초록 ▼

A means for extracting rotational energy from the vortex created at aircraft wing tips which consists of a turbine with blades located in the crossflow of the vortex and attached downstream of the wingtip. The turbine 30 has blades 40, 41, 42 and 43 attached to a core 45. When the aircraft is in mot

A means for extracting rotational energy from the vortex created at aircraft wing tips which consists of a turbine with blades located in the crossflow of the vortex and attached downstream of the wingtip. The turbine 30 has blades 40, 41, 42 and 43 attached to a core 45. When the aircraft is in motion, rotation of core 45 transmits energy to a centrally attached shaft 50. The rotational energy thus generated may be put to use within the airfoil 20 or aircraft fuselage 10.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for reducing induced drag on an aircraft by attenuating a lift-induced vortex and for extracting energy from the vortex, the apparatus comprising: a moving vehicle; lift-producing surface means on said vehicle inducing a naturally-occurring wingtip vortex having a crossflow, said lift p

An apparatus for reducing induced drag on an aircraft by attenuating a lift-induced vortex and for extracting energy from the vortex, the apparatus comprising: a moving vehicle; lift-producing surface means on said vehicle inducing a naturally-occurring wingtip vortex having a crossflow, said lift producing surface means having a leading edge, a trailing edge and a wingtip chord; turbine means, positioned on the lift-producing surface means so that it is driven solely by said wingtip vortex crossflow with no power being derived from freestream airflow, for reducing induced drag on the moving vehicle by attenuating the lift-induced vortex and extracting rotational energy from said vortex, said turbine means further having a position adjacent to and aft of said wingtip chord, said turbine means having turbine blades with a blade diameter greater than 60% and less than 160% of said wingtip chord, said turbine blades positioned in the crossflow of the wingtip vortex occurring outside the vortex core, providing energy for utilization within the aircraft without any thrust penalty to the vehicle propulsion system, and means for utilizing said rotational energy within said moving vehicle.