AUTO-GYRO ROTOR FLYING ELECTRIC GENERATOR (FEG) WITH WING LIFT AUGMENTATION

• US 20160010627A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sky Windpower Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sky Windpower Corporation
• Inventors: AUSTIN, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,399,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/08 with two or more rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/02 having a plurality of rotors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/20 Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 3/02 having a plurality of rotors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 5/00 Other wind motors controlling thereof F03D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/30 Wind motors specially adapted for installation in particular locations means for mounting or supporting wind motors F03D13/20
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/40 Use of a multiplicity of similar components
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/921 kept aloft due to aerodynamic effects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/70 Wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/74 Wind turbines with rotation axis perpendicular to the wind direction

Abstract

A flying electric generator for obtaining power from wind currents which includes a fuselage having fore and aft portions and an intermediate portion, a rotor assembly including at least two forward rotors mounted on a pair of forward extending support arms extending from the fuselage and at least two rear rotors mounted to a pair of rearward extending support arms extending from the fuselage and at least one first forward wing mounted to a forward portion of the fuselage and extending outwardly on opposite sides of the fuselage and at least one second rear wing mounted to a rear portion of the fuselage and extending outwardly on opposite side of the fuselage.

Claims

1. A flying electric generator for obtaining power from wind currents comprising a fuselage having fore and aft portions and an intermediate portion, a rotor assembly including at least two forward rotors each driven by a separate electric motor and each being mounted to separate outer end portions of a pair of forward extending support arms and wherein inner ends of the forward support arms are mounted to a central hub mounted at the intermediate portion of the fuselage, the rotor assembly also including at least two rear rotors each driven by a separate electric motor and each being mounted to an end of a pair of rearward extending support arms and wherein inner ends of the rearward support arms are mounted to the central hub, at least one first forward wing mounted to the forward portion of the fuselage and extending outwardly on opposite sides of the fuselage and at least one second rear wing mounted to the rear portion of the fuselage and extending outwardly on opposite side of the fuselage and wherein the central hub is mounted to an intermediate portion of the fuselage between the first and second wings.

2. The flying electric generator of claim 1 wherein the cental hub is mounted at a center of gravity of the fuselage and rotor assembly.

3. The flying electric generator of claim 2 wherein the central hub is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis to the intermediate portion of the fuselage so that a pitch angle of the rotors to a central elongated axis of the front and rear portions of the fuselage may be selectively changed, and the pivot axis being aligned with a plane of the elongated axis and oriented perpendicular to the elongated axis in a horizontal plane.

4. The flying electric generator of claim 2 wherein the intermediate portion of the fuselage is spaced above the longitudinal axis of the front and rear portions of the fuselage.

5. The flying electric generator of claim 1 wherein the at least one first wing is formed of two first canard wings mounted to the front portion of the fuselage and the at least one second wing is formed as two second wings mounted to the rear portion of the fuselage and wherein the second wings are longer and larger than the first wings.

6. The flying electric generator of claim 5 including ailerons mounted to each of the second wings.

7. The flying electric generator of claim 5 including a vertical stabilizer mounted to each of the second wings.

8. The flying electric generator of claim 7 wherein a lower portion of each vertical stabilizer extends below the second wings and a bottom of the fuselage so as to function as landing gear.

9. The flying electric generator of claim 8 including a vertical strut extending downward from the bottom of the front portion of the fuselage so as to function as landing gear.

10. The flying electric generator of claim 5 wherein each of the first and second wings is pivotally mounted to the fuselage.

11. The flying electric generator of claim 5 wherein the second wings are angled outwardly and aft direction relative to the fuselage.

12. The flying electric generator of claim 1 including ailerons mounted to the at least one second wing.

13. The flying electric generator of claim 1 including a pair of vertical stabilizers mounted to the at least one second wing.

14. The flying electric generator of claim 13 wherein a lower portion of each vertical stabilizer extends below the at least one second wing and a bottom of the fuselage so as to function as landing gear.

15. The flying electric generator of claim 14 including a vertical strut extending below the bottom of the front portion of the fuselage so as to function as landing gear.

16. The flying electric generator of claim 1 wherein the central hub is fixedly mounted to the intermediate portion of the hub.

17. The flying electric generator of claim 1 wherein the at least two forward rotors are more closely spaced to the fuselage than the at least two rear rotors such that the at least two rear rotors receive clean air during flight.

18. The flying electric generator of claim 1 wherein the at least two forward rotors and the at least two rear rotors are uniformly spaced relative to the fuselage and one another.

19. A flying electric generator for obtaining power from wind currents comprising a fuselage having fore and aft portions and an intermediate portion, a rotor assembly including at least two forward rotors each driven by a separate electric motor and each being mounted to separate outer end portions of a pair of forward extending support arms and wherein inner ends of the forward support arms are mounted to a central hub mounted at the intermediate portion of the fuselage, the rotor assembly also including at least two rear rotors each driven by a separate electric motor and each being mounted to an end of a pair of rearward extending support arms and wherein inner ends of the rearward support arms are mounted to the central hub, first forward wings mounted to the forward portion of the fuselage and extending outwardly on opposite sides of the fuselage and second rear wings mounted to the rear portion of the fuselage, the second wings being larger than the first wings and extending outwardly on opposite side of the fuselage, and the central hub being pivotally mounted relative to the intermediate portion of the fuselage so that a pitch angle of the forward and rear rotors to a central elongated axis of the front and rear portions of the fuselage may be selectively changed.

20. The flying electric generator of claim 19 including a vertical stabilizer mounted to each of the two second wings, a lower portion of each vertical stabilizer extends below the at least one second wing and a bottom of the fuselage so as to function as landing gear, and a vertical strut extending downward below the bottom of the front portion of the fuselage so as to function as landing gear.

21. The flying generator of claim 19 including a aileron pivotally mounted to each second wing.

22. The flying generator of claim 19 wherein the first wings are canard style wings.