Concealed Airfoil Thrust Rotor for Low-Drag VTOL Flight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vertical take-off and landing aircraft face issues with excess drag due to large propellers or rotor blades, leading to turbulence, and existing solutions like complex doors or shutters are cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
Aircraft are designed with thrust devices rotatably mounted within airfoils, which can rotate between vertical and horizontal orientations, seamlessly integrating into the airfoil profile to minimize drag and provide efficient thrust.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If large propellers or rotor blades are used to provide vertical thrust, then lift capability is improved, but drag and turbulence increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust device is nested within the airfoil structure, with the rotor housed inside a compartment of the airfoil. This allows the thrust-generating component to be contained within the aerodynamic body, reducing its exposure to external airflow and thereby minimizing drag and turbulence while maintaining vertical lift capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The thrust device is rotatably mounted within the airfoil, allowing it to dynamically change orientation between a vertical position (for lift/thrust) and a horizontal/stowed position (for reduced drag). This dynamic reconfiguration enables the system to optimize performance for different flight phases.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If complex doors, sliding panels, louvers, or shutters are used to conceal thrust systems, then aerodynamic efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using complex doors, panels, or shutters, the invention employs a dynamically rotating thrust device that passively integrates into the airfoil profile. The rotor can be rotated into a stowed position where it becomes part of the streamlined airfoil shape, eliminating the need for additional concealment mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The airfoil structure serves multiple functions: it provides aerodynamic lift during forward flight and houses the thrust device for vertical takeoff and landing. The airfoil itself acts as the containment structure, eliminating the need for separate doors or panels, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency.
3Force
If thrust devices are mounted externally on airfoils, then thrust capability is improved, but aerodynamic efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust device is nested within the airfoil compartment rather than mounted externally. This integration allows the thrust-generating rotor to be shielded by the airfoil structure during forward flight, reducing its negative impact on aerodynamic efficiency while preserving full thrust capability when activated for vertical flight.
Data Source
AI summary
Aircraft and airfoils for more efficient flight operations using electric motors. An aircraft includes an airfoil and a thrust device rotatably mounted within the airfoil. An airfoil includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a compartment disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface, and a thrust device rotatably mounted within the compartment.