Vertical take-off and landing aircraft, method for maneuvering same, and device for controlling same

Abstract

The present invention provides a vertical take-off and landing aircraft having excellent maneuverability and efficiency together with high-speed flight and stable flight performance, a method for maneuvering same, and a device for controlling same. The vertical take-off and landing aircraft comprises: a fuselage; a lift unit having a first propeller disposed at the periphery of the fuselage to provide a lift to the fuselage and a duct for protecting the first propeller; and a thrust unit having a second propeller disposed at the rear end of the fuselage to provide a thrust to the fuselage. The duct includes a propeller guard portion, an airfoil leading portion, an airfoil trailing portion, and a flow path guide portion. The propeller guard portion is convexly formed toward the first propeller to have a center diameter smaller than the diameter of an inlet through which air is introduced and the diameter of an outlet through which air is discharged. The airfoil leading portion is disposed in a front region colliding with air during a forward flight, and has a partial front shape of the airfoil including a leading edge. The airfoil trailing portion is disposed in a rear region through which air flows during a forward flight, and has a partial rear shape of the airfoil including a trailing edge. The flow path guide portion is formed to protrude from the propeller guard portion toward the first propeller and can suppress the generation of eddy currents at the tip when the first propeller rotates.

Description

Vertical take-off and landing aircraft, its maneuvering method and control device

[0001] The present invention relates to a vertical take-off and landing flight device, a method for maneuvering the same, and a control device, and more particularly, to a vertical take-off and landing flight device having high-speed, stable, and excellent maneuvering performance, a method for maneuvering the same, and a control device.

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicles, such as drones, are aircraft that are controlled by wireless control devices such as remote controllers without a pilot on board, and are used in various fields in both civilian and military industries.

[0003] Recently, the concepts of unmanned aerial vehicles and manned aerial vehicles are evolving into a form of mutually complex operation rather than being completely separated, and their use is rapidly increasing across all fields of civil, military, and industrial applications, including transportation, security, search, surveillance, and sports, by supporting each other's functions.

[0004] Generally, aircraft are broadly categorized into those that take off using lift generated by fixed wings via runways, and those that take off and land vertically without runways, utilizing rotors and propellers. VTOL aircraft are capable of rapid vertical takeoff and landing, even in tight spaces without runways. This allows them to perform a wider range of flight purposes than runway-based aircraft, and thus, extensive research is being conducted on these aircraft.

[0005] Meanwhile, there are vertical takeoff and landing aircraft using multiple rotors and propellers called multicopters.

[0006] However, while these multicopter-type vertical takeoff and landing aircraft offer the advantage of hovering, they suffer from reduced efficiency during forward flight. This is particularly true when weight increases for cargo or personnel transport, further reducing flight efficiency.

[0007] As an alternative, there are cases where a tilting structure is applied to the lift rotor and propeller, but in this case, the adjustment mode must be changed every time for takeoff, landing, and forward flight, and this causes the structural and control issues to become very complex.

[0008] Meanwhile, there are vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that generate lift using ducted propellers and thrust using thrust propellers.

[0009] In addition to its primary function of protecting the propeller, ducts can also improve propeller efficiency. The lift generated by a propeller is the difference in pressure caused by the difference in air velocity between the upper and lower surfaces of the propeller. While the tip of the propeller rotates at its fastest speed, the vortex generated in the tip region can cause a loss of lift. Ducts prevent this vortex generation at the tip, and by shielding the tip, which collides most forcefully with the air, they also reduce noise.

[0010] However, despite the above-mentioned advantages, the duct acts as a large resistance structure during high-speed flight of the aircraft, which is a factor that reduces flight performance.

[0011] Prior art documents include Korean Patent Publication No. 2021-0115883 (published on September 27, 2021), entitled “Vertical Takeoff and Landing Flight Device.”

[0012] The object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems is to provide a vertical take-off and landing flight device having excellent maneuverability and efficiency along with high-speed flight and stable flight performance, and a maneuvering method and control device thereof.

[0013] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0014] A vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described problem comprises: a fuselage formed to be elongated in the forward and backward directions; a lifting unit having a first propeller arranged at a periphery of the fuselage to provide lifting force to the fuselage and a duct protecting the first propeller; And a thrust unit having a second propeller arranged at the rear end of the fuselage to provide thrust to the fuselage, wherein the duct includes a propeller guard portion that is formed convexly toward the first propeller so as to have a center diameter smaller than the diameters of an inlet through which air is introduced and an outlet through which air is discharged, an airfoil leading portion that is arranged in a front area that collides with air during forward flight and has a shape of a front portion of an airfoil including a leading edge, an airfoil trailing portion that is arranged in a rear area through which air flows during forward flight and has a shape of a rear portion of an airfoil including a trailing edge, and a flow guide portion that is formed to protrude from the propeller guard portion in the direction of the first propeller and suppress the generation of a vortex at the tip when the first propeller rotates.

