Quiet vertical takeoff and landing aircraft using ducted, magnetic induction air-impeller rotors

• US 7,032,861 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arturo Aviles Jr, Arturo F. Aviles, John K. Sanders Jr, Sanders J. Kenneth
• Original Assignee: Arturo Aviles Jr, Arturo F. Aviles, John K. Sanders Jr, Sanders J. Kenneth
• Inventors: Sanders, John K. Jr., Sanders, J. Kenneth, Aviles, Arturo F., Aviles, Arturo Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Collins, Timothy D.
• Application Number:
  US10/763,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20060049304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 244 121- 123, 244/17.19, 244/60, 244/23.R, 244/23.A, 244/23.B, 244/17.11, 310/46, 310 61- 63, 417/350, 417/420, 417/423.1, 417/423.7, 416/170
• US Class Current: 244/23.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/12 Rotor drives
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/65 Composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/24 Coaxial rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors

Abstract

A hover aircraft employs an air impeller engine having an air channel duct and a rotor with outer ends of its blades fixed to an annular impeller disk that is driven by magnetic induction elements arrayed in the air channel duct. The air-impeller engine is arranged vertically in the aircraft frame to provide vertical thrust for vertical takeoff and landing. Preferably, the air-impeller engine employs dual, coaxial, contra-rotating rotors for increased thrust and gyroscopic stability. An air vane assembly directs a portion of the air thrust output at a desired angle to provide a horizontal thrust component for flight maneuvering or translation movement. The aircraft can employ a single engine in an annular fuselage, two engines on a longitudinal fuselage chassis, three engines in a triangular arrangement for forward flight stability, or other multiple engine arrangements in a symmetric, balanced configuration. Other flight control mechanisms may be employed, including side winglets, an overhead wing, and/or air rudders or flaps. An integrated flight control system can be used to operate the various flight control mechanisms. Electric power is supplied to the magnetic induction drives by high-capacity lightweight batteries or fuel cells. The hover aircraft is especially well suited for applications requiring VTOL deployment, hover operation for quiet surveillance, maneuvering in close air spaces, and long duration flights for continuous surveillance of ground targets and important facilities requiring constant monitoring.

Claims

1. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising:

(a) a main body adapted for flight while oriented substantially in a horizontal plane;

(b) at least one air impeller engine mounted in said main body oriented substantially along a vertical axis normal to the horizontal plane having an impeller rotor mounted within an air channel duct or shroud formed in said main body of said aircraft, said impeller rotor being formed with impeller blades with inner ends fixed to a central hub and outer ends fixed to an annular impeller disk rotatable about a rotational axis aligned with the vertical axis to propel a downward flow of air to provide vertical lift to the aircraft and a magnetic bearing system for suspending the impeller rotor substantially friction-free within the air channel duct or shroud;

(c) a magnetic induction drive formed by one array of magnetic induction elements arranged circumferentially on the annular impeller disk of said impeller rotor and another array of magnetic induction elements arranged on a wall of said air channel duct or shroud facing opposite the array on the annular impeller disk across a small air gap therebetween for driving the impeller disk in rotation by magnetic induction; and

(d) an air directing assembly for directing at least a part of the thrust flow of air from the air impeller engine in a desired angular direction with respect to the horizontal plane to generate a horizontal thrust component for maneuvering or translation movement of the aircraft,

wherein said air directing assembly is an air vane assembly mounted below said air impeller engine having one or more rotatable vanes in a parallel array mounted to a rotatable support ring, a first actuator means for rotating the vanes at a selected deflection angle on an axis in the horizontal plane, and a second actuator means for rotating the support ring on the vertical axis, for directing the thrust flow of air in a desired angular direction.

2. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft comprising:

(a) a main body adapted for flight while oriented substantially in a horizontal plane;

(b) at least one air impeller engine mounted in said main body oriented substantially along a vertical axis normal to the horizontal plane having an impeller rotor mounted within an air channel duct or shroud formed in said main body of said aircraft, said impeller rotor being formed with impeller blades with inner ends fixed to a central hub and outer ends fixed to an annular impeller disk rotatable about a rotational axis aligned with the vertical axis to propel a downward flow of air to provide vertical lift to the aircraft, and a magnetic bearing system for suspending the impeller rotor substantially friction-free within the air channel duct or shroud;

(c) a magnetic induction drive formed by one array of magnetic induction elements arranged circumferentially on the annular impeller disk of said impeller rotor and another array of magnetic induction elements arranged on a wall of said air channel duct or shroud facing opposite the array on the annular impeller disk across a small air gap therebetween for driving the impeller disk in rotation by magnetic induction; and

(d) an air directing assembly for directing at least a part of the thrust flow of air from the air impeller engine in a desired angular direction with respect to the horizontal plane to generate a horizontal thrust component for maneuvering or translation movement of the aircraft,

wherein said annular impeller disk is formed as a hollow annular channel containing pitch change mounting means therein coupled to the outer ends of the rotor blades for varying the pitch of the rotor blades.

3. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 2, wherein said hollow annular channel of said annular impeller disk contains for each blade a stepper motor drive for rotating the end of the blade, control means for receiving a blade pitch control signal and providing it to the stepper motor drive, and a power source for supplying power to the stepper motor drive for rotating the end of the blade, said components being distributed circumferentially around the hollow annular channel at respective positions of the blade ends for a even distribution of mass.

4. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 2, wherein said air impeller engine is provided with dual coaxial, contra-rotating rotors arranged one on top of the other for gyroscopic stability.

5. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 4, having a single air impeller engine arranged on a central vertical axis of the vehicle.

6. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 4, having two air impeller engines arranged at opposite ends of the main body formed with a longitudinal fuselage chassis and balanced about its center of gravity.

7. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 4, having three engines positioned in a triangular arrangement on the main body balanced about its center of gravity.

8. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 7, wherein one engine is positioned at a forward apex of the triangle oriented in a forward flight direction and the other two engines are spaced apart and carried on an overhead wing mounted on the main body.

9. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 4, having multiple engines positioned in a symmetrical arrangement on the main body and balanced about its center of gravity.

10. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 4, wherein said main body is formed with a longitudinal fuselage chassis oriented in a forward flight direction and a pair of winglets arranged on respective sides of the longitudinal fuselage chassis for controlling flight stability.

11. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 2, having air rudders or flaps provided on said main body for controlling flight stability.

12. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 2, wherein said main body is formed with a longitudinal fuselage chassis oriented in a forward flight direction and an overhead wing mounted on said main body for providing lift and controlling flight stability.

13. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 2, wherein said magnetic induction drive is powered by electric power provided by lightweight batteries carried on said main body.

14. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 2, wherein said magnetic induction drive is powered by electric power provided by lightweight fuel cells carried on said main body.