Lift generating device and thrust generating device for aircraft

Abstract

Provided is a lift generating device and a thrust generating device for an aircraft capable of generating lift or thrust by utilizing dynamic pressure generated when a disk member is rotationally driven. [Solution] A lift generating device (10) for an aircraft includes a disc member (12) rotatably supported on a main frame (11) of the aircraft (1), a rotational drive mechanism (13) that rotates the disc member (12) around a vertical or nearly vertical axis (X) of the disc member (12), a lift generating mechanism (10a) that generates lift (F) toward the outside world by dynamic pressure generated near the outer surface of the disc member (12) facing the outside world when the disc member (12) is rotationally driven, and a dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism (16) that prevents dynamic pressure from being generated near an inner surface portion (14b) of the inner surface (14) opposite the outer surface of the disc member (12) that is not covered by components or equipment mounted on the inner surface of the disc member (12).

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lift generating device for an aircraft and a thrust generating device for an aircraft, and in particular to a lift generating device that generates lift by dynamic pressure generated near the outer surface of a rotationally driven disk member, and a thrust generating device that generates thrust. Because an aircraft wing has a set angle of attack, the dynamic pressure generated in the airflow acts on the upper surface of the wing, while the dynamic pressure generated in the airflow, as well as an upward force due to the momentum of the airflow and the angle of attack, act on the underside of the wing, generating lift that lifts the aircraft.

[0002] In conventional lift generation technology, there has been no proposal for a technology that generates lift by utilizing dynamic pressure generated by rotating a disk. Incidentally, no patent documents related to the present invention could be found.

[0003] The technologies disclosed in the following Patent Documents 1 and 2 are not directly related to the present invention, but utilize a technology for generating lift on an aircraft.

[0004] In the vertical take-off and landing aircraft described in Patent Document 1, a pair of rotors are provided on the left and right sides of the front of the fuselage, and another pair of rotors are provided on the left and right sides of the rear of the fuselage, and the rotors have slats attached to the outer periphery of a spiral structure. When the rotors are driven to rotate, air is sucked in from an opening at the top and flows toward the outer periphery, acting on the slats to generate lift.

[0005] The drone described in Patent Document 2 generates lift by rotating four propellers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-82698 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2022-530894 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When the disk is rotated about its vertical axis, dynamic pressure is generated near the upper surface of the disk, and dynamic pressure is also generated near the lower surface of the disk, so that it is not possible to utilize the dynamic pressure to generate substantially effective lift on the disk. An object of the present invention is to provide a lift generating device for an aircraft and a thrust generating device for an aircraft that are capable of generating lift and thrust by effectively utilizing the dynamic pressure generated when a disk member is rotated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The lift generating device of the aircraft of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a circular or annular disk member rotatably supported on the main frame of the aircraft, a rotational drive mechanism which rotates the disk member around a vertical or nearly vertical axis of the disk member, a lift generating mechanism which generates lift towards the outside world by dynamic pressure generated in the vicinity of the outer surface of the disk member facing the outside world when the disk member is rotationally driven by the rotational drive mechanism, and a dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism which prevents dynamic pressure from being generated in the vicinity of a portion of the inner surface of the disk member opposite the outer surface that is not covered by components or equipment mounted on the inner surface.

[0009] According to the above configuration, since a dynamic pressure generation prevention mechanism is provided for preventing dynamic pressure from being generated in the vicinity of a portion of the inner surface of the disk member opposite the outer surface, which is not covered by a member or device mounted on the inner surface of the disk member, it is possible to prevent dynamic pressure from being generated in the vicinity of most of the inner surface. Therefore, when the disk member is rotationally driven, lift is generated by the dynamic pressure generated in the vicinity of the outer surface of the disk member by the lift generating mechanism, and most of the lift can be effectively utilized as actual lift.

[0010] As such, because both the disk component and the rotary drive mechanism have a simple structure, they can be manufactured inexpensively, it is possible to miniaturize the lift generating device, the noise level generated by the rotary drive mechanism is low, and vertical takeoff and landing is possible, which is advantageous in terms of securing an airfield.

[0011] The present invention can employ the following various forms. In a first embodiment, the dynamic pressure generation prevention mechanism has a low-friction member that makes surface contact with low friction with a portion of the inner surface of the disc member that is not covered by a member or device mounted on the inner surface. In a second embodiment, the low friction member is a member having a low friction coating.

[0012] In a third embodiment, the low-friction member is made of any synthetic resin material selected from the group consisting of fluororesin, nylon, polyamideimide, polyetheretherketone, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and fiber-reinforced low-friction synthetic resin.

[0013] In the fourth embodiment, a sealing mechanism is provided to prevent air from entering between the disk member and the low friction member. In the fifth embodiment, a rotation restraining mechanism is provided that restrains the low-friction member from rotating in the same direction as the disk member.

