Boom control effectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11292593-B2
Application number	US-201816179939-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2018
Priority date	Nov 3, 2017
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

The disclosure generally relates to aircraft vehicles, specifically vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft that include propellers. A propeller is coupled to a boom and the boom includes a boom control effector. The boom control effector is configured to direct the airflow behind or below the propeller. The boom control effector can be configured to control the yaw movement of the aircraft and mitigate noise from the propeller. A boom control effector can be a single effector or a split effector. The split effector may operate in conjunction with a boom that operates as a resonator to reduce noise produced by the propeller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising:
a rotor mast having an internal cavity that functions as an entrance for a segment of airflow generated by a propeller to flow into the rotor mast, the rotor mast is a resonator that is tuned to a frequency of the propeller to reduce noise produced by the propeller by using the segment of airflow generated by the propeller;
the propeller coupled to an upper portion of the rotor mast, the propeller rotating about an axis of rotation generating the airflow; and
a boom control effector coupled to a lower portion of the rotor mast at a location at least partially within the airflow generated by the propeller and extending along a longitudinal surface of the rotor mast, the boom control effector rotating about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation to redirect at least a portion of the airflow in a desired direction, the boom control effector has a mode of operation that continuously rotates the boom control effector at a frequency that is tuned with the frequency of the resonator to further reduce noise resulting from the propeller.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the rotor mast is a boom or a nacelle of an aircraft.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the boom control effector comprises a length along the rotor mast similar to a diameter of the propeller.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the propeller recesses into the internal cavity in a first mode and is deployed to allow the internal cavity to function as the entrance for the segment of airflow generated by the propeller to flow into the rotor mast in a second mode.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the rotor mast has a surface profile that matches a blade profile of the propeller.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the boom control effector rotates −45 to 45 degrees in relation to the axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the length of the internal cavity is similar to a length of the boom control effector.

8. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the boom control effector has a rounded end region coupled to the rotor mast and a pointed free end region.

9. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the boom control effector redirects the airflow in a direction to control the yaw moment of the aircraft during a mode of operation.

10. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the boom control effector comprises a split configuration that includes a first component and a second component, wherein the first component rotates about a first axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation and the second component rotates about a second axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation during a mode of operation, the rotation of the first component and the rotation of the second component are different.

11. An aircraft comprising:
an aircraft boom having an internal cavity that functions as an entrance for a segment of airflow generated by a propeller to flow into the aircraft boom, the aircraft boom is a resonator that is tuned to a frequency of the propeller to reduce noise produced by the propeller by using the segment of airflow generated by the propeller;
the propeller coupled to an upper portion of the aircraft boom, the propeller rotating about an axis of rotation generating the airflow; and
a boom control effector coupled to a lower portion of the aircraft boom at a location at least partially within the airflow generated by the propeller and extending along a longitudinal surface of the aircraft boom, the boom control effector rotating about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation to redirect at least a portion of the airflow in a desired direction, the boom control effector has a mode of operation that continuously rotates the boom control effector at a frequency that is tuned with the frequency of the resonator to further reduce noise resulting from the propeller.

12. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the aircraft boom is located on the tail of the aircraft.

13. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the aircraft boom is located on a wing of the aircraft and the control effector comprises a length along the aircraft boom similar to a diameter of the propeller.

14. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the propeller recesses into the internal cavity when the propeller is not in use in a first mode and is deployed to allow the internal cavity to function as the entrance for the segment of airflow generated by the propeller to flow into the aircraft boom in a second mode.

15. The aircraft of claim 11 , further comprising a second boom control effector coupled to the rotor mast.

16. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the rotor mast has a surface profile that matches a blade profile of the propeller.

17. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein a free end of the boom control effector is pointed.

18. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the boom control effector redirects the airflow in a direction to control the yaw moment of the aircraft during a mode of operation.

19. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the aircraft boom retains a motor and the boom control effector is coupled to the motor.

20. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the boom control effector comprises a split configuration that includes a first component and a second component, wherein the first component rotates about a first axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation and the second component rotates about a second axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the rotation of the first component and the rotation of the second component are different.

Assignees

• Joby Aero Inc

Inventors

• Moore Mark
• Badalamenti John Conway
• Villa Ian
• Warmoth Adam
• Josephson David

Classifications

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64C11/001

  Shrouded propellers · CPC title

• B64C11/20

  Constructional features · CPC title

• B64C29/0033 Primary

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64C11/48 Primary

  Units of two or more coaxial propellers · CPC title