WO2013155402A1 - Entraînement de rotor par moteur électrique pour avion à ailes à rotor ralenti - Google Patents

Entraînement de rotor par moteur électrique pour avion à ailes à rotor ralenti Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2013155402A1
WO2013155402A1 PCT/US2013/036354 US2013036354W WO2013155402A1 WO 2013155402 A1 WO2013155402 A1 WO 2013155402A1 US 2013036354 W US2013036354 W US 2013036354W WO 2013155402 A1 WO2013155402 A1 WO 2013155402A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
rotor
drive shaft
electric motor
aircraft
torque
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2013/036354
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jay W. Carter, Jr.
Jeffrey R. LEWIS
Original Assignee
Carter Aviation Technologies, Llc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US13/445,594 external-priority patent/US20130134264A1/en
Application filed by Carter Aviation Technologies, Llc filed Critical Carter Aviation Technologies, Llc
Priority to DE112013002003.3T priority Critical patent/DE112013002003T5/de
Publication of WO2013155402A1 publication Critical patent/WO2013155402A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
    • B64C27/00—Rotorcraft; Rotors peculiar thereto
    • B64C27/02—Gyroplanes
    • B64C27/021—Rotor or rotor head construction
    • B64C27/025—Rotor drives, in particular for taking off; Combination of autorotation rotors and driven rotors
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
    • B64D27/00—Arrangement or mounting of power plants in aircraft; Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants
    • B64D27/02—Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants
    • B64D27/24—Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants using steam or spring force
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
    • Y02T50/00—Aeronautics or air transport
    • Y02T50/60—Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Definitions