[0014] In the sixth embodiment, a cooling mechanism for cooling the low friction member is provided. In the seventh embodiment, a heat dissipation mechanism for dissipating heat from the low friction member is provided.

[0015] In an eighth embodiment, the rotary drive mechanism includes an electric motor having an output shaft connected to a shaft portion formed to include an axis of the disk member and protruding toward the inner surface.

[0016] In a ninth embodiment, the rotary drive mechanism has an annular linear motor capable of driving the disk member to rotate about the axis.

[0017] In a tenth embodiment, the cooling mechanism has a heat transfer plate in surface contact with the underside of the low-friction member, a plurality of Peltier elements embedded in the portion of the heat transfer plate facing the low-friction member, a plurality of heat dissipation fins formed on the portion of the heat transfer plate opposite the low-friction member, and a cold water supply mechanism which intermittently supplies cold water to the sliding portion between the disk member and the low-friction member, and is configured so that a thin film of ice can be formed on the sliding surface of the low-friction member in contact with the disk member.

[0018] In an eleventh embodiment, the heat dissipation mechanism has a heat transfer plate in face-to-face contact with the underside of the low-friction member, a plurality of fluid passages formed radially inside the heat transfer plate, and annular exhaust means provided on the outer periphery of the disc member and driven to rotate by the disc member, and is configured to evaporate water within the plurality of fluid passages and exhaust the steam to the outside by the exhaust means.

[0019] In a twelfth embodiment, the heat dissipation mechanism has a heat transfer plate in face-to-face contact with the underside of the low-friction member, a plurality of fluid passages formed radially inside the heat transfer plate, and annular air intake means provided on the outer periphery of the disc member and driven to rotate by the disc member, and is configured so that outside air introduced from the outside by the air intake means circulates through the plurality of fluid passages to dissipate heat from the low-friction member.

[0020] In a thirteenth embodiment, the compressor has a centrifugal compressor provided on the outer surface side of the disk member near the axis and rotated by the disk member, and a plurality of fluid passages formed radially inside the disk member, and is configured such that outside air compressed by the centrifugal compressor is introduced into the plurality of fluid passages to absorb heat from the disk member, and the heat-absorbing outside air is discharged to the outside world from the outer periphery of the disk member.

[0021] The thrust generating device of the aircraft of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a circular or annular disk member rotatably supported on a main body frame of the aircraft; a rotational drive mechanism which rotates and drives the disk member around a horizontal or nearly horizontal axis of the disk member; a thrust generating mechanism which generates thrust toward the outside world by dynamic pressure generated in the vicinity of an outer surface of the disk member facing the outside world when the disk member is rotationally driven by the rotational drive mechanism; and a dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism which prevents dynamic pressure from being generated in the vicinity of a portion of the inner surface of the disk member opposite the outer surface that is not covered by components or equipment mounted on the inner surface. This thrust generating device has the same structure as the lift generating device described above, except that the axis of the disk member is oriented horizontally or nearly horizontally, and provides the same effects. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, the above-mentioned excellent effects can be obtained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a drone according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a longitudinal cross-section of a lift generating device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of the dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a coordinate system etc. for deriving a formula for calculating lift. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a first modified example of a dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a second modified example of the dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a third modified example of the dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a lift generating device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a lift generating device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a lift generating device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a lift generating device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a disc-shaped flying vehicle according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a plan view of an aircraft-type flying vehicle according to a seventh embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Next, a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described based on an embodiment. EXAMPLES

[0025] A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Figure 1, a drone 1, which is an aircraft that flies in the air, has a main body frame 2, four sets of lift generating devices 10 respectively connected to four arm members 3 of the main body frame 2, and a battery 4 mounted in the center of the main body frame 2 and a control unit 5 including a communication unit.

[0026] 2, the lift generating device 10 includes a circular disk member 12 rotatably supported on a machine frame 11 (main machine frame) connected to the arm member 3, a rotation drive mechanism 13 that drives and rotates the disk member 12 about a vertical or nearly vertical axis X of the disk member 12, a lift generating mechanism 10a that generates a lift F in the axial direction and toward the outside world by dynamic pressure generated in the vicinity of an outer surface of the disk member 12 facing the outside world when the disk member 12 is driven and rotated by the rotation drive mechanism 13, a dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism 16 that prevents dynamic pressure from being generated in the vicinity of an inner surface portion 14b of the inner surface 14 opposite to the outer surface of the disk member 12 that is not covered by members or devices mounted on the inner surface 14 of the disk member 12, and a heat dissipation mechanism 17 that dissipates heat from the dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism 16. The disk member 12 may be formed in an annular shape.

