Lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion aircraft

Abstract

To provide a lift fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing, horizontal flight, and stable movement left and right, forward and backward, and up and down while maintaining a stable attitude, and to provide a technology relating to the attitude movement control thereof. [Solution] The structure of the vertical take-off and landing propulsion aircraft greatly increases the amount of air flowing in by installing the intake lift fans in a multi-stage configuration, and efficiently increases the ejection thrust by also making the outlet lift fans in a multi-stage configuration.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing, horizontal flight, and stable movement left and right, forward and backward, and up and down while maintaining a stable attitude, and to attitude movement control for the aircraft. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditional aircraft require a runway to take off. Meanwhile, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft were conceived as an alternative to conventional aircraft. The world's first practical aircraft was the Harrier attack aircraft developed by the United Kingdom in 1960. The United States subsequently developed the F35B as the Harrier's successor. Its structure is characterized by a single propulsion (horizontal flight) engine mounted at the rear of the attack aircraft's fuselage, with a vertical lift fan positioned in front of it. The lift fan is driven by a shaft extending from the jet engine, causing the front of the aircraft to rise, while the rear engine nozzle is angled 90 degrees downward to eject gas. This allows the entire aircraft to rise horizontally and even hover (stop in mid-air). Other aircraft, such as those mentioned in Reference 2, include helicopters, drones, and multicopters. These types of aircraft are used for vertical ascent and descent, hovering, and horizontal flight, respectively.

[0003] Aircraft that fly through the air can be broadly divided into airships, which achieve lift through buoyancy, and fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, which achieve lift through wing lift, based on the principle of achieving power overcoming weight. In contrast, for example, the lift-fan type vertical takeoff and landing aircraft described in Reference 1 has not yet been put into practical use as a civilian aircraft. All of the above-mentioned practical vertical takeoff and landing aircraft are military aircraft. One factor making their practical use difficult is the difficulty of maintaining aircraft attitude stability during hovering or low-speed flight. Helicopters and drones have tilt-controllable propellers, and controlling the tilt angle of the propellers enables the hovering function and horizontal flight. However, accidents are likely to occur when the propellers are converted from a vertical to a horizontal position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-118891 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-100396 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle and an attitude control method therefor, in particular a lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle that can stably and quietly control its body attitude during airborne stops such as hovering and low-speed flight without affecting the operation of the lift fan, and that can move left and right, forward and backward, and up and down while maintaining a stable attitude, and a method for controlling attitude movement therefor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention will be explained as a solution to the above-mentioned problems. It is characterized by being equipped with a lift fan that generates lifting propulsion by taking in air from above and spraying it downward inside the cylindrical main body. The lift fan VTOL propulsion vehicle is configured with an intake lift fan 2, an outlet lift fan 3, an outlet movable nozzle 4, and an outlet 7 inside the cylindrical main body. This is a different method from an autogyro, which cannot perform vertical ascent or hover. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention relates to a lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle and its attitude movement control method, which enables hovering and other aerial suspension using the lifting thrust generated by the lift fan. The lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle has an electric motor 6 that drives a movable nozzle with variable jet direction, making it possible to change course. The lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle maintains high horizontal flight speeds, travels long distances with energy savings, is all-weather, and is capable of safe, stable, and comfortable flight. The lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle has vertical take-off and landing functions and hovering functions, making take-off and ascent control simple, and can reliably travel long distances at high speeds. This is a groundbreaking invention that can provide high-speed, long-distance, safe flight. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Plan view of the external fuselage of the lift fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion aircraft of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of the internal intake of the lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an internal jet of the lift fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle of the present invention. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of a movable jet nozzle of a lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the lift fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle, which is a main part of an embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0010] The present invention aims to provide a new lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle, a newly invented invention that addresses the challenge of flying, capable of not only ascending, descending, forward movement, and hovering, but also of high horizontal flight speeds, and by utilizing electrical energy as its power source, capable of stable flight over long distances with minimal energy loss. This invention is noteworthy for its novel concept, which differs from drones, helicopters, and multicopters.

[0011] This section explains the main fuselage 1 of the lift fan VTOL propulsion vehicle. The cylindrical main body 1 shown in Figure 1 has an inlet lift fan 2 at the air intake section and an outlet lift fan 3 at the air outlet, with the inlet lift fan 2 and the outlet lift fan 3 attached to a cylindrical shaft 5 and mounted on bearings 8 in the main body 1, and the cylindrical shaft 5 is equipped with an electric motor 5, and the lift fan is driven and rotated by the electric motor built into the shaft 5.

[0012] The lift fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle has the movable outlet nozzle 4 installed at the outlet position, and is equipped with an electric motor 6 and a differential gear 8 on the outer surface of the movable outlet nozzle 4 to drive the movable outlet nozzle 4. The movable outlet nozzle 4 is a flight direction change device, and narrowing the outlet of the movable outlet nozzle 4 increases the jetting force.

[0013] The present invention provides a lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle that has been developed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems. It is capable of high-speed horizontal flight, as well as ascending, descending, forward and backward flight, and hovering. Because the propulsion unit is equipped with an electric motor, the lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle has minimal electrical energy loss and can fly stably over long distances. This invention is noteworthy for its novel concept, which differs from conventional drones, helicopters, and multicopters.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the air intake of the main body 1 is equipped with the suction port lift fan 2 on the shaft 5 of a cylindrical rod, and the lift fans are installed in multiple stages to increase the amount of air inflow. The rotation direction of the suction port lift fan 2 is different from that of the outlet lift fan. The shaft 5, which contains an electric motor for driving the lift fan, drives the suction port lift fan 2. The shaft 5 is equipped with a bearing 8 and is rotatable. The lift fan is not limited to a three-stage type.