[0015] In a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow guide portion is provided to cover the upper side of the tip, and forms a compressed air flow path between the tip and the air guide portion, thereby limiting the maximum elevation height of the tip when the first propeller rotates.

[0016] In a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow path guide portion may include a horizontal guide surface extending horizontally toward the rotational axis of the first propeller while spaced apart from the upper side of the tip to form the compressed air flow path, and an inclined guide surface extending tangentially from the inner end of the horizontal guide surface toward the inlet region of the propeller guard portion.

[0017] In a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of lifting units may be provided so as to be symmetrical with respect to the front, rear, left, and right directions with respect to the fuselage, and at this time, the rotation axes of a plurality of first propellers constituting the plurality of lifting units may be spaced apart at equal intervals on the circumference of an imaginary circle having a constant radius with the center of gravity of the fuselage as the center point.

[0018] In a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of lifting units may be arranged on a single horizontal plane intersecting the axis line of the fuselage.

[0019] In a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention, a fixed wing connecting the fuselage and the lifting unit may be further included.

[0020] A method for starting a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a vertical flight step for simultaneously changing the rotational speeds of a plurality of first propellers and increasing or decreasing the altitude of the fuselage; a hovering flight step for maintaining the rotational speeds of the plurality of first propellers at a constant speed and for hovering the fuselage; an attitude change step for selectively changing the rotational speeds of the plurality of first propellers and for changing the attitude of the fuselage; and a forward flight step for rotating the second propeller and for flying the fuselage forward; wherein the forward flight step comprises a forward acceleration flight step for accelerating the rotational speed of the second propeller and for flying the fuselage forward at a constant altitude; wherein the forward acceleration flight step has a first lift control mode for simultaneously accelerating the rotational speed of the second propeller and simultaneously decelerating the rotational speed of the plurality of first propellers in order to reduce lift increased due to an increase in the forward acceleration flight speed of the fuselage.

[0021] In a method for operating a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the forward flight step further includes a forward deceleration flight step for decelerating the rotational speed of a second propeller and causing the fuselage to fly forward at a predetermined altitude, wherein the forward deceleration flight step may have a second lift control mode for decelerating the rotational speed of the second propeller and simultaneously accelerating the rotational speeds of the plurality of first propellers in order to compensate for the lift reduced due to the decrease in the forward deceleration flight speed of the fuselage.

[0022] In a method for operating a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the forward flight step further includes a forward constant speed flight step in which the rotation speed of the second propeller is maintained at a constant speed and the fuselage is flown forward at a constant speed at a constant altitude, and at this time, the forward constant speed flight step may have a third lift control mode in which the rotation speeds of the plurality of first propellers are rotated at a preset reference rotation speed.

[0023] In the method for starting a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the reference rotation speed can be set within 1% to 20% of the rotation speed of the first propeller required in the stationary flight stage.

[0024] A control device of a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an up-and-down control unit for collectively controlling the rotational speeds of a plurality of first propellers; an attitude change control unit for selectively controlling the rotational speeds of a plurality of first propellers; and a forward control unit for controlling the rotational speeds of a second propeller; wherein the forward control unit has a first lift control mode that causes a deceleration operation of the plurality of first propellers by the up-and-down control unit to be linked when the second propeller is accelerated for forward acceleration flight of the fuselage at a constant altitude.

[0025] In a control device of a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the forward control unit may have a second lift control mode that allows the acceleration operation of the plurality of first propellers by the up-and-down control unit to be linked when the second propeller is decelerated to cause the fuselage to fly forward at a certain altitude.

[0026] In a control device of a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the forward control unit may have a third lift control mode that allows the constant-speed operation of the plurality of first propellers by the up-and-down control unit to be linked when the second propeller is operated at a constant speed to make the fuselage fly forward at a constant altitude.

[0027] According to the present invention, by including a duct having a propeller guard, an airfoil leading portion, an airfoil trailing portion, and a flow guide portion, it is possible to implement both the flight characteristics of a multicopter-type vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and the flight characteristics of a fixed-wing aircraft, thereby providing high-speed flight and stable flight performance as well as excellent maneuverability and efficiency.

[0028] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the detailed description of the present invention or the composition of the invention described in the claims.

[0029] Figure 1 is a general example diagram showing a vertical takeoff and landing flight device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 is a plan view example of Figure 1.

[0031] Figure 3 is a side view example of Figure 1.

[0032] Figure 4 is a complete example diagram showing the lifting unit of Figure 1.

[0033] Figure 5 is an example cross-sectional view of line AA of Figure 4.

[0034] Figure 6 is an exemplary diagram for explaining the operating state of a vertical takeoff and landing flight device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a control device of a vertical takeoff and landing flight device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Fig. 8 is an exemplary diagram for explaining the operation of the adjustment device of Fig. 7.