[0027] The disk member 12 is a member made of any of metals (e.g., stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloy, high-tensile steel, magnesium alloy, or duralumin), fiber-reinforced synthetic resin, or CNF (cellulose nanofiber). However, the disk member 12 may be made of a material other than the above-mentioned materials. An outer surface 12a of the disk member 12 facing the outside is formed as a horizontal surface, a partial spherical surface, a conical surface, or a flat or curved surface of other shapes. For example, in the illustrated example, the disk member 12 is formed as a smooth conical surface with an upward-protruding apex angle of 170° in cross section. The disk member 12 needs to have rigidity and strength to withstand lift, but is desirably as lightweight as possible.

[0028] The outer surface 12a is formed in a shape obtained by rotating at least a line segment such as a straight line or a circular arc 360 degrees around the axis X. It is desirable that the inner surface 14 of the disk member 12 opposite to the outer surface 12a be formed in a smooth and horizontal plane, but is not limited to this plane.

[0029] In an initial state, the disk member 12 is in a horizontal position with its axis X set to a vertical position, and a shaft portion 15 of the rotation drive mechanism 13 is formed to include the axis X and protrudes toward the inner surface 14 of the disk member 12, with a flange portion 15a at the upper end being fixed to the disk member 12 with a plurality of bolts 18.

[0030] The shaft portion 15 is connected to the output shaft 13b of the electric motor 13a of the rotary drive mechanism 13 via a coupling 19. The electric motor 13a is supported by the machine frame 11. As the electric motor 13a of the lift generating mechanism 10a, a DC commutator motor, a brushless motor, or various other motors can be adopted, and the electric motor 13a is controlled by the control unit 5 based on a wireless control signal from an operator. A cable 20 including a power cable for supplying power and a control cable for transmitting and receiving a control signal is connected to the electric motor 13a. An internal combustion engine can be used instead of the electric motor 13a. A support leg 11b used when the drone 1 lands is provided at the lower end of the machine frame 11.

[0031] Next, the dynamic pressure generation prevention mechanism 16 will be described. The dynamic pressure generation prevention mechanism 16 has an annular, plate-shaped low-friction member 21 that comes into surface contact with low friction on an inner surface portion 14b of the inner surface 14 of the disk member 12 that is not covered by a member or device (including the flange portion 15a of the rotation drive mechanism 13) mounted on the inner surface of the disk member 12. This low-friction member 21 is preferably made of any synthetic resin material (in this embodiment, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene) selected from, for example, Teflon (registered trademark), which is a fluororesin, nylon, polyamideimide, polyetheretherketone, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and fiber-reinforced low-friction synthetic resin. However, the low-friction member 21 may be made of a low-friction member other than the materials exemplified above (for example, a synthetic resin composite material using glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, etc.).

[0032] The member supporting this low-friction member 21 has an annular support member 11a extending horizontally from the upper end of the machine frame 11, and the low-friction member 21 is elastically supported by the support member 11a via a plurality of compression springs 22, for example, at eight equal positions on the circumference, and is pressed against the inner surface portion 14b of the disc member 12 with a predetermined biasing force.

[0033] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, seal grooves 21a are formed near the outer periphery and the inner periphery of the low-friction member 21 as a seal mechanism 21S for preventing air from entering between the disk member 12 and the low-friction member 21, and a V-shaped seal member 21b made of, for example, fluorine resin is attached to the seal groove 21a as shown. In addition, a plurality of sets of seal grooves 21a and seal members 21b may be provided near the outer periphery and a plurality of sets of seal grooves 21a and seal members 21b may be provided near the inner periphery. Instead of the seal grooves 21a and seal members 21b, a mechanical seal may be provided to seal between the low friction member 21 and the disk member 12.

[0034] For example, a tapered roller bearing 23 is mounted between the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 15a at the upper end of the shaft portion 15 and the inner peripheral surface of the low-friction member 21, and the lower surface of this tapered roller bearing 23 is supported by an annular press plate 23a, which is fixed to the flange portion 15a by a plurality of bolts 18 that fix the flange portion 15a to the disc member 12.

[0035] As the heat dissipation mechanism 17 for dissipating heat from the low-friction member 21, for example, a ring-shaped aluminum heat sink 17a (heat transfer plate) having a number of fins (not shown) formed thereon is provided, and this heat sink 17a is fixed to the underside of the low-friction member 21 with a number of screws.