  • This invention relates in general to an aircraft having a rotor for providing lift for take off and landing, and wings for providing lift at cruise flight speeds, the aircraft having an electric motor for selective rotation of the rotor.
  • a type of slowed rotor aircraft is illustrated in US 5,727,754.
  • the aircraft has a rotor similar to a helicopter blade rotor.
  • the aircraft has a propeller that provides forward thrust, and wings for providing substantially all of the lift in cruise flight.
  • the rotor blades have weighted tips to create inertia.
  • the aircraft in the '754 patent will perform a jump takeoff by rotating the rotor at a speed higher than that needed for steady state flight while the collective pitch is at zero and the landing gear brakes on.
  • the propeller is also rotated prior to takeoff.
  • the collective pitch of the rotor and propeller are then increased to a takeoff level and the brakes released, which causes the aircraft to lift.
  • a clutch disengages the engine from the rotor at the moment of takeoff, but the inertia of the rotor continues spinning the rotor after liftoff.
  • the rotor As the aircraft accelerates forward and the rotor rpm decays, the rotor is tilted back relative to the airstream, causing the rotor to auto-rotate. The auto-rotation of the rotor occurs due to the airstream passing through the rotor blades. As the aircraft gains forward speed, the wings will begin providing a greater portion of the lift required to maintain the aircraft in flight. As the aircraft forward flight speed increases further, the wings will provide substantially all of the lift, at which point the rotor collective pitch will have been reduced to at or near zero. The rotor rpm will be maintained at a slow rate by tilting the rotor relative to the fuselage.
  • the rotor aircraft described herein has an engine and a propeller driven by the engine to provide forward thrust to the aircraft. Wings provide lift while in forward flight.
  • a rotor having a rotor drive shaft is mounted for selectively providing lift.
  • An electric motor selectively applies torque to the rotor drive shaft.
  • At least one rudder is positioned within a prop blast region of the propeller. The rudder is sized to counter torque applied by the electric motor to the rotor drive shaft while the aircraft is airborne.
  • the electric motor may comprise the sole source for applying torque to the rotor drive shaft.
  • a clutch may be connected between the engine and the rotor drive shaft for selectively engaging and disengaging the engine from the rotor drive shaft.
  • the clutch is located such that the electric motor is able to supply torque to the rotor drive shaft while the clutch is disengaged.
  • the electric motor may be sized to supply all of the torque to pre-rotate the rotor to a selected liftoff rotational speed prior to liftoff of the aircraft. If so, a clutch between the engine and the rotor drive shaft may not be needed. Alternately, the electric motor may be sized to pre-rotate the rotor prior to lift off to a selected fraction of a pre-rotation liftoff speed while the clutch is disengaged. When reaching the selected fraction, the clutch may be engaged to enable the engine to apply torque to the rotor drive shaft to reach the pre-rotation liftoff speed.
  • the aircraft has sensors for sensing flight conditions of the aircraft.
  • a controller controls the electric motor while the aircraft is airborne in response to input from the sensors.
  • the wings are capable of providing substantially all of the lift required during forward flight at a cruise speed.
  • the rotor is capable of being positioned to provide substantially zero lift and auto-rotate due to air flowing through the rotor at the cruise speed.
  • the controller may cause the electric motor to cease applying torque to the rotor drive shaft during autorotation at cruise speed.
  • the controller may cause the electric motor to apply torque to the rotor drive shaft during flight if the sensors indicate additional rotor speed is needed.
  • Figure 1 is a top view of a slowed rotor winged aircraft in accordance with this disclosure.
  • Figure 2 is a schematic illustrating the principal drive components for the propeller and the rotor of the aircraft of Figure 1 and employing an electric motor to apply torque to the rotor drive shaft.
  • Figure 3 is a schematic similar to Figure 2, but illustrating an alternate embodiment wherein the engine is also coupled to the rotor drive shaft to apply torque to the rotor drive shaft.
  • aircraft 11 has a fuselage 13.
  • a pair of high aspect ratio wings 15 extends outward from fuselage 13.
  • the length of each wing 15 over the chord between the leading edge and trailing edge is quite high so as to provide efficient flight at high altitudes.
  • Wings 15 preferably have ailerons 17 that extend from the tip to more than half the distance to fuselage 13.
  • Each aileron 17 has a width that is about one-third the chord length of wing 15 and is moveable from a level position to a full ninety degrees relative to the fixed portion of each wing 15.
  • Aircraft 1 1 also has a pair of vertical stabilizers 19, each of which has a moveable rudder 21.
  • Each vertical stabilizer 19 is mounted on a separate boom or tail portion 23 extending aft of fuselage 13.