[0037] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different forms and is therefore not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, irrelevant parts have been omitted for clarity of description, and similar parts have been designated with similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0038] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected (connected, contacted, or coupled)" to another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly connected," but also cases where it is "indirectly connected" with another part in between. Furthermore, when a part is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather implies that it may include other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0039] The terminology used herein is merely used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, it should be understood that the terms "comprises" or "has" indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0041] FIG. 1 is a full-scale exemplary diagram showing a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan-view exemplary diagram of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a side-view exemplary diagram of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a full-scale exemplary diagram showing a lifting unit of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional exemplary diagram taken along line AA of FIG. 4.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a vertical takeoff and landing flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a fuselage (100), a lift unit (300), and a thrust unit (400).

[0043] The fuselage (100) can be formed to be long and extended in the forward and backward direction of the axis, and can be formed in a streamlined shape similar to a fixed-wing aircraft to reduce air resistance.

[0044] The lift unit (300) generates lift for the fuselage (100) and may have a first propeller (310) and a duct (320).

[0045] The first propeller (310) can be placed on the periphery of the fuselage (100) and can provide lift to the fuselage (100) when rotating.

[0046] The duct (320) is provided in a ring shape to surround the first propeller (310) and can protect the first propeller (310) from the outside.

[0047] The duct (320) may have a propeller guard portion (320G), an airfoil leading portion (320F), an airfoil trailing portion (320B), and a euro guide portion (325).

[0048] The propeller guard (320G) corresponds to the inner surface of the duct (320) facing the first propeller (310).

[0049] The propeller guard (320G) can be formed so that the center is convex toward the first propeller (310) in the up-down direction, which is the direction of air flow.

[0050] That is, the propeller guard part (320G) has an upper inlet through which air is drawn in when the first propeller (310) rotates, and a lower outlet through which air is drawn out. In the propeller guard part (320G), the center in the direction of air flow has a diameter smaller than the diameters of the upper inlet and the lower outlet. The convexly formed center of the propeller guard part (320G) can be spaced apart from the tip (311), which is the free end of the first propeller (310), by a predetermined distance.

[0051] This propeller guard (320G) can basically rectify the irregular air flow from the upper side of the first propeller (310) and can induce the air flow flowing from the upper side of the first propeller (310) by the suction action that occurs when the first propeller (310) rotates, thereby generating a strong downward flow. This strong downward flow of air can increase the lift generated by the first propeller (310).

[0052] The airfoil leading portion (320F) can be placed in the forward region (F) of the duct (320) that collides with the air during forward flight.

[0053] That is, the airfoil leading portion (320F) can be placed in the front region (F) of the duct (320) that forms a semicircular shape based on the reference line (CL) that intersects the rotation axis of the first propeller (310) in the left and right directions.

[0054] In other words, in the front region (F) of the duct (320) that forms a semicircular shape based on the reference line (CL), the outer surface forms an airfoil leading portion (320F), and the inner surface forms a propeller guard portion (320G).

[0055] The airfoil leading portion (320F) has a shape of a front portion of the airfoil including the leading edge (321F) at the leading edge that collides with the air during forward flight, which can accelerate the flow of air during forward flight and apply a relatively high pressure to the lower region of the duct (320) corresponding to the lower surface of the airfoil.

[0056] The airfoil trailing portion (320B) can be placed in the rear region (B) of the duct (320) that flows air during forward flight.

[0057] That is, the airfoil trailing portion (320B) can be placed in the rear region (B) of the duct (320) that forms a semicircular shape based on the reference line (CL) that intersects the rotation axis of the first propeller (310) in the left and right directions.

[0058] In other words, in the rear region (B) of the duct (320) that forms a semicircular shape based on the reference line (CL), the outer surface forms an airfoil trailing portion (320B), and the inner surface forms a propeller guard portion (320G).

[0059] The airfoil trailing portion (320B) has a shape of a rear portion of the airfoil including the rearmost trailing edge (321B) that allows air to flow during forward flight, which can induce a rearward flow of air during forward flight and reduce the pressure in the rear region of the duct (320).

[0060] These airfoil leading portions (320F) and airfoil trailing portions (320B) can generate lift for the fuselage (100) like a fixed wing during forward flight.

[0061] The shapes of the above-mentioned propeller guard (320G), airfoil leading portion (320F), and airfoil trailing portion (320B) can be appropriately changed depending on the purpose or use of the flight device. That is, depending on whether the primary purpose is high-speed flight, such as military or sports use, or stable flight, such as logistics transport, the shapes of the propeller guard (320G), airfoil leading portion (320F), and airfoil trailing portion (320B) can be appropriately designed and changed.

[0062] The duct (320) according to the present invention has an airfoil leading portion (320F) and an airfoil trailing portion (320B) together with a propeller guard portion (320G), thereby enabling high-speed flight and stable flight performance that cannot be seen in existing multicopter-type vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and enabling excellent maneuverability and efficient flight.

[0063] The flow guide part (325) may be provided on the propeller guard part (320G) and may be formed to protrude toward the first propeller (310) at a position adjacent to the inlet area of ​​the propeller guard part (320G). This flow guide part (325) may suppress the generation of a vortex formed in the tip (311) area when the first propeller (310) rotates. Then, the lift by the first propeller (310) may be increased, and the lift generated in the airfoil-shaped duct (320) during forward flight may also be further increased.