[0036] Here, as the rotation restraining mechanism 32 that restrains the low friction member 21 and the heat sink 17a from rotating in the same direction as the disk member 12, when the rotation direction of the disk member 12 is the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 4, a plurality of sets of protruding members 32b fixed to the lower surface of the heat sink 17a and protruding downward, and stopper members 32a fixed to the support member 11a and protruding upward to receive the protruding members 32b are provided in the circumferential direction. Since the protruding members 32b can move in the vertical direction relative to the stopper members 32a, the low friction member 21 and the heat sink 17a can move in the vertical direction according to the reduction in thickness of the low friction member 21 due to wear. However, instead of the stopper members 32a and the protruding members 32b, the low friction member 21 and the heat sink 17a may be fixed to the support member 11a.

[0037] When the electric motor 13a drives the disk member 12 to rotate via the shaft portion 15, dynamic pressure is generated near the outer surface of the disk member 12, and the static pressure decreases by an amount equal to the dynamic pressure, so that a lift force F equal to the dynamic pressure x area acts on the disk member 12. However, since the inner surface portion 14b of the disk member 12 is covered with the low-friction member 21 of the dynamic pressure generation prevention mechanism 16 and is not in contact with the atmosphere, no dynamic pressure is generated in the vicinity of the inner surface portion 14b.

[0038] In order to simplify the calculation of lift, the explanation will be given assuming that the outer surface 12a of the disk member 12 is a circular horizontal surface. However, the rotational angular velocity of the disk member 12 is ω, the radius of the disk member 12 is R, the density of the air is ρ, and the position of surface element A is (r, θ) in the r-θ coordinate system shown in Figure 5. The dynamic pressure acting on surface element A is (1 / 2)ρ(rω) 2 and the area of ​​the surface element A is rdθdr. Therefore, the lift force F due to the dynamic pressure acting on the entire outer surface 12a of the disk member 12 is expressed by the following equation.

[0039]

number

[0040] Next, the density of air is ρ = 1.2 kg / m 3 A calculation example of the lift force acting on one disk member 12 will be described below. However, in this calculation example, the downward force due to dynamic pressure acting on the flange portion 15a of the inner surface 14 of the disk member 12 is ignored because it is a small force. If R = 0.15 m and the rotation speed N of the disk member 12 = 3600 rpm (ω = 120π / s), the lift force F = 67 N = 6.7 kg. When this is applied to the drone 1 in Figure 1, the lift force 4F by the four disk members 12 is 26.8 kg. If R=0.5 m and the rotational speed of the disk member 12 is N=6000 rpm (ω=200π / s), the lift force F=23200 N=2.3 ton.

[0041] If R=1.0 m and the rotational speed of the disk member 12 is N=3200 rpm (ω=106π / s), the lift force F=104357 N=10.4 ton. If R=2.0 m and the rotational speed of the disk member 12 is N=1600 rpm (ω=53π / s), the lift force F=417428 N=41.7 ton. If R=4.0 m and the rotational speed of the disk member 12 is N=800 rpm (ω=26π / s), the lift force F=1607300 N=160 ton. However, the above calculation example is a rough calculation example, and the air flow due to centrifugal force is ignored.

[0042] As described above, the disc member 12 is rotationally driven by the electric motor 13a to generate dynamic pressure near the outer surface of the disc member 12, and the dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism 17 prevents dynamic pressure from being generated in the vicinity of the inner surface portion 14b of the inner surface 14 of the disc member 12 that is not covered by the flange portion 15a of the rotation drive mechanism 13, which is a member or device mounted on the inner surface of the disc member 12. Therefore, almost the majority of the dynamic pressure acting near the outer surface of the disc member 12 can be effectively utilized to generate lift F in the axial direction and toward the outside world.

[0043] Furthermore, even if dynamic pressure acts on the central portion 14a of the inner surface 14 of the disc member 12, which corresponds to the flange portion 15a, the relative flow velocity and area of ​​the central portion 14a are small, so that only a small downward force compared to the lift force F acts on it. Since lift is generated by effectively utilizing most of the dynamic pressure generated near the outer surface of the disk member 12, it is possible to realize a lift generating device 10 that is small, highly efficient, and can be manufactured inexpensively because the structures of the disk member 12 and the rotary drive mechanism 13 are simple. Moreover, noise generated by the rotary drive mechanism 13 is low-level, and vertical takeoff and landing are possible, which are advantageous.

