Aircraft Drag Reduction System And Internally Cooled Motor System And Aircraft Using Same

• US 20190329859A1
• Filed: 03/16/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joby Aero, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Joby Aero, Inc.
• Inventors: Bevirt, JoeBen, Mikic, Gregor Veble, Milia, Joey, Thodal, Rob, Vithula, Vishnu
• Granted Patent: US 11,312,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/38 Constructions adapted to reduce effects of aerodynamic or other external heating
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 21/08 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2230/04 by actively generating fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 23/005 by other means not covered by groups B64C23/02 - B64C23/08, e.g. by electric charges, magnetic panels, piezoelectric elements, static charges or ultrasounds
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/32 Rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2033/0226 comprising boundary layer control means
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/026 comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 29/02 associated with wings wings adapted for mounting power plant B64C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 33/08 of power plant cooling systems cooling of internal-combustion engines per se F01P; cooling of gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants per se F02C, F02K

Abstract

An aircraft propulsion system with a drag reduction portion adapted to reduce skin friction on at least a portion of the external surface of an aircraft. The drag reduction portion may include an inlet to ingest airflow. The aircraft may also have an internally cooled electric motor adapted for use in an aerial vehicle. The motor may have its stator towards the center and have an external rotor. The rotor structure may be air cooled and may be a complex structure with an internal lattice adapted for airflow. The stator structure may be liquid cooled and may be a complex structure with an internal lattice adapted for liquid to flow through. A fluid pump may pump a liquid coolant through non-rotating portions of the motor stator and then through heat exchangers cooled in part by air which has flowed through the rotating portions of the motor rotor. The drag reduction portion and the cooled electric motor portion may share the same inlet.

Claims

1. An aerial vehicle with a drag reduction system, said aerial vehicle comprising:

a motor driven rotor assembly, said motor driven rotor assembly comprising;

a rotor;

a stator, said rotor rotationally coupled to said stator;

a nacelle, said nacelle comprising a nacelle structure coupled to said motor driven rotor assembly, said nacelle defining an outer surface, the forward edge of said outer surface of said nacelle defining an air inlet gap behind said rotor, said air inlet gap fluidically coupled to an interior of said nacelle.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein said motor driven rotor assembly further comprises a diffuser, said diffuser fluidically coupled to said air inlet gap, said diffuser fluidically coupled to said interior of said nacelle.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein said air inlet gap comprises a ring gap behind the outer periphery of said rotor.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 wherein said air inlet gap comprises a ring gap behind the outer periphery of said rotor.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein said nacelle comprises an airflow exit, said airflow exit fluidically coupled to an interior of said nacelle.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 wherein said nacelle comprises an airflow exit, said airflow exit fluidically coupled to an interior of said nacelle.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 4 wherein said nacelle comprises an airflow exit, said airflow exit fluidically coupled to an interior of said nacelle.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein motor driven rotor assembly further comprises one or more annular ring heat exchangers, said one or more annular heat exchangers fluidically coupled to said air inlet gap on a first side, said one or more annular heat exchangers fluidically coupled to said interior of said nacelle on a second side.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 7 wherein motor driven rotor assembly further comprises one or more annular ring heat exchangers, said one or more annular heat exchangers fluidically coupled to said air inlet gap on a first side, said one or more annular heat exchangers fluidically coupled to said interior of said nacelle on a second side.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein motor driven rotor assembly further comprises an air intake fan, said air intake fan adapted to suck air into said air gap, said air intake fan structurally coupled to said stator.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 wherein motor driven rotor assembly further comprises an air intake fan, said air intake fan adapted to suck air into said air gap, said air intake fan structurally coupled to said stator.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 9 wherein motor driven rotor assembly further comprises an air intake fan, said air intake fan adapted to suck air into said air gap, said air intake fan structurally coupled to said stator.

13. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein said motor driven rotor assembly is adapted to ingest air during flight into said air gap at a flow volume ratio of greater than 0.2.

14. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 wherein said motor driven rotor assembly is adapted to ingest air during flight into said air gap at a flow volume ratio of greater than 0.2.

15. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 wherein said motor driven rotor assembly is adapted to ingest air during flight into said air gap at a flow volume ratio of greater than 0.5.

16. The aerial vehicle of claim 11 wherein said motor driven rotor assembly further comprises:

a segmented fan, said segmented fan adapted to transfer momentum of a first portion of the airflow through said fan to a second portion of the airflow through said fan; and

air flow channel structures adapted to channelize the airflow through said diffuser into different intake areas of said segmented fan.

17. The aerial vehicle of claim 9 wherein motor driven rotor assembly further comprises:

a bypass duct, said bypass duct fluidically coupled to said air inlet gap; and

a bypass airflow exit.

18. The aerial vehicle of claim 17 wherein said motor driven rotor assembly is adapted to ingest air during flight into said air gap at a flow volume ratio of greater than 0.2.

19. The aerial vehicle of claim 17 wherein said motor driven rotor assembly is adapted to ingest air during flight into said air gap at a flow volume ratio of greater than 0.5.

20. The aerial vehicle of claim 17 wherein said motor driven rotor assembly is adapted to ingest air during flight into said air gap at a flow volume ratio of greater than 1.0.