[0064] The airflow guide part (325) is provided to cover the upper side of the tip (311) of the first propeller (310), so that a compressed air flow path (3250) can be formed between the tip (311) and the first propeller (310) when the first propeller (310) rotates. This compressed air flow path (3250) can prevent the tip (311) that bends upwards when the first propeller (310) rotates from coming into contact with the airflow guide part (325), and as a result, the compressed air flow path (3250) can limit the maximum rising height of the tip (311) that bends upwards while acting as an air bearing.

[0065] The euro guide section (325) may have a horizontal guide surface (3251) and an inclined guide surface (3252).

[0066] The horizontal guide surface (3251) can extend horizontally from the propeller guard (320G) toward the rotation axis of the first propeller (310) while maintaining a constant distance upward from the tip (311).

[0067] The inclined guide surface (3252) can extend tangentially from the inner end of the horizontal guide surface (3251) toward the inlet area of ​​the propeller guard portion (320G).

[0068] Here, when the first propeller (310) is stopped, a first gap (d1) can be maintained between the horizontal guide surface (3251) and the tip (311), and when the first propeller (310) rotates, a second gap (d2) can be maintained between the horizontal guide surface (3251) and the tip (311). Here, the second gap (d2) can correspond to the maximum height to which the tip (311) can rise. This means that when the first propeller (310) rotates, the tip (311), which is the free end, has the fastest rotational speed, and as the rotational speed increases, the tip (311) approaches the horizontal guide surface (3251) and maintains the second gap (d2).

[0069] Then, the air flowing into the inlet of the propeller guard (320G) can be further compressed in the process of quickly passing over the inclined guide surface (3252) and passing through the compressed air path (3250) between the horizontal guide surface (3251) and the tip (311), and then can quickly flow out through the outlet of the propeller guard (320G) past the first propeller (310).

[0070] And, the tip (311) is no longer able to bend upward due to the compressed air passing through the compressed air passage (3250), and at this time, a downward pressing force is applied to the upper surface of the tip (311). This pressing force can suppress the generation of a vortex formed in the tip (311) region of the first propeller (310) and at the same time be converted into additional lift of the first propeller (310).

[0071] In addition, since the inclined guide surface (3252) of the euro guide section (325) extends tangentially from the rear end of the airfoil leading section (320F), the euro guide section (325) suppresses the generation of vortices formed in the inlet region of the propeller guard section (320G) during forward flight, and allows the vortices to dissipate in the lower region of the duct (320) corresponding to the lower surface of the airfoil through the compressed air passage (3250), thereby further increasing the lift generated by the duct (320) during forward flight.

[0072] Continuing, the duct (320) may further have a propeller support (330).

[0073] The propeller support (330) can fixally support the first propeller (310) and the driving unit (315), such as the rotor that rotates the first propeller (310). For this purpose, the propeller support (330) has one end coupled to the duct (320), and the other end can extend in the direction of the rotation axis of the first propeller (310), and can be arranged radially around the rotation axis of the first propeller (310).

[0074] Additionally, the duct (320) may further have a connecting portion (301).

[0075] A connecting portion (301) may be provided on one side of a duct (320). The duct (320) may be directly connected to the fuselage (100) via the connecting portion (301). In addition, the duct (320) may be connected to a fixed wing (200) provided on the fuselage (100) via the connecting portion (301).

[0076] Meanwhile, a plurality of lift units (300) may be provided to be symmetrical in the front-rear and left-right directions with respect to the fuselage (100). In the illustrated embodiment, six lift units (300) in the form of a so-called hexacopter are illustrated. Of course, the lift units (300) may be provided in various quantities, such as a bicopter, a quadcopter, or an octocopter.

[0077] At this time, as shown in Fig. 2, the rotation axes of the plurality of first propellers (310) constituting the plurality of lifting units (300) can be spaced apart at equal intervals on the circumference of an imaginary circle (IC) having a constant radius with the center of gravity (WC) of the fuselage (100) as the center point.

[0078] In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of lifting units (300) can be arranged on a single horizontal plane intersecting the base line (XL) of the fuselage (100). Consequently, the streamlined fuselage (100), the airfoil-shaped fixed wing (200), and the lifting unit (300) can all be arranged on a single horizontal plane intersecting the base line (XL).

[0079] Additionally, the flying device may further include a fixed wing (200).

[0080] The fixed wing (200) has an airfoil shape and can be arranged to connect the duct (320) of the fuselage (100) and the lift unit (300).

[0081] For example, when a hexacopter-shaped lift unit (300) is provided, the two lift units (300) at the front can be directly coupled to the front left and right sides of the fuselage (100), and the two lift units (300) at the rear can be directly coupled to the rear left and right sides of the fuselage (100). In addition, the two lift units (300) at the center can be coupled to the central left and right sides of the fuselage (100) via the fixed wing (200).

