Rotary Engine Centrifugal Fan Aircraft Propulsion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Propeller-based propulsion systems for rotary engines in aircraft face safety risks, instability, icing issues, loud operation, and increased drag, necessitating a more efficient and safer propulsion method.
Innovation Solution
Aircraft propulsion system utilizing a rotary engine to drive a centrifugal fan, with the thrust vector orthogonal to the axis of rotation, mounted in the wing with the rotary engine and centrifugal fan rotating parallel to the aircraft's yaw axis, reducing drag and safety hazards while providing forward thrust.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a propeller is used with a rotary engine for aircraft propulsion, then thrust is generated for propelling the aircraft, but safety risks increase due to the rotating propeller mass and gyroscopic precession-induced instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the propeller from the rotary engine assembly, separating the thrust-generating function from the rotating mass that causes instability. The propeller is removed and replaced with a centrifugal fan that has no rotating mass, thereby eliminating gyroscopic precession while maintaining thrust generation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical propeller system with a centrifugal fan system that uses centrifugal force generated by a rotating fan assembly. This substitution eliminates the need for a traditional propeller while maintaining the ability to generate thrust through airflow manipulation.
2Power
If a propeller is used for propulsion, then forward thrust is generated, but noise increases and icing risks occur in cold weather
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the propeller from the system, eliminating the sources of noise and icing. The centrifugal fan assembly generates thrust without the exposed rotating blades that catch ice crystals and generate noise, thereby reducing these harmful factors while maintaining thrust production.
3Power
If the rotary engine is mounted to the front of the aircraft with a propeller, then thrust is generated in the direction of flight, but drag increases due to the large cross-section
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the rotary engine and centrifugal fan assembly from a front-mounted configuration to a side-mounted configuration on the aircraft fuselage. This dimensional relocation reduces the engine's cross-sectional area in the airflow path, thereby reducing aerodynamic drag while maintaining thrust generation capability.
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 system enhances stability, reduces noise and drag, minimizes propeller-related risks, and improves aircraft stability by utilizing a horizontally-oriented centrifugal fan and rotary engine configuration, offering a more efficient and safer propulsion solution.
Implementation Method 1
a centrifugal fan disposed in the housing and configured to produce forward thrust for an aircraft through the rearward-facing outlet of the housing, the centrifugal fan configured to rotate about a first axis of rotation to direct an air stream out of the rearward-facing outlet of the housing in a generally tangential direction relative to the first axis of rotation
Implementation Method 2
a rotary engine including a stationary crankshaft and a crankcase rotatable about the stationary crankshaft for rotation about a second axis of rotation that is substantially parallel to the first axis of rotation. The crankcase is operably coupled to the centrifugal fan to rotate the centrifugal fan about the first axis of rotation
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft propulsion system utilizes a rotary engine to drive a centrifugal fan providing a thrust vector that is generally orthogonal to an axis of rotation of the rotary engine and the fan. The aircraft propulsion system may be mounted, for example, in the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft with the rotary engine and the centrifugal fan rotating about an axis of rotation that is generally parallel to a yaw axis of the aircraft.