Aircraft with thrust vectoring propulsion assemblies

• US 10,457,390 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2019
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Textron Inc. (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: McCullough, John Richard, Oldroyd, Paul K.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Hara, Brian M
• Application Number:
  US16/361,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20190217950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 222 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/28 Collapsible or foldable blades
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/50 Blades foldable to facilitate stowage of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/02 having its flight directional axis vertical when grounded
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/06 having disc- or ring-shaped wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/12 Ejectable capsules
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 35/00 Transmitting power from power plants to propellers or rotors; Arrangements of transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/04 Arrangement thereof in or on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

An aircraft includes an airframe and a distributed propulsion system including a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the airframe. Each of the propulsion assemblies includes a nacelle, an engine disposed within the nacelle, a proprotor coupled to the engine and a thrust vectoring system. Each thrust vectoring system includes a pivoting plate, a rotary actuator operable to rotate the pivoting plate about a propulsion assembly centerline axis and a linear actuator operable to pivot the pivoting plate about a pivot axis that is normal to the propulsion assembly centerline axis. The engine is mounted on the pivoting plate such that operation of the pivoting plate enables resolution of a thrust vector within a thrust vector cone.

Claims

1. A propulsion assembly for an aircraft comprising:

a nacelle;

an engine disposed within the nacelle;

a proprotor coupled to the engine; and

a thrust vectoring system including a pivoting plate, a rotary actuator operable to rotate the pivoting plate about a propulsion assembly centerline axis and a linear actuator operable to pivot the pivoting plate about a pivot axis that is normal to the propulsion assembly centerline axis;

wherein, the engine is mounted on the pivoting plate such that operation of the pivoting plate enables resolution of a thrust vector within a thrust vector cone.

2. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the engine further comprises an electric motor.

3. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 2 further comprising a battery disposed within the nacelle and configured to provide electrical power to the electric motor.

4. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the proprotor further comprises a plurality of proprotor blades.

5. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the proprotor further comprises a plurality of folding proprotor blades.

6. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the proprotor further comprises a plurality of fixed pitch proprotor blades.

7. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the proprotor further comprises a plurality of variable pitch proprotor blades.

8. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the thrust vector has a maximum angle of about twenty degrees.

9. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising an electronics node disposed within the nacelle operable to control operations of the propulsion assembly.

10. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein the electronics node further comprises controllers operable to send commands to the engine and the thrust vectoring system.

11. The propulsion assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein the electronics node further comprises sensors operable to monitor parameters associated with the engine and the thrust vectoring system.

12. An aircraft, comprising:

an airframe; and

a distributed propulsion system including a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the airframe, the propulsion assemblies each comprising;

a nacelle;

an engine disposed within the nacelle;

a proprotor coupled to the engine; and

a thrust vectoring system including a pivoting plate, a rotary actuator operable to rotate the pivoting plate about a propulsion assembly centerline axis and a linear actuator operable to pivot the pivoting plate about a pivot axis that is normal to the propulsion assembly centerline axis;

wherein, the engine is mounted on the pivoting plate such that operation of the pivoting plate enables resolution of a thrust vector within a thrust vector cone.

13. The aircraft as recited in claim 12 wherein, for each propulsion assembly, the engine further comprises an electric motor.

14. The aircraft as recited in claim 13 wherein each propulsion assembly further comprising a battery disposed within the nacelle that is configured to provide electrical power to the electric motor.

15. The aircraft as recited in claim 12 wherein, for each propulsion assembly, the thrust vector has a maximum angle of about twenty degrees.

16. The aircraft as recited in claim 12 further comprising a flight control system and wherein each of the propulsion assemblies further comprises an electronics node in communication with the flight control system such that each propulsion assembly is independently controllable by the flight control system.

17. The aircraft as recited in claim 16 wherein, for each propulsion assembly, the electronics node further comprises controllers operable to send commands to the engine and the thrust vectoring system.

18. The aircraft as recited in claim 16 wherein, for each propulsion assembly, the electronics node further comprises sensors operable to monitor parameters associated with the engine and the thrust vectoring system and provide sensor data to the flight control system.

19. The aircraft as recited in claim 12 wherein the airframe further comprises first and second wings having at least two pylons extending therebetween and wherein the distributed propulsion system further comprises at least two propulsion assemblies coupled to the first wing and at least two propulsion assemblies coupled to the second wing.

20. The aircraft as recited in claim 12 wherein the airframe further comprises a vertical takeoff and landing configuration and a forward flight configuration.