising. The cruise rotors 29 are arranged side by side on the left and right sides of the central axis L in a cylindrical duct 54 fixed to the rear end of the fuselage 12, and each have one or more blades that are supported in the duct 54 and generate forward thrust by rotating, a motor that has a rotating shaft oriented in the fore-and-aft direction and rotates one or more blades fixed to the tip of the motor via the rotating shaft, and an inverter (none of which are shown) that receives DC power from a battery, converts it into AC power and supplies it to the motor. The inverter can control the rotation speed of the motor.

[0020] The cooling system 60 is a system that cools the motor 21 and the inverter 22 (also called electrical components) that constitute the VTOL rotor 20 by a liquid cooling method using a radiator 61 arranged in the boom 18. In this embodiment, one cooling system 60 is provided for one VTOL rotor 20, that is, a total of eight cooling systems 60, but this is not limited thereto, and one cooling system 60 may be provided for a plurality (for example, two) of VTOL rotors 20. The cooling system 60 includes a radiator 61, a pump 62, a coolant tank 63, and pipes 64, 65. Water can be used as the coolant.

[0021] 2B and 2C show the configuration of the radiator 61 in a front view and a side view, respectively. The radiator 61 is a heat exchanger that cools the coolant for cooling the motor 21 and the inverter 22. The radiator 61 is supported between two ribs 18b using a support member 61f, and is stored in the boom 18 by an air flow guide structure 70 described later. The arrangement of the radiator 61 in the boom 18 will be described later. The radiator 61 has a plurality of tubes 61a that allow the coolant to flow vertically, a plurality of fins 61b that are fixed to each of the plurality of tubes 61a and increase the surface area that the air flow contacts, an upper tank 61c that sends the coolant to the plurality of tubes 61a, a lower tank 61d that receives the coolant from the plurality of tubes 61a, and two fans 61e that send the air flow to the plurality of fins 61b.

[0022] The tubes 61a are arranged in the horizontal direction and assembled together with the fins 61b into a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and the upper tank 61c is fixed to the upper side and the lower tank 61d is fixed to the lower side to form a radiator body. When the pump 62 described later is operated, the cooling liquid that has been circulating around the motor 21 and the inverter 22 and has been heated is sent to the upper tank 61c through the piping 64, flows downward through each of the tubes 61a, is cooled, and is sent to the lower tank 61d, and is sent to the motor 21 and the inverter 22 through the piping 65. At this time, the two fans 61e are operated to send airflow from one side (the right side in FIG. 2C) of the radiator body and contacts the fins 61b, thereby exchanging heat between the airflow and the radiator body. The heated airflow exits the other side (the left side in FIG. 2C) of the radiator body and is exhausted.

[0023] The pump 62 is connected to the radiator 61 via a pipe 65, receives the cooled coolant from the radiator 61, and sends it to the motor 21 and the inverter 22. Accordingly, the coolant that has been heated by passing through the motor 21 and the inverter 22 is sent to the radiator 61 via a pipe 64.

[0024] The coolant tank 63 is a container for storing coolant. For example, when the coolant is insufficient, the coolant is sent from the coolant tank 63 to the cooling circuit to replenish the coolant.

[0025] The pipes 64, 65 are members for transporting the coolant, and connect the radiator 61 and the pump 62 to the motor 21 and the inverter 22 to form a cooling circuit through which the coolant circulates.

[0026] 2D shows the configuration of the cooling circuit. An upper tank 61c of the radiator 61 is connected to the motor 21 and the inverter 22 by a pipe 64. A lower tank 61d of the radiator 61 is connected to the motor 21 and the inverter 22 by a pipe 65 via a pump 62. A coolant tank 63 is connected to the pipe 65. When the pump 62 is operated, the coolant heated in the motor 21 and the inverter 22 is sent to the radiator 61 via the pipe 64, and the coolant cooled in the radiator 61 is sent to the motor 21 and the inverter 22 via the pipe 65.

[0027] In the cooling circuit provided by the cooling system 60, the motor 21 and the inverter 22 are connected in series downstream of the pump 62, but they may be connected in parallel instead. Other electrical components may be connected in series or in parallel with the motor 21 and the inverter 22. In the cooling system 60, the cooling circuit is configured to cool both the motor 21 and the inverter 22 by one radiator 61, pump 62, and tank 63, but instead, two independent cooling circuits may be configured to individually cool the motor 21 and the inverter 22 by connecting the radiator 61, pump 62, and tank 63 to the motor 21 and the inverter 22, respectively.

[0028] It should be noted that a cooling system configured similarly to cooling system 60 may be provided to cool electrical components of cruise rotor 29 .

[0029] 3 shows a cross-sectional structure of the air flow guide structure 70 with respect to the reference line CC in FIG. 2A. The central axis of the air flow guide structure 70 in the width direction is the central axis L 70 The central axis L 70 is parallel to the rotation shaft 21a of the VTOL rotor 20 and overlaps with the rotation shaft 21a in the front-rear direction at the same position in the width direction. The air flow guide structure 70 is provided on a part of the boom 18 and guides the air flow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 to the radiator 61 in the boom 18. The air flow guide structure 70 has an upper structure 71 and a lower structure 72.

[0030] The upper structure 71 is a member having a cross section of a substantially inverted L-shape that is inserted into the body of the boom 18 to form the upper side and the right side. The upper structure 71 may be formed solidly, with the tip of the upper side inclining diagonally upward to the left, a recess 71b extending diagonally downward in the front-rear direction formed on the lower surface of the upper side, and the inner surface of the right side (i.e., the left surface) is formed in a streamlined shape that bulges to the right from the recess 71b on a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction and extends downward while returning slightly to the left. The upper side of the upper structure 71 functions as a beam 71a that is installed above the inlet 70a formed between the upper structure 71 and the lower structure 72. This makes it possible to resist bending stress applied to the boom 18 including the air flow guide structure 70.

