Distributed propulsion system for vertical take off and landing closed wing aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10737786-B2
Application number	US-201715593575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2017
Priority date	May 13, 2016
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

An aircraft includes a closed wing, a fuselage at least partially disposed within a perimeter of the closed wing, and one or more spokes coupling the closed wing to the fuselage. A plurality of hydraulic or electric motors are disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or spokes in a distributed configuration. A propeller is proximate to a leading edge of the closed wing or spokes and operably connected to each hydraulic or electric motor. A source of hydraulic or electric power is disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or spokes and coupled to each hydraulic or electric motor disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or spokes. A controller is coupled to each hydraulic or electric motor, and one or more processors communicably coupled to each controller that control an operation and speed of the plurality of hydraulic or electric motors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight, comprising:
a closed wing;
a fuselage at least partially disposed within a perimeter of the closed wing;
one or more spokes coupling the closed wing to the fuselage;
a distributed propulsion system comprising:
a plurality of variable displacement hydraulic motors disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or spokes in a distributed configuration;
a propeller proximate to a leading edge of the closed wing or the one or more spokes, and operably connected to each of the variable displacement hydraulic motors to provide lift whenever the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight;
a source of hydraulic or electric power disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or spokes and coupled to a hydraulic pump, and the hydraulic pump is connected to each of the of variable displacement hydraulic motors disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or spokes, wherein the source of hydraulic or electric power provides sufficient energy density for the aircraft to attain and maintain operations of the aircraft;
a plurality of controllers, each controller coupled to the hydraulic pump, and to one of the variable displacement motors via a mechanical shaft to independently control a speed and a torque of the variable displacement hydraulic motors by changing a displacement of the variable displacement hydraulic motors; and
one or more processors communicably coupled to each controller that control an operation, the speed and the torque of the plurality of variable displacement hydraulic motors via the plurality of controllers such that a pitch, roll and yaw moment of the aircraft is controlled via differential and vectoring thrust without a rotor cyclic and collective controls.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the variable displacement hydraulic motors are selected based on aerodynamics, propulsive efficiency, structural efficiency, aeroelasticity, or weight of the aircraft.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is manned or unmanned.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the source of hydraulic or electric power is one or more batteries, an internal combustion engine, or a turboshaft engine.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of variable displacement hydraulic motors comprise 6 to 12 variable displacement hydraulic motors.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the propeller is a constant pitch, a rear folding, or a forward folding propeller.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the variable displacement hydraulic motors are self-cooling.

8. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the source of hydraulic or electric power comprises a turboshaft engine or an internal combustion engine, and the hydraulic pump comprises a variable displacement hydraulic pump connected between the turboshaft engine or the internal combustion engine and the plurality of variable displacement hydraulic motors.

9. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the source of hydraulic or electric power comprises one or more batteries, and the hydraulic pump comprises a variable displacement hydraulic motor pump or a piezo-hydraulic pump connected between the one or more batteries and the plurality of variable displacement hydraulic motors.

10. A method for distributed propulsion of aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight comprising:
determining aerodynamics, propulsive efficiency, structural efficiency, or weight of the aircraft;
selecting a number, size and type of variable displacement hydraulic motors necessary to provide distributed propulsion for powered operations of the aircraft;
selecting a power source having sufficient energy density to power the variable displacement hydraulic motors connected to propellers to operate the aircraft; and
providing a distributed propulsion system comprising:
a closed wing;
a fuselage at least partially disposed within a perimeter of the closed wing;
one or more spokes coupling the closed wing to the fuselage;
a plurality of variable displacement hydraulic motors disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or spokes in a distributed configuration;
a propeller proximate to a leading edge of the closed wing or the one or more spokes, and operably connected to each of the variable displacement hydraulic motors to provide lift whenever the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight;
a source of hydraulic or electric power disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or spokes and coupled to a hydraulic pump, and the hydraulic pump is connected to each of the of variable displacement hydraulic motors disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or spokes, wherein the source of hydraulic or electric power provides sufficient energy density for the aircraft to attain and maintain operations of the aircraft; and
a plurality of controllers, each controller coupled to the hydraulic pump, and to one of the variable displacement hydraulic motors via a mechanical shaft to independently control a speed and a torque of the variable displacement hydraulic motors by changing a displacement of the variable displacement hydraulic motors; and
one or more processors communicably coupled to each controller that control an operation, the speed and the torque of the plurality of variable displacement hydraulic motors via the plurality of controllers such that a pitch, roll and yaw moment of the aircraft is controlled via differential and vectoring thrust without a rotor cyclic and collective controls.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising calculating aerodynamics, propulsive efficiency, structural efficiency, or aeroelasticity, and selecting the number, power output, and type of variable displacement hydraulic motors used for distributed propulsion.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the source of hydraulic or electric power is one or more batteries, an internal combustion engine, or a turboshaft engine.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of variable displacement hydraulic motors comprise 6 to 12 variable displacement hydraulic motors.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the propeller is a constant pitch, a rear folding, or a forward folding propeller.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the variable displacement hydraulic motors are self-cooling.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the source of hydraulic or electric power comprises a turboshaft engine or an internal combustion engine, and the hydraulic pump comprises a variable displacement hydraulic pump connected between the turboshaft engine or the internal combustion engine and the plurality of variable displacement hydraulic motors.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the source of hydraulic or electric power comprises one or more batteries, and the hydraulic pump comprises a variable displacement hydraulic motor pump or a piezo-hydraulic pump connected between the one or more batteries and the plurality of variable displacement hydraulic motors.

18. An aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight, the aircraft comprising:
a polygonal-shaped closed wing;
a fuselage at least partially disposed within a perimeter of the polygonal-shaped closed wing;
three or more spokes coupling the polygonal-shaped closed wing to the fuselage;
a plurality of variable displacement hydraulic motors disposed within or attached to the spokes in a distributed configuration;
two or more propellers proximate t

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Fenny Carlos Alexander
• Olson Rohn Lee
• Zahasky Andrew James

Classifications

• B64D27/24

  using steam or spring force (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title

• B64C29/0025

  the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64C27/12

  Rotor drives · CPC title

• B64C27/08

  with two or more rotors · CPC title