Fluidic propulsive system and thrust and lift generator for aerial vehicles

• US 10,207,812 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jetoptera, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jetoptera, Inc.
• Inventors: Evulet, Andrei
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Timothy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abell, Tye William
• Application Number:
  US15/256,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20170057621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 15/00 Attitude, flight direction, or altitude control by jet reaction
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 15/14 the jets being other than main propulsion jets jet flaps B64C9/38
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 21/00 Influencing air flow over aircraft surfaces by affecting boundary layer flow
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 21/04 for blowing
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2230/04 by actively generating fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2230/06 by explicitly adjusting fluid flow, e.g. by using valves, variable aperture or slot areas, variable pump action or variable fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2230/16 by blowing other fluids over the surface than air, e.g. He, H, O2 or exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 23/00 Influencing air flow over aircraft surfaces, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 23/005 by other means not covered by groups B64C23/02 - B64C23/08, e.g. by electric charges, magnetic panels, piezoelectric elements, static charges or ultrasounds
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/38 Jet flaps
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2033/0273 for jet engines
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/10 of gas-turbine type jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/18 within, or attached to, wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 29/02 associated with wings wings adapted for mounting power plant B64C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 33/02 of combustion air intakes air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants per se F02C7/04; air intakes for combustion engines in general F02M35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 33/04 of exhaust outlets or jet pipes exhaust outlets for combustion engines in general F01N; jet pipes or nozzles for jet-propulsion plants per se F02K; plants characterised by the form or arrangement of the jet pipe or nozzle F02K ; attitude, flight direction, or altitude control by jet reaction B64C
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/65 Composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/00 Means for producing lift; Empennages; Arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 : Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/15 : using combustion exhausts other than turbojets or turbofans, e.g. using rockets, ramjets, scramjets or pulse-reactors
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/04 : having a turbine driving a compressor power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/04 : Gas-turbine plants providing heated or pressurised working fluid for other apparatus, e.g. without mechanical power output F02C6/18 takes precedence ; for a fluidised-bed combustor F02C3/205
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 1/002 : with means to modify the direction of thrust vector F02K1/54 takes precedence; thrust vectoring of rockets F02K9/80
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 1/36 : having an ejector
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/90 : in vehicles adapted for vertical or short take off and landing (v/stol vehicles)
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 : Drag reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/30 : Wing lift efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 : Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 : Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A vehicle includes a main body and a gas generator producing a gas stream. At least one fore conduit and tail conduit are fluidly coupled to the generator. First and second fore ejectors are fluidly coupled to the at least one fore conduit. At least one tail ejector is fluidly coupled to the at least one tail conduit. The fore ejectors respectively include an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one fore conduit flows. The at least one tail ejector includes an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one tail conduit flows. First and second primary airfoil elements have leading edges respectively located directly downstream of the first and second fore ejectors. At least one secondary airfoil element has a leading edge located directly downstream of the outlet structure of the at least one tail ejector.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a main body having a fore portion, a tail portion, a starboard side and a port side;

a gas generator coupled to the main body and producing a gas stream;

at least one fore conduit fluidly coupled to the generator;

at least one tail conduit fluidly coupled to the generator;

first and second fore ejectors fluidly coupled to the at least one fore conduit, coupled to the fore portion and respectively coupled to the starboard side and port side, the fore ejectors respectively comprising an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one fore conduit flows at a predetermined adjustable velocity;

at least one tail ejector fluidly coupled to the at least one tail conduit and coupled to the tail portion, the at least one tail ejector comprising an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one tail conduit flows at a predetermined adjustable velocity;

first and second primary airfoil elements having leading edges, the primary airfoil elements respectively coupled to the starboard side and port side, the leading edges of the first and second primary airfoil elements being respectively located directly downstream of the first and second fore ejectors such that the gas from the fore ejectors flows over the leading edges of the primary airfoil elements;

at least one secondary airfoil element having a leading edge and coupled to the main body, the leading edge of the at least one secondary airfoil element located directly downstream of the outlet structure of the at least one tail ejector such that the gas from the at least one tail ejector flows over the leading edge of the at least one secondary airfoil; and

