US3536155A

US3536155A - Ground-effect vehicle or other movable body

Info

Publication number: US3536155A
Application number: US498432A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jean H Bertin
Original assignee: Bertin et Cie SA
Current assignee: Bertin Technologies SAS
Priority date: 1961-01-17
Filing date: 1965-10-20
Publication date: 1970-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 1987-10-27
Also published as: US3779333A; US3465845A; GB997518A

Abstract

From the elongated platform of an air-cushion vehicle depend a plurality of cushion containing skirts alined behind each other in two parallel rows on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, with each skirt of one row being paired with a corresponding skirt of the other row at a same longitudinal level along said rows. Two lift fans are fitted on the platform at a same longitudinal level and on both sides of the longitudinal axis. The discharge of each fan is fractionated and connected via a ramified ducting to the individual skirt contained cushions of the row on the same side as said fan.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Jean 11. Benin Neuilly-sur-Seine, Seine, France [211 App]. No. 498,432 [22] Filed Oct. 20, 1965 Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 165,634, Jan. 11, 1962, now Pat. No. 3,263,764. [45] Patented Oct. 27, 1970 [73] Assignee Societe Bertin & Cie

Parls, France a company of France [32] Priority Jan. 17, 1961,.Iune 30, 1961 [33] France [31 1 849,877 and 866,604

[54] GROUND-EFFECT VEHICLE OR OTHER MOVABLE BODY 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 180/121, l80/l I8 [51] Int. Cl 860v 1/06, B60v H16 [50] Field ofSearch .1 l80/7FS, 121, 118, 1 16 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 986,766 3/191 1 Schroeder 180/7X 3,052,483 9/1962 Petersen... ISO/7 3,124,209 3/1964 Flipse 180/7 Primary Examiner-A. Harry Levy Attorney-Stevens, Davis, Miller and Mosher CLAIM: claim 1. A ground effect vehicle comprising a horizontal support frame which is intended to travel across a surface in spaced substantially parallel relationship thereto, and comprising: downwardly projecting wall means defining at least three laterally disposed noncommunicating plenum chambers each having an open lower discharge opening adjacent to said surface and an inlet opening spaced from said discharge opening for admitting a fluid stream from a ducted fan discharge flow into said plenum chambers, a ducted fan comprising a rotary fluid impeller surrounded by a shroud, said impeller including leading and trailing edges, at least three stationary arcuately-spaced partition means originating from leading ends which extend just to the rear of said impeller trailing edges and which subdivide said fan discharge flow as it originates into at least three arcuately'spaced discrete fractions. and defining at least three separate noncommunicating discrete fluid flow paths from immediately adjacent said impeller trailing edges and into respective ones of said plenum chambers whereby said plenum chambers are respectively and discretely supplied with said fan discharge flow fractions.

Put elated Oct. 27, 1970 Shoat GROUND-EFFECT VEHICLE OR OTHER MOVABLE BODY This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 165,634 filed Jan. I l, 1962 now Pat. No. 3,263,764.

This invention relates to ground-effect vehicles or the like which are sustained at a small height above a ground, sea or other surface, by compressed fluid cushions, and is more particularly concerned with the stability of such craft.

Flight testing-has shown that such vehicles are usually unstable and that they tend to oscillate in a combined pitching and rolling motion when traveling over rough ground. It has additionally been found that even directional stability cannot be ensured in an absolutely satisfactory fashion by the use of fins, as ground irregularities will in certain cases set up instantaneous transverse components in the sustaining force or lift.

The main object of the invention is to improve the natural stability of ground-effect vehicles sustained basically on gaseous cushions, without increasing the rated gas flow required for sustentation. This object is attained according to the invention by the use of a plurality of discrete gaseous cushions confined by distinct bounding means and,- in combination with said discrete gaseous cushions, means for supplying discretely compressed atmospheric air to each of said cushions.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sustentation powerplant comprises an engine driving two blowers or fans, each of which is provided with several--for example threedischarge ducts respectively and discretely supplying a corresponding number of elemental air cushions. The blowers or fans are conveniently axial-flow compressors having a shroud divided downstream of the rotor by means of radial partitions into the required number of discharge ducts and provided with orientable stator guide vanes.

