Hybrid gyrodyne aircraft employing a managed autorotation flight control system
First Claim
1. An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage;
at least one propulsion engine coupled to the fuselage, wherein the propulsion engine is configured to provide forward thrust to propel the aircraft along a first vector during forward flight;
a plurality of rotors coupled to the fuselage, whereineach rotor of at least two of the plurality of rotors is coupled to a motor configured to supply power to that rotor and configured to draw power from that rotor, andat least two of the plurality of rotors are configured to operate during a first time interval of non-descending forward flight; and
a flight control system configured to control the rotors that are configured to operate during the first time interval of non-descending forward flight in a power managed regime in which an average net electrical power, which is a net electrical power consisting of a difference between the sum of the power being supplied to each rotor by the coupled motor and the sum of the power being drawn from each rotor by the coupled motor averaged over the first time interval, is maintained within a range by a feedback control system of the flight control system, where, within the range in which the average net electrical power is maintained, an airflow power supplied to the plurality of rotors from air flow through the rotors due to air speed produced by the forward thrust provided by the propulsion engine provides most of a total lift to the aircraft along a second vector.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An aircraft includes at least one propulsion engine, coupled to a fuselage, and configured to provide forward thrust to propel the aircraft along a first vector during forward flight. Each of at least two of multiple rotors coupled to the fuselage is coupled to a motor configured to supply power to that rotor and/or to draw power from that rotor. At least two of the rotors are configured to operate during forward flight to provide at least some lift to the aircraft along a second vector. A flight control system is configured to control the rotors that are configured to operate during forward flight in a power managed regime in which a net electrical power, consisting of the sum of the power being supplied to or drawn from each rotor by its motor, is maintained within a range determined by a feedback control system of the flight control system.
49 Citations
61 Claims
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1. An aircraft comprising:
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a fuselage; at least one propulsion engine coupled to the fuselage, wherein the propulsion engine is configured to provide forward thrust to propel the aircraft along a first vector during forward flight; a plurality of rotors coupled to the fuselage, wherein each rotor of at least two of the plurality of rotors is coupled to a motor configured to supply power to that rotor and configured to draw power from that rotor, and at least two of the plurality of rotors are configured to operate during a first time interval of non-descending forward flight; and a flight control system configured to control the rotors that are configured to operate during the first time interval of non-descending forward flight in a power managed regime in which an average net electrical power, which is a net electrical power consisting of a difference between the sum of the power being supplied to each rotor by the coupled motor and the sum of the power being drawn from each rotor by the coupled motor averaged over the first time interval, is maintained within a range by a feedback control system of the flight control system, where, within the range in which the average net electrical power is maintained, an airflow power supplied to the plurality of rotors from air flow through the rotors due to air speed produced by the forward thrust provided by the propulsion engine provides most of a total lift to the aircraft along a second vector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46)
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44. A method for operating an aircraft, the method comprising:
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operating at least one propulsion engine coupled to a fuselage to provide forward thrust to propel the aircraft along a first vector during forward flight; operating a plurality of rotors coupled to the fuselage, wherein each rotor of at least two of the plurality of rotors is coupled to a motor configured to supply power to that rotor and configured to draw power from that rotor, and at least two of the plurality of rotors are configured to operate during a first time interval of non-descending forward flight; and operating a flight control system to control the rotors that are configured to operate during the first time interval of non-descending forward flight in a power managed regime in which an average net electrical power, which is a net electrical power consisting of a difference between the sum of the power being supplied to each rotor by the coupled motor and the sum of the power being drawn from each rotor by the coupled motor averaged over the first time interval, is maintained within a range by a feedback control system of the flight control system, where, within the range in which the average net electrical power is maintained, an airflow power supplied to the plurality of rotors from air flow through the rotors due to air speed produced by the forward thrust provided by the propulsion engine provides most of a total lift to the aircraft along a second vector. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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Specification