Method of moving vehicle

Abstract

FIELD: vehicles.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to vehicles capable of moving in different environments, namely on water and on snow. A method of moving a vehicle that consists of moving it with an engine and a body in the form of a ski that is in contact with water, accompanied by creating a lifting force on the wings of the body and the lifting of the body. The engine is mounted on the vehicle's hull, imparting positive buoyancy to the ski and, together with the hull, lifting the latter in the water with a lifting force sufficient to keep the vehicle in stable equilibrium.EFFECT: increase in performance.8 cl, 6 dwg

Description

[0001] The invention relates to vehicles capable of moving in different environments, namely, on water and on snow.

[0002] The prototype is an ekranoplan containing a fuselage equipped with a propulsion unit, consisting of a closed pilot's cabin or cargo compartment, a vertical stabilizer located in the tail section of the fuselage, with a rudder, a wing with elevators and controls, while the propulsion unit is a screw or water-jet, with an engine nacelle and is located in the front part of the ekranoplan, and the wing with elevators is installed in the rear part of the ekranoplan [2140370, IPC B60V 1 / 08, 1999.].

[0003] The disadvantages of the prototype are:

[0004] - with the declared initial angle of attack of the wing up to 30 degrees, a decrease in lift is possible due to flow separation on the wing, which can lead to an unplanned impact of the hull with the water, reducing the quality of the ride, i.e. deteriorating the performance characteristics;

[0005] - the position of the vehicle body above the water when moving causes increased aerodynamic drag, requires more engine power to lift the fuselage and increases fuel consumption;

[0006] - unsatisfactory directional controllability due to the implementation of turns with virtually no roll, which leads to a large turning radius, limiting the operation of ekranoplans on small and medium-sized rivers.

[0007] The objective of the invention is to eliminate the said disadvantages, namely, to improve operational characteristics.

[0008] The problem is solved in that in the method of moving a vehicle, which includes moving a positively buoyant body with the body of the vehicle by means of an engine and generating a lifting force on the wings of the latter, a stable equilibrium position is given to the vehicle during the process of moving by means of the lifting force.

[0009] The engine is also mounted on the vehicle's hull. Lift is also generated by the engines mounted on the vehicle's hull. The body is shaped like a ski. Power is extracted from the engine mounted on the vehicle's hull using two shafts. Negative buoyancy is imparted to the body before and after movement. Negative buoyancy is achieved by filling its interior with water. The lower portion of the vehicle's hull exposed to the water is made watertight. The lower portion of the vehicle's hull is made round in cross-section. The front and rear portions of the body are round and U-shaped, respectively.

[0010] These distinctive features allow to achieve the following advantages compared to the prototype.

[0011] Maintaining a stable equilibrium position for the vehicle during movement through lift significantly reduces engine power, as maintaining the vehicle at equilibrium requires relatively little lift applied to the wings, and the higher the wings, the less this lift is required. Reducing engine power not only saves fuel but also increases payload capacity while maintaining the same dimensions, and reduces engine noise.

[0012] Furthermore, lower lift allows for a smaller wing area (span), thereby reducing the overall dimensions of the vehicle. This improves performance and makes the train more comfortable.

[0013] Installing an engine on the body of a vehicle (for example, a turbojet) distributes the required power across several engines, which allows for the installation of a low-power, small-sized engine in the body (ski) (or not to install it at all), and at the same time making the ski a narrow, streamlined shape that significantly reduces hydraulic resistance to movement, which improves performance characteristics.

[0014] Creating lift through motors mounted on the vehicle's body (for example, by using motors turning propellers) makes it possible to generate the necessary lift even at low speeds. Furthermore, increasing the speed of these motors to increase the vehicle's speed results in increased lift, causing the ski to rise slightly, reducing its hydraulic resistance, and further increasing its speed. All of this improves performance.

[0015] The ski-shaped body allows the vehicle to move on snow and ice, which improves performance.

[0016] The implementation of power take-off from the engine mounted on the vehicle body using two shafts helps to reduce the dimensions of the power plant (i.e., making it essentially an opposed internal combustion engine) and reduce the aerodynamic drag of the vehicle, which improves operational characteristics.

[0017] Giving the body negative buoyancy before and after movement eliminates the need for additional components (assemblies) to maintain the vehicle in a stable equilibrium position when motion is at a standstill, i.e., at zero or low speed. This simplifies the design and improves operational performance.

