VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING MULTIMODAL, MULTIENVIRONMENT, GYROPENDULAR CRAFT WITH COMPENSATORY PROPULSION AND FLUIDIC GRADIENT COLLIMATION

• US 20130206915A1
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jean-Marc Desaulniers
• Original Assignee: Jean-Marc Desaulniers
• Inventors: Desaulniers, Jean-Marc (Joseph)
• Application Number:
  US13/642,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20130206915A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/165
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/00 Aircraft capable of landing or taking-off vertically, e.g. vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft rotorcraft B64C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/58 for medical evacuation, i.e. the transportation of persons or animals to a place where they can receive medical care
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/61 for transporting passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/293 Foldable or collapsible rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/297 Tilting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/40 foldable or retractable
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/55 the legs being also used as ground propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/83 using parachutes, balloons or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/87 using inflatable cushions

Abstract

The invention relates to a vertical take-off and landing gyropendular craft or drone device (FIG. 18) able to move around in the following different physical environments: in the air, on land, at sea, underwater or in outer space, comprising upper and lower propulsion units, equipped with an annular fairing accommodating a certain number of electronically slaved wing or gas-powered drive or propulsion units situated in the continuation of the axis of this device, mounted on 3-D ball-joints at the ends of a certain number of telescopic rods, for example set at 120° apart at the periphery of the platform and orientable about the three axis according to the plane of flight of the multimodal multi-environment craft, a vertebral structure by way of a 3-D articulated central body of solid or hollow cylindrical shape for forming a stabilized function of stabilizing, maintaining the position and heading, and of an inertial rotary disc platform equipped underneath with a cabin of hemispherical shape extending from the vertebral structure, accommodating a payload or a useful application, designed for various fields of application i.e. the sector of defence or civil security, so as to perform functions of search and rescue, exploration, navigation, transport, surveillance and telecommunications infrastructure deployment in free space.

Claims

1. ) A vertical take-off and landing multimodal, multi-media, gyropendular craft platform with compensatory propulsion and fluidic gradient collimation device characterized in that it includes:

an upper propulsion group (1) providing vertical thrust, adjustable according to the three-axis, consisting of a certain number of motorizations (1) or (37) or (41) or (43) or propulsors (142) or (165) enabling;

to bring the craft platform or drone at a certain altitude, depth or position in space and to maintain it, to navigate according to a flight trajectory in three-dimensional space into any physical environment associated to a specific fluid, under sustentation in the air or other atmosphere, or floating in the water or any other liquid in immersed mode or not, or in the outer space vacuum subject to a gravitational field or weightless,

a device for lower propulsion (7) as a supplement for vertical thrust, adjustable according to the three-axis, consisting of a number of motorizations (7) or (38) or (44) or propulsors (7) or (129) or (147) or (158) enabling to maintain or change the orientation of the craft platform or drone, and to navigate according to a flight trajectory in three-dimensional space into any physical environment associated with a specific fluid, under sustentation in the air or other atmosphere, or floating in the water or any other liquid in immersed or mode, or in the outer space vacuum subject to a gravitational field or weightless,

within the motorizations or propulsors, having rotating wings or not, a certain number of single or contra-rotating propellers, with curved pale or not, or gas rotary nozzles or not, or helical turbine, or turbines vanes, or turboprop, or turbojet engine, ramjet, or rocket engines,

an 3D dynamically articulated central body (2) or (119) or (120), full or hollow, rigid or semi-rigid of variable flexibility, as a vertebral structure for performing a function of stabilization and support of the platform'"'"'s configuration in progress in a fluid, by real-time adaptation of its geometry and the position of its centre of gravity during the flight trajectory, then decorrelate the respective attitudes of the upper (1) and lower (7) propulsion groups and lower inertial rotary disk (3),

an axial turbine, located on the structure of the vertebral structure at a specific position, of smaller diameter than the upper propulsion group but with higher rotation speed, with a structure having curved lamellae oriented toward the bottom generating a cone of fluidic thrust (177), complete the vertical thrust of upper (175) and lower (180) propulsion groups, and enables being contra-rotating (34) in regards of the upper propulsion group to perform an auxiliary compensation function of the induced gyroscopic torque (178), then allows by translation motion (32) along the axis of the 3D central articulated body to optimize the position of the centre of gravity of the platform,

an inertial rotary disk (3) hosting the cockpit (4) of the payload (5), and attached to adjustable telescopic orientable rods (6) or (29) with 3D ball-joints, allows to change the position of the centre of gravity of the drone, and to support and orient the lower propulsors (7), while maintaining the attitude of the payload (5) and of its internal devices, namely flight navigation control and stabilization (61), synchronization (60), detection and interception (62) and telecommunications (64), by using an attitude correction function of “

steadicam”

type carried out by 3D ball-joints,

a gyropendular inertial stabilization device (63) integrating gyroscope and pendulum Foucault'"'"'s functions implemented within the platform itself through the vertebral structure or 3D central articulated body, involving adaptation mechanisms of the centre of gravity (84) and compensation of induced couples or moments (79), (80), (82), (83), (85) and (87),

a fluidic collimation gradient device (91), integrating an alignment mechanism (94) of the fluid columns (89), (92), (93), (173), (175), (177), (179) and (180) circulating in free-space and across upper (90) and lower (93) propulsion groups, experiencing an axial turbo-compression (89), (90), (92) and (93) associated to a “

Venturi effect”