  • An elevator 24 extends between vertical stabilizers 19.
  • a rotor mast 25 extends upward from fuselage 13 and supports a rotor 27, which comprises at least two blades. Preferably, rotor mast 25 may be tilted in forward and rearward directions relative to fuselage 13.
  • the blades of rotor 27 are weighted at their tips by weights for increasing stiffness at high rotational speeds and for creating inertia.
  • Each blade of rotor 27 may have a shell that encloses a longitudinal twistable carbon fiber spar (not shown). The spar is continuous through the shell and attaches to the shell at approximately 40 percent of its radius. Other rotor constructions are possible.
  • Each blade of rotor 27 is pivotal to various collective pitches about a centerline extending from rotor mast 25
  • a forward thrust device which in this example is a single propeller 29, is mounted on a rear portion of fuselage 13 and faces rearward.
  • Rudders 21 are positioned aft of propeller 29 in a region that receives a discharge or prop blast from propeller 29. Even when aircraft 11 is not moving forward, part of the airstream from propeller 29 flows past each rudder 21.
  • Propeller 29 may have a continuous carbon fiber spar (not shown) that runs from blade tip to blade tip. The carbon fiber spar is twistable inside a shell of propeller 29 to vary the collective pitch. Other devices and arrangements to provide forward thrust to aircraft 11 are possible.
  • FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a power source 31 within fuselage 13 that drives propellers 29.
  • Power source 31 may include a variety of engines, including gas turbine engines.
  • the terms "power source” and “engine” may be used interchangeably herein.
  • Power source 31 has an output drive shaft 33 that may lead directly to propeller 29, particularly if power source 31 is a gasoline powered internal combustion engine. If power source 31 is a gas turbine engine, a gear arrangement between output drive shaft 33 and propeller 29 would normally be required because of the much higher rotational speed of a gas turbine engine than propeller 29.
  • a rotor drive shaft 35 extends upward from fuselage 13 within rotor mast 25 (Fig. 1) to rotor 27.
  • An electric motor 37 is coupled to rotor drive shaft 35 for applying torque to rotor drive shaft 35.
  • Electric motor 37 may be a variety of types, and preferably is a variable speed type. Electric motor 37 may be connected directly to rotor drive shaft 35 or connected by a mechanism employed to release engagement of electric motor 37 when it is not being powered to rotate rotor 27. If necessary, electric motor 37 can be operated as a generator, retarding the rotational speed of rotor 27.
  • electric motor 37 has enough capacity to pre-rotate rotor 27 to a selected liftoff rotational speed while aircraft 1 1 is still on ground. That pre- rotational liftoff speed may be in a range from 300 to 400 rpm.
  • a battery 39 supplies power to electric motor 37. Battery 37 may be charged by engine 31 or some other method.
  • a controller 41 controls electric motor 37, such as by controlling the power provided from battery 39.
  • a number of flight condition sensors 43 are linked to controller 41. These sensors 43 may include ones that sense the following: airspeed; angle of attack of wings 15; torque applied to rotor drive shaft 35; lift provided by rotor 27; and rotational speed of rotor drive shaft 35. Other conditions may also be sensed.
  • Controller 41 includes a processor that computes a desired rotational speed or torque to be applied to rotor drive shaft 35 by electric motor 37 depending upon the flight conditions sensed.
  • electric motor 35 will apply torque to rotate rotor 37 up to a selected liftoff rotational speed while the collective pitch is at or near zero.
  • engine 31 will rotate propeller 29 while the propeller collective pitch remains near zero.
  • the pilot applies the brakes.
  • rotor 27 reaches the full liftoff speed, either the pilot or controller 41 increases the collective pitches on rotor 37 and propeller 29 and releases the brakes.
  • Aircraft 1 1 will accelerate forward and become airborne. The weighted tips of rotor 27 provide considerable momentum to continue rotating rotor 27.
  • Controller 41 could be programmed to cease powering electrical motor 37 at liftoff.
  • electrical motor 37 continues to apply torque to rotor 27 after liftoff, although the rotational speed of rotor 27 will decay.
  • the pilot or controller 41 will begin tilting rotor mast 25 aft, which causes an airstream to flow from the lower side through rotor 27.
  • Rotor 27 will begin auto-rotating in response to the airstream.
  • Wings 15 increasingly provide lift for aircraft 1 1 as the forward speed increases.
  • Controller 41 gradually reduces the collective pitch of rotor 27 and also gradually reduces the torque applied to rotor 27 by electric motor 37.
  • Controller 41 may control electric motor 37 so that it will not be supplying any torque to rotor drive shaft 35. Under these conditions, rotor 27 supplies very little of the lift for aircraft 1 1.