[0044] Next, modifications of the low-friction member 21 and other components of the dynamic pressure generation prevention mechanism will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, a synthetic resin foam member 24 is provided to support a low-friction member 21A that comes into surface contact with the inner surface of the disc member 12 at an inner surface portion 14b that is not covered by the members or devices mounted on the inner surface of the disc member 12, and a plurality of compression springs 26 are incorporated in the synthetic resin foam member 24 at appropriate intervals, and the compression springs 26 and the synthetic resin foam member 24 are supported by a support member 11a. Although not shown, a sealing mechanism and a rotation restriction mechanism are also provided.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 7, the low-friction member 21B, which comes into surface contact with low friction to the inner surface portion 14b of the disc member 12 that is not covered by the member or device mounted on the inner surface of the disc member 12, is formed by forming a low-friction DLC coating 27a or other low-friction coating on the upper surface of an annular metal plate 27 or an annular plate material made of CNF, and the low-friction member 21B is arranged so that the DLC coating 27a or other low-friction coating comes into surface contact with the inner surface portion 14b of the disc member 12, and the low-friction member 21B is elastically supported by the support member 11a via a synthetic resin foam 28. Although not shown, a sealing mechanism and a rotation restraining mechanism are also provided.

[0046] As in the third modification shown in Fig. 8, a low-friction member 21 made of synthetic resin is provided so as to abut against an inner surface portion 14b of the disc member 12 that is not covered by members or devices mounted on the inner surface of the disc member 12, and an annular cooling mechanism 30 is provided for cooling the low-friction member 21. The cooling mechanism 30 has a cooling section 29a in which a Peltier element is incorporated in an annular, plate-shaped aluminum member 29, and a heat dissipation section 29b consisting of fins of the aluminum member 29. Although not shown, a sealing mechanism and a rotation restriction mechanism are also provided. The following embodiments 2 to 5 are examples in which the lift generating device of the present invention is used in place of the main rotor and drive engine of a helicopter type aircraft. EXAMPLES

[0047] FIG. 9 shows the main parts of a lift generating device 60 of an aircraft. A circular disk member 61 of the lift generating mechanism is arranged with its axis X oriented vertically or nearly vertically, and the disk member 61 is connected to a rotating shaft 62 driven by an electric motor. The disk member 61 is made of a lightweight, high-strength metal or nonmetallic material. The low-friction member 63 of the dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism is a low-friction member 63 formed in a plate shape from a low-friction material and disposed so as to be in surface contact with the inner surface portion of the disk member 61 that is not covered by members or devices, and a cooling mechanism 64 for cooling the low-friction member 63 is provided. An annular seal member 63a for airtightly sealing between the disk member 61 and the low-friction member 63 is also provided on the inner and outer peripheries.

[0048] This cooling mechanism 64 has a thick heat transfer plate 65 made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy that comes into surface contact with the underside of the low-friction member 63, a plurality of Peltier elements 66 embedded in the portion of the heat transfer plate 65 facing the low-friction member 63, a plurality of heat dissipation fins 67 formed on the portion of the heat transfer plate 65 opposite the low-friction member 63, and a cold water supply mechanism 68 that intermittently supplies minute amounts of cold water to the sliding portion between the disc member 61 and the low-friction member 63, and constantly forms a thin film of ice on the sliding surface of the low-friction member 63 that contacts the disc member 61.

[0049] The cold water supply mechanism 68 has a plurality of thin tubes 68a for supplying water, which are arranged at appropriate intervals, and the thin tubes 68a are provided with electric heaters to prevent the water inside the thin tubes 68a from freezing. In this way, a thin film of ice is constantly formed on the sliding surface of the low friction member 63, so that the sliding friction acting between the disk member 61 and the low friction member 63 is minimal, and the generation of frictional heat is also minimal.

[0050] The heat transfer plate 65 is fixedly supported by a support member 69 of the main body frame. The low-friction member 63 is also fixed to the heat transfer plate 65. A plurality of inverted L-shaped locking members 70 are provided on the outer periphery of the heat transfer plate 65 at appropriate intervals in the circumferential direction, and locking arms 70a of the locking members 70 abut against the upper surface of the outer periphery of the disc member 61 with low friction, preventing the occurrence of a gap between the outer periphery of the disc member 61 and the low-friction member 63. EXAMPLES

[0051] Figure 10 shows the main parts of the lift generating device 60A of the aircraft, similarly to Figure 9 of the second embodiment. Therefore, similar parts to those in the second embodiment are given similar reference numerals and the description will be omitted as appropriate. A low-friction member 63A made of a low-friction material and formed into a plate shape is disposed so as to be in surface contact with the inner surface of the disk member 61A of the lift generating mechanism in the part of the inner surface that is not covered by members or devices, and a heat dissipation mechanism 64A is provided to dissipate heat from the low-friction member 63A of the dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism. An annular seal member 63Aa that provides an airtight seal between the disk member 61A and the low-friction member 63A is also provided on the inner and outer peripheries.