, generates a moment of fluidic stabilization (94) between upper and lower propulsion groups, which has for effect to improve the stability and vertical thrust of the platform,

a device for real-time control of autonomous navigation or not (61), gyropendular inertial stabilization (59) and (61), synchronization (60) and collimation of fluidic gradient, integrated into a FPGA type programmable logic component (65) housed in the payload (5), allowing the platform to change its geometry in real time during the flight trajectory and to adapt the position of the centre of gravity according to the context defined by abrupt changes of strong intensity of the fluidic navigation support;

air, or water or outer space vacuum as the case may be, all that ensuring take-off and navigation in the following environment;

aerial, marine, underwater or outer space, according to a specific flight plan, as well as landing, or sea-landing or deck landing, or to be put in a geostationary orbit or not, or moon landing, or laying on a star or a planet, as well as the stability of the apparatus or the drone and its payload,

a cylindrical cavity device in the centre of the upper propulsion group to accommodate safety devices in the event of sinking (parachute, inflatable ascending stratospheric balloon, distress rocket, laser tracking or interception module, radio frequency alert module, . . . ),

a safety device with inflatable balloon (27) and (29) on the outskirts of the upper propulsion group to ensure buoyancy in case of failure,

a payload (5) with a cylindrical housing device to accommodate many other devices (control, visualization, detection, interception, airbags cushioning when reaching ground),

a device umbrella semi-rigid lamellae to slow down the fall in case of failure or economy mode,

enabling navigation according to a complex flight plan into different physical environments of the following type;

air, sea, or underwater or outer space, subject to strong disturbances meteorological or astrophysical, with a precise real-time trajectory control completed throughout the various phases;

take-off, landing, sea-landing, deck landing, moon landing or when put into orbit, and stability in terms of position and attitude of gyropendular craft platform or drone and its payload or applicative load supporting the following functions;

search and rescue, exploration, navigation, transportation, scenes monitoring, and deployment of telecommunications infrastructure free space.

2. ) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains an upper propulsion group (1) providing vertical thrust, with single propeller type (10) and (45) or contra-rotating (37) and (41) or helical turbines (43), or turboprop (142), or turbojet engines (142) or ramjets (142), or rocket engines (142), and/or a lower propulsion group (7), with single propeller type (8) or contra-rotating or helical turbine (44) or helical turbines (43), or turboprop (147), or turbojet engines (147), or ramjets (147), or rocket engines (147).

3. ) Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a stabilization dynamic 3D central articulated body (2), full or hollow, rigid or semi-rigid of variable flexibility, cylindrical, rectangular or elliptical, ringed or not, with a number of adjustable sections fitted with 3D ball-joints (13), (14), (15), (16) and (17), that can be driven by piezoelectric actuators with long filaments, or motorizations with endless screw, pneumatic, or hydraulic or electromagnetic, integrated along the vertebral structure.

4. ) Device according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that it has a certain number of central bodies (2) rigid or semi-rigid and hollow to accommodate different functions within the application requiring a straight sight or access end-to-end upwards or downwards.

5. ) Device according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that it has a fuselage and wings (1), adapted to aerial navigation, with cockpit (135) or not, equipped with a number of seats (128) and control stick for steering (123) (124), (126) and (127) in order to accommodate a pilot on board.

6. ) Device according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that it has a fuselage (137) or (141) or (145) and propulsors (129), (142), (147) and (152), adapted to the outer space domain, with a certain number of central bodies (143) rigid and hollow, with compartments or not, to accommodate a platform, autonomous, semi-autonomous or manual, for launching of nano-satellite launch vehicle (147) (149).

7. ) Device according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that it features a fuselage (160) with watertight compartments and propulsors (158) and (155), adapted for underwater navigation, equipped with a number of central bodies (155) rigid and hollow to accommodate a number of motorizations or propulsors (166) and (168) managing the circulation of the fluid along the latter to complement the thrust of front and rear external propulsion groups.

8. ) Device according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that it has a lightweight fuselage (170) with watertight compartments filled with a gas lighter than air and a number of propulsors (183) and (184), adapted to flying airship type, equipped with a number of central bodies (171) rigid or semi-rigid and hollow, to accommodate a number of motorizations or propulsors (181), (182) managing the circulation of the fluid along the latter to complement the thrust of front and rear external propulsion groups.

9. ) Device according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that it includes an application of type complex manipulation or grip low precision, by the addition of a hexapod type robotics platform, or robot with six legs or arms, or a function of simple but very accurately, by the addition of a hexapod type robotics platform flatbed, or a complex of average precision manipulation function, by the addition of the two previous robotic platforms, is a hexapod 6-leg on the outskirts and a hexapod to lower tray in the centre, or a low, medium and high precision laser-aiming function, allowing to affix the imprint of a beam (108) or (114) on one or more fixed or mobile targets and follow them Dynamics, or to establish a free-space point-to-multipoint telecommunication network, carried out by means of a head array multi-beam laser scan engine or synchronous digital multibeam multi-spectral laser 2D/3D type (106) and (107), or type 150°

/360°

(110).

10. ) Device according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that it has a hybrid control stick (187) applicable to the whole sets of configurations of the gyropendular craft platform or the drone, through a piloting implemented in embedded mode or remotely through semi-autonomous or manual type, allowing through the movements of the spherical part (189) mobile according to the three-axis (192) and (194), a control of the attitude (191) and of the gyroscopic torque (193) of the platform, which is decorrelated of the navigation control carried out by orientation (188) and (190) of the mobile stick on 3D ball-joints (195) and (196), namely the management of displacement in the three-dimensional space on a specific flight trajectory or a path that can be pre-programmed (i.e. angular rotation or tilting or pivoting by discrete jumps in degrees or quadrant, autonomous procedure for avoidance of obstacles or stall or spiral or loop, . . . ).