Sided performance coaxial vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV and pitch stability technique using oblique active tilting (OAT)

• US 8,931,729 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau
• Original Assignee: King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau
• Inventors: Alkhateeb, Basim, Abde Qader Alzu'bi, Hamzeh Mahmoud, Allateef, Imad Abd, Zweiri, Yahya, Ayed Al-Majali, Yahya Taha
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Rob
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDONYAN, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US13/285,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20130105620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 244/17.3, 244/17.23, 244/7.C, 244/17.25, 244/8, 244/6, 244/181
• US Class Current: 244/17.13
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2203/00 Flying model aircraft, flying toy aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/24 Coaxial rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/297 Tilting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors

Abstract

A system for increasing the thrust and power capabilities of a side-by-side vertical takeoff and landing vehicle to optimize the coaxial rotor performance. The system includes a first coaxial rotor spaced from an aircraft body and a second coaxial rotor spaced from the aircraft body and opposite the first coaxial rotor. The first coaxial rotor has a first top propeller aligned with a first bottom propeller along a first rotational axis. The second coaxial rotor having a second top propeller aligned with a second bottom propeller along a second rotational axis. A gyroscopic moment to maintain pitch stability is controlled by modulating the first and second top propellers, which have a different angular speed or different torque from the first and second bottom propellers, and tilting the first and second coaxial rotors towards the central axis with a common tilt angle and a common tilt rate.

Claims

1. A system for increasing the thrust and power capabilities of a side-by-side vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, the system comprising:

a first coaxial rotor spaced from a vehicle body and a second coaxial rotor spaced from the vehicle body and opposite the first coaxial rotor along a common axis,

the first and second coaxial rotors tilting towards a central axis along a length of the vehicle body with a common tilt angle and a common tilt rate while in use,

the vehicle body including at least one wing, the first coaxial rotor including a first top propeller aligned with a first bottom propeller along a first rotational axis, the second coaxial rotor including a second top propeller aligned with a second bottom propeller along a second rotational axis, wherein the first and second top propellers have a first length and the first and second bottom propellers have a second length such that the first length is greater than the second length; and

during use, a gyroscopic moment from the coaxial rotors of the vehicle is controlled by a controller to maintain pitch stability by modulating the first and second top propellers to have a different rotational speed from the first and second bottom propellers, wherein the first top propeller and the second top propeller rotate with a common rotational speed and the first bottom propeller and the second bottom propeller rotate with a common rotational speed.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second coaxial rotors include propellers having blades with a fixed pitch.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first top propeller and the second top propeller rotate with a common rotational speed and torque.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first bottom propeller and the second bottom propeller rotate with a common rotational speed and torque.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first and second top propellers are spaced from the first and second bottom propellers along each rotational axis by less than 3% of the length of the diameter of the first and second top propellers.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the gyroscopic moment maintains pitch stability as the first and second top propellers are rotated with a different rotational direction from the first and second bottom propellers.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first top and bottom propellers and the second top and bottom propellers each include a plurality of blades.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first coaxial rotor has a first torque profile and the second coaxial rotor has a second torque profile such that the combination of the first torque profile and second torque profile provide a stable pitch balance of the vehicle while in use.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the side-by-side vertical takeoff and landing vehicle is unmanned.

10. The system according to claim 2 wherein the relationship of a pitch angle of the first and second top propellers relative to the first and second bottom propellers is a function of a diameter length of the top and bottom propellers, a separation length between the top and bottom propellers, a thrust profile and a power profile of the system.

11. A side-by-side vertical takeoff and landing device comprising:

a first coaxial rotor attached to a first articulating member extending from a first arm and having a first top propeller and a first bottom propeller with fixed pitch blades that are configured to rotate along a first rotational axis, the first arm is rotatably connected to a vehicle body along a longitudinal axis, the vehicle body including at least one wing;

a second coaxial rotor attached to a second articulating member extending from a second arm and having a second top propeller and a second bottom propeller with fixed pitch blades that are configured to rotate along a second rotational axis, the second arm is rotatably connected to the vehicle body along the longitudinal axis, wherein the first and second to propellers have a first length and the first and second bottom propellers have a second length such that the first length is greater than the second length; and

a controller for modulating the rotational speed and torque of the top and bottom propellers to control a pitch stability of the device, wherein during use a gyroscopic moment from the coaxial rotors is controlled to maintain pitch stability by modulating the first and second top propellers to have a different rotational speed from the first and second bottom propellers and tilting the first and second coaxial rotors towards a central axis along a length of the vehicle body with a common tilt angle and a common tilt rate, wherein the first and second coaxial rotors are controlled to rotate the first and second top propellers with common rotational torque and the first and second bottom propellers with common rotational torque.

12. The device according to claim 11 wherein the first and second articulating members includes servo actuators controlled by the controller for laterally rotating the first and second coaxial rotors in proportion toward the vehicle body.

13. The device according to claim 11 wherein the first and second coaxial rotors are configured to operate the top propellers with different angular speed and torque than the bottom propellers while maintaining a pitch stability of the device.

14. The device according to claim 11 wherein the first and second coaxial rotors are controlled to rotate the first and second top propellers with common rotational speed and torque and the first and second bottom propellers with common rotational speed and torque.

15. The device according to claim 11 wherein the first and second top propellers are spaced from the first and second bottom propellers along each rotational axis by less than 3% of the length of the diameter of the first and second top propellers.

16. The device according to claim 11 wherein the first coaxial rotor is controlled at a first torque profile and the second coaxial rotor is controlled at a second torque profile such that the combination of the first torque profile and the second torque profile stabilizes the vehicle when operated.

17. The device according to claim 12 wherein the first and second arms are rotatably connected to the vehicle body by servo actuators controlled by the controller to longitudinally rotate the first and second arms in proportion toward a front portion of the vehicle body.

18. A method of stabilizing a side-by-side vertical take off and landing vehicle comprising:

providing a first coaxial rotor spaced from a vehicle body and a second coaxial rotor spaced from the vehicle body and opposite the first coaxial rotor along a common axis, the vehicle body extends along a longitudinal axis and includes at least one rear wing;

rotating a first top propeller at the same angular speed and torque as a second top propeller, wherein the first and second to propellers have a first length and the first and second bottom propellers have a second length such that the first length is greater than the second length;

rotating a first bottom propeller at the same angular speed and torque as a second bottom propeller; and

controlling a gyroscopic moment from the coaxial rotors of the vehicle by a controller to maintain pitch stability by modulating the first and second top propellers to have a different rotational speed from the first and second bottom propellers and tilting the first and second coaxial rotor towards a central axis along a length of the vehicle body with a common tilt angle and a common tilt rate during use to improve the pitch stability and increase thrust and power capabilities of the vehicle,

wherein the first top propeller and the second top propeller rotate with a common rotational speed and the first bottom propeller and the second bottom propeller rotate with a common rotational speed.

19. The method according to claim 18 further comprising controlling a lateral motion of the vehicle by longitudinally rotating the first and second coaxial rotors along the common axis.