Aerodynamically Actuated Thrust Vectoring Devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016288903-A1
Application number	US-201615077268-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2016
Priority date	Mar 24, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle includes a wing and a control surface pivotably coupled to the wing and configured to pivot about a range of motion. A propulsor is coupled to the control surface and configured to rotate between a first position associated with a hover flight mode and a second position associated with a forward flight mode. The propulsor is aerodynamically actuated between the first position and the second position due to aerodynamics about the wing. The propulsor may rotate from an initial flight mode, such as a takeoff mode, to a second flight mode, such as a forward flight mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a wing; a control surface pivotably coupled to the wing and configured to pivot about a range of motion; and a propulsor coupled to the control surface and configured to rotate between a first position associated with a hover flight mode and a second position associated with a forward flight mode, wherein the propulsor is aerodynamically actuated between the first position and the second position due to aerodynamics about the wing.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a connecting member connecting the propulsor to the control surface such that movement of the control surface about the range of motion produces rotation of the propulsor.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the connecting member is coupled to the control surface at a first end and coupled to the propulsor at a second end, and wherein the connecting member is coupled to the wing at a pivot point at a location of the connecting member between the first end and the second end.

4 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the pivot point is located aft of a center of gravity of the wing and forward of an aerodynamic center of the wing.

5 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the pivot point is positioned at a chord length location of the wing based on a weight of the propulsor and a weight the control surface and a length of the connecting member.

6 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein a portion of the connecting member forward of the pivot point is configured to lie flush with an upper surface of the wing and wherein the wing comprises a notch sized to fit a portion of the connecting member aft of the pivot point.

7 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the control surface is a trailing edge flap.

8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a damper system configured to provide passive restorative or stabilizing moments to the propulsor.

9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the propulsor is a rear-facing propeller unit and wherein the propulsor is directly coupled to the control surface.

10 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a lock configured to mechanically hold the propulsor in a position.

11 . A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body; a tilting body configured to move through a range of motion relative to the vehicle body; and a series of propulsors coupled to the vehicle body and configured to rotate between a first position associated with a hover flight mode and a second position associated with a forward flight mode, wherein the series of propulsors are configured to aerodynamically actuate through the range of motion along with the tilting body due to aerodynamics about the tilting body to change between the first position and the second position.

12 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the tilting body comprises a left tilting wing and a right tilting wing.

13 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein each of the left tilting wing and the right tilting wing are configured to tilt independent of the other.

14 . The vehicle of claim 11 , further comprising:
a tail including a tail control surface configured to tilt through a range of motion relative to the tail and a series of tail propulsors coupled to the tail and configured to rotate between a first position associated with a hover flight mode and a second position associated with a forward flight mode, wherein the series of tail propulsors are configured to aerodynamically actuate through the range of motion along with the tail due to aerodynamics about the tail to change between the first position and the second position.

15 . The vehicle of claim 11 , further comprising a damper at a pivot location of the tilting body and configured to stabilize the movement through the range of motion.

16 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the tilting body comprises a wing and rear canard coupled to a trailing edge side of the wing.

17 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the series of propulsors are configured to be positioned in the first position prior to takeoff due to weights of the tilting body and the series of propulsors.

18 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the series of propulsors are configured to be positioned in the second position during forward flight due to lifting forces acting on the tilting body.

19 . A thrust vectoring device comprising:
a control surface configured to pivot about a range of motion; and a propulsor coupled to the control surface and configured to rotate between a first position associated with a hover flight mode and a second position associated with a forward flight mode, wherein the propulsor is aerodynamically actuated between the first position and the second position due to aerodynamics conditions about the control surface.

20 . The thrust vectoring device of claim 19 , further comprising a damper coupled to the control surface.

Assignees

• Nasa

Inventors

• Rothhaar Paul M
• Fredericks William J
• North David D

Classifications

• B64C29/0033 Primary

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64C15/12

  the power plant being tiltable · CPC title

• B64C9/04

  with compound dependent movements · CPC title

• Y02T50/30

  Wing lift efficiency · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title