[0052] The heat dissipation mechanism 64A includes a heat transfer plate 71 made of aluminum or aluminum alloy that is in surface contact with the lower surface of the low friction member 63A, a plurality of fluid passages 72 formed radially inside the heat transfer plate 71, and an annular exhaust means 73 that is provided on the outer periphery of the disk member 61A and is driven to rotate by the disk member 61A, and is configured to evaporate water in the plurality of fluid passages 72 by heat transferred from the low friction member 63A, and to exhaust the water vapor to the outside by the exhaust means 73. The heat transfer plate 71 is fixed and supported by a support member 69A of the main body frame. The low friction member 63A is fixed to the heat transfer plate 71.

[0053] The exhaust means 73 has an inner ring and an outer ring arranged at a distance from each other and a number of blades attached to both rings, and exhausts water vapor from the fluid passage 72 when the disk member 61A rotates. In this way, heat is dissipated from the low-friction member 63A using the heat of evaporation when the water is evaporated, so that high heat dissipation performance can be achieved. The exhaust means 73 rotates at the same high speed as the disk member 61A, so that high exhaust performance can be achieved. The water to be evaporated is supplied in appropriate amounts by a pump from a water tank installed inside the machine. Incidentally, the fluid passage 72 may be configured to flow with cooling air instead of water and water vapor. EXAMPLES

[0054] Figure 11 shows the main parts of the lift generating device 60B of the aircraft, similar to Figure 9 of the second embodiment. Therefore, similar parts to those in the second embodiment are given similar reference numerals and the description will be omitted as appropriate. A low-friction member 63B made of a low-friction material and formed into a plate shape is disposed so as to be in surface contact with the inner surface of the disk member 61B of the lift generating mechanism in the inner surface portion not covered by members or equipment, and a heat dissipation mechanism 64B is provided to dissipate heat from the low-friction member 63B of the dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism. An annular seal member 63Ba that hermetically seals between the disk member 61B and the low-friction member 63B is also provided on the inner and outer peripheries.

[0055] The heat dissipation mechanism 64B has a thick heat transfer plate 74 made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy in face-to-face contact with the underside of the low-friction member 63B, a plurality of fluid passages 75 formed radially inside the heat transfer plate 74, and an annular air intake means 76 provided on the outer periphery of the disc member 61B and driven to rotate by the disc member 61B, and is configured to circulate outside air introduced from the outside by the air intake means 76 through the plurality of fluid passages 75 to dissipate heat from the low-friction member 63B. The heat transfer plate 74 is fixed to and supported by a support member 69B of the main body frame, and the low friction member 63B is fixed to the heat transfer plate 74.

[0056] The downstream portions of the plurality of fluid passages 75 are connected to an exhaust duct 77, and are exhausted to the outside of the aircraft by the exhaust duct 77. The intake means 76 has an inner ring and an outer ring spaced apart from each other and a plurality of blades attached to both of these rings, and draws outside air into the fluid passages 75 when the disc member 61B rotates. The intake means 76 rotates at the same high speed as the disc member 61B, and therefore exhibits high intake performance, and the heat dissipation mechanism 64B exhibits high heat dissipation performance. EXAMPLES

[0057] Fig. 12 shows the main parts of a lift generating device 60C of an aircraft, similar to Fig. 9. Therefore, similar reference numerals are used to designate the same parts as in the second embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Low-friction member 63C of the dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism, which is formed in a plate shape from a low-friction material, is disposed so as to be in surface contact with the inner surface portion of disk member 61C of the lift generating mechanism that is not covered by other members or devices. Annular seals 63Ca that provide an airtight seal between disk member 61C and low-friction member 63C are also provided on the inner and outer peripheries.

[0058] The following heat dissipation mechanism 64C is provided to dissipate heat from the disk member 61C and the low friction member 63C. It has a centrifugal compressor 78 provided on the outer surface side of the disk member 61C near the axis and rotated by the disk member 61C, and a plurality of fluid passages 79 formed radially inside the disk member 61C, and is configured to introduce outside air compressed by the centrifugal compressor 78 into the plurality of fluid passages 79 to absorb heat from the disk member 61C and the low friction member 63C, and to discharge the heat-absorbed outside air from the outer periphery of the disk member 61C to the outside. The heat-absorbed outside air can also be discharged upward from the outer periphery of the disk member 61C. In this way, a large amount of outside air compressed by the centrifugal compressor 78 is introduced into the multiple fluid passages 79 and heat is absorbed from the disk member 61C and the low friction member 63C, thereby achieving high heat dissipation performance. EXAMPLES

[0059] 13 shows a disc-shaped flying body 80 equipped with a lift generating device 81 and thrust generators 82, 83. The lift generating device 81 comprises an annular disc member 85 that constitutes most of the upper wall portion of a disc-shaped main machine frame 84 and has an axis that is vertical or nearly vertical, an annular linear motor 86 that rotates the disc member 85 in the direction of arrow E, a sealing mechanism that airtightly seals between the inner peripheral edge of the disc member 85 and the main machine frame 84, and another sealing mechanism that airtightly seals between the outer peripheral edge of the disc member 85 and the main machine frame 84.

