DYNAMICALLY CONTROLLABLE FORCE-GENERATING SYSTEM

• US 20160327073A1
• Filed: 05/07/2015
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stabilis Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stabilis Inc.
• Inventors: Amlani, Faisal, Lombardini, Manuel, Miller, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US14/706,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20160327073A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 9/02 using Magnus effect
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 23/02 by means of rotating members of cylindrical or similar form
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 23/08 using Magnus effect
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0232 with flaps or slats with aerodynamic drag devices on the blades for braking F03D7/0252
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/30 Characteristics of rotor blades, i.e. of any element transforming dynamic fluid energy to or from rotational energy and being attached to a rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F15D 1/007 comprising surfaces being moved by external supplied energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/5236 Renewable or hybrid-electric solutions

Abstract

A dynamically controllable force-generating device configured to be incorporated into a vehicle, such as an aircraft or a ship, or an energy-harvesting device, such as a wind turbine, is disclosed. The dynamically controllable force-generating device includes a force-generating motive surface, a motor operatively coupled to the force-generating motive surface to move at least a portion of the force-generating motive surface to generate a force, at least one controlling motive surface spaced apart from the force-generating motive surface, and a motor operatively coupled to the at least one controlling motive surface to move at least a portion of the controlling motive surface to change at least one of a direction and a magnitude of the force generated by the force-generating motive surface.

Claims

1. A dynamically controllable force-generating device, comprising:

a force-generating motive surface;

a motor operatively coupled to the force-generating motive surface to move at least a portion of the force-generating motive surface to generate a force;

at least one controlling motive surface spaced apart from the force-generating motive surface; and

a motor operatively coupled to the at least one controlling motive surface to move at least a portion of the controlling motive surface to change at least one of a direction and a magnitude of the force generated by the force-generating motive surface.

2. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, wherein the force-generating motive surface has a first size and the at least one controlling motive surface has a second size different than the first size.

3. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 2, wherein the second size is smaller than the first size.

4. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, wherein the force-generating motive surface has a first size and the at least one controlling motive surface has a second size substantially the same as the first size.

5. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, wherein the force-generating motive surface has a shape selected from the group of shapes of revolution consisting of a cylinder, a cone, a paraboloid, an ellipsoid, a hyperboloid, and portions thereof.

6. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 3, wherein the controlling motive surface has a shape selected from the group of shapes of revolution consisting of a cylinder, a cone, a paraboloid, an ellipsoid, a hyperboloid, and portions thereof.

7. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, wherein only a portion of the force-generating motive surface is configured to move.

8. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, wherein only a portion of the at least one controlling motive surface is configured to move.

9. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, further comprising a second motor coupled to the at least one controlling motive surface, the second motor configured to move the at least one controlling motive surface between a first position spaced apart from the force-generating motive surface by a first distance and a second position spaced apart from the force-generating motive surface by a second distance different than the first distance.

10. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controlling motive surface comprises a plurality of controlling motive surfaces proximate the force-generating motive surface.

11. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of controlling motive surfaces is independently actuatable between a first position spaced apart from the force-generating motive surface by a first distance and a second position spaced apart from the force-generating motive surface by a second distance different than the first distance.

12. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, further comprising a second motor coupled to the at least one controlling motive surface, the second motor configured to move the at least one controlling motive surface around the force-generating motive surface between a first position and a second position different than the first position.

13. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, further comprising an endplate assembly coupled to a first end of each of the force-generating motive surface and the at least one controlling motive surface.

14. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 13, wherein the endplate assembly defines at least one track slidably supporting the first end of the at least one controlling motive surface.

15. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controlling motive surface is configured to move laterally along an axis defined by the at least one controlling motive surface.

16. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, further comprising a shroud disposed between the force-generating motive surface and the at least one controlling motive surface, wherein the shroud is configured to move between a retracted position and a deployed position.

17. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 1, wherein the force-generating motive surface and the at least one controlling motive surface are coupled to a wing or a rotor hub.

18. A method of dynamically altering fluid dynamic properties of a force-generating device comprising a force-generating motive surface and at least one controlling motive surface spaced apart from the force-generating motive surface, the method comprising:

introducing the force-generating device into a fluid flow having a free-stream velocity;

moving at least a portion of the force-generating motive surface at a first surface speed; and

changing the at least one controlling motive surface from a first state to a second state, wherein;

the force-generating motive surface generates a first resultant force having a first direction and a first magnitude when the controlling motive surface is in the first state,

the force-generating motive surface generates a second resultant force having a second direction and a second magnitude when the controlling motive surface is in the second state, and

at least one of the second direction and the second magnitude is different than a corresponding one of the first direction and the first magnitude.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein changing the at least one controlling motive surface from the first state to the second state comprises moving the controlling motive surface from a first position spaced apart from the force-generating motive surface by a first distance to a second position spaced apart from the force-generating motive surface by a second distance different than the first distance.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second position alters a boundary layer formed around the force-generating motive surface by a first extent and the first position alters the boundary layer by a second extent different than the first extent.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein changing the at least one controlling motive surface from the first state to the second state comprises accelerating or decelerating the at least one controlling motive surface from a first surface speed to a second surface speed different than the first surface speed.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein changing the at least one controlling motive surface from the first state to the second state comprises moving the at least one controlling motive surface around the force-generating motive surface from a first angular position to a second angular position.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein changing the at least one controlling motive surface from the first state to the second state comprises moving a shroud between a retracted position and a deployed position.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising accelerating or decelerating the force-generating motive surface to a second surface speed different than the first surface speed.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising moving the at least one controlling motive surface laterally along an axis of the at least one controlling motive surface.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the force-generating motive surface and the at least one controlling motive surface are coupled to a wing or a rotor blade.

27. A dynamically controllable force-generating device, comprising:

a first motive surface having a first size;

a motor operatively coupled to the first motive surface to move at leak a portion of the first motive surface at a first surface speed;

a second motive surface spaced laterally from the first motive surface, the second motive surface having a second size; and

a motor operatively coupled to the second motive surface to move at least a portion of the second motive surface at a second surface speed,

wherein one of the first motive surface and the second motive surface is configured to generate a force, and

wherein the other of the first motive surface and the second motive surface is configured to change at least one of a direction and a magnitude of the force generated by the one of the first motive surface and the second motive surface.

28. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 27, wherein the first and second motive surfaces are side-by-side.

29. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 27, wherein the first and second motive surfaces are staggered.

30. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 27, wherein, when at least one of the first surface speed and the first size is greater than a respective one of the second surface speed and the second size, the first motive surface is a force-generating motive surface generating the force, and the second motive surface is a controlling motive surface configured to change the at least one of the direction and the magnitude of the force generated by the force-generating motive surface.

31. The dynamically controllable force-generating device of claim 27, wherein, when at least one of the first surface speed and the first size is less than a respective one of the second surface speed and the second size, the second motive surface is a force-generating motive surface generating the force, and the first motive surface is a controlling motive surface configured to change the at least one of the direction and the magnitude of the force generated by the force-generating motive surface.