[0031] The lower structure 72 is a member having a substantially L-shaped cross section that is inserted into the body of the boom 18 to form the lower side and the left side. The lower structure 72 may be formed solid, and a recess 72b extending in the front-rear direction and facing diagonally upward is formed on the upper surface of the lower side, the right end of the lower side faces downward, the upper end of the left side is inclined diagonally upward to the left, and the inner surface of the left side (i.e., the right surface) is formed in a streamlined shape that bulges slightly to the right from the upper end on a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction and then extends downward while returning slightly to the left. The lower side of the lower structure 72 functions as a beam 72a that is installed below the outlet 70b formed between the upper structure 71 and the lower structure 72. This makes it possible to resist bending stress applied to the boom 18 including the air flow guide structure 70.

[0032] By assembling the air flow guide structure 70 using the upper structure 71 and the lower structure 72 configured as described above, an inlet 70a for taking in air flow to the upper side and an outlet 70b for discharging air flow to the lower side are formed in the boom 18. First, the radiator 61 and the fan 61e are stacked, then the upper structure 71 is fixed to the spar 18c, the upper tank 61c of the radiator 61 is fitted into the recess 71b of the upper structure 71 and a bracket provided on the upper tank 61c is fixed to the spar 18c, then the lower structure 72 is fixed to the spar 18c, and the lower tank 61d of the radiator 61 is fitted into the recess 72b of the lower structure 72 and a bracket provided on the lower tank 61d is fixed to the spar 18c, whereby the air flow guide structure 70 is integrally assembled to the body of the boom 18. At this time, the radiator 61 and the fan 61e are supported between the two ribs 18b in the boom 18 by using a support member 61f.

[0033] As a result, an inlet 70a is formed between the upper side of the upper structure 71 and the left side of the lower structure 72, located on one side (suction side) of the radiator 61, and an outlet 70b is formed between the right side of the upper structure 71 and the lower side of the lower structure 72, located on the other side (exhaust side) of the radiator 61. At the same time, the radiator 61 is disposed between the inlet 70a and the outlet 70b within the boom 18, and is aligned with the rotation axis 21a of the VTOL rotor 20 (i.e., the central axis L 70 ), the suction surface faces the inlet 70a side and the exhaust surface faces the outlet 70b side. Furthermore, two fans 61e are disposed on the exhaust surface side of the radiator 61. The two fans 61e may be disposed on the intake surface side of the radiator 61.

[0034] FIG. 4A shows the configuration of the upper side of the air flow guidance structure 70 provided on the boom 18. As an example, the air flow guidance structure 70 is a structure including a radiator 61 for cooling the right VTOL rotor 20b, and is provided on the boom body between the rotation shafts 21a of the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b (i.e., in front of the VTOL rotor 20b). The air flow guidance structure 70 allows the inlet 70a to be provided between the rotation shafts 21a of the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b on the surface of the boom 18, and allows the inlet 70a to be aligned with the rotation shaft 21a (central axis L) of the VTOL rotor 20b in a front view on the surface of the boom 18 located below the rotation plane of one of the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b, particularly one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b in this example. 70 ), that is, on the side facing the rotation direction (rightward in this example) of one or more blades 23, that is, on the opposite side (left side in this example) to the rotation direction.

[0035] Here, the blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20 have a pitch angle with respect to the plane of rotation in order to generate thrust (see FIG. 2A). Therefore, when the blades 23 rotate clockwise, for example, as shown in FIG. 4A, an airflow is generated in a direction inclined toward the direction of rotational movement of the blades 23 with respect to the downward direction, that is, diagonally downward to the right (the direction of the white arrow in FIG. 3). Therefore, in the airflow guide structure 70, the inlet 70a is aligned with the rotation axis 21a (center axis L) of the VTOL rotor 20b in a front view. 70 ) is provided on the left side of the inlet 70a, so that when the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b are started, the airflow generated by the rotation of at least one of the rotors, in this example, particularly one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b, can be efficiently guided to the radiator 61 in the boom 18 via the inlet 70a.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, the tip of the upper side of the upper structure 71 of the air flow guide structure 70 is inclined obliquely upward to the left, and the upper end of the left side of the lower structure 72 is inclined obliquely upward to the left. Therefore, in the air flow guide structure 70, the tip of the upper side of the upper structure 71 and the upper end of the left side of the lower structure 72 face each other, so that the inlet 70a is aligned along the central axis L. 70In contrast, the inlet 70a is inclined obliquely upward and leftward in the direction of rotation of the blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b (rightward in FIG. 3). This allows the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b to be efficiently guided to the radiator 61 in the boom 18 via the inlet 70a.

[0037] The airflow guidance structure 70 for the VTOL rotor 20b may be provided on the boom body between the rotation shafts 21a of the two VTOL rotors 20b, 20c (i.e., on the rear side of the VTOL rotor 20b) instead of or in addition to the boom body between the rotation shafts 21a of the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b. In such a case, the rotation shaft 21a of the VTOL rotor 20b (central axis L) of the VTOL rotor 20b in front view on the surface of the boom 18 located below the rotation plane of one of the two VTOL rotors 20b, 20c, particularly in this example, one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b. 70 The inlet 70a is provided on the side facing the rotation direction (leftward in this example) of the one or more blades 23 with respect to the central axis L, that is, on the opposite side (rightward in this example) with respect to the rotation direction. 70 With respect to the inlet 70a, the inlet 70a is inclined obliquely upward to the right in the rotation direction of the blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b (leftward in this example). This allows the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b to be efficiently guided to the radiator 61 in the boom 18 via the inlet 70a.

