Modular thrust system

• US 10,173,775 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2014
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Samaritano, Anthony, Newman, Daniel I., Duffy, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin P
• Application Number:
  US14/531,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20160123182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/08 with two or more rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/026 for use as personal propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/40 Modular UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/50 Foldable or collapsible UAVs with frangible components B64U20/30
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/60 UAVs characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/30 Supply or distribution of electrical power
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed herein is one embodiment of a thrust system that includes at least one modular thrust unit and at least one control module. The at least one modular thrust unit includes a base that is made from structural members that are inter-connectable in a plurality of different structural configurations. The at least one modular thrust unit further includes at least one thrust generator coupleable to the base in a thrust configuration and at least one power source operable to deliver power to the at least one thrust generator. The at least one control module is coupleable to the at least one modular thrust unit and operable to control at least one of the at least one thrust generator and the at least one power source.

Claims

1. A thrust system, comprising:

at least one modular thrust unit, wherein the modular thrust unit comprises;

a base comprising structural members inter-connectable in a plurality of different structural configurations having different shapes;

at least one thrust generator coupleable to the base in a thrust configuration and having a shape different from a shape of each of the structural members of the base, the at least one thrust generator separable from the base to at least partially collapse the modular thrust unit for transport, wherein the at least one thrust generator is unpowered in response to being uncoupled from the base; and

at least one power source operable to deliver power to the at least one thrust generator; and

at least one control module coupleable to the at least one modular thrust unit and operable to control at least one of the at least one thrust generator and the at least one power source.

2. The thrust system of claim 1, wherein the base comprises at least one coupler mechanism for coupling together at least one other modular thrust unit to form an aggregated thrust unit.

3. The thrust system of claim 1, wherein the at least one modular thrust unit comprises a plurality of modular thrust units, wherein each modular thrust unit is independently operable to generate thrust and the plurality of modular thrust units are interdependently operable to generate thrust, wherein the plurality of modular thrust units are inter-coupleable to form an aggregated thrust unit with an aggregated configuration.

4. The thrust system of claim 1, wherein the thrust system consists of:

the at least one modular thrust unit, wherein each modular thrust unit consists of;

the base comprising structural members inter-connectable in the plurality of different structural configurations;

the at least one thrust generator coupleable to the base in the thrust configuration; and

the at least one power source operable to deliver power to the at least one thrust generator; and

the at least one control module coupleable to the at least one modular thrust unit and operable to control at least one of the at least one thrust generator and the at least one power source.

5. A thrust system, comprising:

a plurality of collapsible modular thrust units, wherein each collapsible modular thrust unit comprises;

a base;

at least one thrust generator coupleable to the base to provide the only source of thrust for the base in a thrust configuration, the at least one thrust generator being separable from the base to at least partially collapse each of the plurality of collapsible modular thrust units, wherein the at least one thrust generator is unpowered in response to being uncoupled from the base; and

at least one power source operable to deliver power to the at least one thrust generator; and

at least one control module coupleable to at least one of the plurality of modular thrust units and operable to control at least one of the at least one thrust generator and the at least one power source;

wherein each modular thrust unit is independently operable to generate thrust and the plurality of modular thrust units are interdependently operable to generate thrust, wherein the plurality of modular thrust units are inter-coupleable to form an aggregated thrust unit having an aggregated configuration having any one of various different shapes.

6. The thrust system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of modular thrust units comprises:

first modular thrust units each comprising a first base having a first structural configuration; and

second modular thrust units each comprising a second base having a second structural configuration, wherein the first structural configuration is different from the second structural configuration.

7. The thrust system of claim 5, wherein the base comprises structural members inter-connectable in a plurality of different structural configurations.

8. The thrust system of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of modular thrust units has identical structural configurations and identical thrust configurations.

9. The thrust system of claim 5, wherein each modular thrust unit comprises an equal number of thrust generators and power sources.

10. The thrust system of claim 5, wherein the aggregated thrust unit comprises a single control module of the at least one control module.

11. The thrust system of claim 5, wherein the at least one control module comprises a control module for each modular thrust unit that forms the aggregated thrust unit.

12. The thrust system of claim 11, wherein the control modules for each modular thrust unit are networked together, wherein one of the control modules is a master controller and others of the control modules are slave controllers.

13. The thrust system of claim 5, wherein the base comprises at least one coupler mechanism for coupling together multiple modular thrust units to form the aggregated thrust unit.

14. The thrust system of claim 5, wherein each thrust generator of the at least one thrust generator comprises a rotor.

15. A kit, comprising:

a plurality of structural members inter-connectable to form a base having any one of a plurality of configurations having different shapes;

at least one thrust generator coupleable to the base in a thrust configuration and having a shape different from a shape of each of the plurality of structural members of the base, the at least one thrust generator separable from the base to at least partially collapse the kit, wherein the at least one thrust generator is unpowered in response to being uncoupled from the base;

at least one power source coupleable to the base and operable to deliver power to the at least one thrust generator; and

at least one control module coupleable to the base and operable to control at least one of the at least one thrust generator and the at least one power source.

16. A method comprising:

providing a collapsible thrust kit that is configurable in a plurality of different configurations having different shapes, wherein each configuration is associated with at least one thrust application of a plurality of different thrust applications;

identifying a specific thrust application from the plurality of different thrust applications; and

configuring the thrust kit to have a specific configuration, of the plurality of different configurations, that is associated with the identified specific thrust application, wherein configuring the thrust kit comprises detachably coupling at least one thrust generator to a base to provide the only source of thrust for the base, the base receiving a power source, the at least one thrust generator comprising a number of thrust generators selected based on the identified specific thrust application and coupled to the base, and the power source comprises a number of power sources selected, separately from the selected number of thrust generators, based on the identified specific thrust application and based on the selected number of thrust generators.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the thrust kit comprises:

a plurality of structural members inter-connectable in a plurality of different structural configurations to form the base;

the at least one thrust generator coupleable to the base in a thrust configuration;

at least one power source coupleable to the base and operable to deliver power to the at least one thrust generator; and

at least one control module coupleable to the base and operable to control at least one of the at least one thrust generator and the at least one power source.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein configuring the thrust kit comprises configuring the structural members to have a specific structural configuration associated with the identified specific thrust application.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the thrust kit may be utilized to form a plurality of modular thrust units, wherein each modular thrust unit is independently operable to generate thrust and the plurality of modular thrust units are interdependently operable to generate thrust, wherein the plurality of modular thrust units are inter-coupleable to form an aggregated thrust unit having an aggregated configuration, wherein configuring the thrust kit comprises configuring the aggregated thrust unit to have a specific aggregated configuration.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising using the thrust kit with the specific configuration for the specific thrust application.