[0082] Meanwhile, the flight device may further include a vertical tail wing (110) at the rear of the fuselage (100).

[0083] The vertical tail wing (110) can further increase the attitude stability of the fuselage (100) in flight.

[0084] The thrust unit (400) generates thrust for the fuselage (100) and may have a second propeller.

[0085] The second propeller can be placed at the rear end of the fuselage (100) and can provide forward thrust for the fuselage (100).

[0086] Below, a method for operating a vertical takeoff and landing flight device according to the present invention is described.

[0087] Figure 6 is an exemplary diagram for explaining the operating state of a vertical takeoff and landing flight device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] The method for operating a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to the present invention can be implemented by the vertical take-off and landing flight device described above.

[0089] The method for maneuvering a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to the present invention may include an up-and-down flight phase, a hovering flight phase, an attitude change phase, and a forward flight phase.

[0090] The up and down flight phase may be a take-off and landing phase, and is a phase in which the rotation speed of a plurality of first propellers (310) is changed simultaneously to increase or decrease the altitude of the fuselage (100).

[0091] That is, the rotation speed of all of the plurality of first propellers (310) can be accelerated to increase the altitude of the fuselage (100), and the rotation speed of all of the plurality of first propellers (310) can be decelerated to lower the altitude of the fuselage (100).

[0092] The hovering flight phase may be a hovering phase, and is a phase in which the rotational speed of the plurality of first propellers (310) is maintained at a constant speed and the fuselage (100) is brought into a hovering flight.

[0093] The attitude change step is a step of selectively changing the rotation speed of a plurality of first propellers (310) and changing the attitude of the fuselage (100).

[0094] That is, by varying the rotation speed of the left first propeller (310b)(310c)(310d) and the rotation speed of the right first propeller (310a)(310f)(310e), the roll direction attitude of the fuselage (100) can be changed. In addition, by varying the rotation speed of the front first propeller (310a)(310b) and the rotation speed of the rear first propeller (310d)(310e), the pitch direction attitude of the fuselage (100) can be changed. In addition, by varying the rotation speed of the clockwise rotating first propeller (310b)(310d)(310f) and the counterclockwise rotating first propeller (310a)(310c)(310e), the yaw direction attitude of the fuselage (100) can be changed.

[0095] The forward flight phase is a phase in which the second propeller is rotated and the fuselage (100) is flown forward.

[0096] Of course, among the up and down flight phases, attitude change phases and forward flight phases, two or more phases can be performed simultaneously.

[0097] That is, during vertical flight, if the rotational speeds of the plurality of first propellers (310) are accelerated or decelerated differently, the fuselage (100) can change its attitude in the roll, pitch, and yaw directions simultaneously with vertical flight.

[0098] Additionally, when the second propeller is rotated during vertical flight, the fuselage (100) can fly forward while simultaneously flying vertically.

[0099] In addition, during forward flight, if the rotational speeds of the plurality of first propellers (310) are accelerated or decelerated differently, the fuselage (100) can change its attitude in the roll, pitch, and yaw directions simultaneously with the forward flight.

[0100] Here, the vertical take-off and landing flight device according to the present invention has various excellent maneuverability and efficiency along with high-speed flight and stable flight performance that can be seen in a fixed-wing flight device, in addition to the basic maneuverability performance of the vertical take-off and landing flight device described above, through a lift unit (300) and a thrust unit (400) including a duct (320) having airfoil-shaped characteristics.

[0101] The forward flight phase may include a forward acceleration flight phase, a forward constant velocity flight phase, and a forward deceleration flight phase.

[0102] The forward acceleration flight phase may be a phase in which the rotational speed of the second propeller is accelerated and the fuselage (100) is accelerated forward at a certain altitude.

[0103] The forward constant speed flight stage may be a stage in which the rotation speed of the second propeller is maintained at a constant speed and the fuselage (100) is flown forward at a constant speed at a certain altitude.

[0104] The forward deceleration flight phase may be a phase in which the rotational speed of the second propeller is reduced and the fuselage (100) is flown forward at a constant altitude.

[0105] At this time, the forward acceleration flight stage may have a first lift control mode that simultaneously accelerates the rotation speed of the second propeller and simultaneously decelerates the rotation speed of a plurality of first propellers (310) in order to reduce the lift that increases due to the increase in the forward acceleration flight speed of the fuselage (100).

[0106] That is, the first lift control mode is a mode used when the fuselage (100) is flying forward at a certain altitude, and may correspond to an operation mode that increases the output power of the thrust unit (400) while simultaneously decreasing the output power of the lift unit (300).

[0107] In detail, when the fuselage (100) accelerates forward and flies at a certain altitude, the overall lift of the flight device increases due to the duct (320) having airfoil characteristics together with the streamlined fuselage (100) and fixed wing (200), so that the fuselage (100) can naturally fly upward forward. Therefore, in order for the fuselage (100) to fly forward and flies at a certain altitude, it is necessary to gradually increase the rotation speed of the second propeller and at the same time gradually decrease the rotation speed of the first propeller (310), thereby gradually decreasing the overall lift of the flight device generated during the forward and flies. Consequently, according to the present invention, the fuselage (100) can be accelerated and flied forward at a certain altitude while reducing the output power of the lift unit (300).