[0038] 4B shows the configuration of the lower side of the aforementioned air flow guide structure 70. With the air flow guide structure 70, the outlet 70b is provided at a position facing the inlet 70a on the lower side of the boom 18. As a result, the air flow introduced via the upper inlet 70a passes through the inside of the boom 18 and is discharged downward from the lower outlet 70b, allowing the air flow to pass efficiently inside the boom 18.

[0039] The outlet 70b is located in the lower part of the boom 18, and is located adjacent to the rotation shaft 21a (center axis L) of the VTOL rotor 20b in this example when viewed from the front. 70) on the side following the rotation direction (rightward in this example) of one or more blades 23, that is, on the side corresponding to the rotation direction (right side in this example). 70 ) from the inlet 70a. As a result, the flow path of the airflow introduced through the inlet 70a inside the boom 18 becomes longer, and the airflow comes into contact with the radiator 61 over a long distance before being led out of the outlet 70b, thereby enabling the radiator 61 to be cooled efficiently.

[0040] 3, the right end of the lower side of the lower structure 72 of the air flow guidance structure 70 faces downward, and the left inner surface of the right side of the upper structure 71 is formed in a streamlined shape facing downward, so that the right end of the lower side of the lower structure 72 faces the lower end of the right side of the upper structure 71 in the air flow guidance structure 70, and the outlet 70b faces further downward relative to the inlet 70a that is inclined diagonally upward to the left. As a result, the air flow that is introduced into the boom 18 diagonally downward to the right through the inlet 70a is discharged further downward through the outlet 70b, and the vertical thrust applied to the boom 18 (i.e., the fuselage of the aircraft 100) can be increased. Furthermore, with such a structure of the air flow guidance structure 70, the output of the fan 61e can also be used as a vertical thrust applied to the boom 18 (i.e., the fuselage).

[0041] In the air flow guidance structure 70, the inlet 70a is provided at the top of the boom 18, but this is not limited to this, and the inlet may be provided at any position between the top and side of the boom 18 as long as the air flow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 when the VTOL rotor 20 starts can be efficiently guided into the boom 18.

[0042] 5 shows a cross-sectional structure of an air flow guide structure 70d according to a modified example taken along the reference line CC in FIG. 2A. Note that the central axis L 70 The central axis L 70is parallel to the rotation shaft 21a of the VTOL rotor 20 and overlaps with the rotation shaft 21a in the front-rear direction at the same position in the width direction. The air flow guide structure 70d is a structure that guides the air flow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 to the radiator 61 in the boom 18, and has an upper structure 71d and a lower structure 72d.

[0043] The upper structure 71d is a member having a cross section shaped like a letter "7" that is inserted into the body of the boom 18 to form the upper side and the right side, and the tip of the upper side curves further leftward and extends relative to the upper structure 71 described above. The tip of the upper side is inclined diagonally upward to the left. The upper side of the upper structure 71d functions as a beam 71a that is installed above the inlet 70a formed between the upper structure 71d and the lower structure 72d. This makes it possible to resist bending stress applied to the boom 18 including the air flow guide structure 70.

[0044] The lower structure 72d is a member having a substantially L-shaped cross section that is inserted into the body of the boom 18 to form the lower side and the left side, and the upper end of the left side is located lower than the previously described lower structure 72. The tip of the left side is inclined diagonally upward to the left. The lower side of the lower structure 72d functions as a beam 72a that is installed below the outlet 70b formed between the upper structure 71d and the lower structure 72d. This makes it possible to resist bending stress applied to the boom 18 including the air flow guide structure 70.

[0045] By assembling the air flow guide structure 70d using the upper structure 71d and the lower structure 72d configured as described above, an inlet 70a for taking in air flow is formed on the left side and an outlet 70b for discharging air flow on the lower side is formed. The assembly of the air flow guide structure 70d is similar to that of the air flow guide structure 70 described above. As a result, the inlet 70a is formed between the upper side of the upper structure 71d and the left side of the lower structure 72d, positioned on one side (suction side) of the radiator 61, and the outlet 70b is formed between the right side of the upper structure 71d and the lower side of the lower structure 72d, positioned on the other side (exhaust side) of the radiator 61. At the same time, the radiator 61 is disposed between the inlet 70a and the outlet 70b within the boom 18, and is aligned with the rotation axis 21a (i.e., the central axis L) of the VTOL rotor 20. 70 ) is inclined such that the suction surface faces the inlet 70a side and the exhaust surface faces the outlet 70b side.

[0046] As described above, the blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20 have a pitch angle with respect to the rotation plane in order to generate a vertical thrust, as shown in Fig. 2A for example, and therefore when the blades 23 rotate, an airflow is generated in a direction inclined toward the direction of rotational movement of the blades 23 with respect to the downward direction, that is, diagonally downward to the right (the direction of the white arrow in Fig. 5). Therefore, in the airflow guide structure 70d, the inlet 70a is provided on the left side of the boom 18 when viewed from the front, so that when the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b are started, the airflow generated by the rotation of at least one of the rotors, particularly in this example, the VTOL rotor 20b, can be efficiently guided to the radiator 61 in the boom 18 via the inlet 70a.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 5, the tip of the upper side of the upper structure 71d of the air flow guide structure 70d is inclined obliquely upward to the left, and the upper end of the left side of the lower structure 72d is inclined obliquely upward to the left. Therefore, in the air flow guide structure 70d, the tip of the upper side of the upper structure 71d and the upper end of the left side of the lower structure 72d face each other, so that the inlet 70a is aligned along the central axis L. 70In contrast, the inlet 70a is inclined obliquely upward and leftward in the direction of rotation of the blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b (rightward in FIG. 5). This allows the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b to be efficiently guided to the radiator 61 in the boom 18 via the inlet 70a.

