VTOL Aircraft Airflow Guide Structure for Radiator Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing airflow guide structures for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft inefficiently direct airflow from VTOL rotors to radiators for cooling, leading to suboptimal cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
The proposed airflow guide structure includes an inlet positioned on the boom of the aircraft, oriented to face the rotational direction of the VTOL rotor's blades, allowing efficient guidance of airflow generated by the rotor to the radiator within the boom.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the inlet is positioned on the upper plane of the boom, then the structure is simple, but the airflow guidance efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet is repositioned from the upper plane to the side surface of the boom, specifically on the suction side of the rotor airflow. This local repositioning optimizes the inlet's position to align with the natural airflow direction generated by the rotor, improving guidance efficiency without requiring complex additional structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet configuration transitions from a two-dimensional surface opening on the upper plane to a three-dimensional volumetric intake on the side surface. This dimensional change allows the inlet to capture airflow more effectively by positioning it within the airflow path rather than merely on a surface, enhancing guidance efficiency.
2Productivity
If the inlet is positioned to face the rotor directly, then airflow guidance is efficient, but the inlet may be exposed to harmful factors from rotor rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet is specifically positioned on the suction side of the rotor airflow pattern, which is the region where airflow is naturally directed toward the boom. This localized positioning ensures efficient airflow capture while inherently avoiding the high-speed rotor blade path and associated harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The boom structure itself acts as an intermediary element between the rotor and the inlet. The inlet is positioned on the boom's side surface, using the boom as a mediator to capture rotor-generated airflow while protecting the inlet from direct exposure to rotor blades and their harmful effects.
3Quantity of substance
If the inlet is positioned between the rotational axes of two rotors, then airflow from multiple rotors can be utilized, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet positioned between the rotational axes of two rotors serves multiple functions simultaneously: it captures airflow from both rotors, maintains structural simplicity by using a single inlet opening, and leverages the natural airflow patterns from multiple rotors without requiring separate inlets for each rotor.
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 enhances the efficiency of airflow guidance to the radiator, improving cooling performance and maintaining optimal operating temperatures for the VTOL rotor systems.
Implementation Method 1
at least two rotors that are supported on the boom, the at least two rotors respectively having one or more blades configured to generate thrust in a vertical direction during take-off and landing
Implementation Method 2
a cooling system configured to cool the two rotor by using a radiator arranged within the boom
Data Source
AI summary
The aircraft includes a fuselage, a front wing and a rear wing provided to extend laterally from the fuselage for generating lift during cruise, a boom extending in a front-back direction supported by these wings to be spaced apart from the fuselage, a VTOL rotor supported on the boom and having one or more blades for generating thrust in a vertical direction during take-off and landing, a cooling system for cooling the VTOL rotor by using a radiator arranged within the boom, and an airflow guide structure provided in a part of the boom for guiding airflow generated by rotation of the blades to the radiator, and having an inlet provided on a side that faces toward a rotational direction of the blades relative to a rotational axis of the VTOL rotor, of a surface of the boom positioned below a plane of rotation of the blades.