[0108] In addition, the forward deceleration flight stage may have a second lift control mode that gradually reduces the rotational speed of the second propeller and simultaneously gradually accelerates the rotational speed of the plurality of first propellers (310) in order to compensate for the reduced lift due to the decrease in the forward flight speed of the fuselage (100).

[0109] That is, the second lift control mode is a mode used when the fuselage (100) is flying forward at a certain altitude, and may correspond to an operation mode that reduces the output power of the thrust unit (400) while simultaneously increasing the output power of the lift unit (300).

[0110] In detail, when the fuselage (100) performs forward deceleration flight at a certain altitude, despite the streamlined fuselage (100) and the fixed wing (200) and the duct (320) having airfoil characteristics, the overall lift of the flight device gradually decreases, so that the fuselage (100) can naturally fly downward forward. Therefore, in order for the fuselage (100) to perform forward deceleration flight at a certain altitude, it is necessary to gradually decrease the rotation speed of the second propeller and at the same time gradually increase the rotation speed of the plurality of first propellers (310), so as to gradually increase the overall lift of the flight device generated during forward deceleration flight.

[0111] Meanwhile, the above-described forward constant speed flight stage may have a third lift control mode that rotates the rotation speed of the plurality of first propellers (310) at a preset reference rotation speed.

[0112] That is, the third lift control mode is a mode used when the fuselage (100) flies forward at a constant speed at a constant altitude, and may correspond to an operation mode that maintains the output power of the thrust unit (400) constant while maintaining the output power of the lift unit (300) constant.

[0113] At this time, the reference rotation speed can be set within 1% to 20% of the rotation speed of the first propeller (310) required in the stationary flight stage.

[0114] In other words, the reference rotation speed can be set within 1% to 20% of the rotation speed of the first propeller (310) required in the stationary flight stage, depending on the forward speed of the flight device, i.e., the rotation speed of the second propeller. That is, as the rotation speed of the second propeller increases, the lift of the duct (300) having airfoil characteristics increases, so the reference rotation speed of the first propeller (310) can be set relatively low.

[0115] Here, when the flight device has a high forward flight speed, even if the first propeller (310) remains stationary, it may not pose a major problem in terms of flight efficiency because the first propeller (310) is protected by the duct (320) having airfoil characteristics. However, in order to quickly respond to changes in altitude and attitude during forward flight, it is preferable that the first propeller (310) maintain an appropriate reference rotational speed as described above.

[0116] Some of the steps described above may be skipped, performed in parallel, or performed without strict prior-reverse order.

[0117] Below, a control device of a vertical takeoff and landing flight device according to one embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0118] FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a control device of a vertical take-off and landing flight device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is an exemplary diagram for explaining the operation of the control device of FIG. 7.

[0119] The control device of the vertical take-off and landing flight device according to the present invention can be applied to implement the vertical take-off and landing flight device and maneuvering method described above.

[0120] The control device of the vertical take-off and landing flight device according to the present invention may include an up-down control unit (510), an attitude change control unit (520), and a forward control unit (530).

[0121] The upper and lower control unit (510) can collectively control the rotation speed of multiple first propellers (310).

[0122] That is, as shown in (a) of Fig. 8, if the up-and-down adjustment unit (510) is pushed forward to reduce the rotation speed of all of the plurality of first propellers (310), the fuselage (100) can lower its altitude, and if the up-and-down adjustment unit (510) is pulled backward to accelerate the rotation speed of all of the plurality of first propellers (310), the fuselage (100) can increase its altitude. In addition, if the up-and-down adjustment unit (510) is maintained at a constant position to maintain the rotation speed of all of the plurality of first propellers (310) at a constant speed, the fuselage (100) can fly stationary.

[0123] The attitude change adjustment unit (520) can selectively control the rotation speed of a plurality of first propellers (310).

[0124] That is, referring to FIG. 6, by varying the rotation speed of the left first propeller (310b)(310c)(310d) and the rotation speed of the right first propeller (310a)(310f)(310e) through the attitude change adjustment unit (520), the attitude in the roll direction of the fuselage (100) can be varied. In addition, by varying the rotation speed of the front first propeller (310a)(310b) and the rotation speed of the rear first propeller (310d)(310e), the attitude in the pitch direction of the fuselage (100) can be varied. In addition, by changing the rotation speed of the first propeller (310b)(310d)(310f) rotating clockwise and the rotation speed of the first propeller (310a)(310c)(310e) rotating counterclockwise, the yaw direction attitude of the fuselage (100) can be changed.

[0125] The forward control unit (530) can control the rotation speed of the second propeller.

