VTOL propulsion for aircraft

• US 8,960,592 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concept Aircraft, LLC
• Original Assignee: D. Anthony Windisch
• Inventors: Windisch, D. Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Green, Richard R
• Application Number:
  US13/553,080
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 244/52, 244/73.R, 244/76.J, 244/12.3, 244/23.B, 244/12.5, 244/23.D, 244/53.R, 244/53.B, 602/263, 446/58, 446/57
• US Class Current: 244/12.5
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/06 Jet-propelled flying toys, e.g. aeroplanes A63H27/04, A63H27/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2203/00 Flying model aircraft, flying toy aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 35/00 Transmitting power from power plants to propellers or rotors; Arrangements of transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded

Abstract

An aircraft, such as a radio controlled aircraft, capable of vertical take-off and landing. The aircraft has a compressor in a fuselage that contains an interconnected first and second fans driven by a motor. An intake provides air to the first fan, while a bypass duct directs airflow to the second fan. Air flow from the first fan to the second fan is controlled by a valve, which is operated in tandem with doors in the bypass duct. Nozzles direct air flow out of the compressor in a selected one of a vertical or non-vertical direction for conventional flight or for hover. Hover tubes are provided to adjust the aircraft in pitch, yaw and roll. The hover tubes operate simultaneously with conventional flight controls.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage defining a first wing, a second wing, and a tail section;

a compressor in said fuselage, said compressor defining an intake opening;

a first fan and a second fan in said compressor;

a drive shaft interconnecting said first fan and said second fan;

a motor for rotating said drive shaft;

a transmission in communication with said motor and said drive shaft for gearing up an output of said motor;

a bypass duct for directing airflow to a location in front of said second fan;

a plurality of nozzles for directing air flow out of said compressor in a selected one of a vertical or non-vertical direction;

hover tubes extending from said compressor to adjust the aircraft in pitch, yaw and roll;

wherein said compressor has a first chamber and a second chamber;

said first fan is in said first chamber;

said second fan in said second chamber;

said first chamber and said second chamber interconnected via a selectively openable valve that remains open to regulate air flow from said first fan to said second fan; and

said valve comprises an outer casing defining openings,

an inner rotating member contained within said outer casing, said inner rotating member defining openings;

wherein said inner rotating member may be selectively rotated to align said outer casing openings and said inner rotating member openings.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein:

said bypass duct has a bypass duct intake adjacent to said intake opening;

said bypass duct delivers air to said second chamber; and

further comprising

a bypass duct intake door for selectively controlling an intake of air into said bypass duct;

wherein said bypass duct intake door selectively restricts said intake of air, but does not close off airflow to said second chamber.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1 further comprising:

a bypass duct intake door for selectively controlling an intake of air into said bypass duct;

wherein said bypass duct intake door selectively restricts said intake of air, but does not close off airflow to said second chamber.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein said hover tubes comprise:

a first tube extending a length of said first wing, said first tube communicates with a first hover control vent having an upper branch for providing an upwards air pulse above said first wing and having a downward branch for providing a downwards air pulse below said first wing;

a second tube extending a length of said second wing, said second tube communicates with a second first hover control vent having an upper branch for providing an upwards air pulse above said second wing and having a downward branch for providing a downwards air pulse below said second wing;

a third tube extending to said tail section, said third tube communicates with a third first hover control vent having a first branch for providing a first sidewardly directed air pulse on a first sided of a rudder of said tail section and having a second branch for providing a second sidewardly directed air pulse on a second side of said rudder of said tail section;

a fourth tube extending to said tail section, said fourth tube communicates with a second fourth first hover control vent having an upper branch for providing an upwards air pulse above an elevator of said tail section and having a downward branch for providing a downwards air pulse below said elevator of said tail section.

5. The aircraft according to claim 4 further comprising:

a pivoting flap within each of said first hover control vent, said second hover control vent, said third hover control vent, and said fourth hover control vent for directing air in a selected direction.

6. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein:

said hover tubes comprise a first tube, a second tube, a third tube and a fourth tube;

said first tube and said second tube communicate with said first chamber;

said third tube and said fourth tube communicate with said second chamber.