[0015] The rotation direction of the outlet lift fan 3 shown in Figure 3 is different from that of the inlet lift fan. This is to ensure the stability of the main body 1 by rotating the fans in opposite directions. For example, if two propellers rotate in the same direction, the lift fan's main body 1 may rotate in the same direction as the propeller. The law of action and reaction states that forces generated are equal in magnitude and act simultaneously. The lift fan has a clockwise propeller and a counterclockwise propeller arranged above and below to cancel out counter torque. The lift fan drive electric motor built-in shaft 5 is the electric motor 5 used to drive the outlet lift fan 3. Bearings 8 are installed on the shaft 5 to ensure the rotational stability of the shaft.

[0016] Both the intake fan 2 and the outlet fan shown in Figure 3 are multi-stage fans, and by increasing the number of stages in the lift fan, the amount of air flowing in can be increased, thereby strengthening the buoyancy propulsion force.

[0017] FIG. 4 explains the flight path change device. The movable jet nozzle 4 is equipped with an electric motor and a differential gear 6 at the rear of the external surface of the cylindrical main body 1. By driving the differential gear with the electric motor 5, the direction of the movable jet nozzle 4 can be changed, allowing the flight path to be changed. In addition, by narrowing the jet nozzle, it is possible to increase the propulsion force.

[0018] Setting the rotational speeds of the intake lift fan 2 and the outlet lift fan 3 to different speeds reduces the stagnation of the air volume in the intake lift fan 2, thereby increasing the amount of air taken in by the intake lift fan 2. Increasing the rotational speed of the outlet lift fan 3 enables even faster air ejection, and the levitation thrust generated by the lift fans enables air suspension, such as hovering.

[0019] The shafts 5 of the intake lift fan and the outlet lift fan are cylindrical rods, and an electric motor 5 is installed inside the shaft 5, and the shaft 5 is rotatably supported by a bearing 8 in the main body 1.

[0020] This article introduces the intended use of the lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle of the present invention. (Hereinafter, the term "lift-fan vertical land propulsion vehicle" will be abbreviated as "lift-fan propulsion vehicle"). The vehicle (aircraft) equipped with the lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle is lifted, and by tilting the lift-fan propulsion vehicle forward, it has flight capabilities and electric vehicle (EV) functionality. It is a vehicle designed for ground and air travel. It is completely different from the recently emerging passenger drones, as the drone is equipped with two or more propellers that blow air downward, lifting it into the air and propelling it forward with the recoil. However, it does not have the ability to travel on roads. Furthermore, it is difficult to secure a place to park a passenger drone, and the only way to use a passenger drone is to transport it to a designated location, which is inconvenient.

[0021] In the future, I aim to develop and work on an electric lift fan vertical take-off and landing vehicle. The lift fan propulsion device I invented will be installed in a vehicle. It will be installed in two locations: under the hood (currently the engine compartment) and in the rear trunk, with two units in each location, for a total of four. The lift fan propulsion devices are mounted vertically, with two units arranged side-by-side with the lower units diverging downwards. During horizontal flight, the lift fan propulsion devices move forward in a forward-leaning position. When in use, they take into consideration the surrounding environment and check for obstacles before lifting and moving horizontally. They operate when flying in the air and drive like a regular car when traveling on the road, making it a two-in-one vehicle. In the future, flying cars from your backyard to your destination using both the air and roads will likely become a commonplace part of everyday life. They can also be used for disaster relief, flying over roads that are impassable to cars to reach their destination, allowing for rapid response to any situation.

[0022] My invention, the electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle, aims to fly in the air and run on the ground, and in particular to travel at high speeds on the ground and in the air. It will also be useful for emergency transport in remote locations, as well as for mountain rescue and sea rescue. [Explanation of symbols]

[0023] 1 Main body 2 Inlet Lift Fan 3-outlet lift fan 4 Movable nozzle 5. Lift fan drive electric motor built-in shaft 6 Movable nozzle drive electric motor 7 Differential gear 8. Bearings

Claims

1. A lift fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion aircraft having a cylindrical main body fuselage with an intake port and an exhaust port, and obtaining propulsive force by sucking air in through the intake port and expelling it from the exhaust port, The cylindrical main body includes an intake lift fan at an air intake section and an outlet lift fan at an air outlet, the intake lift fan and the outlet lift fan being respectively provided on a cylindrical intake side shaft and a cylindrical outlet side shaft that are supported by the main body, and are rotatable by shaft rotation electric motors respectively built into the intake side shaft and the outlet side shaft; A lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion aircraft is characterized in that a movable outlet nozzle is installed at the position of the outlet, and an electric motor for driving the movable outlet nozzle and a differential gear are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the movable outlet nozzle, thereby changing the flow direction of the air ejected from the outlet and enabling the aircraft to change course.

2. 2. The lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rotational speed of the outlet lift fan is set to be higher than the rotational speed of the inlet lift fan.

3. 2. The lift fan VTOL propulsion vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rotation direction of the inlet lift fan is set to be different from the rotation direction of the outlet lift fan.

4. The movable jet nozzle is driven by a jet nozzle mounted on the rear outer surface of the fuselage. The lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a movable outlet nozzle that enables the vehicle to change course by changing the direction of the airflow ejected from the outlet nozzle through the driving of the electric motor and the differential gear.

5. 2. The lift-fan vertical take-off and landing propulsion vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the shaft that drives the lift fan is a cylindrical rod, and the shaft incorporating the electric motor is rotatably supported by a bearing in the main body fuselage.

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