Multi-rotor Vehicle with Yaw Control and Autorotation

• US 20160311528A1
• Filed: 04/03/2016
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Skylift Global Incorporated
• Inventors: Nemovi, Reza, Bartlett, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,315,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2027/8209 Electrically driven tail rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2027/8254 Shrouded tail rotors, e.g. "Fenestron" fans
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/14 Direct drive between power plant and rotor hub
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/28 with forward-propulsion propellers pivotable to act as lifting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/52 Tilting of rotor bodily relative to fuselage of see-saw type construction B64C27/43
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/68 using electrical energy, e.g. having electrical power amplification
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/80 for differential adjustment of blade pitch between two or more lifting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/82 characterised by the provision of an auxiliary rotor or fluid-jet device for counter-balancing lifting rotor torque or changing direction of rotorcraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/17 Helicopters flying platforms B64U10/13
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/297 Tilting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 40/10 for adjusting control surfaces or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20

Abstract

An improved vehicle with superior performance and reliability. The vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle, is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, uses three swashless, variable-pitch vertical lift main rotors with a yaw tail rotor system. Two rear main rotors are optionally tiltrotors, which pivot to increase forward speed without the increased coefficient of drag inherent in tilting the entire vehicle. The three main rotors are positioned in an equilateral triangular configuration, improving balance, increasing load-bearing strength, and making it more compact in size. Movements are controlled through changes in pitch of the rotors, allowing the motors to maintain constant governed rotations per minute, maximizing drivetrain efficiency. Vehicle configurations disclosed herein allow for smaller vehicle size with greater performance than prior art vehicles.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising

a main rotor system;

a yaw rotor system; and

a fuselage;

where the main rotor system comprises three independent rotor systems, where each independent rotor system comprises a swashless variable pitch rotor and a variable speed motor;

where each rotor system is connected to the fuselage and is equidistant from the other rotor systems of the main rotor system;

where the yaw rotor system comprises a yaw arm, a swashless variable pitch rotor, and a variable speed motor, where the yaw rotor system is located between two of the three rotor systems of the main rotor system.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein two of the three rotor systems of the main rotor system are tiltrotor systems.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each rotor system of the main rotor system comprises a servo for controlling the pitch of the variable pitch rotor.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each rotor system of the main rotor system comprises multiple servos for controlling the pitch of the variable pitch rotor.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each rotor system of the main rotor system further comprises an autorotation hub.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each rotor system of the main rotor system comprises a gear, where the variable speed motor drives the gear, where the gear in turn drives the variable pitch rotor.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each rotor system of the main rotor system further comprises an autorotation hub and a gear, where the variable speed motor drives the gear, where the gear in turn drives the autorotation hub, which in turn drives the variable pitch rotor.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each of the rotor systems of the main rotor system is one-hundred twenty degrees away from the other two rotor systems of the main rotor system.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the yaw rotor system provides rotational control over the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the variable pitch rotor of each rotor system of the main rotor system comprises a pitch slider.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each rotor system of the main rotor system comprises multiple servos, wherein the variable pitch rotor of each rotor system of the main rotor system comprises a pitch slider, where each servo drives the pitch slider of its respective rotor system of the main rotor system.

12. An unmanned aerial system comprising

a main rotor system;

a yaw rotor system; and

a fuselage;

where the main rotor system comprises three independent rotor systems, where each independent rotor system comprises a swashless variable pitch rotor, multiple servos, a variable speed motor, and an autorotation hub, where the multiple servos control the pitch of the variable pitch rotor, where each rotor system is connected to the fuselage and is equidistant from the other rotor systems of the main rotor system;

where the yaw rotor system comprises a yaw arm, a swashless variable pitch rotor, and a variable speed motor, where the yaw rotor system is located between two of the three rotor systems of the main rotor system.

13. The unmanned aerial system of claim 12, wherein two of the three rotor systems of the main rotor system are tiltrotor systems.

14. The unmanned aerial system of claim 12, wherein each rotor system of the main rotor system further comprises a gear, where the variable speed motor drives the gear, where the gear in turn drives the autorotation hub, which in turn drives the variable pitch rotor.

15. The unmanned aerial system of claim 12, wherein each of the rotor systems of the main rotor system is one-hundred twenty degrees away from the other two rotor systems of the main rotor system.

16. The unmanned aerial system of claim 12, wherein the yaw rotor system provides rotational control over the unmanned aerial system.

17. The unmanned aerial system of claim 12, wherein the variable pitch rotor of each rotor system of the main rotor system comprises a pitch slider, where the multiple servos drive the pitch slider to control the pitch of the variable pitch rotor.

18. An unmanned aerial system comprising

a main rotor system;

a yaw rotor system; and

a fuselage;

where the main rotor system consists of three independent rotor systems, where each independent rotor system comprises a swashless variable pitch rotor, multiple servos, a variable speed motor, and an autorotation hub, where the variable speed motor drives the autorotation hub, which in turn drives the variable pitch rotor, where the multiple servos control the pitch of the variable pitch rotor, where each rotor system is connected to the fuselage and is equidistant and one-hundred twenty degrees away from the other rotor systems of the main rotor system;

where the yaw rotor system comprises a yaw arm, a swashless variable pitch rotor, and a variable speed motor, where the yaw rotor system is located between two of the three rotor systems of the main rotor system, and where the yaw rotor system provides rotational control over the unmanned aerial system.

19. The unmanned aerial system of claim 18, wherein two of the three rotor systems of the main rotor system are tiltrotor systems.

20. The unmanned aerial system of claim 18, wherein the variable pitch rotor of each rotor system of the main rotor system comprises a pitch slider, where the multiple servos drive the pitch slider to control the pitch of the variable pitch rotor.