VTOL Flight Unit With Rotating Aerofoil Wing Struts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vertical take-off and landing aircraft designs face inefficiencies due to protruding air deflectors causing interference during take-off and landing, mechanical stress on the wing assembly, and suboptimal propulsion and lift dynamics, particularly in inclined flight phases.
Innovation Solution
Integrate wings with aerofoil shape into the wing assembly struts, allowing them to rotate and adjust their angle to optimize airflow interaction, reducing mechanical stress and improving aerodynamics and stability across various flight phases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If air deflectors are arranged on the outer circumference of the wing assembly, then airflow deflection and flight characteristic control are improved, but the flight module protrudes causing interference during take-off and landing
Solution Approach 1:
The air deflectors are merged with the wing assembly struts by integrating them directly into the strut structure. This eliminates the need for separate air deflector components mounted on the outer circumference, thereby reducing the overall protrusion of the flight module while maintaining the airflow deflection function.
Solution Approach 2:
The air deflectors are nested within the wing assembly strut structure rather than being mounted externally. This nesting approach allows the air deflectors to be housed inside the strut, reducing the external dimensions and preventing interference during take-off and landing operations.
2Ease of operation
If air deflectors are mounted on one side of the wing assembly, then airflow control is achieved, but considerable bending load is generated on the air deflectors and wing assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The air deflectors are positioned asymmetrically within the wing assembly strut structure, allowing optimized airflow control while distributing mechanical loads more evenly across the strut. This asymmetric placement enables effective airflow deflection without concentrating all loads on a single mounting point.
Solution Approach 2:
By merging the air deflectors with the wing assembly strut structure, the structural load-bearing capacity is shared between the strut and the air deflector assembly. This integration reduces the bending load on individual air deflector mounting points and improves overall structural strength.
3Power
If multiple propellers are operated to provide sufficient drive power, then thrust is adequate for all flight phases, but propulsion efficiency decreases due to unnecessary power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller operation is made dynamic and adaptable to flight conditions. The system can selectively activate individual propellers based on the current flight phase and power requirements, transitioning from multiple propellers during high-power phases to fewer propellers during efficient cruising phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The operational parameters of the propeller system are changed by varying the number of active propellers and their individual power outputs according to flight conditions. This parameter adjustment optimizes the balance between available thrust and energy consumption across different flight phases.
4Use of energy by moving object
If propellers are switched off during inclined flight phase, then energy consumption is reduced, but air resistance increases due to rotor blades creating disturbance
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller system dynamically adjusts its operation based on flight phase. During inclined flight phases, the system can reduce power consumption by activating fewer propellers while maintaining sufficient thrust through optimized propeller control, avoiding the need to switch all propellers off completely.
Solution Approach 2:
The operational parameters of active propellers are adjusted during inclined flight phases to optimize the balance between power consumption and air resistance. By controlling the rotation speed and angle of active propellers, the system minimizes harmful air resistance effects while reducing overall energy consumption.
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
Enhances flight efficiency by minimizing propulsive power requirements, increasing lift generation, and stabilizing flight characteristics, while reducing interference and mechanical stress on the wing assembly.
Implementation Method 1
The wing has an aerofoil shape, also called aerofoil surface
Implementation Method 2
deflects and accelerates the air flow across the top of the wing to generate dynamic lift in response to this incoming airflow, causing negative pressure on top of the wing and positive pressure on the underside of the wing
Implementation Method 3
The inflow surface on its upper side is curved in relation to the inflow surface on its underside, which deflects and accelerates the air flow across the top of the wing
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a flight unit for a vertical take-off and landing aircraft with a plurality of drive units arranged on a wing assembly, wherein the wing assembly comprises longitudinally extended wing assembly struts connected to one another at node points. According to the invention, a certain number of the wing assembly struts each comprise at least one wing with aerofoil form, which wing is arranged or configured for rotation in a longitudinal section of the wing assembly strut which extends longitudinally between two nodes.