[0018] Giving negative buoyancy to a body by filling its interior with water stabilizes the vehicle without any other devices, as the water-filled ski acts as the vessel's keel. This simplifies the design and improves operational performance.

[0019] Making the lower part of the vehicle body that comes into contact with water waterproof allows it to be kept afloat without the need for any other devices, which simplifies the design of the device implementing the method.

[0020] The rounded cross-section of the vehicle's lower hull improves its cornering performance by allowing it to tilt. When the vehicle moves, a ground effect is created beneath its bottom. This makes conventional flat-bottomed ekranoplans inherently stable in roll, but their directional control is unsatisfactory, as they are forced to turn with virtually no roll, resulting in an unacceptably large turning radius. To perform a full roll turn, it is necessary to move away from the ground effect, for example, by climbing higher, thereby losing contact with it. This requires increased engine power and complicates control. In the proposed solution, the roll effect is achieved by changing the lift force on the wings without any separation from the ground effect, as the rounded shape of the vehicle's lower hull allows for relatively easy "tumble" within the ground effect.All this improves performance characteristics.

[0021] The design of the front and rear ski body sections, respectively, in a circular and U-shaped cross-section allows for fuel savings depending on the vehicle's driving mode. Under normal driving conditions and at low speeds, the streamlined front section with a circular cross-section reduces the ski's hydraulic resistance. However, with this body shape, planing is impossible. To achieve this, water must be forced under the ski, thereby creating a transverse wave and lifting the ski onto its crest in planing mode. Therefore, as the speed increases, the front ski section is raised, for example by the lift of the wings, causing the remaining U-shaped section of the ski to cut through the water, creating a transverse wave, and the vehicle enters planing mode.

[0022] The invention is explained by drawings.

[0023] Fig. 1 shows a vehicle. Fig. 2 shows view A of the vehicle. Fig. 3 shows a vehicle with a ski having negative buoyancy. Fig. 4 shows a vehicle with a ski on snow. Fig. 5 shows an engine cylinder with a piston having two power take-off shafts. Fig. 6 shows an engine cylinder with an air duct.

[0024] The vehicle comprises a body 1 with wings 2 placed on a body (ski) 4 having contact with water 3 of positive buoyancy, which may have an engine 5 connected to a shaft 6 of a lead screw 7. An engine coupled with propellers 8 can be placed on the wings, having a crank-slider mechanism, the crank 9 of which is rigidly fixed on a shaft 10 and connected through a connecting rod 11 to a rod 12 of a piston 13 mounted with the possibility of movement in a cylinder 14, in the center of the cavity of which a window 15 is made connecting this cavity with the atmosphere, and a fuel injection device 16 is placed on the cylinder covers, wherein the piston 13 can be connected on the other side by a second rod 12 and kinematically connected through another crank 9 to a second power take-off shaft, wherein some windows 15 can be connected to an air duct 17 for direct entry of oncoming air flow into the engine cylinder 18.Floats 19 that can come into contact with water can be placed on the body. The method is implemented as follows.

[0025] If the ski 4 has positive buoyancy, before the start of movement, in order to provide stability to the vehicle, the floats 19 must be lowered into the water 3 (shown by the dotted line in the drawing). To initiate movement, the engine 5 is turned on, which, via the shaft 6, rotates the propeller 7, which moves the ski 4 together with the hull 1. As the speed increases, a lifting force is created on the wings 2, which is capable of holding the vehicle in a stable equilibrium on one ski without the floats, which are removed from the water (Figs. 1, 2). With a further increase in speed, the lifting force increases even more, as a result of which the force of the weight of the hull 1 acting on the ski decreases, and the latter rises somewhat in the water (floats up more). Then the vehicle can go into planing mode, while some screen effect can be created under its bottom. After the movement is completed, the floats 19 are lowered into the water again to ensure the stability of the vehicle.

[0026] If the ski is given negative buoyancy before and after movement, for example by filling its interior with water, and the lower part of the hull exposed to the water is made waterproof, then the floats 19 can be omitted, with the water-filled ski serving as the vessel's keel (Fig. 3). After movement begins and lift is generated on the wings 2, capable of maintaining the vehicle in stable equilibrium, the ski is given positive buoyancy, for example by displacing the water with high-pressure air. This causes the ski to float, and further movement can occur in planing mode.