Other advantages and objects of the invention will appear in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a vehicle according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is across section of a compressor, taken along line Il-ll of FIG. 3, just to the rear of the rotor;

FIG. 3 is a plan view from the top of FIG. 2, showing a control linkage; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section of a partition, taken along line lV-IV ofEFIG. 2

Referring to FIG. I, the vehicle comprises a platform 1 from the underface of which depend six skirts which define plenum chambers 2 which, when supplied with compressed air, laterally bound as many elemental air cushions which sustain the vehicle above the ground or sea surface in a known manner.

This compressed air supply is delivered'by two

fans

23a and 23b of the axial-flow type, which are mechanically driven by a common motor 24 by means of belts such as 12. The fans are provided with shrouds 25a and 25b so that the assembly of each fan with the respective shroud constitutes a ducted fan, and with a row of pivotable stator guide vanes 26a, 26b designed for controlling the discharge pressure of the fans in a known manner, as described for instance in .lendrassik 2,305,3l l. The starboard fan 23b is shown with its shroud 25b open and its driving belt removed.

FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate constructive details common to both ducted fans and therefore the reference indices a and b supplementing the reference numerals used in FIG. 1 have been omitted in FIGS. 2 to 4, the same reference numerals being used however to designate the same members in every FIG.

Radial partitions 27, numbering three per fan, extend just to the rear of the rotor and as clearly shown on FIG. 2, subdivide the discharge side of the ducted fan into three arcuately adjacent portions extending over about 120 of the circle formed by the cross section of shroud 25. At these three portions of the discharge side of each ducted fan respectively originate three discrete feed passages 28 which lead to respective air cushions bounded by the skirts 2. It is to be understood that the arcuately adjacent portions 28 need not be shaped as sectors of a circle as in the embodiment of FIG. 2, they beingsusceptible to various configurations and'the essential feature being that they provide separate and discrete discharge openings for the fan. I

The pivotable vanes 26 are grouped into said sectors (three in the present example) which correspond to the feed passages 28 bounded by the partitions 27. The vanes 26 of each sector are interconnected through a control linkage comprising (see also FIG. 3): a crank 3 fast with the pivot 4 of each vane and actuated, through a ball-and-socket joint 5, by a transmission arm 6 under the control of a jack 7 which is pivotally mounted on the casing at 8 and whose operating rod 9 is coupled, by means of a ball-and-socket joint 10, to a slide integral with the arm 6.

Therefore in the givenexample, there will be three similar vane control linkages for each fan with three separate operating jacks.

It will be appreciated that a simultaneous actuation of the jacks 7 to tilt all the vanes 26 associated to either fan'will thus enable the discharge air flow of either fan to be varied with respect to that of the other and the platform to be thereby tilted about its roll axis, whereas a tilting of the vanes 26 of one sector only, while not appreciably affecting the flow through the other sectors, will enable the platform to be tilted about its pitch axis.

Of course, the mechanical linkage for controlling the pivotable vanes 26 as described above is just an illustrative example and other control systems could be used for this purpose, such as the'system described in .lendrassik 2,305,3 ll already mentioned. or again the means commonly used in helicopters for varying the incidence of the rotor blades.

By thus providing-the vehicle with three or more discrete plenum chambers bounded by skirts such as 2 and supplying compressed air separately to the several chambers by discrete feed passages such as 28, the flow of pressure fluid from one plenum chamberinto another is avoided. Hence any casual pressure variation in any of the plenum chambers, such for example as a loss of pressure occurring when a plenum chamber passes over a ditch, leaves the pressure obtaining in the other plenum chambers practically unaffected. The stability and load-carrying capacity of the vehicle is thereby markedly increased.

In referring to the plenum chambers bounded by skirts and feed passages 28 being discrete-Z it is meant that the chambers and feed passagesare so isolated from one another that casual pressure variation in one plenum chamber will not, to any substantial extent, be transferred or reflected through the feed system to other plenum chambers.

