Mono-Wing Aerial Device with Tangential Thrust
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional small and underactuated UAVs face issues with poor flight efficiency, controllability, and limited airborne time due to lack of aerodynamic lift apart from propellers, and existing designs are complex and unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A mono-wing aerial device with a housing member, a wing member configured for autorotation, and a thrust unit coupled to the wing member to generate thrust tangentially, enabling improved control of altitude and trajectory direction using a single thruster unit for multi-directional control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional small and underactuated UAVs use propellers without aerodynamic lift surfaces, then they can achieve flight, but they suffer from poor flight efficiency and limited airborne time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the propeller and aerodynamic lift surface into a single integrated wing structure. The wing member serves dual functions: it generates aerodynamic lift for efficient flight and houses the propeller for propulsion. This integration eliminates the need for separate lift surfaces, reducing weight and improving energy efficiency while extending airborne time.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing member is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides aerodynamic lift, houses the propeller, and serves as the structural airframe. This universal design allows a single component to perform multiple functions, reducing the overall number of parts and improving flight efficiency without compromising airborne duration.
2Device complexity
If single actuator vehicles are designed with simple structures, then device complexity is reduced, but controllability of altitude and trajectory deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic control strategies that adjust the propeller's rotational speed and orientation in real-time to achieve precise control of altitude and trajectory. The controller dynamically modifies thrust characteristics based on desired flight path, enabling effective control despite the simple single-actuator structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls trajectory by manipulating the propeller's rotational axis orientation in three-dimensional space. By changing the angle and direction of the propeller rotation, the system achieves control in multiple dimensions (altitude, longitudinal, lateral, and rotational movements) using a single actuator, thereby maintaining controllability without increasing structural complexity.
3Use of energy by moving object
If biomimetic flapping-wings are used to achieve flight, then aerodynamic lift is improved, but design complexity and limited airborne time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the flapping motion complexity from the overall design and replaces it with a simplified rotating wing mechanism. Instead of complex biomimetic flapping, the wing member rotates about its longitudinal axis in a controlled manner, achieving sufficient aerodynamic lift with much simpler mechanics and longer airborne duration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adopts a simple, lightweight wing member design that can be easily manufactured and replaced if needed. The focus is on achieving functional adequacy rather than biological perfection, using a straightforward rotating wing structure that provides sufficient lift without the complexity and limited lifespan of biomimetic flapping systems.
4Power
If thrust is generated in the rotational plane of the wing, then propulsion efficiency is improved, but control of altitude and trajectory direction is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the propeller to generate thrust in a direction substantially tangential to the rotational plane of the wing member, rather than within the rotational plane itself. This dimensional shift allows the thrust to be applied perpendicular to the rotation axis, enabling independent control of altitude and trajectory direction while maintaining propulsion efficiency through optimized thrust vectoring.
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 mono-wing aerial device achieves stable, efficient flight with reduced power consumption and weight, enhanced reliability, and longer flight endurance, while maintaining passive autorotation capability for safe operation even in power failure scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
a wing member configured to produce aerodynamic forces for autorotation of the aerial device
Implementation Method 2
the thrust unit coupled to the wing member at the second edge portion, wherein the thrust unit is configured to generate thrust in a direction substantially tangential to a rotational plane of the wing member
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a mono-wing aerial device which includes a housing member having disposed thereon electronic components and a power source, including a controller configured to control a thrust unit; a wing member coupled to the housing member, the wing member configured to produce aerodynamic forces for autorotation of the aerial device, the wing member comprising a first edge portion proximal to the housing member and a second edge portion distal to the housing member, wherein the wing member is coupled to the housing member at the first edge portion; and the thrust unit coupled to the wing member at the second edge portion, wherein the thrust unit is configured to generate thrust in a direction substantially tangential to a rotational plane of the wing member. There is also provided a method of forming the mono-wing aerial device.