Vertical take-off and landing vehicles

• US 20040026563A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moller International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Paul S. Moller
• Inventors: Moller, Paul S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,808,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/12.4
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/001 Shrouded propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/48 Units of two or more coaxial propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/56 Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 37/00 Convertible aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/06 within, or attached to, wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/06 actuated automatically
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction

Abstract

A VTOL vehicle including a fuselage with two foldable wings, two tiltable nacelles attached to the wings, a vertical stabilizer, a horizontal stabilizer, and two auxiliary thrusters. Each nacelle contains a system of vanes located at the rear opening thereof, and actuators are provided for extending and retracting the vanes in conjunction with nacelle tilting mechanisms to deflect the airflow over a predetermined range of angles from the horizontal. Each nacelle also contains two rotary engines, each of which directly drives a fan. The fans face each other and operate in counter-rotating directions at the same rotational speed. An alternative embodiment includes two additional nacelles attached to the fuselage instead of having the auxiliary thrusters. A redundant computerized flight control system maintains stability of the vehicle as it transitions from one flight mode to another.

Claims

1. A VTOL vehicle comprising:

an elongated fuselage defining a longitudinal axis of said vehicle, said fuselage being configured to develop aerodynamic lift when said vehicle is moving forward in the direction of said longitudinal axis;

a vertical stabilizer connected to an aft portion of said fuselage;

a horizontal stabilizer connected to and supported by said vertical stabilizer;

a first pair of wings, each of said wings having a root rigidly attached to said fuselage, a wingtip, and a folding mechanism disposed between said root and said wingtip for accommodating ground travel or storage;

a first pair of nacelles, each said nacelle being rotatively secured to the wingtip of and supported by one of said wings and forming a duct having powerplant means and propeller/fan means driven thereby which rotate about a longitudinal axis of said duct and cause air to flow therethrough, and an airflow directing vane system including a plurality of vanes disposed at the aft end of said duct and movable between a retracted position directing airflow passing out of said nacelle in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the duct, and an extended position controlling exit area and directing said airflow at an angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the duct;

a tilting mechanism associated with each said nacelle and operative to rotate the corresponding nacelle between a first position directing the longitudinal axis of the corresponding duct in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle, and a second position directing the longitudinal axis of said corresponding duct at an angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the duct when the nacelle is in its first position; and

control means for controlling the power generated by each said powerplant means, the orientation of each said nacelle as caused by the corresponding tilting mechanism, and the operative position of the vanes of each said corresponding vane system, said control means being operative to cause airflow through said ducts to be directed downwardly to cause said vehicle to rise vertically, and to transition to a rearward direction to cause said vehicle to move in a forward direction, the power supplied by each said powerplant means, the orientational positions of each said nacelle and the operational position of each said vane system being coordinated to maintain the balance and stability of said vehicle.

2. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 1, wherein each said powerplant means includes a pair of engines located along the longitudinal axis of the corresponding nacelle duct, each said engine directly driving corresponding propeller/fan means, the propeller/fan means being caused to counter-rotate with respect to each other at the same rotational speed.

3. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 2, wherein said control means includes:

sensor means for sensing said vehicle pitch, roll and yaw, and for developing pitch signals, roll signals and yaw signals; and

means responsive to said pitch, roll and yaw signals, and operative to generate coordinated control signals for controlling the power generated by each said powerplant means, the operation of each said tilting mechanism, and the positioning of the vanes in each said vane system so as to maintain a desired direction of thrust generated by each said powerplant and the exit area of each said duct.

4. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of nacelle position sensors, each said sensor being responsive to the rotational position of corresponding nacelle, and operative to develop tilt position signals commensurate therewith for communication to said control means.

5. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 4, wherein each said tilting mechanism includes a linear actuator connected between a nacelle and its supporting wing.

6. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

at least one auxiliary thrust system carried by said fuselage and operative to generate an independent stream of downward airflow for providing lift and pitch control for said vehicle.

7. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 6, wherein said thrust system includes an open-ended circular duct formed in said fuselage, and a motor and fan driven by said motor disposed within said circular duct and operative to cause stream of airflow to flow through said circular duct.

8. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 7, wherein said motor is an electrically energized motor, and said thrust system further includes a power supply means for energizing said motor.

9. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 8, wherein said one thrust system is located on said fuselage on one side of the center of gravity of said vehicle and another thrust system is located on the opposite side of the center of gravity, said another thrust system providing additional auxiliary lift and pitch control for said vehicle.

10. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a second pair of wings attached to said fuselage; and

a second pair of nacelles functionally similar to said first pair of nacelles, and respectively disposed on opposite sides of said fuselage and rotatively attached to said second pair of wings.

11. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 10, wherein said first pair of wings are attached to said fuselage aft of the center of gravity of said vehicle, and said second pair of wings are attached to said fuselage forward of said center of gravity of said vehicle.

12. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 11, wherein said second pair of wings are substantially longer that said first pair of wings.

13. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 1, wherein when said first pair of nacelles are in said first position, the longitudinal axes thereof define level flight thrust lines extending along the sides of said fuselage, and wherein said horizontal stabilizer is positioned well above said level flight thrust lines.

14. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 10, wherein when said first pair of nacelles are in said first position, the longitudinal axes thereof define first level flight thrust lines extending along the sides of said fuselage, and wherein said horizontal stabilizer is positioned well above said first level flight thrust lines, and wherein, when said second pair of nacelles are in said first position, the longitudinal axes define second level flight thrust lines extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said fuselage and outside the distal ends of said horizontal stabilizer.

15. A VTOL vehicle as recited in claim 1, wherein said control means includes throttle means for allowing individual control of the power generated by each said powerplant means and vane control means for allowing individual control of the vane position in each said nacelle, thereby allowing a pilot to control pitch and roll of said vehicle in level flight.