Aircraft tail with cross-flow fan systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10479495-B2
Application number	US-201715483652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2017
Priority date	Aug 10, 2016
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

In one aspect, there is provided an aircraft, including a fuselage having a longitudinal axis extending from a front portion through an aft portion; first and second tail members extending from the aft portion; a first cross-flow fan system rotatably mounted to the first tail member; and a second cross-flow fan system rotatably mounted to the second tail member. The first and second cross-flow fan systems are configured to provide a forward thrust vector and an anti-torque vector on the aircraft. The first and second cross-flow fan systems can have a rotational axis oriented generally vertically. In another aspect, there is an aircraft including a fuselage having a front portion and a tail portion; and a cross-flow fan system supported by the tail portion. Embodiments include a cross-flow fan system retrofittable onto an aircraft and methods for retrofitting an aircraft with a cross-flow fan system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a fuselage having a longitudinal axis extending from a front portion through an aft portion;
a tailboom extending from the aft portion of the fuselage;
first and second horizontal tail members extending from the tailboom;
a first cross-flow fan system rotatably mounted and oriented generally vertically on the first horizontal tail member, the first cross-flow fan system rotates about a first rotation axis, the first cross-flow fan system includes a first rotatable shroud rotatable about the first rotation axis; and
a second cross-flow fan system rotatably mounted and oriented generally vertically on the second horizontal tail member, the second cross-flow fan system rotates about a second rotation axis, the second cross-flow fan system includes a second rotatable shroud rotatable about the second rotation axis;
wherein the first and the second rotation axes are generally parallel.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second cross-flow fan systems are configured to provide a forward thrust vector on the aircraft.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second cross-flow fan systems are configured to provide yaw control for the aircraft.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second cross-flow fan systems are configured to provide an anti-torque vector on the aircraft.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second rotational axes are disposed on a distal end of the respective first and second horizontal tail member.

6. The aircraft according to claim 5 , wherein the rotational axis is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage.

7. The aircraft according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second rotatable shrouds are selectively and independently rotated.

8. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second cross-flow fan systems each comprise a variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly associated the respective rotatable shroud.

9. The aircraft according to claim 8 , wherein the variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly comprises at least one variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly unit.

10. The aircraft according to claim 9 , wherein the variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly unit having a longitudinal axis and including a first and second driver plates having a plurality of blades rotatably mounted therebetween, the plurality of blades disposed radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis such that the plurality of blades have a generally circular path of travel when the cross-flow fan assembly rotates about the longitudinal axis, the plurality of blades moveable between a plurality of pitch angle configurations, and a control assembly coupled to the plurality of blades, the control assembly operable to change the pitch angle configuration of the plurality of blades to generate a variable thrust.

11. The aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein the control assembly further comprises a control cam that is operable to rotate relative to the first and second driver plates.

12. The aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein the control assembly further comprises a control cam that is substantially non-rotatable relative to the first and second driver plates.

13. The aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage.

14. The aircraft according to claim 8 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly intersects a plane transverse of the fuselage longitudinal axis.

15. The aircraft according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second rotatable shrouds each comprise an outer housing and an inner housing, each of the outer housing and the inner housing having an exterior aerodynamic surface, each of the outer housing and inner housing are arranged concentric to the respective first rotational axis and second rotational axis.

16. An aircraft, comprising:
a fuselage having a longitudinal axis extending from a front portion through an aft portion;
first and second horizontal tail members extending from the aft portion;
a first cross-flow fan system rotatably mounted and oriented generally vertically on the first horizontal tail member; and
a second cross-flow fan system rotatably mounted and oriented generally vertically on the second horizontal tail member;
wherein the first and second cross-flow fan systems each comprise a variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly associated with a shroud, the variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly comprises at least one variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly unit;
wherein the variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly unit having a longitudinal axis and including a first and second driver plates having a plurality of blades rotatably mounted therebetween, the plurality of blades disposed radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis such that the plurality of blades have a generally circular path of travel when the cross-flow fan assembly rotates about the longitudinal axis, the plurality of blades moveable between a plurality of pitch angle configurations, and a control assembly coupled to the plurality of blades, the control assembly operable to change the pitch angle configuration of the plurality of blades to generate a variable thrust, the control assembly further comprises a control cam that is operable to rotate relative to the first and second driver plates.

17. The aircraft according to claim 16 , wherein the first and second cross-flow fan systems are configured to provide a forward thrust vector on the aircraft.

18. The aircraft according to claim 16 , wherein the first and second cross-flow fan systems are configured to provide yaw control for the aircraft.

19. The aircraft according to claim 16 , wherein the first and second cross-flow fan systems are configured to provide an anti-torque vector on the aircraft.

20. The aircraft according to claim 16 , wherein the first and second cross-flow fan systems are each configured to rotate about a rotational axis that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage.

21. The aircraft according to claim 16 , wherein the first and second cross-flow fan systems each comprise the variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly associated with a first and second rotatable shroud, respectively.

22. The aircraft according to claim 21 , wherein the first and second rotatable shrouds are selectively and independently rotated.

23. The aircraft according to claim 21 , wherein the first and second rotatable shrouds each comprise an outer housing and an inner housing, each of the outer housing and the inner housing having an exterior aerodynamic surface, each of the outer housing and inner housing are arranged concentric to the respective first rotational axis and second rotational axis.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Groninga Kirk L
• Robertson Daniel B
• Louis Matthew E

Classifications

• B64C2027/8218

  wherein the rotor or the jet axis is inclined with respect to the longitudinal horizontal or vertical plane of the helicopter · CPC title

• B64C23/02

  by means of rotating members of cylindrical or similar form · CPC title

• B64C2027/8254

  Shrouded tail rotors, e.g. "Fenestron" fans · CPC title

• F04D27/002

  by varying geometry within the pumps, e.g. by adjusting vanes · CPC title

• B64C2027/8227

  comprising more than one rotor · CPC title