Ducted fan and aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11530034-B2
Application number	US-202117177678-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2021
Priority date	Mar 23, 2020
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A ducted fan includes a fan and a cowl having a cylindrical shape and including an introduction port configured to introduce air from a first end portion side. The fan includes a compressor blade provided on an outer circumferential side and a thrust blade provided on an inner circumferential side of the compressor blade. The cowl includes a housing portion configured to accommodate the compressor blade in an interior thereof, an outlet configured to allow air flowing through the housing portion to be blown therethrough by the compressor blade, and an inlet configured to suck air blown out. The outlet is provided inwards in a radial direction of the cowl and near the introduction port of the cowl, and the inlet is provided inwards in the radial direction of the cowl and between the outlet and the compressor blade in an axial line direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ducted fan comprising:
a fan configured to rotate about an axial line to generate a flow of air; and
a cowl having a cylindrical shape extending in an axial line direction and surrounding the fan about the axial line, and including an introduction port configured to introduce air from a first end portion side by rotation of the fan,
the fan including
a compressor blade provided on an outer circumferential side and
a thrust blade provided on an inner circumferential side of the compressor blade,
the cowl including
a housing portion configured to accommodate the compressor blade in an interior thereof,
an outlet configured to allow air flowing through the housing portion to be blown therethrough by the compressor blade, and
an inlet configured to suck air blown out from the outlet,
the outlet being provided inwards in a radial direction of the cowl and near the introduction port of the cowl, and
the inlet being provided inwards in the radial direction of the cowl and between the outlet and the compressor blade in the axial line direction.

2. The ducted fan according to claim 1 , wherein
the compressor blade and the thrust blade are connected by a rim that is annular about the axial line and is configured to rotate along with the fan and
the rim forms a portion of a surface of the cowl inwards in the radial direction.

3. The ducted fan according to claim 1 , wherein
the cowl includes a second outlet configured to allow air flowing through the housing portion to be blown out by the compressor blade and
the second outlet is provided outwards in the radial direction of the cowl and near the introduction port of the cowl, and thus blows out air toward a second end portion side of the cowl.

4. The ducted fan according to claim 2 , wherein
the cowl includes a second outlet configured to allow air flowing through the housing portion to be blown out by the compressor blade and
the second outlet is provided outwards in the radial direction of the cowl and near the introduction port of the cowl, and thus blows out air toward a second end portion side of the cowl.

5. The ducted fan according to claim 1 , wherein
the outlet and the inlet are formed around an entire circumference of the cowl.

6. The ducted fan according to claim 2 , wherein
the outlet and the inlet are formed around an entire circumference of the cowl.

7. The ducted fan according to claim 3 , wherein
the outlet and the inlet are formed around an entire circumference of the cowl.

8. The ducted fan according to claim 4 , wherein
the outlet and the inlet are formed around an entire circumference of the cowl.

9. The ducted fan according to claim 1 , wherein
the outlet and the inlet are partially formed in a circumferential direction of the cowl.

10. The ducted fan according to claim 9 , wherein
the outlet and the inlet are provided only in a portion positioned upwind when the axial line is inclined.

11. The ducted fan according to claim 1 , wherein
the ducted fan is a rim drive type, with the fan including a rotor core provided with a magnet on an outer circumferential side of the compressor blade, and the cowl including a stator core provided with a coil in the housing portion.

12. The ducted fan according to claim 2 , wherein
the ducted fan is a rim drive type, with the fan including a rotor core provided with a magnet on an outer circumferential side of the compressor blade, and the cowl including a stator core provided with a coil in the housing portion.

13. The ducted fan according to claim 3 , wherein
the ducted fan is a rim drive type, with the fan including a rotor core provided with a magnet on an outer circumferential side of the compressor blade, and the cowl including a stator core provided with a coil in the housing portion.

14. The ducted fan according to claim 1 , wherein
a shape of the compressor blade and a shape of the thrust blade differ.

15. The ducted fan according to claim 1 , wherein
the number of the compressor blades and the number of the thrust blades differ.

16. An aircraft comprising the ducted fan described in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Morisaki Yuki
• Imai Kazuhiro
• Karikomi Kai
• Saiki Yasuhiro

Classifications

• F04D29/684

  by fluid injection · CPC title

• B64C29/00

  Aircraft capable of landing or taking-off vertically, e.g. vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft (rotorcraft B64C27/00) · CPC title

• B64C2230/04

  by actively generating fluid flow · CPC title

• F04D29/164

  of an axial flow wheel · CPC title

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title