System for controlling the lift of aircraft

• US 7,568,656 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alan R. Handley
• Original Assignee: Alan R. Handley
• Inventors: Handley, Alan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELDRED, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US11/115,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20050236519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 244/30, 244/97, 244/98, 244/99, 244/24
• US Class Current: 244/24
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/06 Rigid airships; Semi-rigid airships B64B1/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/40 Balloons B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/62 Controlling gas pressure, heating, cooling, or discharging gas

Abstract

A system for controlling lift of an aircraft comprises an inflatable compartment for containing a gas which is lighter than air. A receiver receives and stores the gas in a compressed condition. Means are provided for compressing the gas and transferring it from the inflatable compartment into the receiver thus reducing the lift force on the aircraft.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a lift force of an aircraft, comprising:

a plurality of inflatable containers, each for containing a gas which is lighter than air;

a plurality of variable displacement compartments containing air, each of said inflatable containers being housed within a respective variable displacement compartment;

a plurality of receivers each associated with a respective inflatable container, each receiver for receiving and storing the gas in a compressed condition; and

a plurality of compression systems, each associated with a respective inflatable container and a respective receiver, to compress and transfer the gas from the associated inflatable container into the associated receiver thus reducing the lift force on the aircraft, wherein each of the compression systems comprises a diaphragm compressor.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising openings in said aircraft for air to pass into and out of each variable displacement compartment when said associated inflatable container is inflated and deflated.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said variable displacement compartments are disposed at positions along a length of said aircraft, and the compression devices are provided for adjustment of an amount of inflation of selected inflatable containers to set the pitch and/or trim of the aircraft.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said variable displacement compartments comprise forward and rear variable compartments disposed at positions along the length of the aircraft.

5. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of expansion systems to expand and transfer the gas from one of the receivers into the associated inflatable container thus increasing the lift.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising a valve operable for controlling the transfer of the gas between each receiver and the associated inflatable container.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft comprises an airship.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the aircraft comprises a rigid-body airship.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the gas comprises an inert gas.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the inert gas comprises Helium.

11. A system for controlling a lift force on an aircraft, comprising:

at least one fixed displacement compartment for containing a gas which is lighter than air;

at least one inflatable container for containing the gas which is lighter than air;

at least one receiver for receiving and storing the gas in a compressed condition; and

a compression system that compresses and transfers the gas from the inflatable container into the receiver reducing the lift force on the aircraft.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said fixed displacement compartment contains the gas which is lighter than air in an amount sufficient to provide a combined lift force to overcome a total weight of the aircraft.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a variable displacement compartment, wherein said inflatable container is housed within said variable displacement compartment.

14. A system according to claim 11 further comprising an expansion system that expands and transfers the gas from the receiver into the inflatable container increasing the lift force on the aircraft.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said expansion system is further operable for transferring gas from the receiver into the fixed displacement compartment.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said compression system is operable for adjusting an amount of inflation of said containers to set a pitch and/or trim of the aircraft.

17. The system according to claim 16, further comprising a valve operable for controlling the transfer of the gas between each receiver and the associated inflatable container.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the aircraft comprises an airship.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the aircraft comprises a rigid-body airship.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the gas comprises an inert gas.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the inert gas comprises Helium.