Hybrid flight vehicle using engine gyro effect for stabilization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11634230-B2
Application number	US-201916660576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Nov 8, 2018
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

In a hybrid flight vehicle, having four rotors attached to a frame and configured to produce propelling force to propel the frame, a gas turbine engine attached to the frame and configured to rotate when fuel is supplied, a generator connected to an output shaft of the engine and configured to generate electric power when driven by the engine, a battery configured to store the electrical power generated by the generator, and four first electric motors each connected to the rotors to drive associated one of the rotors when the electric power is supplied from the battery, and an electronic control unit configured to control flight by regulating driving of the four rotors by the first electric motors. In the vehicle, the output shaft of the engine is attached parallel to at least one among yaw axis, pitch axis and roll axis of the frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hybrid flight vehicle, comprising:
a frame;
multiple rotors attached to the frame and configured to produce propelling force to propel the frame;
a gas turbine engine attached to the frame and configured to be driven when fuel is supplied;
a generator connected to an output shaft of the gas turbine engine and configured to generate electric power when driven by the gas turbine engine;
a battery configured to store the electrical power generated by the generator;
first electric motors each connected to a rotor of the multiple rotors to drive the rotor when the electric power is supplied from the battery; and
a control unit configured to control flight by regulating driving of the multiple rotors by the first electric motors;
wherein the output shaft of the gas turbine engine is attached parallel to a yaw axis, a pitch axis, or a roll axis of the frame;
wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether a posture of the frame is unstable during horizontal flight based on output from a gyrosensor, and to increase a turbine rotational speed of the gas turbine engine when the frame is unstable in the horizontal flight to stabilize the posture using engine gyro effect.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the output shaft of the gas turbine engine is attached parallel to the yaw axis of the frame.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2 , further including:
a second electric motor connected to the output shaft of the gas turbine engine to drive the gas turbine engine when the electric power is supplied from the battery;
wherein the control unit is configured to stop the gas turbine engine when a charge of the battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and the second electric motor drives the gas turbine engine.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein
the gas turbine engine continues to be driven by the fuel when the charge of the battery is less than the predetermined value.

5. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to decrease the turbine rotational speed of the gas turbine engine when the vehicle is in turning flight to decrease the engine gyro effect.

6. The vehicle according to claim 2 , further including:
an auxiliary rotor attached to the frame;
wherein the control unit is configured to regulate the turbine rotational speed of the gas turbine engine when the vehicle is in turning flight using the engine gyro effect, and to activate the auxiliary rotor.

7. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to control driving of the multiple rotors so as to cause output difference among the multiple rotors when the vehicle is in turning flight.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the output shaft of the gas turbine engine is attached parallel to the pitch axis of the frame, and further including:
an auxiliary rotor attached to the frame;
wherein the control unit is configured to regulate the turbine rotational speed of the gas turbine engine when the vehicle is in turning flight using the engine gyro effect, and to activate the auxiliary rotor.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8 , further including:
a second electric motor connected to the output shaft of the gas turbine engine to drive the gas turbine engine when the electric power is supplied from the battery;
wherein the second electric motor drives the gas turbine engine when a charge of the battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and a supply of the fuel to the gas turbine engine is stopped
wherein the control unit is configured to stop the gas turbine engine when a charge of the battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and the second electric motor drives the gas turbine engine.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the gas turbine engine continues to be driven by the fuel when the charge of the battery is less than the predetermined value.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the output shaft of the gas turbine engine is attached parallel to the roll axis of the frame, and further including:
an auxiliary rotor attached to the frame;
wherein the control unit is configured to regulate the turbine rotational speed of the gas turbine engine when the vehicle is in turning flight using the engine gyro effect, and to activate the auxiliary rotor.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , further including:
a second electric motor connected to the output shaft of the gas turbine engine to drive the gas turbine engine when the electric power supplied from the battery;
wherein the control unit is configured to stop the gas turbine engine when a charge of the battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and the second electric motor drives the gas turbine engine.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein
the gas turbine engine continues to be driven by the fuel when the charge of the battery is less than the predetermined value.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kawai Keisuke

Classifications

• B64D31/18

  for hybrid-electric power plants · CPC title

• B64D27/24

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

• B64D27/14 Primary

  within, or attached to, fuselages · CPC title

• B64C17/06 Primary

  by gyroscopic apparatus · CPC title

• B64U10/13

  Flying platforms · CPC title