[0027] If engines are installed on the vehicle's fenders, the ski can be made narrower to reduce hydraulic resistance by installing a low-power (small-sized) engine 5. As the speed increases, the lift will increase, further lifting the ski out of the water, thereby reducing hydraulic resistance and increasing the speed, including in planing mode. Furthermore, it becomes possible to use the vehicle for movement on snow or ice surfaces (Fig. 4). In this case, the need for engine 5 is eliminated. The lift will prevent the ski from sinking into deep snow, so movement can occur at relatively high speed. To better overcome potential obstacles on the road, the ski can be made of multiple parts.

[0028] To reduce aerodynamic drag, a small engine can be installed on a vehicle that simultaneously rotates both propellers (Fig. 5). Let us assume that in the left part of the cylinder cavity 14, the air is compressed by the piston 13, and the air pressure will increase as the piston approaches the dead center. Further advancement of the piston will lead to the release of the window 15 from the adjacent cylindrical surface of the piston (the window will begin to open), as a result of which the combustion products from the right part of the cylinder cavity 14 will flow outward, into the atmosphere (in this figure, one window 15 is conventionally shown, however, there may be more windows, and all of them should be located along the circumference of the cylinder). In this case, the pressure in this part of the cavity will drop, after which it will be purged and filled through the air duct 17 with fresh air from the oncoming air flow 18 (Fig. 6).As a result, this will also create a boost effect, which will help increase the specific power of the engine.

[0029] Then, fuel is injected into the left side of the cylinder through device 16 (injector), which, upon contact with hot compressed air, ignites and begins to burn. (If the engine operates with a spark plug, then after the fuel injection, the mixture is ignited, for example, using a spark plug.) Piston 13, by inertia, continues to move toward the dead center, further freeing port 15. The resulting combustion products press on said piston, forcing it to move in the opposite direction after passing the dead center. At this point, port 15 begins to close, and the purging and filling of the right side of the cylinder with fresh air ends. As the piston moves along the ports, it is cooled by the flow of outside air, preventing it from overheating during engine operation. The fresh air in the right side of cylinder 14 then begins to be compressed by piston 13.Further piston movement causes port 15 to open, releasing combustion products from the left side of the cylinder chamber. The pressure in the port drops, causing it to be purged and filled with fresh outside air. Right injector 16 then injects fuel, which ignites and begins to burn. After the piston passes the dead center and continues to move, port 15 begins to close, compressing the air in the left side of cylinder 14, and the cycle repeats. This engine lacks a scavenging mechanism, valve timing mechanism, or turbocharger (as in conventional engines), and therefore has virtually the smallest dimensions.

[0030] The roll of a vehicle when turning is created by the difference in the magnitude of the lift forces on the wings.

[0031] If the ski is made with a round and U-shaped part, then to put the vehicle into planing mode, its front part is raised, for example, by increasing the lifting force, as a result of which a transverse wave is formed by means of the remaining U-shaped part.

[0032] The implementation of this invention will enable the creation of an inexpensive vehicle capable of high-speed travel with lower energy consumption compared to conventional ekranoplans and gliders. Furthermore, the use of a simple, compact engine reduces the vehicle's aerodynamic drag and weight, and increases its payload. It should be noted that the airframe of a retired aircraft, such as the An-2, could be partially repurposed as the hull of such a vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of moving a vehicle that consists of moving an engine and a body in the form of a ski that is in contact with the water, and accompanied by the creation of a lifting force on the wings of the hull and lifting of the hull, characterized by the fact that the engine is mounted on the hull of the vehicle, imparts positive buoyancy to the ski and, together with the hull, lifts the latter in the water with a lifting force sufficient to maintain the vehicle in stable equilibrium.

2. The method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the engine is also installed on the ski.

3. The method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that power is taken from the engine using two shafts.

4. The method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that at the end of the movement of the vehicle the ski is given negative buoyancy.

5. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 or 4, characterized in that negative buoyancy is imparted to the ski by filling its internal volume with water.

6. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 or 4, characterized in that the lower part of the vehicle body that comes into contact with water is made waterproof.

7. The method according to any of paragraphs 1, 4, or 5, characterized in that the ski performs the function of the keel of the vessel.

8. The method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the front and remaining parts of the ski are respectively made circular and U-shaped in cross-section.

Images