7. The aircraft according to claim 6 further comprising:

an inline micro fan for augmenting flow through at least one of said first tube, said second tube, said third tube and said fourth tube.

8. The aircraft according to claim 7 wherein:

said first fan is in a first ducted fan assembly and said second ducted fan is in a second ducted fan assembly;

said hover tubes are fed by vents in a fan pressure ring located at an aft end of at least one of said first ducted fan assembly and said second ducted fan assembly.

9. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein:

said nozzles are threadably attached to said compressor.

10. The aircraft according to claim 1 further comprising:

servos activating control surfaces on said first wing, said second wing and said tail section;

said servos additionally activating control mechanisms of said hover tubes;

wherein said servos function continuously in hover mode and in flight mode to control the aircraft.

11. The aircraft according to claim 1 further comprising:

gyros for stabilization and altitude regulation.

12. The aircraft according to claim 1 further comprising:

actuator arms externally mounted to said nozzles for rotating said nozzles.

13. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of nozzles comprises a first right nozzle, a second right nozzle;

a first left nozzle, and a second left nozzle;

said first chamber directs air into said first right nozzle and said first left nozzle;

vortices generators in said first chamber for directing air into said first right nozzle and said first left nozzle.

14. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein:

said drive shaft is mounted to bulwarks in a fan nacelle;

wherein said first fan said second fan and said drive shaft define a drive shaft unit that may be removed as a single piece for maintenance.

15. A method of flying an aircraft comprising:

rotating a drive shaft connected to a first fan and a second fan with a motor;

gearing up an output of said motor with a transmission in communication with said motor and said drive shaft;

drawing air through an intake with the first fan;

drawing air through a bypass duct with the second fan;

delivering air into a plurality of nozzles;

selectively rotating said nozzles for directing air flow in a selected one of a vertical or non-vertical direction;

delivering air into hover tubes for adjusting an orientation of said aircraft;

controlling airflow from said first fan to said second fan with a selectively openable valve that remains open to regulate air flow from said first fan to said second fan; and

wherein said selectively openable valve is a cone valve.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising:

controlling airflow through said bypass duct to said second fan with selectively openable doors to selectively restrict an intake of air, but not to close off airflow to said second chamber.

17. The method according to claim 15 further comprising:

controlling airflow through said bypass duct to said second fan with selectively openable bypass intake doors that remains open to regulate air flow from outside of the aircraft to said second fan;

wherein said selectively openable valve and said bypass intake doors are activated via a common signal for activating said valve and doors simultaneously for controlling airflow to said second fan.

18. The method according to claim 15 further comprising:

controlling a rudder, ailerons, and flaps for effecting control of the aircraft during conventional flight;

controlling a direction of air exiting hover controls on a first wing, a second wing and a tail section for controlling orientation of the aircraft for effecting hover control when the aircraft is in a hover condition;

augmenting flow through said hover controls with at least one inline fan for continuous expulsion of air from said hover controls;

wherein said steps of controlling during conventional flight and during said hover condition are implemented simultaneously during either said conventional flight or said hover condition.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein:

said steps of controlling include receiving radio control signals from a transmitter.

20. The method according to claim 15 wherein said step of delivering air into hover tubes comprises the steps of:

continuously delivering air into said hover tubes; and

directing flow to one of several branches.

21. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage defining a first wing, a second wing, and a tail section;

a compressor in said fuselage, said compressor defining an intake opening;

a first fan and a second fan in said compressor;

a drive shaft interconnecting said first fan and said second fan;

a motor for rotating said drive shaft;

a transmission in communication with said motor and said drive shaft for gearing up an output of said motor;

a bypass duct for directing airflow to a location in front of said second fan;

a plurality of nozzles for directing air flow out of said compressor in a selected one of a vertical or non-vertical direction;

hover tubes extending from said compressor to adjust the aircraft in pitch, yaw and roll;

wherein

said compressor has a first chamber and a second chamber;

said first fan is in said first chamber;

said second fan in said second chamber;

said first chamber and said second chamber interconnected via a selectively openable valve that remains open to regulate air flow from said first fan to said second fan; and

said second fan continuously receives said at least a portion of airflow through a cone valve.