Vertical takeoff and landing aircraft using a redundant array of independent rotors
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B64C-027/08
출원번호
UP-0325159
(2006-01-04)
등록번호
US-7699260
(2010-05-20)
발명자
/ 주소
Hughey, Bradley Ward
출원인 / 주소
Hughey Electricopter Corporation
대리인 / 주소
Abhyanker LLP, Raj
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
25인용 특허 :
14
초록▼
A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, using for vertical lift and lateral thrust a redundant plurality of essentially similar electrically-powered and electronically-controlled thrust units mounted in a mechanically static or fixed fashion relative to one another in a substantially horizontal pla
A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, using for vertical lift and lateral thrust a redundant plurality of essentially similar electrically-powered and electronically-controlled thrust units mounted in a mechanically static or fixed fashion relative to one another in a substantially horizontal plane. The thrust units are situated in this planar array in aerodynamically approximate pairs, such that a complete failure of a single thrust unit would not substantially compromise the ability of the aircraft to maintain flight.
대표청구항▼
What I claim is: 1. A vertical take off and landing aircraft comprising: at least six substantially similar independent electrically powered thrusting units formed from a Redundant Array of Independent Rotors (RAIR) that includes at least thirty six separate drive units, whereby the at least six su
What I claim is: 1. A vertical take off and landing aircraft comprising: at least six substantially similar independent electrically powered thrusting units formed from a Redundant Array of Independent Rotors (RAIR) that includes at least thirty six separate drive units, whereby the at least six substantially similar independent electrically powered thrust units are mounted to the vertical take off and landing aircraft in aerodynamically approximate pairs to avoid a flight compromise when at least one of the pair of independent electrically powered thrusting units fails to operate, wherein the independent electrically powered thrusting units incorporate rotational air movement means having an aggregate aerodynamic disk area to total aircraft mass ratio substantially similar to a standard single-rotor helicopter; a two blade structure with pre-determined taper, twist, and a standard rectangular plan form for each of the rotors of the RAIR for providing uniform thrust loading and efficiency, wherein the blade structure for the rotors of the RAIR are attached to each of the rotors of the RAIR using a fixed pitch that limits a rotor mechanical complexity and a chance of failure; a grid structure that is so constructed to provide fixed positions for each of the rotors of the RAIR relative to one another and spaced apart in an approximate geometric plane with a common thrust vector direction substantially perpendicular to the approximate geometric plane, wherein the grid structure to provide a fairly uniform spacing of thrust units of approximately 36 inches, thereby providing a rotor disk area overlap of approximately 22%; a control system to provide an aggregate RAIR thrust vector control to the vertical take off and landing aircraft by controlling a plurality of control zones of the RAIR by implementing a Direct Current (DC) motor speed control for controlling pitch, roll and lift for each of the independent electrically powered thrust unit associated to the plurality of the control zones; an analog computer module controller to include a voltage meter and individual switches for powering each thrust unit motor relay of the RAIR; a thrust magnitude control means for the RAIR, whereby the individual and collective magnitude of thrust from each of the independent electrically powered thrusting units associated to the particular control zones can be altered during operation of the vertical take off and landing aircraft to provide a pitch and roll functionality substantially similar to a standard helicopter single rotor disk, and wherein the thrust magnitude control means incorporates an analog or digital computer means; a rudder placed appropriately in a mechanical position at approximately a 45-degree angle to, and below, the geometric plane of the RAIR to provide yaw control; means of attaching a payload carrying means whereby a center of mass of the payload carrying means is substantially near the center of, and in a fixed mechanical position relative to the approximate geometric plane; a control joystick situated between the analog computer module and a seat of a pilot to enable control of the thrust units to provide vertical take off, landing and direction to the vertical take off and landing aircraft; a Global Positioning System (GPS) communicatively coupled to an altimeter of the vertical take off and landing aircraft to provide an autopilot system to automatically keep the vertical take off and landing aircraft out of controlled airspace; a battery module to power the RAIR through the control system; and a backup power module to power the RAIR in case of failure of the battery module. 2. The vertical take off and landing aircraft of claim 1, wherein the plurality of the control zones is comprised of a front zone that includes six rotors that are placed upfront in the geometric plane of the grid structure towards a direction that the pilot is facing in the vertical take off and landing aircraft, a left zone that includes four rotors that are placed on the left side of the geometric plane of the grid structure towards a direction that is on the left side that the pilot is facing in the vertical take off and landing aircraft and the right zone that includes four rotors that are placed on the fight side of the geometric plane of the grid structure towards a direction that is on the right side that the is pilot facing in the vertical take off and landing aircraft, a rear zone that includes six rotors that are placed in the rear of the geometric plane of the grid structure towards an opposite direction that the pilot is facing in the vertical take off and landing aircraft, and a central zone that includes the remaining sixteen rotors that are placed in the central part of the geometric plane of the grid structure surrounded by the front, left, fight and the rear zones, wherein the front zone and the rear zones are used for pitch control of the vertical take off and landing aircraft, wherein the left zone and the fight zones are used for roll control of the vertical take off and landing aircraft, and wherein the central zone is used for vertical lift of the vertical take off and landing aircraft, wherein the rudder is attached to a rudder pedal bar in front of a pilot's position using plurality of flexible cables, wherein the blades of the rotors of the RAIR are comprised of a reinforced plastic, wherein the reinforced plastic is comprised of a material below a threshold density that limits a rotational inertia of the rotor blade, increases response rate of the independent electric powered thrusting units, reducing a material cost, wherein each of the plurality of the independent electric powered thrusting units associated to the control zone are controlled using a duty cycle waveform provided for each of the control zone, wherein the duty cycle waveform for the plurality of the independent electric powered thrusting units associated to the control zone is adjusted using the control joystick, wherein the duty cycle waveform for the plurality of the independent electric powered thrusting units associated to the control zone is controlled using a microprocessor via the control zones, and wherein the duty cycle waveform of the plurality of the independent electric powered thrusting units associated to the control zone are controlled to keep a pilot from over-controlling the vertical take off and landing aircraft, wherein the duty cycle waveform of the plurality of the independent electric powered thrusting units associated to the control zone at an autopilot mode is controlled using the GPS coupled to the altimeter via the microprocessor to keep the vertical take off and landing aircraft from traveling into a restricted airspace.
Rosenberg Louis B. (Pleasanton CA) Braun Adam C. (Sunnyvale CA) Schena Bruce M. (Menlo Park CA), Safe and low cost computer peripherals with force feedback for consumer applications.
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