[0048] The rotation directions of the eight VTOL rotors 20 are determined so as to balance the reaction force and thrust acting on the airframe by canceling out the reverse torques generated by the respective rotations. Depending on the position and rotation direction of the VTOL rotors 20, the position in the front-rear direction within the boom 18 where the radiator 61 (i.e., the airflow guidance structure 70) is provided, and the positions in the front-rear direction and width direction of the inlet 70a (and outlet 70b) can be selected.

[0049] FIG. 6A shows a first example of the installation position of the radiator 61 (i.e., the air flow guide structure 70) in the boom 18 in the front-rear direction and the installation position of the inlet 70a in the front-rear direction and width direction. Here, the two booms 18 arranged on the left and right sides of the fuselage 12 are configured symmetrically because the rotation directions of the paired VTOL rotors of the four VTOL rotors 20 supported by each boom 18 are opposite to each other. Therefore, only the positions of the radiator 61 and the inlet 70a in the right boom 18 will be described here. Installation positions Pa to Pd are installation positions of the VTOL rotors 20a to 20d in the front-rear direction, respectively, and the black arrows and the white arrows indicate the rotation directions of the blades 23 of the VTOL rotors 20a to 20d. In this example, the rotation directions of the VTOL rotors 20a and 20d are counterclockwise, and the rotation directions of the VTOL rotors 20b and 20c are clockwise. In addition, an axis extending in the front-rear direction through which the rotation shafts 21a of the VTOL rotors 20a to 20d pass in a top view is defined as the central axis L of the boom 18. 18 Let us assume that.

[0050] There are six installation positions for the radiator 61, that is, two installation positions (the installation position 61a on the rear side of the VTOL rotor 20a) between the installation positions Pa and Pb of the VTOL rotors 20a and 20b. 12 and the installation position 61a on the front side of the VTOL rotor 20b21 ), and two installation positions (the installation position 61a on the rear side of the VTOL rotor 20b) between the installation positions Pb, Pc of the VTOL rotors 20b, 20c 22 and the installation position 61a on the front side of the VTOL rotor 20c 31 ), and two installation positions (the installation position 61a on the rear side of the VTOL rotor 20c) between the installation positions Pc, Pd of the VTOL rotors 20c, 20d 32 and the installation position 61a on the front side of the VTOL rotor 20d 41 Here, the installation position 61a 12 The radiator 61 for cooling the VTOL rotor 20a is installed at a position 61a. 21 ,61a 22 The radiator 61 for cooling the VTOL rotor 20b is installed at the installation position 61a. 31 ,61a 32 The radiator 61 for cooling the VTOL rotor 20c is installed at a position 61a. 41 A radiator 61 for cooling the VTOL rotor 20d can be installed at the installation position 61a. 21 ,61a 22 A radiator 61 for cooling the VTOL rotor 20b may be installed at only one of the installation positions 61a. 31 ,61a 32 A radiator 61 for cooling the VTOL rotor 20c may be installed on only one of the two.

[0051] In addition, installation position 61a 12 ,61a 21 is at least partially located at the location where the boom 18 is connected to the front wing 14, and the airflow guidance structure 70 can be more stably fixed to the boom 18 by utilizing the frame of the front wing 14 or the like. 22 ,61a 31 The installation position 61a is located at the trunk of the boom 18 supported between the front wing 14 and the rear wing 16, so that the airflow guidance structure 70 can be more stably fixed to the boom 18. 32 ,61a 41is at least partially located at the point where the boom 18 is connected to the rear wing 16, and the airflow guidance structure 70 can be more stably fixed to the boom 18 by utilizing the frame of the rear wing 16 or the like.

[0052] The position of the inlet 70a in the front-rear direction is determined according to the installation position of the radiator 61 described above. Here, the inlet 70a can be provided on the surface of the boom 18 between the rotation shafts 21a of the two VTOL rotors 20 in an area below the rotation plane of one of the rotors. For example, the installation position 61a may be set in an area below the rotation plane of one of the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b. 12 Inlet 70a for directing airflow to radiator 61 installed in 12 Here, the inlet 70a 12 The inlet 70a may be disposed so as to overlap a part of the area directly below the rotation plane of the VTOL rotor 20a, or may be disposed within the area directly below the rotation plane. This allows the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 when the VTOL rotor 20a starts to be efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 12 via installation position 61a 12 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0053] In addition, inlet 70a 12 The rotation axis 21a of the VTOL rotor 20a (center axis L 18 ) with respect to the direction of rotation of one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20a (inlet 70a 12 In this example, the inlet 70a is located on the opposite side to the rotation direction (the left side in this example). 12 The rotation axis 21a (center axis L 18 ) with respect to the rotation direction of the blade 23 of the VTOL rotor 20a (inlet 70a 12 In this way, when the VTOL rotor 20a starts, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 can be efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 12 via installation position 61a 12The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0054] In addition, the inlet 70a can be further provided on the surface of the boom 18 between the rotation axes 21a of the two VTOL rotors 20 in an area below the rotation plane of the other rotor. For example, the installation position 61a is provided in an area below the rotation plane of the other VTOL rotor 20b of the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b. 21 Inlet 70a for directing airflow to radiator 61 installed in 21 Here, the inlet 70a 21 The inlet 70a may be disposed so as to overlap a part of the area directly below the rotation plane of the VTOL rotor 20b, or may be disposed within the area directly below the rotation plane. This allows the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 when the VTOL rotor 20b starts to be efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 21 via installation position 61a 21 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0055] In addition, inlet 70a 21 The rotation axis 21a of the VTOL rotor 20b (center axis L 18 ) with respect to the direction of rotation of one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b (inlet 70a 21 In this example, the inlet 70a is located on the opposite side to the rotation direction (the left side in this example). 21 The rotation axis 21a (center axis L 18 ) with respect to the rotation direction of the blade 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b (inlet 70a 21 In this way, when the VTOL rotor 20b starts, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 can be efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 21 via installation position 61a 21 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0056] The VTOL motors 20a and 20b rotate in opposite directions, and rotate in the same direction (rightward in this example) between the respective rotation shafts 21a (installation positions Pa and Pb). 12 ,70a 21 Both have a rotating shaft 21a (central axis L 18 ) in the direction of rotation (the left side in this example) and is inclined obliquely upward to the left in opposition to the direction of rotation. 12 ,70a 21 In this way, when at least one of the VTOL rotors 20a, 20b is started, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 can be efficiently conveyed to the inlet 70a. 12 ,70a 21 via installation position 61a 12 ,61a 21 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0057] The inlet 70a can be provided on the surface of the boom 18, for example, in the areas before and after the rotation shaft 21a (installation position Pb) below the rotation plane of the VTOL rotor 20b. That is, the inlet 70a on the front side of the rotation shaft 21a (installation position Pb) of the VTOL rotor 20b 21 In addition, at the rear, at installation position 61a 22 Inlet 70a for directing airflow to radiator 61 installed in 22 Here, the inlet 70a 22 The inlets 70a may be arranged so as to overlap a part of the area directly below the rotation plane of the VTOL rotor 20b, or may be arranged within the area directly below the rotation plane. This allows the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 when the VTOL rotor 20b starts to be efficiently directed to the two inlets 70a. 21 ,70a 22 via installation position 61a 21 ,61a 22 The VTOL rotor 20b can be efficiently cooled by using the two radiators 61. 21 ,61a22 Alternatively, the radiator 61 may be installed on only one of the two and used to cool the VTOL rotor 20b.

