Direct Blade Control via Electromagnetic Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing direct blade control systems for aircraft, particularly small unmanned vertical take-off and landing aerial vehicles, face challenges in generating sufficient torque and stability for cyclic and collective pitch control due to complexity, weight, and energy consumption, often requiring multiple actuators or electrical brushes, which are cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A direct blade control device utilizing a partially spherical stator with a central coil and offset curved magnets, allowing for high torque and low-inertia control of blade pitch through electromagnetic interaction, reducing the number of mechanical parts and eliminating the need for swashplates and electrical brushes, enabling efficient oscillation around a neutral pitch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple actuators are used for swashplate control, then blade pitch control capability is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the swashplate mechanism and electrical brushes from the system, replacing them with a direct blade actuation system using permanent magnets and electromagnets mounted directly on the blade carriers, thereby reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the traditional mechanical swashplate actuation system with an electromagnetic system using permanent magnets and electromagnets that directly control blade pitch through magnetic interaction, eliminating the need for mechanical links and electrical brushes
2Ease of operation
If electrical brushes are used for actuator power supply, then actuator control is enabled, but reliability decreases due to electrical contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces electrical brushes and electrical contacts with a magnetic coupling system where permanent magnets on the blade carriers interact with electromagnets on the stator, enabling actuator control without physical electrical contacts and thereby improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces magnetic fields as an intermediary between the control system and the blade actuators, using permanent magnets and electromagnets to transmit control signals without direct electrical contact, thus eliminating the reliability issues associated with electrical brushes
3Speed
If high torque is generated for blade oscillation control, then control responsiveness is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses periodic electromagnetic excitation of the electromagnets to generate the required torque for blade oscillation control, allowing high-frequency oscillations to be achieved through timed electromagnetic pulses rather than continuous high-power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses permanent magnets to provide a preliminary magnetic field that assists in blade oscillation control, reducing the energy required from the electromagnets by leveraging the pre-positioned magnetic field from the permanent magnets
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides stable, low-energy, and compact blade pitch control with high reactivity and reliability, suitable for small aircraft, reducing the complexity and weight of the control system while maintaining robustness and simplicity.
Implementation Method 1
The coil, when energized, generates a magnetic field that interacts with the permanent magnets to produce torque, controlling the rotation of the blade carrier around the blade axis
Implementation Method 2
The electromagnetic interaction between the coil-generated magnetic field and the permanent magnets produces the torque necessary to control blade pitch
Implementation Method 3
The magnetic ring closes the magnetic flux, avoiding magnetic perturbation, problematic for magnetometers. The magnetic ring provides a reference field that holds the blade in a neutral position
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device for directly controlling a blade which comprises a stator (1), at least one blade carrier (7) composed of at least one curved magnet (6), the blade carrier (7) being secured to at least one blade (3) and pivotally coupled to the rotor (8) for varying the alpha angle of said blades with the excitation of the stator (1). The stator (1) is a partially spherical stator, the stator core (1) being the intersection of the blade axis (22) and the rotor axis (20), said stator being radially close to the magnets (3) to control the rotation of the blades (3) around the blade axis (22). A magnetic ring (5) holds the blades (3) in a neutral position, the system can be compared to a cyclically controlled mechanical oscillator, the frequency, phase and amplitude of the oscillation being controlled by said stator. Device providing a compact, lightweight and robust solution for controlling the direction of an aircraft.