Drag recovery scheme for nacelles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11926410-B2
Application number	US-201916726542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2019
Priority date	Dec 31, 2018
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for a drag recovery scheme. In various examples, a recovery engine is placed within a vortex flow of air caused by the impingement of air upon a nacelle of a main engine. The propeller of the recovery engine can use the vortex flow of air to provide additional thrust the aircraft, thus reducing the load on the main engines or providing an increased velocity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a fuselage comprising a plurality of fixed wings, a nose, and a rear;
a blended wing body comprising a continuous curvilinear geometry between each wing of the plurality of fixed wings and the nose of the aircraft;
at least one main engine housed within a nacelle, wherein the nacelle is disposed on a top portion of the fuselage, the at least one main engine configured to provide a first thrust component to the aircraft in a first airstream having a first velocity, wherein the at least one main engine comprises a forward end and an aft end;
an impingement area located at the front end of the nacelle, wherein the impingement area is configured to generate a second airstream vortex as a function of the first airstream interacting with the impingement area;
at least one recovery engine to provide a second thrust component to the aircraft in the second airstream vortex having a second velocity less than the first velocity, wherein the at least one recovery engine is fully disposed below the surface of the fuselage, wherein the at least one recovery engine has a forward end and an aft end, wherein the forward end of the at least one recovery engine is located between the aft end of the at least one main engine and the rear of the fuselage.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the recovery engine comprises a propeller-based engine.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the recovery engine comprises an electric propeller engine, a gasoline propeller engine, a turbine propeller engine, or a turbine engine.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the nacelle is partially hidden within the fuselage.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second main engine housed within a second nacelle, the second main engine configured to provide a third thrust component to the aircraft in a third airstream having a third velocity; and
a second recovery engine to provide a fourth thrust component to the aircraft in a fourth airstream having a fourth velocity, wherein the fourth airstream comprises a portion of air in the third airstream, wherein the fourth velocity is less than the first velocity or the third velocity.

6. The aircraft of claim 5 , wherein a portion of the second nacelle proximal to the second main engine is configured to divert a portion of air in the third airstream around the second nacelle and into a combined airstream.

7. A method of operating an aircraft, the method comprising:
providing a first thrust component to the aircraft by operating a first main engine in a first airstream, the first main engine housed within a first nacelle disposed on a top portion of a fuselage of the aircraft, wherein the first main engine has a forward end and an aft end, wherein the aircraft comprises:
a fuselage comprising a plurality of fixed wings, a nose, and a rear; and
a blended wing body comprising a continuous curvilinear geometry between each wing of the plurality of fixed wings and the nose of the aircraft;

diverting a portion of the first airstream into a second airstream vortex using an impingement area, wherein the impingement area is located at the front end of the nacelle; and
providing a second thrust component to the aircraft by operating a first recovery engine in the second airstream vortex having a second velocity less than the first velocity, wherein the first recovery engine has a forward end and an aft end, and the forward end of the first recovery engine is located between the aft end of the first main engine and the rear of the fuselage, wherein the first recovery engine is fully disposed below the surface of the fuselage.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
providing a third thrust component to the aircraft by operating a second main engine housed within a second nacelle, the second main engine configured to provide the third thrust component to the aircraft in a third airstream having a third velocity; and
providing a fourth thrust component to the aircraft by operating a second recovery engine to provide the fourth thrust component to the aircraft in a fourth airstream having a fourth velocity, wherein the fourth airstream comprises a portion of air in the third airstream, wherein the fourth velocity is less than the first velocity or the third velocity.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first recovery engine comprises a propeller-based engine.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first recovery engine comprises an electric propeller engine, a gasoline propeller engine, a turbine propeller engine, or a turbine engine.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first nacelle is partially hidden within the fuselage.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises diverting, by a portion of the second nacelle proximal to the second main engine, a portion of air in the third airstream around the second nacelle and into a combined airstream.

Assignees

• Blended Wing Aircraft Inc
• Jetzero Inc

Inventors

• Page Mark A
• Winkler John
• Kennelly Brendan

Classifications

• B64D27/351

  using energy recovery · CPC title

• B64D27/33

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64C21/06 Primary

  for sucking (BLI propulsion B64C21/01) · CPC title

• B64C1/16

  specially adapted for mounting power plant · CPC title

• B64D27/14

  within, or attached to, fuselages · CPC title