[0058] Two inlets 70a are provided in front of and behind the rotation shaft 21a (installation position Pb) of the VTOL rotor 20b. 21 ,70a 22 is located on the side facing the rotation direction of the one or more blades 23 with respect to the rotation axis 21a (installation position Pb) of the VTOL rotor 20b. 21 As described above, the rotation axis 21a of the VTOL rotor 20b (center axis L 18 ) with respect to the direction of rotation of one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b (inlet 70a 21 Inlet 70a is located on the side facing the right side of the inlet 70a, i.e., on the opposite side of the rotation direction (left side in this example). 22 The rotation axis 21a of the VTOL rotor 20b (center axis L 18 ) with respect to the direction of rotation of one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b (inlet 70a 22 In this example, the inlet 70a is located on the opposite side to the rotation direction (the right side in this example). 22 The direction of rotation of the blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20b relative to the rotation axis 21a (the inlet 70a 22 In this way, when the VTOL rotor 20b starts, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 can be efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 21 ,70a 22 via installation position 61a 21 ,61a 22 The VTOL rotor 20b can be efficiently cooled by using the two radiators 61. 21 ,61a 22 Alternatively, the radiator 61 may be installed on only one of the two and used to cool the VTOL rotor 20b.

[0059] The inlets 70a are provided in front of and behind the rotation axis 21a (installation position Pc) of the VTOL rotor 20c. 31 ,70a 32 These are the inlets 70a mentioned above. 21 ,70a 22 As a result, when the VTOL rotor 20c starts, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 is efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 31 ,70a 32 via installation position 61a 31 ,61a 32 The VTOL rotor 20b can be efficiently cooled by using the two radiators 61. 31 ,61a 32 Alternatively, the radiator 61 may be installed on only one of the two and used to cool the VTOL rotor 20c.

[0060] An inlet 70a is provided in front of the rotation shaft 21a (installation position Pd) of the VTOL rotor 20d. 41 This is the same as the inlet 70a described above. 12 In this way, when the VTOL rotor 20d starts, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 can be efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 41 via installation position 61a 41 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0061] The VTOL motors 20c and 20d rotate in opposite directions, and rotate in the same direction (leftward in this example) between the respective rotation shafts 21a (installation positions Pc and Pd). 32 ,70a 41 Both have a rotating shaft 21a (central axis L 18 ) in the direction of rotation (the right side in this example) and is inclined obliquely upward to the right in opposition to the direction of rotation. 32 ,70a 41In this way, when at least one of the VTOL rotors 20c, 20d is started, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 can be efficiently conveyed to the inlet 70a. 32 ,70a 41 via installation position 61a 32 ,61a 41 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0062] 6B shows a second example of the installation position of the radiator 61 in the boom 18 in the front-rear direction and the installation position of the inlet 70a in the front-rear direction and width direction. As before, only the positions of the radiator 61 and the inlet 70a on the right boom 18 will be described here. Installation positions Pa to Pd, black and white arrows, central axis L 18 is defined as above. In this example, the rotation direction of the VTOL rotors 20a and 20c is clockwise, and the rotation direction of the VTOL rotors 20b and 20d is counterclockwise. The radiators 61 are installed at six positions as above.

[0063] The inlet 70a is provided on the rear side of the rotation shaft 21a (installation position Pa) of the VTOL rotor 20a. 12 This is the same as the inlet 70a described above. 12 The inlets 70a are arranged in front of and behind the rotation axis 21a (installation position Pb) of the VTOL rotor 20b. 21 ,70a 22 These are the inlets 70a mentioned above. 21 ,70a 22 The inlets 70a are arranged in front of and behind the rotation axis 21a (installation position Pc) of the VTOL rotor 20c. 31 ,70a 32 These are the inlets 70a mentioned above. 31 ,70a 32 The inlet 70a is disposed in front of the rotation shaft 21a (installation position Pd) of the VTOL rotor 20d. 41 This is the same as the inlet 70a described above. 41 It is configured similarly to.

