VTOL aerodyne with supporting axial blower(s)

• US 9,902,493 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hutchinson (Welltower, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hutchinson (Welltower, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simon, Jean-Michel, Dominiak, Christophe, Andre, Sebastien
• Primary Examiner(s): Badawi, Medhat
• Application Number:
  US15/550,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20180029703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/10 arranged coaxially
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 35/06 the propellers or rotors being counter-rotating
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 35/08 characterised by the transmission being driven by a plurality of power plants
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/24 Coaxial rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/10 Propulsion rotors specially adapted for rotorcraft or VTOL B64U30/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/11 using internal combustion piston engines
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors

Abstract

Disclosed is an aerodyne including a supporting structure, to which are connected: at least one supporting axial blower, attached to the supporting structure; at least one main engine driving the supporting blower; at least three attitude blowers controlling roll and pitch, each attitude blower having an electrical motor and being attached, respectively, to one of the elongate arms that are distributed in a laterally, outwardly projecting manner around the supporting structure, to which each arm is connected by an inner end portion, the axis of rotation of each attitude blower being attached relative to the supporting structure, and all the attitude blowers being located outside the space centrally occupied by the supporting blower; at least one battery for supplying power to the electrical motors of the attitude blowers; a landing gear attached under the supporting structure; and a nacelle for holding the battery and a payload.

Claims

1. Vertical take-off and landing aerodyne, of the type known as VTOL, comprising:

a supporting structure (4), to which are structurally connected;

at least one supporting axial blower (1), with an axis of rotation (Z) that is substantially vertical and fixed relative to said supporting structure (4), and generating lift of the aerodyne,

at least one motor-lift unit, comprising at least one main drive motor or engine (2) of said supporting blower (1),

at least three attitude blowers (3), controlling the attitude of the aerodyne in terms of roll and pitch, each attitude blower (3) having an electrical motor, wherein each attitude blower (3 attached, respectively, to one of a plurality of elongate arms (5) that are distributed in a laterally, outwardly projecting manner around said supporting structure (4), to which each arm (5) is connected by an end portion called inner, so that the axis of rotation of each attitude blower (3) is fixed relative to said supporting structure (4), and that all the attitude blowers (3) are located outside the space centrally occupied by said supporting blower (1),

at least one battery for supplying power to the electrical motors of the attitude blowers (3),

a landing gear (4a), attached under said supporting structure (4), and

at least one nacelle (10), for holding a payload,

wherein yaw control flaps with adjustable angle of attack (6) are supported by at least one of the arms (5) supporting attitude blowers (3).

2. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein said at least one main drive motor (2) of said supporting blower (1) is an internal combustion engine.

3. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein said supporting blower (1) is a blower comprising two coaxial contra-rotating multiblade propellers (1a, 1b), with fixed or collectively variable pitch.

4. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein the centre of gravity of said at least one main drive motor (1) is located vertically below said supporting blower (1) and above the plane formed by propellers (31) of said attitude blowers (3).

5. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein a further motor (m′

), of lower power than that of said at least one main drive motor (M) of said supporting blower (1 is associated with said main motor (M), by a transmission enabling application of the sum of the power of said main motor (M) and said further motor (m′

) to the supporting blower (1), or, in the case of breakdown of said main motor (M), the power of the further motor (m′

) only so that the supporting blower (1) is then assisted by the attitude blowers (3), the electrical motors of which are dimensioned in order to allow the takeover of the aerodyne with the payload.

6. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein the attitude blowers (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) are faired blowers, and at least one supporting blower (1) is not faired.

7. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein the attitude blowers (3′

, 3′

a) are unfaired blowers, similarly to said at least one supporting blower (1.

8. Aerodyne according to claim 6, wherein each attitude blower (3a, 3′

) comprises two coaxial contra-rotating multiblade propellers (31a, 32a;

31, 32), each driven by one of two electrical motors (m_a, m_b) respectively, or collectively by one or more electrical motors.

9. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein the total surface area (A2) of the attitude blowers (3) is greater than 35% of the surface area (A1) of said supporting blower (1).

10. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein said motor-lift unit comprises at least two motors or engines (Ma, Mb) or motor or engine groups having substantially equivalent power, each comprising in series, before a power transmission (71a, 71b) to the supporting blower (1), a clutch (73a, 73b) and a freewheel (72a, 72b) so that, when a motor or engine (Ma, Mb) or motor or engine group has broken down, the drive of the supporting blower (1) is ensured by the other motor or engine (Mb, Ma) or motor or engine group by “

disengaging”

the broken-down motor or engine or motor or engine group.

11. Aerodyne according to claim 10, wherein the two motors or engines (Ma, Mb) or motor or engine groups are managed according to a “

master-slave”

type control.

12. Aerodyne according to claim 3, wherein each motor or engine or motor or engine group (Ma1, Mb1;

Ma2, Mb2) respectively drives one of the coaxial multiblade propellers (1a, 1b) of the supporting blower (1) in a contra-rotating manner, thus avoiding a contra-rotating transmission.

13. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein downstream of the multiblade propeller(s) (1a, 1b) of said supporting blower (1), said flaps (6), the angle of attack of which is adjustable, to adjust the airflow recovery at the output of said supporting blower (1) and to adapt the righting torque to the variations in the torque, in response to the drive torque of said propeller or propellers (1a, 1b).

14. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein the supporting blower (1) comprises only one multiblade propeller (1a), with a fixed pitch or a variable pitch, without righting means and in that flaps (6a, 6b), the angle of attack of which is adjustable and which are supported by at least one of the supporting arms (5a, 5b) of the attitude blowers (3a, 3b), balance the motor or engine torque.

15. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein the faired attitude blowers (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) are attached to their supporting arms (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) such that the centres of thrust of the attitude blowers (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) are substantially in a horizontal plane substantially below the centre of gravity of the aerodyne, so that the moment known as momentum drag, which is exerted on the fairing (30) of the attitude blowers in a side wind situation relative to the centre of gravity, is of little importance.

16. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein the payload (W) is suspended by a system (9) articulated in terms of roll and pitch at a vertical level close to the centre of gravity of the aerodyne excluding payload, so as to retain a stable vertical position of the centre of gravity under load in terms of roll and pitch.

17. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein the arms (5) bearing attitude blowers (3), when the aerodyne is on the ground.

18. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein the disc loading (T/A1) of the supporting blower (1) is comprised between 450 N/m2 and 750 N/m2.

19. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein electrical and electronic components of the aerodyne comprising at least the electrical motors (36;

m1, m2;

m_a, m_b) and power supply batteries of the attitude blowers (3), as well as controllers for controlling the motors, connectors for connecting said batteries to said motors and at least one alternator for recharging the batteries are grouped in a closed enclosure (90), arranged in a substantially central area of said supporting structure (4), and connected to each attitude blower, for driving at least one propeller therein (31a, 32a), by a rotating-shaft mechanical transmission (80).

20. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein a supporting arm (5a) of an attitude blower (3a) located in a plane defined by the axis of rotation (z) of the supporting blower (1) and by the axis (x) of longitudinal movement of the aerodyne and behind the aerodyne also bears a horizontal empennage (20), so as to ease the work of said attitude blower (3a) in a situation of longitudinal movement of the aerodyne.

21. Aerodyne according to claim 1, wherein the upstream peripheral portion (30a) of the fairing (30) of said attitude blowers (3a) bulges radially outwards on a periphery of the fairing in a rounded convex profile, reducing the drag coefficient relative to a lateral relative wind, the downstream portion (30b) of said fairing (30) having an outer face that is substantially cylindrical with a circular cross-section.

22. Aerodyne according to claim 5, wherein said further motor (m′

) is an electrical motor wherein power of the further motor and power that of the electrical motors of the attitude blowers (3) contribute additional power is insensitive to altitude during the flight of the aerodyne.

23. Aerodyne according to claim 5, wherein said supporting blower (1) driven by said further motor (m′

) and said attitude blowers (3) have power flux densities p′

1 and p2 such that 0.5×

p′

1<

p2<

1.5×

p′

1, respectively.