In accordance with the present invention, this discreteness" of the supply flow paths to the respective fluid cushions notwithstanding the use of a commonsource of pressure fluid, is achieved by partitioning said paths from their very origin, i.e., right at the source itself, by means of the partitions 27 which extend up to just to the rear of the rotor" as expressed hereinabove, this expression meaning that, aside from the unavoidable clearance between a stator and a rotor. no bridging room is'left therebetween of such an extent as to allowpressure transfers throughout the supply system, thereby obviating the very concept of discreteness which is the basis of the present invention.

I claim:

l. A ground effect vehicle comprising a horizontal support frame which is intended to travel across a surface in spaced substantially parallel relationship thereto, and comprising: downwardly projecting wall means defining at least three laterally disposed noncommunicating plenum chambers each having an open lower discharge opening adjacent to said surface and an inlet opening spaced from said discharge opening for admitting'a'fluid stream from a ducted fan discharge flow into said plenum chambers, a ducted fan comprising a rotary fluid impeller surrounded by a'shroud, said impeller including leading and trailing edges, at least three stationary arcuatelyspaced partition means originating from leading ends which extend just to the rear of said impeller trailing edges and which subdivide said fan discharge flow as it originates into at least threearcuately-spaced discrete fractions, and defining at least three separate noncommunicating discrete fluid flow paths from immediately adjacent said impeller trailingedges and into respective ones of said plenum chambers whereby said plenum chambers are respectively and discretely supplied with said fan discharge flow fractions.

2. .Vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said partition leading ends are substantially equiangularly distributed.

3. Vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further compn ralityof guide vanes positioned intermediate said partition means and having each a leading edge extending downstream of and immediatelyadjacent said impeller trailing edges.

4. Vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein said guide vanes are pivotally mounted for angular adjustment thereof.

5; Vehicle as claimed in claims, further comprising sing a pluseparate control means foradjusting the angularsetting of the pivotal vanes in each interpartition space, whereby the vanes in any such space are controllable independently of the vanes in any other such space.

6. Vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fan is of the axial-flow type, said shroud is of circular crosssection. and said partition leading ends extend radially therein to divide said circular cross section into discrete sectors.

= 7. lna ground effect vehicle having asupportframe spaced a 7 above a surface along which said vehicle is designed to travel,

, downwardly projecting wall means depending from said frame forlaterally bounding at least one group ofthreedistinct plenum chambers each having an open lower endadjacent to said surface and a closed end'remote therefrom, air inlet means formed in said closed end and opening respectively into each of said plenum chambers, the improvement comprising at least one duct carried by said support frame and of substantially circular cross section with an intake side-open to the stmosphere and a discharge side, means positioned at said discharge side for dividingthe sameyinto three separate and distinct portions at substantially l20- arcuately-spaced =rels- 1 tion with respect to each other and communicating respectively with said air inlet means of said three plenum, chambers of said group, a fan housed in said duct upstream of and immediately adjacent said discharge; dividing means. and means for rotating said fan. y

8. in a ground effect vehicle having asupport frame spaced above a surface along which said vehicle is designed to travel,

downwardly projecting wall means-depending from said frame for laterally bounding two groups; each :formed of three distinct plenum chambers each having an open lower end adjacent to said surface and a closed end remote therefrom, air

inlet means formed in said closed end and opening respectively into each of said plenum chambers, the improvement comprising two separate ducts each carried by said support frame and of substantially circular cross section with an intake side open to the atmosphere and a discharge side, means positioned at said discharge, side of each of said ducts for dividing

Claims

1. A GROUND EFFECT VEHICLE COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL SUPPORT FRAME WHICH IS INTENDED TO TRAVEL ACROSS A SURFACE IN SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP THERETO, AND COMPRISING: DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING WALL MEANS DEFINING AT LEAST THREE LATERALLY DISPOSED NONCOMMUNICATING PLENUM CHAMBERS EACH HAVING AN OPEN LOWER DISCHARGE OPENING ADJACENT TO SAID SURFACE AND AN INLET OPENING SPACED FROM SAID DISCHARGE OPENING FOR ADMITTING A FLUID STREAM FROM A DUCTED FAN DISCHARGE FLOW INTO SAID PLENUM CHAMBERS, A DUCTED FAN COMPRISING A ROTARY FLUID IMPELLER SURROUNDED BY A SHROUD, SAID IMPELLER INCLUDING LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES, AT LEAST THREE