[0060] The annular linear motor 86 has a plurality of sets of three-phase coils arranged in an annular shape on the main body frame 84 side, and a plurality of sets of movers made of a non-magnetic material provided on the inner surface of the disk member 85. Note that the annular linear motor 86 can be of various types other than the above.

[0061] A dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism including a low friction member that is in airtight surface contact with the inner surface portion of the disc member 85 that is not covered by other members or devices, and a heat dissipation mechanism that dissipates heat from the low friction member are also provided. A pair of thrust generating devices 82, one on the left and one on the right, are provided below the main machine frame 84. The thrust generating devices 82 have the same structure as the various lift generating devices described above, and generate thrust T instead of lift by arranging the axis of a disk member horizontally or nearly horizontally. The pair of thrust generating devices 82 generate a forward thrust T to make the flying body 80 fly forward. In addition, by adjusting the thrust of the pair of thrust generating devices 82, turning motion in the left or right direction is possible. The pair of thrust generating devices 82 are configured to be swingable up and down at a predetermined small angle around a swing axis 87, and are swung upward when the flying body 80 is raised, and are swung downward when the flying body 80 is lowered.

[0062] Furthermore, when the disk member 85 rotates in the direction E, the main body frame 84 rotates in the direction opposite to the direction E. A pair of thrust generators 83 are provided for applying an anti-torque to the main body frame 84 to prevent this rotation. The thrust generator 83 on the right side in Fig. 13 generates a forward thrust H in Fig. 13, and the thrust generator 85 on the left side generates a rearward thrust H. EXAMPLES

[0063] 14 shows an aircraft-type flying object 90. The main frame of this flying object 90 has a fuselage 91, four main wings 92, a vertical stabilizer 93, and a pair of horizontal stabilizers 94. Each of the four main wings 92 is equipped with a lift generating device 95 whose axis is oriented vertically or nearly vertically, and the direction of rotation of the circular disk member 95a is as shown by the arrow. The lift generating device 95 rotates the disk member 95a using an electric motor or an internal combustion engine, and one lift generating device 95 generates a lift of, for example, 50 tons.

[0064] A pair of left and right thrust generators 96 are provided on the lower part of the center part in the longitudinal direction of the fuselage 91, and a pair of left and right thrust generators 97 are provided on the lower part near the rear end of the fuselage 91. These thrust generating devices 96, 97 not only generate thrust for forward movement of the flying body 90, but also enable it to turn in the left and right directions. Furthermore, these thrust generating devices 96, 97 are configured to be swingable up and down at a predetermined angle about swing shafts 98, 99, and swing upward when the flying body 90 is raised, and swing downward when the flying body is lowered. The thrust generating devices 96, 97 each generate a thrust of, for example, 15 tons.

[0065] These thrust generating devices 96, 97 have the same structure as the various lift generating devices described above, and are arranged with the axis of the disk member facing horizontally or nearly horizontally and in the fore-aft direction to generate thrust S instead of lift.

[0066] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can implement the present invention in various modified forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention also encompasses such modified forms. For example, in order to reduce the frictional force and frictional heat acting on the low-friction member, it is desirable to make the contact area between the low-friction member and the disk member as small as possible.

[0067] Therefore, one or more thin low-friction cloths (woven fabrics) are firmly fixed to the upper surface (surface that contacts the disk member) of the low-friction member. The cloths are woven fabrics made of any thin wire or fiber selected from stainless steel thin wires, carbon fiber, glass fiber, and other low-friction synthetic resin fibers. It is also possible to adopt a three-dimensional woven fabric as the cloth.

[0068] It is also desirable to provide a thrust support mechanism for supporting the axial force on the main body frame so that the axial force is not applied to the output shaft of the electric motor.

[0069] The lift generating device and thrust generating device of the present invention function not only in air but also in water. The density of water is 1000 kg / m 3 Since the density of the air is about 1,000 times that of air, it is possible that lift and thrust will be generated that is about 1,000 or even several hundred times greater than in air under the same conditions. [Industrial Applicability]

[0070] The present invention provides a lift generating device and a thrust generating device of simple structure that can be used for drones, single-seater air vehicles, helicopter-type air vehicles, car-type air vehicles, disc-type air vehicles, airplane-type air vehicles, and various other air vehicles that require lift or thrust. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1,60,60A,60B,60C Aircraft 2,11,84 Main unit frame 10 Lift generating device 10a Lift generating mechanism 12 Disc member 13 Rotation drive mechanism 13a Electric motor 13b Output shaft 14b Inner part 15 Shaft 16 Dynamic pressure prevention mechanism 17 Heat dissipation mechanism 21, 21A, 21B Low friction material 21S Sealing mechanism 27a Low friction coating 30,64 Cooling mechanism 32 Rotational constraint mechanism 60, 60A, 60B, 60C Lift generating device 61,61A,61B,61C Disc member 63, 63A, 63B, 63C Low friction materials 64A,64B,64C Heat dissipation mechanism 73 Exhaust means 76 Intake means 78 Centrifugal Compressor 81,95 Lift generating device 82,83 Thrust generating device 86 Annular Linear Motor 96,97 Thrust generating device

