Angled Rotor Multicopter for Debris Safety and Yaw Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Multicopter aircraft with horizontally oriented rotors pose a risk to occupants and equipment due to debris thrown by spinning rotors, and existing systems lack efficient control mechanisms for yaw and lateral movements.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a multicopter aircraft with angled rotors, where each rotor is mounted at a non-zero angle to avoid intersecting the fuselage or occupied areas, and a flight control system that dynamically optimizes actuator usage to generate forces and moments, including lateral components, for efficient control and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rotors are mounted horizontally on the multicopter, then lift generation is effective, but debris is thrown by spinning rotors posing risk to occupants and equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by mounting rotors at non-zero angles (e.g., 30-60 degrees) relative to the horizontal plane, breaking the symmetric horizontal configuration. This angular offset causes debris to be thrown outward and away from the fuselage and occupants rather than directly toward them, resolving the safety contradiction while maintaining lift effectiveness.
2Ease of operation
If traditional horizontal rotor configuration is used, then结构简单 (structure is simple), but control authority over yaw and lateral movements is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional horizontal rotor arrangement to a three-dimensional configuration by angling rotors relative to the horizontal plane. This adds a vertical dimension to the rotor mounting, enabling lateral and yaw control components to be generated naturally by the rotor tilt, thereby improving control authority without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Ease of operation
If more actuators are added to improve control, then control effectiveness increases, but power consumption and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes each angled rotor multi-functional: they simultaneously provide lift (vertical component) and lateral/yaw control (horizontal components) through their angular orientation. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated lateral control actuators, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining control effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A multicopter aircraft with boom-mounted rotors may include a fuselage; a port side wing coupled to the fuselage; and a starboard side wing coupled to the fuselage. Each of the wings has mounted thereto one or more booms, each boom having a forward end extending forward of a corresponding wing to which the boom is mounted and an aft end extending aft of said corresponding wing to which the boom is mounted. The aircraft further includes a first plurality of lift rotors, each rotor in said first plurality being mounted on a forward end of a corresponding one or said booms; and a second plurality of lift rotors, each rotor in said second plurality being mounted on an aft end of a corresponding one or said booms. Each rotor produces vertical thrust independent of the thrust produced by the other rotors.