Rotor/wing aircraft including vectorable nozzle

• US 9,878,785 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Richardson, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Xavier, Valentina
• Application Number:
  US14/258,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 15/02 the jets being propulsion jets
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 15/14 the jets being other than main propulsion jets jet flaps B64C9/38
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/18 the means being jet-reaction apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/24 with rotor blades fixed in flight to act as lifting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/26 characterised by provision of fixed wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/82 characterised by the provision of an auxiliary rotor or fluid-jet device for counter-balancing lifting rotor torque or changing direction of rotorcraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/385 Variable incidence wings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction

Abstract

A method of operating an aircraft having a rotor/wing assembly and a nozzle comprises vectoring the nozzle into a position for creating vertical thrust, and using the rotor/wing assembly and the nozzle together to create vertical thrust during a rotary mode of operation.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a propulsion system operable to produce an exhaust flow;

a turbine including an inlet, a valve disposed in the inlet, an outlet, a vortical chamber and a chamber outlet, the inlet to receive the exhaust flow from the propulsion system;

a nozzle disposed at an aft end of the aircraft to eject at least a portion of the exhaust flow;

a first conduit fluidly coupling the outlet to the nozzle; and

a second conduit fluidly coupling the chamber outlet to the first conduit, the valve operable between (1) a first position in which the exhaust flow is directed from the inlet to the outlet of the turbine during a fixed mode of operation, the exhaust flow provided to the nozzle via the first conduit in the fixed mode of operation, and (2) a second position in which the exhaust flow is directed from the inlet, through the vortical chamber, to the chamber outlet in a rotary mode of operation, the exhaust flow provided to the nozzle via the first conduit in the rotary mode of operation, the nozzle being vectorable between (1) an aftward direction to produce forward thrust during the fixed mode of operation and (2) a downward direction to produce vertical thrust at the aft end of the aircraft during the rotary mode of operation.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, further including a rotor/wing and a drive shaft mechanically coupled to a hub in the vortical chamber of the turbine to drive the rotor/wing during the rotary mode of operation.

3. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein the rotor/wing is lockable to prevent rotation during the fixed mode of operation.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one of pivotable canards and a pivotable tail assembly.

5. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a yaw control system operable from diverted exhaust flow.

15. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the outlet of the turbine is a first outlet and the nozzle is a first nozzle, and wherein the turbine includes a second outlet, further including:

a second nozzle disposed at the aft end of the aircraft; and

a third conduit fluidly coupling the second outlet to the second nozzle.

16. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the inlet of the turbine is a first inlet and the valve is a first valve, wherein the turbine includes a second inlet, the first inlet fluidly coupled to the first outlet and the second inlet fluidly coupled to the second outlet, and wherein the propulsion system includes a first engine and a second engine, the first inlet to receive an exhaust flow from the first engine and the second inlet to receive an exhaust flow from the second engine.

17. The aircraft of claim 5, wherein the second conduit provides the exhaust flow to the yaw control system.

18. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the valve is a first valve, and wherein the second conduit is fluidly coupled to the first conduit via a second valve, the second valve to selectively divert the exhaust flow to the yaw control system during the rotary mode of operation.

6. A propulsion system comprising:

a turbine engine;

a vectorable nozzle at an aft end of an aircraft configured to receive exhaust flow from the turbine engine, the vectorable nozzle movable between (1) an aftward direction to produce forward thrust during a fixed mode of operation and (2) a downward direction to produce vertical thrust at the aft end of the aircraft during a rotary mode of operation;

a conduit fluidly coupling the turbine engine to the vectorable nozzle;

a vertical lift assembly including a rotor/wing, and a drive shaft and gear box; and

a turbine to drive the vertical lift assembly in the rotary mode of operation, the turbine disposed in the conduit, wherein, in the fixed mode of operation, the exhaust flow from the turbine engine bypasses the turbine and flows through the conduit to the vectorable nozzle, and in the rotary mode of operation, the exhaust flow is directed through a chamber of the turbine to rotate the rotor/wing and create lift, a chamber outlet of the turbine being fluidly coupled to the conduit to provide the exhaust flow exiting the turbine to the nozzle at the aft end of the aircraft during the rotary mode of operation.

19. The propulsion system of claim 6, wherein the turbine engine is a first turbine engine, further including a second turbine engine, the conduit fluidly coupling the first and second turbine engines to the vectorable nozzle.

20. The propulsion system of claim 6, wherein the turbine is a radial inflow turbine.

7. An aircraft comprising:

a propulsion system operable to produce an exhaust flow;

a radial inflow turbine to drive a vertical lift assembly, configured to be driven by the propulsion system to produce vertical thrust, from the exhaust flow during a rotary mode of operation; and

a nozzle disposed at an aft end of the aircraft to eject at least a portion of the exhaust flow from the propulsion system, the nozzle vectored between (1) an aftward direction to produce forward thrust during a fixed mode of operation and (2) a downward direction to produce vertical thrust at the aft end of the aircraft during the rotary mode of operation.

8. The aircraft of claim 7, wherein the radial inflow turbine includes a turbine inlet, a turbine outlet, a vortical chamber and a chamber outlet.

9. The aircraft of claim 8, further including inlet valves at the turbine inlet to selectively allow the exhaust flow to bypass the radial inflow turbine to the turbine outlet.

10. The aircraft of claim 8, wherein the exhaust flow is to flow from the turbine inlet to the chamber outlet through the vortical chamber in the rotary mode of operation.

11. The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the chamber outlet is fluidly coupled to a yaw control system.

12. The aircraft of claim 11, wherein the yaw control system includes left and right lateral outlets near the aft end of the aircraft.

13. The aircraft of claim 11, further including a valve to direct exhaust from the chamber outlet to at least one of the left or right lateral outlets.

14. The aircraft of claim 9, wherein the turbine outlet is fluidly coupled to the nozzle.