Pylon mounted tilt rotor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247773-B2
Application number	US-202016899991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2020
Priority date	Jun 12, 2020
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A tilt rotor system, comprising: a pylon portion that includes: an upper protrusion that is configured to be in contact with an upper surface of a wing and a lower protrusion that is configured to be in contact with a lower surface of the wing; and a rotor portion that includes a rotor, wherein the rotor portion is able to move between: (1) a first position that is associated with a vertical flight mode and (2) a second position that is associated with a forward flight mode. The pylon portion further includes an air intake vent, a horizontal surface, a rotor controller, and a heat sink.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tilt rotor system, comprising:
a pylon portion that includes:
an upper protrusion that is configured to be in contact with an upper surface of a wing when the pylon portion and the wing are coupled such that the pylon portion and a rotor portion protrude aft of the wing;
a lower protrusion that is configured to be in contact with a lower surface of the wing when the pylon portion and the wing are coupled such that the pylon portion and the rotor portion protrude aft of the wing;
an intake air vent;
a horizontal surface that is in a horizontal position when the wing and the pylon portion are coupled such that the pylon portion and the rotor portion protrude aft of the wing;
a rotor controller that is coupled to the horizontal surface; and
a heat sink that is coupled to the horizontal surface and that is configured to dissipate heat from at least the rotor controller; and

the rotor portion, wherein:
the rotor portion is moveably coupled to the pylon portion such that one or more rotor blades included in the rotor portion are able to move between: (1) a first position below the wing that is associated with a vertical flight mode of a vehicle that includes the tilt rotor system and the wing and (2) a second position aft of the wing that is associated with a forward flight mode of the vehicle that includes the tilt rotor system and the wing; and
the rotor portion includes a rotor that is controlled by the rotor controller in the pylon portion, wherein:
heat sink heated air is produced by fresh air entering the intake air vent in the pylon portion and being heated by the heat sink in the pylon portion;
the heat sink heated air flows from the pylon portion to the rotor portion; and
the heat sink in the pylon portion is cooler than the rotor in the rotor portion such that the heat sink heated air is able to cool the rotor in the rotor portion when the heat sink heated air flows by the rotor in the rotor portion because the heat sink heated air is cooler than the rotor in the rotor portion.

2. The tilt rotor system of claim 1 , wherein the tilt rotor system is configured to position a blade associated with the rotor within a range of 500-650 mm from the wing when the rotor portion is in the second position that is associated with the forward flight mode.

3. The tilt rotor system of claim 1 , wherein the tilt rotor system is configured to position a blade associated with the rotor within a desired range from the wing when the rotor portion is in the second position that is associated with the forward flight mode, wherein the desired range is based at least in part on (1) an optimal center of thrust location when the rotor portion is in the second position that is associated with the forward flight mode and (2) an optimal aerodynamic center location when the rotor portion is in the first position that is associated with the vertical flight mode.

4. The tilt rotor system of claim 1 , wherein:
the intake air vent is disposed on a bottom surface of the pylon portion; and
the heat sink is attached vertically inside the pylon portion.

5. The tilt rotor system of claim 1 , wherein:
the intake air vent is disposed on a top surface of the pylon portion; and
the heat sink is attached horizontally inside the pylon portion.

6. The tilt rotor system of claim 1 , wherein the wing is at least partially made of a composite material.

7. The tilt rotor system of claim 1 , wherein the pylon portion further includes a vertical contacting surface that is configured to be in contact with a vertical surface of an exposed spar included in the wing when the tilt rotor system and the wing are coupled.

8. A method, comprising:
providing a pylon portion associated with a tilt rotor system, wherein the pylon portion includes:
an upper protrusion that is configured to be in contact with an upper surface of a wing when the pylon portion and the wing are coupled such that the pylon portion and a rotor portion protrude aft of the wing;
a lower protrusion that is configured to be in contact with a lower surface of the wing when the pylon portion and the wing are coupled such that the pylon portion and the rotor portion protrude aft of the wing;
an intake air vent;
a horizontal surface that is in a horizontal position when the wing and the pylon portion are coupled such that the pylon portion and the rotor portion protrude aft of the wing;
a rotor controller that is coupled to the horizontal surface; and
a heat sink that is coupled to the horizontal surface and that is configured to dissipate heat from at least the rotor controller; and

providing the rotor portion, wherein:
the rotor portion is moveably coupled to the pylon portion such that one or more rotor blades included in the rotor portion are able to move between: (1) a first position below the wing that is associated with a vertical flight mode of a vehicle that includes the tilt rotor system and the wing and (2) a second position aft of the wing that is associated with a forward flight mode of the vehicle that includes the tilt rotor system and the wing; and
the rotor portion includes a rotor that is controlled by the rotor controller in the pylon portion, wherein:
heat sink heated air is produced by fresh air entering the intake air vent in the pylon portion and being heated by the heat sink in the pylon portion;
the heat sink heated air flows from the pylon portion to the rotor portion; and
the heat sink in the pylon portion is cooler than the rotor in the rotor portion such that the heat sink heated air is able to cool the rotor in the rotor portion when the heat sink heated air flows by the rotor in the rotor portion because the heat sink heated air is cooler than the rotor in the rotor portion.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the tilt rotor system is configured to position a blade associated with the rotor within a range of 500-650 mm that is measured from the wing when the rotor portion is in the second position that is associated with the forward flight mode.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the tilt rotor system is configured to position a blade associated with the rotor within a desired range that is measured from the wing when the rotor portion is in the second position that is associated with the forward flight mode, wherein the desired range is based at least in part on (1) an optimal center of thrust location when the rotor portion is in the second position that is associated with the forward flight mode and (2) an optimal aerodynamic center location when the rotor portion is in the first position that is associated with the vertical flight mode.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the intake air vent is disposed on a bottom surface of the pylon portion; and
the heat sink is attached vertically inside the pylon portion.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the intake air vent is disposed on a top surface of the pylon portion; and
the heat sink is attached horizontally inside the pylon portion.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wing is at least partially made of a composite material.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the pylon portion further includes a vertical contacting surface that is configured to be in contact with a vertical surface of an exposed spar included in the wing when the tilt rotor system and the wing are coupled.

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Mclaren Campbell
• Sinha Pranay

Classifications

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/31

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

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

• B64D29/02

  associated with wings · CPC title

• B64C29/0033 Primary

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title