[0064] Here, the rotation directions of the VTOL motors 20a and 20b are opposite to each other, and the inlet 70a rotates in the same direction (leftward in this example) between the respective rotation shafts 21a (installation positions Pa and Pb). 12 ,70a 21 Both have a rotating shaft 21a (central axis L 18 ) in the direction of rotation (the right side in this example) and is inclined obliquely upward to the right in opposition to the direction of rotation. 12 ,70a 21 In this way, when at least one of the VTOL rotors 20a, 20b is started, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 can be efficiently conveyed to the inlet 70a. 12 ,70a 21 via installation position 61a 12 ,61a 21 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0065] In addition, the VTOL motors 20b and 20c rotate in opposite directions, and rotate in the same direction (rightward in this example) between the respective rotation shafts 21a (installation positions Pb and Pc). 22 ,70a 31 Both have a rotating shaft 21a (central axis L 18 ) in the direction of rotation (the left side in this example) and is inclined obliquely upward to the left in opposition to the direction of rotation. 22 ,70a 31 In this way, when at least one of the VTOL rotors 20b and 20c is started, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 can be efficiently conveyed to the inlet 70a. 22 ,70a 31 via installation position 61a 22 ,61a 31 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0066] In addition, the rotation directions of the VTOL motors 20c and 20d are opposite to each other, and the inlet 70a rotates in the same direction (leftward in this example) between the rotation shafts 21a (installation positions Pc and Pd). 32 ,70a 41 Both have a rotating shaft 21a (central axis L 18 ) in the direction of rotation (the right side in this example) and is inclined obliquely upward to the right in opposition to the direction of rotation. 32 ,70a 41 In this way, when at least one of the VTOL rotors 20c, 20d is started, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 can be efficiently conveyed to the inlet 70a. 32 ,70a 41 via installation position 61a 32 ,61a 41 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0067] 7A shows a third example of the installation position of the radiator 61 in the boom 18 in the front-rear direction and the installation position of the inlet 70a in the front-rear direction and width direction. As before, only the positions of the radiator 61 and the inlet 70a on the right boom 18 will be described here. Installation positions Pa to Pd, black and white arrows, central axis L 18 is defined as above. In this example, the rotation direction of the VTOL rotors 20a, 20d is counterclockwise, and the rotation direction of the VTOL rotors 20b, 20c is clockwise.

[0068] The radiator 61 has two installation positions, that is, one installation position (the installation position 61a on the rear side of the VTOL rotor 20a) between the installation positions Pa and Pb of the VTOL rotors 20a and 20b. 12 ), one installation position between the installation positions Pc and Pd of the VTOL rotors 20c and 20d (installation position 61a on the rear side of the VTOL rotor 20c) 32 Here, the installation position 61a 12 The radiator 61 for cooling the VTOL rotors 20a and 20b is installed at a position 61a. 32A radiator 61 for cooling the VTOL rotors 20c, 20d can be installed on the rotors 61a, 61b.

[0069] In addition, installation position 61a 12 is at least partially located at the location where the boom 18 is connected to the front wing 14, and the airflow guidance structure 70 can be more stably fixed to the boom 18 by utilizing the frame of the front wing 14 or the like. 32 is at least partially located at the point where the boom 18 is connected to the rear wing 16, and the airflow guidance structure 70 can be more stably fixed to the boom 18 by utilizing the frame of the rear wing 16 or the like.

[0070] The position of the inlet 70a in the front-rear direction is determined according to the installation position of the radiator 61 described above. Here, the inlet 70a can be provided on the surface of the boom 18 between the rotation shafts 21a of the two VTOL rotors 20 in an area below the rotation plane of one of the rotors. For example, the installation position 61a may be set in an area below the rotation plane of one of the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b. 12 Inlet 70a for directing airflow to radiator 61 installed in 12 Here, the inlet 70a 12 The inlet 70a may be disposed so as to overlap a part of the area directly below the rotation plane of the VTOL rotor 20a, or may be disposed within the area directly below the rotation plane. This allows the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 when the VTOL rotor 20a starts to be efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 12 via installation position 61a 12 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0071] In addition, one or more blades 23 of the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b rotate in different directions, and the inlets 70a 12may be provided in an area partially including each of the lower areas of the rotation planes of the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b on the surface of the boom 18. In this way, when the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b start, the airflows generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 of each of the two VTOL rotors 20a, 20b can be efficiently guided to the inlets 70a, 70b. 12 to a radiator 61 in the boom 18.

[0072] In addition, inlet 70a 12 The rotation axis 21a of the VTOL rotor 20a (center axis L 18 ) with respect to the direction of rotation of one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20a (inlet 70a 12 In this example, the inlet 70a is located on the opposite side to the rotation direction (the left side in this example). 12 The rotation axis 21a (center axis L 18 ) with respect to the direction of rotation of one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20a (inlet 70a 12 In this way, when the VTOL rotor 20a starts, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 can be efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 12 via installation position 61a 12 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0073] In addition, the installation position 61a is provided in an area below the rotation plane of the VTOL rotor 20c, which is one of the two VTOL rotors 20c and 20d. 32 Inlet 70a for directing airflow to radiator 61 installed in 32 This is the same as the inlet 70a described above. 12 As a result, when the VTOL rotor 20c starts, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 is efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 32 via installation position 61a 32 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0074] 7B shows a fourth example of the installation position of the radiator 61 in the boom 18 in the front-rear direction and the installation position of the inlet 70a in the front-rear direction and width direction. As before, only the positions of the radiator 61 and the inlet 70a on the right boom 18 will be described here. Installation positions Pa to Pd, black and white arrows, central axis L 18 is defined as above. In this example, the rotation direction of the VTOL rotors 20a and 20c is counterclockwise, and the rotation direction of the VTOL rotors 20b and 20d is clockwise. The radiator 61 is installed in the same two positions as above.

