Active maple seed flyer

• US 8,899,513 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Jameson, Stephen M., Boesch, Brian P., Allen, Edward H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alsomiri, Isam
• Assistant Examiner(s): BENEDIK, JUSTIN M
• Application Number:
  US13/533,648
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 244/17.11, 244/137.4, 244/207, 244/23.R
• US Class Current: 244/17.11
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/00 Rotorcraft; Rotors peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/297 Tilting rotors

Abstract

A flying vehicle comprises an elongated airfoil having a first end and a second end defining a longitudinal axis, the first and second ends further defining an interior opening extending therebetween and terminating at an outlet port proximal the second end; a solid fuel engine includes a fuel combustion chamber proximal the first end of the airfoil; a first manifold is coupled to the fuel combustion chamber and configured to convey a pressurized gas generated by combustion of a solid fuel; wherein the interior opening conveys the pressurized gas from the first manifold to the outlet port proximal the second end and wherein the pressurized gas is exhausted at the outlet port substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated airfoil, thereby producing thrust which imparts a rotational motion to the airfoil about a center of mass proximal to the first end, for thereby defining a rotor disk.

Claims

1. A flying vehicle comprising:

a rotor disk comprising;

a body attached to an elongated airfoil;

the elongated airfoil having a first end proximal to said body and a second end distal to said body defining a longitudinal axis, the first and second ends further defining an interior opening extending therebetween and terminating at an outlet port proximal the second end;

a solid fuel engine having a fuel combustion chamber proximal the first end of the airfoil;

a first manifold coupled to the fuel combustion chamber and configured to convey a pressurized gas generated by combustion of a solid fuel;

wherein the interior opening conveys the pressurized gas from the first manifold to the outlet port proximal the second end and wherein the pressurized gas is exhausted at the outlet port substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated airfoil, thereby producing thrust which imparts a rotational motion to the airfoil about a center of mass proximal to said body.

2. The flying vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a second manifold coupled to the first manifold and configured to divert a portion of the pressurized gas away from the outlet port to at least one jet positioned proximal to a trailing edge of the airfoil.

3. The flying vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one jet is disposed on an upper surface of the airfoil relative to a plane of the rotor disk and configured to exhaust a portion of the pressurized gas to provide lift to the flying vehicle.

4. The flying vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one jet comprises a first jet disposed on an upper surface of the airfoil relative to a plane of the rotor disk, and a second jet disposed on a lower surface of the airfoil relative to a plane of the rotor disk, and configured to exhaust a portion of the pressurized gas to provide lift to the flying vehicle.

5. The flying vehicle of claim 2, further comprising:

at least one valve coupled to a controller and to the second manifold, the at least one valve configured to selectively control flow to the at least one jet on the trailing edge of the airfoil.

6. The flying vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a body attached at the first end of the airfoil and containing the fuel combustion chamber, the solid fuel, and a controller configured to control flight of the vehicle.

7. The flying vehicle of claim 6, wherein the elongated airfoil is a single wing elongated airfoil.

8. The flying vehicle of claim 7, wherein the body includes an external surface defining a cavity, the cavity configured to accommodate a deployable payload object.

9. The flying vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a payload deployment mechanism disposed in the cavity and configured to selectively release the deployable payload object from the cavity.

10. The flying vehicle of claim 9, further comprising:

a solid fuel grain within the body and configured as a cylindrical prism and coiled into a spiral having a center at the center of mass.

11. The flying vehicle of claim 10, wherein each solid fuel grain is located within a tube.

12. A method of providing controlled flight to a vehicle defined by a rotor disk having a body attached to a first end of a rotating elongated airfoil, the rotor disk having a center of rotation proximal to the body, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a solid fuel grain in a combustion chamber contained in the body;

igniting the solid fuel grain to produce a gas under pressure;

mixing the gas under pressure with atmospheric air, wherein the atmospheric air is introduced to the gas under pressure in at least two stages to increase the mass flow rate of the gas under pressure;

exhausting the mixed gas under pressure through a primary orifice, the primary orifice disposed proximal to a second end of the airfoil distal to the body to produce thrust in a direction tangential to airfoil rotation; and

exhausting at least a portion of the mixed gas under pressure via at least one jet positioned proximal to a trailing edge of the airfoil, wherein the at least one jet is directed in a plane different from a plane of rotation of the airfoil to produce lift.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

adjustably controlling a flow of the at least a portion of the mixed gas under pressure to the at least one jet to control an amount of lift provided to the airfoil.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

removably attaching a payload to a portion of the body defined by a cavity

defined in an external surface of the body, wherein the payload is configured to rotate with the airfoil; and

controllably releasing the payload from the cavity defined in the external surface of the body.

15. A flying vehicle comprising:

an airfoil having root end and a tip end;

a body attached to said root end, the body and the airfoil defining a rotor disk configured to rotate about the body thereby producing lift;

a solid fuel engine configured to produce a gas under pressure;

an ejector coupled to the solid fuel engine and configured to transport the gas under pressure;

the tip end defining an orifice configured to exhaust the gas under pressure in a tangential direction relative to the rotational path of the tip end, thereby producing rotational thrust to the airfoil.

16. The flying vehicle of claim 15, further comprising:

a manifold coupled to the ejector, the manifold configured to control flow of a portion of the gas under pressure and direct the portion of the gas under pressure to at least one jet proximal to a trailing end of the airfoil, thereby affecting the lift characteristics of the airfoil to control lift.

17. The flying vehicle of claim 16, wherein the at least one jet is positioned on an upper surface of the airfoil relative to a plane of rotation of the airfoil.

18. The flying vehicle of claim 17, further comprising a valve disposed in the manifold between the ejector and the at least one jet for selectively controlling flow of the gas under pressure.

19. The flying vehicle of claim 15, wherein the solid fuel engine comprises:

a combustion chamber configured to hold at least one solid fuel grain configured such that a face of the solid fuel grain is proximal the ejector whereby gas under pressure created by combustion at the face of the solid fuel grain enters the ejector and is transported to the orifice to produce thrust.