Helicopter Blade-Tip Thrusters with Annular Centrifugal Fuel Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional helicopters are hindered by heavy and inefficient engine and transmission systems, instability issues, and excessive drag due to bulky designs, necessitating a more efficient configuration that eliminates these drawbacks while maintaining performance.
Innovation Solution
A helicopter design featuring blade-tip thrusters, an annular centrifugal fuel supply tank, and a concentric fuselage and cabin, where centrifugal force propels fuel to thrusters for thrust generation, eliminating the need for conventional engines and transmissions, and incorporating a swash ring and hydraulic actuators for pitch adjustment and stabilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If conventional engine and transmission systems are used, then power transmission is achieved, but weight and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the conventional engine and transmission systems from the helicopter configuration. Instead, it uses blade-tip thrusters that are independently powered, eliminating the need for a centralized power transmission system. This extraction of complex mechanical components directly reduces device complexity while maintaining power delivery functionality through alternative means.
Solution Approach 2:
The power system is segmented into multiple independent blade-tip thrusters, each with its own propulsion capability. This segmentation replaces the centralized engine-transmission system with distributed independent units, reducing overall system complexity and eliminating the need for mechanical power transmission components.
2Power
If conventional engine and transmission systems are used, then power transmission is achieved, but weight increases due to frictional losses and bulky components
Solution Approach 1:
The heavy engine and transmission components are extracted from the system and replaced with lightweight blade-tip thrusters. This removal of bulky mechanical components directly reduces the weight of the helicopter while maintaining the necessary power transmission function through electric or direct propulsion at each blade tip.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical engine-transmission system is replaced with a non-mechanical or simplified propulsion system at the blade tips. This substitution eliminates frictional losses inherent in mechanical systems and removes the weight penalty associated with bulky engine and transmission components.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a tail rotor assembly is used for anti-torque, then stability is achieved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tail rotor assembly is extracted and removed from the helicopter configuration. Instead of using a separate anti-torque system, the patent achieves stability through the coordinated operation of blade-tip thrusters that can independently control torque and maintain rotational balance, eliminating the need for complex tail rotor mechanisms.
4Strength
If a bulbous fuselage design is used, then structural support is achieved, but drag increases due to non-sleek configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The fuselage design incorporates streamlined and curved configurations that reduce aerodynamic drag. The patent employs sleek, aerodynamic shaping of the fuselage and rotor assembly that minimizes air resistance while maintaining necessary structural support, replacing bulbous forms with optimized curved geometries.
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
This configuration reduces drag, enhances stability, and achieves equivalent or superior performance to conventional helicopters by utilizing blade-tip thrusters and a rotating annular fuel tank to generate lift and thrust, minimizing the need for a tail rotor and transmission systems.
Implementation Method 1
Centrifugal force propels fuel from the interior compartment of the tank through conduits extending through the blades from root to tip, to the thrusters
Implementation Method 2
The thrusters combust fuel from the interior fuel compartment to produce thrust
Implementation Method 3
The thrust causes the rotating annular fuel tank to rotate relative to the fuselage
Implementation Method 4
Each blade has an airfoil cross-section shape and generates aerodynamic lift when rotated with the rotating annular fuel tank
Data Source
AI summary
A helicopter includes a rotor with short blades and tip thrusters. The blades extend from an annular fuel tank that rotates with the blades. Centrifugal force propels fuel from the interior compartment of the annular tank, through conduits extending through the blades from root to tip, to the tip thrusters. Valves (e.g., solenoid valves and/or a flyweight governor) regulate fuel flow to achieve and maintain a determined steady rotational speed. A fuselage covered by a canopy is mounted atop a bearing on the annular fuel tank. The pitch of each blade may be adjusted collectively and cyclically using a swash ring and hydraulic linear actuators.