Claims

1. A circular or annular disk member rotatably supported on a main body frame of the aircraft; a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the disk member around a vertical or nearly vertical axis of the disk member; a lift generating mechanism that generates lift toward the outside world by dynamic pressure generated near an outer surface of the disk member that faces the outside world when the disk member is rotationally driven by the rotation drive mechanism; and a dynamic pressure generation prevention mechanism that prevents dynamic pressure from being generated in the vicinity of a portion of the inner surface of the disk member opposite the outer surface that is not covered by components or equipment mounted on the inner surface.

2. The lift generating device of an aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that the dynamic pressure generation preventing mechanism has a low-friction member that makes surface contact with low friction on the inner surface portion of the disc member that is not covered by members or equipment mounted on the inner surface.

3. 3. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 2, wherein the low-friction member is a member having a low-friction coating.

4. 3. The lift generating device of an aircraft as described in claim 2, characterized in that the low-friction member is made of any synthetic resin material selected from the group consisting of fluororesin, nylon, polyamideimide, polyetheretherketone, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and fiber-reinforced low-friction synthetic resin.

5. 3. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 2, further comprising a sealing mechanism for sealing between said disk member and said low friction member to prevent air from entering between them.

6. 3. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 2, further comprising a rotation restraining mechanism for restraining said low friction member from rotating in the same direction as said disk member.

7. 3. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 2, further comprising a cooling mechanism for cooling said low friction member.

8. 3. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 2, further comprising a heat dissipation mechanism for dissipating heat from said low friction member.

9. 3. The lift generating device for an aircraft as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rotational drive mechanism has an electric motor having an output shaft connected to a shaft portion formed to include the axis of the disk member and protruding toward the inner surface.

10. 2. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the rotary drive mechanism has an annular linear motor capable of rotating the disk member about the axis.

11. The cooling mechanism includes a heat transfer plate that is in surface contact with the lower surface of the low friction member, a plurality of Peltier elements embedded in the portion of the heat transfer plate facing the low friction member, a plurality of heat dissipation fins formed on the portion of the heat transfer plate opposite the low friction member, and a sliding portion between the disk member and the low friction member. and a cold water supply mechanism for intermittently supplying cold water to the 8. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 7, characterized in that a thin film of ice can be formed on the sliding surface of said low friction member that contacts said disk member.

12. 9. The lift generating device of an aircraft as described in claim 8, wherein the heat dissipation mechanism comprises a heat transfer plate in surface contact with the underside of the low-friction member, a plurality of fluid passages formed radially inside the heat transfer plate, and annular exhaust means provided on the outer periphery of the disk member and driven to rotate by the disk member, and is configured to evaporate water within the plurality of fluid passages and exhaust the steam to the outside by the exhaust means.

13. The lift generating device of an aircraft as described in claim 8, characterized in that the heat dissipation mechanism comprises a heat transfer plate in surface contact with the underside of the low-friction member, a plurality of fluid passages formed radially inside the heat transfer plate, and annular air intake means provided on the outer periphery of the disk member and driven to rotate by the disk member, and is configured to circulate outside air introduced from the outside by the air intake means through the plurality of fluid passages to dissipate heat from the low-friction member.

14. 2. The lift generating device of an aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising: a centrifugal compressor provided on an outer surface side of a portion of the disk member near an axis thereof and rotated by the disk member; and a plurality of fluid passages formed radially inside the disk member, wherein outside air compressed by the centrifugal compressor is introduced into the plurality of fluid passages to absorb heat from the disk member, and the heat-absorbing outside air is discharged to the outside world from an outer periphery of the disk member.

15. A circular or annular disk member rotatably supported on a main body frame of the aircraft; a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the disk member about a horizontal or substantially horizontal axis of the disk member; a thrust generating mechanism that generates a thrust toward the outside world by dynamic pressure generated in a vicinity of an outer surface of the disk member that faces the outside world when the disk member is rotationally driven by the rotation drive mechanism; and a dynamic pressure generation prevention mechanism that prevents dynamic pressure from being generated in the vicinity of an inner surface portion of the disk member opposite the outer surface and that is not covered by components or equipment mounted on the inner surface.

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