Multicopter Wide Span Rotor Configuration for Storage and Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current personal aircraft designs face challenges in storage and transportation due to their size and weight, and existing VTOL aircraft lack efficient rotor configurations for optimal flight and safety features, especially for over-water operations.
Innovation Solution
A multicopter aircraft with a wide span rotor configuration, featuring ten rotors with inner and outer rotors tilted at varying angles for maximum disc area and wing span, optimized for over-water flight with flotation devices and designed to fit within standard trailer dimensions, incorporating safety features like inner rotors for ground mobility and rotor redundancy for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the aircraft uses a conventional rotor configuration, then the structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but the disc area and wing span are reduced, limiting flight efficiency and over-water capability
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor system is segmented into multiple independent rotors (at least three rotors) arranged in a distributed configuration around the fuselage. Each rotor operates independently, allowing the aircraft to achieve maximum disc area through the collective rotor disc coverage while maintaining manageable complexity through modular rotor units that can be individually controlled and replaced if needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor configuration transitions from a conventional single-plane arrangement to a three-dimensional distributed layout with rotors positioned at different locations and orientations around the fuselage. This spatial distribution maximizes the effective disc area and wing span by utilizing vertical and lateral dimensions, creating an optimized configuration for both flight performance and storage considerations.
2Productivity
If the aircraft is designed with maximum disc area and wing span for optimal flight, then flight efficiency and over-water capability improve, but the aircraft size increases making storage and transportation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft employs movable and adjustable rotor components that can be reconfigured between flight and storage states. The rotors can be tilted, folded, or repositioned to maximize disc area during flight operations while being compacted into a smaller configuration for storage in standard trailers, enabling the aircraft to achieve maximum flight efficiency without permanent increase in storage volume requirements.
3Reliability
If the aircraft uses fewer rotors to reduce complexity, then the system is simpler, but rotor redundancy is reduced compromising safety and stability during flight
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft is equipped with multiple rotors (at least three) arranged in a redundant configuration where the failure of one or more rotors does not compromise flight safety. The distributed rotor layout and independent control systems provide built-in redundancy, allowing the aircraft to maintain stable flight even with rotor failures, thereby enhancing reliability without requiring overly complex backup systems.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the aircraft lacks ground mobility capability, then the design is simpler, but the aircraft cannot move independently on ground requiring additional transportation equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor system serves dual functions: providing lift and thrust during flight operations and enabling ground mobility when engaged with the ground surface. By configuring the rotors to contact and propel the aircraft on ground, the same propulsion system provides both aerial and terrestrial mobility, eliminating the need for separate wheeled landing gear or external transportation equipment while maintaining design simplicity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6A
AI summary
A multicopter aircraft with a wide span rotor configuration is disclosed. In various embodiments, a multicopter as disclosed herein includes a fuselage and a plurality of rotors. The plurality of rotors includes inner rotors and outer rotors, with the inner rotors being substantially surrounded by the outer rotors or the fuselage. The inner rotors and the outer rotors may be tilted based at least in part on their arrangement in relation to the fuselage.