[0075] The inlet 70a is provided on the rear side of the rotation shaft 21a (installation position Pa) of the VTOL rotor 20a. 12 This is the same as the inlet 70a described above. 12 As a result, when the VTOL rotor 20a starts, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 is efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 12 via installation position 61a 12 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0076] The inlet 70a is provided on the rear side of the rotation shaft 21a (installation position Pc) of the VTOL rotor 20c. 32 This is the same as the inlet 70a described above. 32 As a result, when the VTOL rotor 20c starts, the airflow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 is efficiently guided to the inlet 70a. 32 via installation position 61a 32 The heat generated by the heat exchanger 62 can be led to a radiator 61 mounted on the

[0077] The air flow guidance structure 70 of this embodiment is a structure in an aircraft 100 equipped with a VTOL rotor 20 that generates vertical thrust during takeoff and landing and a cooling system 60 that cools the VTOL rotor 20, which guides the air flow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 of the VTOL rotor 20 to a radiator 61 of the cooling system 60, and is equipped with an inlet 70a provided on the side of the surface of the boom 18 that supports the one or more blades 23 above and supports the radiator 61 internally, which is located below the plane of rotation of the one or more blades 23, facing the rotation direction of the one or more blades 23 with respect to the rotation axis 21a of the VTOL rotor 20. According to this, the air flow guidance structure 70 includes an inlet 70a provided on the side of the surface of the boom 18 located below the rotational plane of the one or more blades 23 that faces the rotational direction of the one or more blades 23 relative to the rotation axis 21a of the VTOL rotor 20, so that when the VTOL rotor 20 starts up, the air flow generated by the rotation of the one or more blades 23 can be efficiently guided to the radiator 61 in the boom 18 via the inlet 70a.

[0078] In addition, the aircraft 100 according to this embodiment is equipped with a fuselage 12, front wings 14 and rear wings 16 which extend laterally from the fuselage 12 and generate lift during cruising, a boom 18 extending in the fore-aft direction and supported at a distance from the fuselage 12 by these, a VTOL rotor 20 which is supported on the boom 18 and has one or more blades 23 which generate vertical thrust during takeoff and landing, a cooling system 60 which cools the VTOL rotor 20 using a radiator 61 arranged within the boom 18, and an air flow guide structure 70 which is provided in a part of the boom 18 and has a structure which guides the air flow generated by the rotation of the one or more blades 23 to the radiator, the air flow guide structure 70 including an inlet 70a provided on the surface of the boom 18 located below the plane of rotation of the one or more blades 23, on the side facing the rotation direction of the one or more blades 23 with respect to the rotation axis 21a of the VTOL rotor 20. According to this, the air flow guidance structure 70 includes an inlet 70a provided on the side of the surface of the boom 18 located below the rotational plane of the one or more blades 23 that faces the rotational direction of the one or more blades 23 relative to the rotation axis 21a of the VTOL rotor 20, so that when the VTOL rotor 20 starts up, the air flow generated by the rotation of the one or more blades 23 can be efficiently guided to the radiator 61 in the boom 18 via the inlet 70a.

[0079] The air flow guidance structure 70 of this embodiment is a structure in an aircraft 100 equipped with two VTOL rotors 20 that generate vertical thrust during takeoff and landing and a cooling system 60 that cools them, which guides the air flow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 of at least one of the two VTOL rotors 20 to a radiator 61 of the cooling system 60, and is equipped with an inlet 70a provided between the rotation axes 21a of the two VTOL rotors 20 on the surface of the boom 18 that supports the one or more blades 23 above and supports the radiator 61 internally.

[0080] In addition, the aircraft 100 according to this embodiment includes a fuselage 12, front wings 14 and rear wings 16 that extend laterally from the fuselage 12 and generate lift during cruising, a boom 18 extending in the fore-aft direction and supported at a distance from the fuselage 12 by these wings, at least two VTOL rotors 20 that are supported on the boom 18 and each have one or more blades 23 that generate vertical thrust during takeoff and landing, a cooling system 60 that cools the two VTOL rotors 20 using a radiator 61 arranged within the boom 18, and an air flow guide structure 70 that is provided in a part of the boom and has a structure for guiding an air flow generated by the rotation of one or more blades 23 of at least one of the two VTOL rotors 20 to the radiator 61 and has an inlet 70a provided between the rotation axes 21a of the two VTOL rotors 20 on the surface of the boom 18. According to this, the air flow guidance structure 70 has an inlet 70a provided between the rotation shafts 21a of the two VTOL rotors 20 on the surface of the boom 18, so that when the two VTOL rotors 20 are started, the air flow generated by the rotation of at least one or more blades 23 of at least one of the rotors 20 can be efficiently guided to the radiator 61 in the boom 18 via the inlet 70a.

[0081] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0082] It should be noted that the order of execution of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and may be realized in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is explained using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to perform the process in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 12...fuselage, 14...caneal, 14a...elevator, 16...tail wing, 16a...elevon, 16b...vertical stabilizer, 18...boom, 18a...skin, 18b...rib, 18c...spar, 18d, 18e...space, 20, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d...VTOL rotor, 21...motor, 21a...rotating shaft, 22...inverter, 23...blade, 29...cruise rotor, 32...pylon, 54...duct, 60...cooling system, 61...radiator, 61a...tube, 61a 12 ,61a 21 ,61a 22 ,61a 31 ,61a 32 ,61a 41 ...Installation position, 61b...Fin, 61c...Upper tank, 61d...Lower tank, 61e...Fan, 61f...Support member, 62...Pump, 63...Coolant tank, 64, 65...Pipes, 70, 70d...Air flow guide structure, 70a, 70a 12 ,70a 21 ,70a 22 ,70a 31 ,70a 32 ,70a 41 ...inlet, 70b...outlet, 71, 71d...upper structure, 71a...beam, 71b...recess, 72, 72d...lower structure, 72a...beam, 72b...recess, 100...aircraft, L, L 18 ,L 70 …Central axis, Pa, Pb, Pc, Pd…Installation position.

