Flying electric generators with clean air rotors

• US 9,109,575 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sky Windpower LLC
• Original Assignee: Sky Windpower Corporation
• Inventors: Weddendorf, Bruce, Austin, Colin, Mercier, Greg, Austin, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): BENEDIK, JUSTIN M
• Application Number:
  US13/479,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20120298793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 244/17.23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/02 having a plurality of rotors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/10 Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 5/00 Other wind motors controlling thereof F03D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/32 on moving objects, e.g. vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/921 kept aloft due to aerodynamic effects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/70 Wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines

Abstract

Flying electric generator aircraft that include groupings of four rotors mounted to booms extending fore and aft of a fuselage structure wherein the rotors are placed so that when the aircraft is facing the wind, each rotor has a direct path to an undisturbed flow of air, regardless of pitch angle and during all flight maneuvers of the aircraft. The rotors are placed in counter-rotating pairs with the booms preferably angled so that the rotors in the front of the aircraft are spaced at a distance from one another that is different than a spacing of the rotors at the rear of the aircraft.

Claims

1. A flying electric generator comprising a fuselage, wherein the fuselage includes a centralized housing, at least a first pair of boom arms extending forward from and laterally outwardly of the housing and have outer ends, at least a first pair of counter rotating first rotors being mounted along the outer ends of the at least first pair of boom arms, at least a second pair of boom arms extending aft and laterally outwardly from the housing and having outer ends, at least a first pair of second counter rotating rotors mounted along the outer ends of the at least second pair of boom arms and wherein each of the rotors is mounted to the fuselage such that when the at least first pair of first rotors are leading into the wind, each of the at least first pair of first rotors and the at least first pair of second rotors is positioned so as to receive a direct path to an undisturbed flow of wind regardless of angle of attack or pitch angle of the flying electric generator, and wherein the housing defines a center of gravity of the flying electric generator.

2. The flying electric generators of claim 1 wherein the at least first pair of first rotors are mounted in closely spaced relationship to one another and wherein the at least first pair of second rotors are mounted so as to be positioned laterally outwardly of the first pair of rotors relative to a center of the housing of the fuselage.

3. The flying electric generator of claim 2 wherein the at least first pair of boom arms are shorter in length than the at least second pair of boom arms.

4. The flying electric generator of claim 3 wherein the at least first pair of boom arms are spaced at a first angle relative to one another and an angle between the second pair of boom arms is greater than the first angle.

5. The flying electric generator of claim 1 wherein the at least first pair of boom arms are shorter in length than the at least second pair of boom arms.

6. The flying electric generator of claim 5 wherein the at least first pair of boom arms are spaced at a first angle of at least approximately 90°

relative to one another and wherein an angle between the at least second pair of boom arms is greater than the first angle.

7. The flying electric generator of claim 1 including an even number of rotors mounted to extend forward from the fuselage and a same even number of rotors mounted to extend aft from the fuselage, and wherein a central pair of forward counter rotating rotors are mounted in a more closely spaced relationship to one another than a central pair of the aft counter rotating rotors which are mounted so as to be positioned laterally outwardly of the central pair of forward counter rotating rotors relative to a center of the fuselage.

8. The flying electric generator of claim 7 including each of the at least first and second pairs of rotors is drivingly connected to separate electric motors mounted at the ends of the at least first and second pairs of boom arms that extend forward and aft of the fuselage, respectively, separate motor controllers electrically connected to each of the motors, a pitch control assembly mounted to the ends of each of the first and second boom arms, each pitch control assembly including a servo motor for driving a first linkage system connected therefrom to a pitch control ring that is fixed in rotation about a sleeve that rotates with a rotor blade drive shaft that is connected in driven and driving relationship to the motor mounted to the respective boom arm, a second linkage system connected between the sleeve and pitch horns of a pair of rotor blades whereby vertical movement of the pitch control ring in response to changes in the first linkage system will cause vertical displacement of the sleeve and thus change in pitch of the rotor blades through the second linkage system.

9. The flying electric generator of claim 1 wherein each of the at least first and second pair of boom arms is formed as a tubular structure and means for reinforcing inner ends of each of the boom arms that are connected to the housing of the fuselage.

10. The flying electric generator of claim 1 including each rotor of the pair of the at least first and second of pair of rotors is drivingly connected to electric motors mounted at the ends of the at least first and second boom arms, separate motor controllers electrically connected to each of the motors, a pitch control assembly mounted to the ends of each of the first and second boom arms, each pitch control assembly including a servo motor for driving a first linkage system connected therefrom to a pitch control ring that is fixed in rotation about a sleeve that rotates with a rotor blade drive shaft that is connected in driven and driving relationship to the motor mounted to the respective boom arm, a second linkage system connected between the sleeve and pitch horns of a pair of rotor blades whereby vertical movement of the pitch control ring in response to changes in the first linkage system will cause vertical displacement of the sleeve and thus change in pitch of the rotor blades through the second linkage system.