[0126] That is, as shown in (b) of Fig. 8, when the forward adjustment unit (530) is pushed forward to accelerate the rotational speed of the second propeller, the fuselage (100) can perform forward accelerated flight, and when the forward adjustment unit (530) is pulled backward to decelerate the rotational speed of the second propeller, the fuselage (100) can perform forward decelerated flight. In addition, when the forward adjustment unit (530) is maintained at a constant position to maintain the rotational speed of the second propeller at a constant speed, the fuselage (100) can perform forward constant speed flight.

[0127] At this time, when the forward control unit (530) is pushed forward to accelerate the rotation speed of the second propeller and the fuselage (100) is accelerated to fly forward, the lift of the flight device gradually increases due to the duct (320) having airfoil characteristics together with the streamlined fuselage (100) and fixed wing (200), and accordingly, the fuselage (100) can naturally fly upward forward.

[0128] In addition, when the forward control unit (530) is pulled backward to reduce the rotational speed of the second propeller and the fuselage (100) is made to fly forward at a reduced speed, the lift of the flight device gradually decreases despite having a streamlined fuselage (100) and a fixed wing (200) and a duct (320) having airfoil characteristics, and accordingly, the fuselage (100) can naturally fly downward forward.

[0129] In addition, the forward control unit (530) according to the present invention may have a first lift control mode that allows the deceleration operation of a plurality of first propellers (310) to be linked when the second propeller is accelerated to accelerate the forward flight of the fuselage at a certain altitude.

[0130] As shown in (c) of Fig. 8, in the first lift control mode, the forward control unit (530) operates to accelerate the fuselage (100) forward at a certain altitude, and the up-down control unit (510) is linked. The forward control unit (530) and the up-down control unit (510) that are linked in the first lift control mode can be mechanically or electrically synchronized, and the operating range of each can be individually set.

[0131] That is, when the forward control unit (530) is pushed, the upper and lower control unit (510) is pushed forward together. Accordingly, the rotational speed of the second propeller can be accelerated while the rotational speed of the first propeller (310) can be decelerated. Then, the fuselage (100) can fly forward at an accelerated speed at a certain altitude.

[0132] In addition, the forward control unit (530) according to the present invention may have a second lift control mode that allows the acceleration operation of a plurality of first propellers (310) to be linked when the second propeller is decelerated to cause the fuselage (100) to fly forward at a certain altitude.

[0133] As shown in (d) of Fig. 8, in the second lift control mode, the forward control unit (530) operates to cause the fuselage (100) to fly forward and decelerate at a certain altitude, and the up-and-down control unit (510) is linked. The forward control unit (530) and the up-and-down control unit (510) that are linked in the second lift control mode can be mechanically or electrically synchronized, and the operating range of each can be individually set.

[0134] That is, when the forward control unit (530) is pulled, the upper and lower control units (510) are pulled together in a rearward motion. Accordingly, the rotational speed of the second propeller can be reduced while the rotational speed of the first propeller (310) can be accelerated. Then, the fuselage (100) can fly forward at a certain altitude with reduced speed.

[0135] In addition, the forward control unit (530) according to the present invention may have a third lift control mode that allows the constant-speed operation of a plurality of first propellers (310) to be linked when the second propeller is operated at a constant speed to make the fuselage (100) fly forward at a constant speed at a certain altitude.

[0136] The third lift control mode is intended to allow the fuselage (100) to fly forward at a constant speed at a constant altitude, and is a mode in which the set positions of the forward control unit (530) and the up-down control unit (510) are maintained uniformly. Accordingly, the fuselage (100) can fly forward at a constant speed at a constant altitude as the rotational speeds of the first propeller (310) and the second propeller are maintained at a constant speed.

[0137] Here, in the third lift control mode, the rotation speed of the first propeller (310) can be maintained at a preset reference rotation speed, and the reference rotation speed can be set within 1% to 20% of the rotation speed of the first propeller (310) required in the stationary flight stage.

[0138] In this way, as the first propeller (310) does not stop and maintains the set reference rotation speed, the altitude or attitude of the fuselage (100) can be quickly and stably changed through the attitude change adjustment unit (520) during forward flight.

[0139] The foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single entity may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined manner.

[0140] The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

[0141] The present invention has excellent maneuverability and efficiency along with high-speed and stable flight performance, and can be widely used in all fields of civil, military, and industrial technology, such as transportation, security, search, surveillance, and sports, where the concepts of unmanned aerial vehicles and manned aerial vehicles are evolving into mutually complex operational forms rather than being completely separated.

Claims

1. A fuselage that is formed by extending long and narrow in the front-to-back direction; A lifting unit having a first propeller arranged on the periphery of the fuselage to provide lifting force to the fuselage and a duct protecting the first propeller; and A thrust unit having a second propeller arranged at the rear end of the fuselage to provide thrust to the fuselage is included. The above duct, A propeller guard portion convexly formed toward the first propeller so as to have a center diameter smaller than the diameters of the inlet through which air flows in and the outlet through which air flows out; An airfoil leading portion, which is positioned in the forward area that collides with the air during forward flight and has the shape of a portion of the front of the airfoil including the leading edge, An airfoil trailing portion, which is positioned in the rear area that allows air to flow during forward flight and has the shape of a rear portion of the airfoil including the trailing edge, A vertical take-off and landing flight device characterized by including a flow guide portion that protrudes in the direction of the first propeller from the propeller guard portion and suppresses the generation of vortex at the tip when the first propeller rotates.

