Aerial vehicle propeller ducts with active airflow channels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809304-B1
Application number	US-201514975548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

This disclosure describes a configuration of an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle, in which one or more of the propellers are positioned within a duct that includes an active airflow channel within the interior of the duct. The active airflow channel actively moves within the duct so that it remains aligned with the tips of the blades of the propeller within the duct. As the propeller and the active airflow channel rotate, at least some of the airflow structures (e.g., vortices) shed from the blades of the propeller are collected by the active airflow channel and channeled away from the propeller so that a following blade of the propeller does not pass through the collected airflow structures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial vehicle, comprising:
a frame;
a lifting motor coupled to the frame;
a lifting propeller having a first diameter, the lifting propeller coupled to the lifting motor and rotatable at a first speed by the lifting motor;
a duct coupled to the frame and encompassing the lifting motor and the lifting propeller, the duct having an interior surface area of a substantially cylindrical shape, the substantially cylindrical shape of the interior surface area having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter so that the lifting propeller can rotate within the duct without contacting the interior surface area of the duct, the duct further including:
a plurality of rotating members positioned adjacent the interior surface area of the duct and aligned along a length of the duct, each of the plurality of rotating members including:
a plurality of paddles affixed to the rotating member and configured to rotate with a rotation of the rotating member such that at least one of the plurality of paddles affixed to the rotating member is substantially aligned with the interior surface area of the duct and at least one of the plurality of paddles is not aligned with the interior surface area of the duct; and

wherein the plurality of rotating members are configured to rotate at a second speed that corresponds with the first speed such that an active airflow channel formed by at least some of the paddles of each of the plurality of rotating members follows a position of a blade of the propeller.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the active airflow channel is configured to collect at least some airflow structures shed from the blade of the propeller and channel the at least some airflow structures away from the propeller such that a following blade of the propeller does not pass through the airflow structures collected by the active airflow channel.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , each of the plurality of rotating members further comprising:
a gear configured to cause the rotation of the rotating member, wherein the gear is driven by the lifting motor.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , each of the plurality of rotating members further comprising:
a gear configured to cause the rotation of the rotating member, wherein the gear is driven by a drive gear that causes the rotation of each of the plurality of rotating members to correspond to the first speed.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the active airflow channel is formed at least in part by:
rotating a first rotating member so that:
a first paddle affixed to the first rotating member is substantially aligned with the interior surface area of the duct;
a second paddle affixed to the first rotating member and adjacent the first paddle affixed to the first rotating member is out of alignment with the interior surface area and protrudes into a central portion of the duct; and
a third paddle affixed to the first rotating member and adjacent the first paddle affixed to the first rotating member is out of alignment with the interior surface area and protrudes into a central portion of the duct;

rotating a second rotating member that is adjacent the first rotating member so that:
a first paddle affixed to the second rotating member is substantially aligned with the interior surface area of the duct and adjacent the first paddle affixed to the first rotating member;
a second paddle affixed to the second rotating member and adjacent the first paddle affixed to the second rotating member is out of alignment with the interior surface area, protrudes into a central portion of the duct, and is adjacent the second paddle affixed to the first rotating member; and
a third paddle affixed to the second rotating member and adjacent the first paddle affixed to the second rotating member is out of alignment with the interior surface area, protrudes into the central portion of the duct, and is adjacent the third paddle affixed to the first rotating member.

6. An aerial vehicle, comprising:
a frame;
a motor coupled to the frame;
a propeller having a first diameter, the propeller coupled to the motor and rotatable at a first speed by the motor;
a duct coupled to the frame and encompassing the propeller, the duct having an interior surface area of a substantially cylindrical shape, the substantially cylindrical shape of the interior surface area having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter so that the propeller can rotate within the duct, the duct further including:
a plurality of actuators affixed to the interior surface area of the duct and configured to activate and protrude into a central portion of the duct or deactivate and be substantially in-line with the interior surface area of the duct;
an active airflow controller in communication with each of the plurality of actuators and configured to send instructions to each of the plurality of actuators instructing each of the plurality of actuators to activate and protrude into the central portion of the duct or deactivate and be substantially in-line with the surface area of the duct;
wherein:
during operation of the aerial vehicle, the instructions cause a first set of the plurality of actuators to activate and cause a second set of the plurality of actuators to deactivate, thereby altering a shape of the interior surface area of the duct; and
the altered shape of the interior surface area of the duct affects airflow through the duct such that a sound generated by the aerial vehicle is altered.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the first set of the plurality of actuators form a first ridge on the interior surface area of the duct that follows a position of a blade of the propeller and spirals around the interior surface area of the duct away from the propeller.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the ridge is positioned to collect an airflow structure shed from the blade of the propeller and channel the airflow structure away from the propeller.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the instructions further cause:
a third set of the plurality of actuators to activate and form a second ridge on the interior surface area of the duct, wherein the second ridge is aligned with the first ridge; and
a fourth set of the plurality of actuators that are positioned between the first ridge and second ridge to deactivate, such that an active airflow channel is the space above the fourth set of the plurality of actuators and between the first ridge and the second ridge.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein:
the first set of the plurality of actuators are randomly positioned around the interior surface area of the duct; and
the actuation of the first set of actuators disrupts the airflow through the duct.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , the duct further including:
an exterior surface area that substantially surrounds the interior surface area and has a third diameter that is greater than the second diameter, the exterior surface area and the interior surface area positioned to form a hollow space between the interior surface area and the exterior surface area; and
a plurality of communication wires positioned substantially within the hollow space and coupling the plurality of actuators to the active airflow controller.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein a first actuator of the plurality of actuators is at least one of a hinged actuator that is affixed to the interior surface area and configured to move about the hinge between a first position that protrudes into the central portion of the duct and a second position in which the actuator is substantially in-line with

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Beckman Brian C
• Kimchi Gur

Classifications

• B64U50/14 Primary

  ducted or shrouded · CPC title

• B64C11/48

  Units of two or more coaxial propellers · CPC title

• B64C39/064 Primary

  with radial airflow · CPC title

• B64C11/001

  Shrouded propellers · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title