Fluidic propulsive system and thrust and lift generator for aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10934011-B2
Application number	US-201816221371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2018
Priority date	Sep 2, 2015
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle includes a main body and a gas generator producing a gas stream. At least one fore conduit and tail conduit are fluidly coupled to the generator. First and second fore ejectors are fluidly coupled to the at least one fore conduit. At least one tail ejector is fluidly coupled to the at least one tail conduit. The fore ejectors respectively include an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one fore conduit flows. The at least one tail ejector includes an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one tail conduit flows. First and second primary airfoil elements have leading edges respectively located directly downstream of the first and second fore ejectors. At least one secondary airfoil element has a leading edge located directly downstream of the outlet structure of the at least one tail ejector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a main body having a fore portion, a tail portion, a starboard side and a port side;
a gas generator coupled to the main body and producing a gas stream;
at least one fore conduit fluidly coupled to the generator;
at least one tail conduit fluidly coupled to the generator;
first and second fore ejectors fluidly coupled to the at least one fore conduit, coupled to the fore portion and respectively coupled to the starboard side and port side, the fore ejectors respectively comprising an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one fore conduit flows at a predetermined adjustable velocity;
at least one tail ejector fluidly coupled to the at least one tail conduit and coupled to the tail portion, the at least one tail ejector comprising an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one tail conduit flows at a predetermined adjustable velocity;
first and second primary airfoil elements having leading edges, the primary airfoil elements respectively coupled to the starboard side and port side, the leading edges of the first and second primary airfoil elements being respectively located directly downstream of the first and second fore ejectors such that the gas from the fore ejectors flows over the leading edges of the primary airfoil elements; and
at least one secondary airfoil element having a leading edge and coupled to the main body, the leading edge of the at least one secondary airfoil element located directly downstream of the outlet structure of the at least one tail ejector such that the gas from the at least one tail ejector flows over the leading edge of the at least one secondary airfoil,
wherein the at least one tail ejector has a leading edge, and the entirety of the at least one tail ejector is rotatable about an axis oriented parallel to the leading edge.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the gas generator is disposed in the main body.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the gas stream produced by the generator is the sole means of propulsion of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first and second fore ejectors each have a leading edge, and the entirety of each of the first and second fore ejectors is rotatable about an axis oriented parallel to the leading edge.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first and second fore ejectors each have a leading edge, and the entirety of each of the first and second fore ejectors is rotatable about an axis oriented perpendicular to the leading edge.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tail ejector has a leading edge, and the entirety of the at least one tail ejector is rotatable about an axis oriented perpendicular to the leading edge.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the outlet structures is non-circular.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a cockpit portion configured to enable manned operation of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the gas generator comprises a first region in which the gas stream is at a first temperature and a second region in which the gas stream is at a second temperature, the second temperature higher than the first temperature;
the at least one fore conduit provides gas from the first region to the first and second fore ejectors; and
the at least one tail conduit provides gas from the second region to the at least one tail ejector.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising first and second canard wings coupled to the fore portion and respectively coupled to the starboard side and port side, the canard wings configured to develop boundary layers of ambient air flowing over the canard wings when the vehicle is in motion, the canard wings being respectively located directly upstream of the first and second fore ejectors such that the first and second fore ejectors are fluidly coupled to the boundary layers.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the first and second fore ejectors respectively comprise first and second inlet portions, and the first and second fore ejectors are positioned such that the boundary layers are ingested by the inlet portions.

Assignees

• Jetoptera Inc

Inventors

• Evulet Andrei

Classifications

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• B64C9/38

  Jet flaps · CPC title

• B64C15/00 Primary

  Attitude, flight direction, or altitude control by jet reaction · CPC title

• F02C6/04

  Gas-turbine plants providing heated or pressurised working fluid for other apparatus, e.g. without mechanical power output (F02C6/18 takes precedence {; for a fluidised-bed combustor F02C3/205}) · CPC title