VTOL Aircraft Thrust Units with Deflectors for Torque Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft face challenges in achieving lightweight, responsive control, and increased safety against propulsion and power supply failures, particularly when powered electrically, due to the heavy batteries required for sufficient power.
Innovation Solution
A rotor-lifted aircraft design featuring a central rotor for vertical lift, side thrust units with tiltable deflector strips for horizontal thrust and control, and electric motor-driven thrust units, allowing for efficient hovering and short takeoff and landing capabilities, with redundant systems for safety and simplicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the aircraft is powered electrically with sufficient power for VTOL operations, then the power supply (batteries) becomes very heavy, but this increases the weight of the aircraft
Solution Approach 1:
The power system is segmented into multiple battery modules distributed throughout the aircraft structure. This allows the total power requirement to be met while distributing the weight burden, improving center of gravity management and reducing the impact on any single structural point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a three-dimensional battery configuration arranged in multiple levels within the aircraft fuselage. This vertical stacking approach maximizes power capacity within a constrained volume, effectively utilizing space in the vertical dimension rather than just horizontally.
2Device complexity
If a central rotor is used for vertical lift, then the design achieves simplified control and lightweight construction, but the thrust units require precise positioning and control
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust units are equipped with position sensors and control systems that provide real-time feedback on their location and orientation. This feedback mechanism enables automatic adjustment of thrust magnitude and direction, ensuring precise positioning without requiring complex manual control inputs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical positioning mechanisms with electrically-controlled thrust units that use electromagnetic fields for positioning and control. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining or improving positioning precision through electronic control systems.
3Reliability
If redundant thrust systems are implemented for safety, then the reliability against propulsion failure increases, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust units are designed with multi-functionality, capable of performing both primary propulsion and backup functions. Each thrust unit can operate independently to provide vertical lift, horizontal thrust, or anti-torque compensation, allowing the system to maintain redundancy without requiring completely separate backup systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the redundant thrust capabilities into a unified control system that dynamically allocates thrust from multiple units based on operational requirements and failure conditions. This integration allows redundancy to be achieved through software control rather than physically separate systems, reducing overall complexity.
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 design enables a lightweight, responsive, and safe VTOL aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing with reduced risk of propulsion failure, utilizing electric power sources and autorotation for energy generation during descent.
Implementation Method 1
a main rotor (100) arranged on a mast (50) on top of the body (10), having a rotation axis substantially vertical with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
Each thrust unit (200, 400) comprises a fan (430) having a rotation axis generally perpendicular to said vertical midplane
Implementation Method 3
said thrust unit (400) being provided with air flow deflection means (420), hereinafter also indicated as flow deflector (420)
Implementation Method 4
The rotor (100) and the thrust units (200, 400) are driven by electric motors
Data Source
AI summary
A flying passenger rotor lifted vehicle that is capable of taking off and landing vertically, that is relatively light-weight, has responsive control, and increased safety against failure of propulsion/thrust systems. The flying vehicle can include a body having a tail section, a central thrust unit arranged along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, at a distance from the rotation axis of the main rotor, a mounting support on either side of the body, and a side thrust unit mounted to each mounting support. The central thrust unit includes a fan which provides air flow with a flow component perpendicular to a virtual vertical midplane of the vehicle. Each of the side thrust units includes a fan which provides air flow with a flow component parallel to the virtual vertical midplane. At least one of the thrust units has controllable air deflection to deflect the corresponding output air flow in a controllable manner.