TRIMMING DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE GLIDE SLOPE AND DESCENT SPEED OF A PARAFOIL

• US 20170210479A1
• Filed: 01/18/2017
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Inventors: Barrows, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 10,427,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/12 Releasing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/025 for gliding chutes
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/24 Rigging lines
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/343 by reefing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/105 specially adapted for unpowered flight, e.g. glider, parachuting, forced landing parachutes per se B64D17/00

Abstract

A parafoil system having an adjustable trim angle during flight to control glide slope and descent speed of a parafoil is provided. The parafoil system may include a pulley cluster comprising first and second variable trim pulleys, each having a different diameter. The pulley cluster may be coupled to forward and aft suspension lines of a parafoil canopy such that the pulley cluster may rotate to retract or extend the forward and aft suspension lines to adjust the trim angle during flight. The parafoil system may further include a motor for rotating the pulley cluster to extend or retract the suspension lines to adjust the trim angle during flight. By adjusting the trim angle of the canopy during flight, the glide slope and descent speed of the parafoil system may be controlled.

Claims

1. A parafoil system having an adjustable trim angle during flight to control glide slope and descent speed of a parafoil, the system comprising:

a canopy having a forward portion and an aft portion;

a forward suspension line coupled to the forward portion;

an aft suspension line coupled to the aft portion;

first and second pulleys, wherein the first pulley has a first diameter and the second pulley has a second diameter, and wherein the first diameter and the second diameter are different; and

a motor coupled to the first and second pulleys, wherein the motor rotates the first and second pulleys to extend or retract the forward suspension line or the aft suspension line to adjust a trim angle of the canopy during flight,

wherein the first and second pulleys and the motor are mounted on a structure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second pulleys are configured to rotate as a single unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the first pulley at a first speed and to rotate the second pulley at a second speed, and wherein the first speed and the second speed are different.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the forward suspension line is coupled to the first pulley, and wherein the aft suspension line is coupled to the second pulley.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing configured to house the first and second pulleys and the motor.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power source operatively coupled to the motor, the power source configured to power the motor.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor operatively coupled to the motor, and a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the motor to rotate the first and second pulleys.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising at least one of an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, global positioning system, or barometric altimeter, operatively coupled to the processor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the structure is mounted on a payload.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the forward or aft suspension lines closest to a center of pressure of the canopy is coupled to the structure.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third pulley having a third diameter, wherein the third diameter is larger than the first diameter and smaller than the second diameter.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the forward suspension line or the aft suspension line is coupled to the third pulley.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an additional suspension line coupled to the forward portion or the aft portion, wherein the additional suspension line is further coupled to a fixed point of the structure.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the motor rotates the first and second pulleys to extend or retract a forward suspension line or an aft suspension line, coupled to a left side of the canopy, to adjust the trim angle of the left side of the canopy during flight.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a second motor coupled to third and fourth pulleys, wherein the second motor rotates the third and fourth pulleys to extend or retract a forward suspension line or an aft suspension line, coupled to a right side of the canopy, to adjust the trim angle of the right side of the canopy during flight.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the motor and the second motor are configured to operate in unison to adjust the trim angle of the right and the left sides of the canopy equally.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the motor and the second motor are configured to operate differentially to steer the parafoil.

19. An apparatus for adjusting a trim angle during flight to control glide slope and descent speed of a parafoil, the apparatus comprising:

first and second pulleys coupled to suspension lines of a parafoil, wherein the first pulley has a first diameter and the second pulley has a second diameter, and wherein the first diameter and the second diameter are different; and

a motor coupled to the first and second pulleys, wherein the motor rotates the first and second pulleys to extend or retract the suspension lines to adjust the trim angle during flight.

20. A system for adjusting a trim angle during flight to control glide slope and descent speed of a parafoil, the system comprising:

first and second pulleys coupled to suspension lines of a parafoil, wherein the first pulley has a first diameter and the second pulley has a second diameter, and wherein the first diameter and the second diameter are different;

a motor coupled to the first and second pulleys; and

a processor operatively coupled to the motor, wherein the processor causes the motor to rotate the first and second pulleys to extend or retract the suspension lines to adjust the trim angle during flight.