Claims

1. The torso and A wing body extending laterally from the fuselage to generate lift during cruising; a boom extending in a front-rear direction and supported by the wing body at a distance from the fuselage; a rotor supported on the boom and having one or more blades for generating vertical thrust during takeoff and landing; a cooling device that cools the rotor using a radiator disposed within the boom; an airflow guide structure provided on a part of the boom for guiding an airflow generated by the rotation of the one or more blades to the radiator, the airflow guide structure including an inlet provided on a side of an upper part of the boom located below a rotation plane of the one or more blades, the side facing a rotation direction of the one or more blades with respect to a rotation axis of the rotor; An aircraft equipped with

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the inlet is angled upwardly on the boom toward a rotational direction of the one or more blades.

3. 3. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the airflow guidance structure further comprises an outlet provided on an underside of the boom.

4. 4. The aircraft of claim 3, wherein the outlet is located on a lower portion of the boom on a side following a rotational direction of the one or more blades relative to an axis of rotation of the rotor.

5. The aircraft according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the outlet is located on an opposite side of the lower part of the boom to the inlet with respect to a rotation axis of the rotor.

6. 6. An aircraft as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the outlet is formed facing downwardly relative to the inlet.

7. 7. An aircraft as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the radiator is disposed within the boom between the inlet and the outlet.

8. 8. The aircraft according to claim 7, wherein the radiator is inclined with one surface facing the inlet and / or the other surface facing the outlet with respect to a rotation axis of the rotor.

9. The air flow guide structure has an upper structure and a lower structure, The outlet is formed between a side edge of the upper structure and a bottom edge of the lower structure, 9. The aircraft according to claim 3, wherein a lower side of the lower structure forms a first beam body that is suspended below the outlet in a longitudinal direction of the boom.

10. The air flow guide structure has an upper structure and a lower structure, The inlet is formed between an upper edge of the upper structure and a side edge of the lower structure, 10. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein an upper side of the upper structure forms a second beam body that is suspended above the inlet in a longitudinal direction of the boom.

11. The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the space between the inner surface of the lower structure and the suction surface of the radiator narrows downwardly from the inlet.

12. An aircraft as described in claim 11, wherein the inner surface of the upper structure facing the suction surface of the radiator has a smaller curvature than the inner surface of the lower structure facing the suction surface of the radiator.

13. An aircraft as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the entire inlet is located on the side of the upper part of the boom facing the direction of rotation of the one or more blades relative to the central axis of the air flow guidance structure in the width direction.

14. A fuselage; A wing body extending laterally from the fuselage to generate lift during cruising; a boom extending in a front-rear direction and supported by the wing body at a distance from the fuselage; a rotor supported on the boom and having one or more blades for generating vertical thrust during takeoff and landing; a cooling device that cools the rotor using a radiator disposed within the boom; an air flow guide structure provided on a part of the boom for guiding an air flow generated by rotation of the one or more blades to the radiator, the air flow guide structure including an inlet provided on a surface of the boom located below a rotation plane of the one or more blades, on a side facing a rotation direction of the one or more blades with respect to a rotation axis of the rotor; The air flow guide structure further includes an outlet provided on a lower side of the boom, The outlet is located on a side of the lower part of the boom that follows the rotation direction of the one or more blades relative to the rotation axis of the rotor. aircraft.

15. A fuselage, A wing body extending laterally from the fuselage to generate lift during cruising; a boom extending in a front-rear direction and supported by the wing body at a distance from the fuselage; a rotor supported on the boom and having one or more blades for generating vertical thrust during takeoff and landing; a cooling device that cools the rotor using a radiator disposed within the boom; an air flow guide structure provided on a part of the boom for guiding an air flow generated by rotation of the one or more blades to the radiator, the air flow guide structure including an inlet provided on a surface of the boom located below a rotation plane of the one or more blades, on a side facing a rotation direction of the one or more blades with respect to a rotation axis of the rotor; The air flow guide structure further includes an outlet provided on a lower side of the boom, The outlet is located on the opposite side of the inlet with respect to the rotation axis of the rotor in the lower part of the boom. aircraft.

16. A fuselage, A wing body extending laterally from the fuselage to generate lift during cruising; a boom extending in a front-rear direction and supported by the wing body at a distance from the fuselage; a rotor supported on the boom and having one or more blades for generating vertical thrust during takeoff and landing; a cooling device that cools the rotor using a radiator disposed within the boom; an air flow guide structure provided on a part of the boom for guiding an air flow generated by rotation of the one or more blades to the radiator, the air flow guide structure including an inlet provided on a surface of the boom located below a rotation plane of the one or more blades, on a side facing a rotation direction of the one or more blades with respect to a rotation axis of the rotor; The air flow guide structure further includes an outlet provided on a lower side of the boom, The outlet is formed facing downward relative to the inlet. aircraft.

17. A fuselage, A wing body extending laterally from the fuselage to generate lift during cruising; a boom extending in a front-rear direction and supported by the wing body at a distance from the fuselage; a rotor supported on the boom and having one or more blades for generating vertical thrust during takeoff and landing; a cooling device that cools the rotor using a radiator disposed within the boom; an air flow guide structure provided on a part of the boom for guiding an air flow generated by rotation of the one or more blades to the radiator, the air flow guide structure including an inlet provided on a surface of the boom located below a rotation plane of the one or more blades, on a side facing a rotation direction of the one or more blades with respect to a rotation axis of the rotor; The air flow guide structure further includes an outlet provided on a lower side of the boom, the outlet is located on the retard side of a plane including a rotation axis of the rotor having a blade that sends an air flow to the inlet and a central axis in a width direction of the air flow guide structure, in an azimuth angle in which a rotation direction of the one or more blades is positive, in the lower part of the boom. aircraft.

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