2. In paragraph 1, The above Euro guide part, A vertical take-off and landing aircraft characterized in that it is provided to cover the upper side of the tip and forms a compressed air path between the tip and the first propeller, thereby limiting the maximum elevation height of the tip when the first propeller rotates.

3. In paragraph 2, The above Euro guide part, A horizontal guide surface extending horizontally toward the rotational axis of the first propeller while spaced apart from the upper side of the tip to form the compressed air path; A vertical take-off and landing flight device characterized by including an inclined guide surface extending tangentially from the inner end of the horizontal guide surface toward the inlet area of ​​the propeller guard section.

4. In paragraph 1, The above lifting unit is provided in multiple numbers to be symmetrical in the front, rear, left, and right directions based on the fuselage. The rotation axes of the plurality of first propellers constituting the plurality of lifting units are A vertical take-off and landing aircraft characterized in that the center of gravity of the above-mentioned fuselage is spaced at equal intervals on the circumference of a virtual circle having a constant radius as its center point.

5. In paragraph 4, A vertical take-off and landing flight device, characterized in that the plurality of lifting units are arranged on a single horizontal plane intersecting the axis line of the fuselage.

6. In paragraph 1, A vertical take-off and landing flight device further comprising a fixed wing connecting the fuselage and the lifting unit.

7. A method for maneuvering a vertical take-off and landing flight device described in paragraph 1, A vertical flight stage in which the rotation speed of multiple primary propellers is changed simultaneously to raise or lower the altitude of the fuselage; A hovering flight stage in which the fuselage is hovered while maintaining the rotational speed of the plurality of first propellers at a constant speed; and An attitude change step for selectively changing the rotation speed of multiple first propellers and changing the attitude of the fuselage; and A forward flight stage that rotates the second propeller and moves the fuselage forward; The above forward flight stage includes a forward acceleration flight stage in which the rotation speed of the second propeller is accelerated and the fuselage is accelerated and flown forward at a certain altitude; A method for maneuvering a vertical take-off and landing flight device, characterized in that the forward acceleration flight stage has a first lift control mode that simultaneously accelerates the rotational speed of the second propeller and simultaneously decelerates the rotational speed of the plurality of first propellers in order to reduce the lift that increases due to an increase in the forward acceleration flight speed of the fuselage.

8. In paragraph 7, The above forward flight stage further includes a forward deceleration flight stage in which the rotation speed of the second propeller is reduced and the fuselage is decelerated forward at a certain altitude. A method for maneuvering a vertical take-off and landing flight device, characterized in that the forward deceleration flight stage has a second lift control mode that simultaneously decelerates the rotational speed of the second propeller and simultaneously accelerates the rotational speed of the plurality of first propellers in order to compensate for the reduced lift due to the decrease in the forward deceleration flight speed of the fuselage.

9. In paragraph 7, The above forward flight stage further includes a forward constant speed flight stage in which the rotation speed of the second propeller is maintained at a constant speed and the fuselage is flown forward at a constant speed at a constant altitude. A method for operating a vertical take-off and landing flight device, characterized in that the forward constant speed flight stage has a third lift control mode that rotates the rotation speed of the plurality of first propellers at a preset reference rotation speed.

10. In paragraph 9, A method for starting a vertical take-off and landing flight device, characterized in that the reference rotation speed is set within 1% to 20% of the rotation speed of the first propeller required in the stationary flight stage.

11. As a control device for the vertical take-off and landing flight device described in paragraph 1, An upper and lower adjustment unit for collectively controlling the rotation speed of multiple first propellers; An attitude change adjustment unit for selectively controlling the rotation speed of multiple first propellers; and including a forward adjustment unit for controlling the rotation speed of the second propeller; The above forward adjustment unit, A control device for a vertical take-off and landing flight apparatus characterized by having a first lift control mode that links the deceleration operation of the plurality of first propellers by the up-and-down control unit during the acceleration operation of the second propeller for accelerating the forward flight of the fuselage at a certain altitude.

12. In paragraph 11, The above forward adjustment unit, A control device for a vertical take-off and landing flight apparatus characterized by having a second lift control mode that links the acceleration operation of the plurality of first propellers by the up-and-down control unit during the deceleration operation of the second propeller for forward deceleration flight of the fuselage at a certain altitude.

13. In paragraph 11, The above forward adjustment unit, A control device for a vertical take-off and landing flight apparatus characterized by having a third lift control mode that links the constant-speed operation of the plurality of first propellers by the up-and-down adjustment unit during the constant-speed operation of the second propeller to make the fuselage fly forward at a constant altitude.

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