first and second canard wings coupled to the fore portion and respectively coupled to the starboard side and port side, the canard wings configured to develop boundary layers of ambient air flowing over the canard wings when the vehicle is in motion, the canard wings being respectively located directly upstream of the first and second fore ejectors such that the first and second fore ejectors are fluidly coupled to the boundary layers, wherein the first and second fore electors respectively comprise first and second inlet portions, and the first and second fore ejectors are positioned such that the boundary layers are ingested by the inlet portions.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the gas generator is disposed in the main body.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the gas stream produced by the generator is the sole means of propulsion of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first and second fore ejectors each have a leading edge, and the entirety of each of the first and second fore ejectors is rotatable about an axis oriented parallel to the leading edge.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first and second fore ejectors each have a leading edge, and the entirety of each of the first and second fore ejectors is rotatable about an axis oriented perpendicular to the leading edge.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one tail ejector has a leading edge, and the entirety of the at least one tail ejector is rotatable about an axis oriented parallel to the leading edge.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one tail ejector has a leading edge, and the entirety of the at least one tail ejector is rotatable about an axis oriented perpendicular to the leading edge.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the outlet structures is non-circular.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a cockpit portion configured to enable manned operation of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the gas generator comprises a first region in which the gas stream is at a first temperature and a second region in which the gas stream is at a second temperature, the second temperature higher than the first temperature;

the at least one fore conduit provides gas from the first region to the first and second fore ejectors; and

the at least one tail conduit provides gas from the second region to the at least one tail ejector.

11. A vehicle, comprising:

a main body having a fore portion, a tail portion, a starboard side and a port side;

a gas generator coupled to the main body and producing a gas stream, the gas generator including a first region in which the gas stream is at a first temperature and a second region in which the gas stream is at a second temperature, the second temperature higher than the first temperature;

at least one fore conduit fluidly coupled to the generator;

at least one tail conduit fluidly coupled to the generator;

first and second fore ejectors fluidly coupled to the at least one fore conduit, coupled to the fore portion and respectively coupled to the starboard side and port side, the fore ejectors respectively comprising an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one fore conduit flows at a predetermined adjustable velocity, the at least one fore conduit providing gas from the first region to the first and second fore ejectors; and

at least one tail ejector fluidly coupled to the at least one tail conduit and coupled to the tail portion, the at least one tail ejector comprising an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one tail conduit flows at a predetermined adjustable velocity, the at least one tail conduit providing gas from the second region to the at least one tail ejector.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising first and second primary airfoil elements having leading edges, the primary airfoil elements respectively coupled to the starboard side and port side, the leading edges of the first and second primary airfoil elements being respectively located directly downstream of the first and second fore ejectors such that the gas from the fore ejectors flows over the leading edges of the primary airfoil elements.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising first and second canard wings coupled to the fore portion and respectively coupled to the starboard side and port side, the canard wings configured to develop boundary layers of ambient air flowing over the canard wings when the vehicle is in motion, the canard wings being respectively located directly upstream of the first and second fore ejectors such that the first and second fore ejectors are fluidly coupled to the boundary layers.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the first and second fore ejectors respectively comprise first and second inlet portions, and the first and second fore ejectors are positioned such that the boundary layers are ingested by the inlet portions.

15. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the gas generator is disposed in the main body.

16. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first and second fore ejectors each have a leading edge, and the entirety of each of the first and second fore ejectors is rotatable about an axis oriented parallel to the leading edge.

17. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first and second fore ejectors each have a leading edge, and the entirety of each of the first and second fore ejectors is rotatable about an axis oriented perpendicular to the leading edge.

18. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the at least one tail ejector has a leading edge, and the entirety of the at least one tail ejector is rotatable about an axis oriented parallel to the leading edge.

19. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the at least one tail ejector has a leading edge, and the entirety of the at least one tail ejector is rotatable about an axis oriented perpendicular to the leading edge.

20. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein at least one of the outlet structures is non-circular.

21. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a cockpit portion configured to enable manned operation of the vehicle.