Aircraft having a ducted fan in the airfoil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12043367-B2
Application number	US-202117920875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2021
Priority date	May 19, 2020
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

An aircraft includes a wing having an integrated ducted fan. The ducted fan is enclosed at least in sections by a feed lip. The feed lip has a flat curvature on the bow side and a comparatively strong curvature on the rear side.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising:
a wing;
an integrated ducted fan disposed on the wing;
adjustable inlet louvers that are positioned on the wing at an inlet end of the integrated ducted fan; and
a feed lip disposed on the wing that at least partially encloses the ducted fan and the adjustable inlet louvers,
wherein, as viewed in a direction of air flow over the wing, a leading surface of the feed lip has a smaller curvature than that of a trailing surface of the feed lip, and
wherein the feed lip comprises a flexible seal that is compressible against at least one of the adjustable inlet louvers.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the ducted fan includes adjustable outlet louvers.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises an all-electric drive.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises a rapidly chargeable battery system.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the ducted fan is substantially horizontal.

6. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises substantially vertical fans for generating a propulsion.

7. The aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein the vertical fans are ducted fans.

8. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the ducted fan includes adjustable outlet louvers, and the louvers are configured so as to avoid a pressure compensation between a negative pressure prevailing above the wing and a positive pressure prevailing below the wing through the ducted fan in a cruising phase of the aircraft.

9. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is fully autonomously controllable.

10. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the leading surface and the trailing surface of the feed lip are disposed on opposite sides of the feed lip, as viewed in the direction of air flow over the wing.

11. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the leading surface and the trailing surface of the feed lip are disposed on a top side of the wing.

12. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the leading surface of the feed lip has a larger radius of curvature than that of the trailing surface of the feed lip.

13. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the leading surface of the feed lip extends between a top side of the wing and a bottom side of the wing, and wherein the leading surface intersects the top side of the wing at a curved surface, and the leading surface intersects the bottom side of the wing at an edge.

14. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the trailing surface of the feed lip extends between a top side of the wing and a bottom side of the wing, and wherein the trailing surface intersects the top side of the wing at a curved surface, and the trailing surface intersects the bottom side of the wing at an edge.

15. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the feed lip is compressible against a leading surface of said at least one of the adjustable inlet louvers.

16. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the feed lip is compressible against a trailing surface of said at least one of the adjustable inlet louvers.

17. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein, as viewed in the direction of air flow over the wing, said at least one of the adjustable inlet louvers comprises a leading end and a trailing end, wherein the trailing end comprises a flexible seal that is compressible against a leading end of another one of the adjustable inlet louvers.

18. The aircraft according to claim 17 , wherein the trailing end of said another one of the adjustable inlet louvers also comprises a flexible seal.

19. The aircraft according to claim 17 , wherein the leading end of said at least one of the adjustable inlet louvers is rounded and the trailing end of said at least one of the adjustable inlet louvers is pointed.

20. The aircraft according to claim 17 , wherein the flexible seal of the trailing end of said at least one of the adjustable inlet louvers is bendable to an elevation beneath the leading end of said another one of the adjustable inlet louvers when said at least one of the adjustable inlet louvers is moved against said another one of the adjustable inlet louvers.

Assignees

• Porsche Ag

Inventors

• Chew Guan
• Fürstner Michael
• Bender Stefan
• Fauri Mikel
• Rotermund Malte

Classifications

• B64C2003/143

  comprising interior channels · CPC title

• B64C29/0025

  the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64C3/14

  Aerofoil profile · CPC title

• B64U50/14

  ducted or shrouded · CPC title

• B64C39/10

  All-wing aircraft · CPC title