  • Occasions may arise during flight that require rotor 27 to rapidly increase its speed, without significantly increasing its collective pitch. For example, turbulence encountered during cruise flight may result in a loss in some of the lift provided by wings 15. Increasing the collective pitch and tilt of rotor 27 would increase the speed of rotor 27, however, these steps could result in excessive flapping of the blades of rotor 27. Instead, when sensing a need for more lift to be provided by rotor 27, controller 41 will cause electric motor 37 to begin applying torque to rotor drive shaft 35, rapidly increasing the rotational speed of rotor 27. Controller 41 may decrease and completely cut off the torque supplied by electric motor 27 once the conditions merit. A similar need for a rapid increase in the rotational speed of rotor 27 would occur in the event engine 31 fails.
  • controller 41 may cause electric motor 41 to apply torque to rotor shaft 35 during landing to augment the rotational speed caused by auto-rotation and control the rotor speed.
  • a gear box 45 is connected between the output shaft 47 of engine 31 and propeller 29.
  • a clutch 49 connects between electric motor 37 and gear box 45. When clutch 49 is engaged, engine 31 will supply torque to rotor drive shaft 35. When clutch 49 is disengaged, controller 41 may cause electric motor 37 to supply torque to rotor drive shaft 35.
  • the arrangement of Fig. 3 is particularly useful when engine 31 is a gas turbine engine. A gas turbine engine typically cannot supply torque until the rpm of the engine is at least 50% of its operating rpm.
  • electric motor 37 will be sized so that it can pre-rotate rotor 37 without assistance up to a selected fraction of its liftoff rpm.
  • electric motor 37 may have the capacity to rotate rotor 37 to up about 150-200 rpm, if the selected pre-rotation lift off speed is 300-400 rpm.
  • clutch 49 is engaged so that engine 31 will spin rotor 27 on up to the selected pre-rotational lift off speed. Electric motor 37 could remain engaged after clutch 49 engages engine 31.
  • Controller 41 may continue to cause electric motor 37 to apply torque until steady state forward flight conditions occur. Controller 41 may control the torque input of electric motor 37 to rotor shaft 35 in the same manner as in the embodiment of Fig. 2.
  • the first embodiment eliminates a need for a clutch between the engine and the propeller. If the engine is an internal combustion type, a gear box may be eliminated.
  • the electric motor pre-rotates the rotor to a selected fraction of the liftoff rotational speed, at which time the engine will be engaged to complete the pre-rotation. In both embodiments, the electrical motor can be used during flight for increasing the speed of rotation rapidly if needed.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Hybrid Electric Vehicles (AREA)
  • Connection Of Motors, Electrical Generators, Mechanical Devices, And The Like (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un avion à rotor présentant un moteur, une hélice, des ailes et un rotor. Le moteur électrique est accouplé à l'arbre d'entraînement de rotor en appliquant un couple à l'arbre d'entraînement de rotor. Le moteur électrique est dimensionné pour fournir la totalité du couple pour mettre en prérotation le rotor à une vitesse sélectionnée avant le décollage de l'avion. Les ailes peuvent assurer sensiblement la totalité de la portance requise pendant le vol à une vitesse de croisière. Le rotor peut être redressé pour assurer une portance sensiblement nulle et se mettre en autorotation à la vitesse de croisière. Des capteurs détectent les conditions de vol de l'avion et fournissent des signaux à un contrôleur qui entraîne de manière sélective le moteur électrique à cesser l'application du couple sur l'arbre d'entraînement du rotor pendant l'autorotation à vitesse de croisière. Le contrôleur amène également le moteur électrique à appliquer le couple sur l'arbre d'entraînement de rotor si les capteurs indiquent qu'une vitesse de rotor supplémentaire est requise.
PCT/US2013/036354 2012-04-12 2013-04-12 Entraînement de rotor par moteur électrique pour avion à ailes à rotor ralenti WO2013155402A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE112013002003.3T DE112013002003T5 (de) 2012-04-12 2013-04-12 Mit Elektromotor betriebener Rotorantrieb für langsame Rotorflügel-Luftfahrzeuge

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US13/445,594 US20130134264A1 (en) 2011-11-28 2012-04-12 Electric Motor Powered Rotor Drive for Slowed Rotor Winged Aircraft
US13/445,594 2012-04-12

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2013155402A1 true WO2013155402A1 (fr) 2013-10-17

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2013/036354 WO2013155402A1 (fr) 2012-04-12 2013-04-12 Entraînement de rotor par moteur électrique pour avion à ailes à rotor ralenti

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DE (1) DE112013002003T5 (fr)
WO (1) WO2013155402A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11174016B2 (en) 2018-05-03 2021-11-16 Jaunt Air Mobility, Llc Compound rotorcraft with propeller

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102014000509B4 (de) * 2014-01-16 2020-06-18 Emt Ingenieurgesellschaft Dipl.-Ing. Hartmut Euer Mbh Starrflügler-Fluggerät
DE102014000640B4 (de) * 2014-01-16 2020-06-18 Emt Ingenieurgesellschaft Dipl.-Ing. Hartmut Euer Mbh Multifunktionales Fluggerätesystem
DE102016002231B4 (de) 2016-02-25 2021-10-07 Ramin Assisi Fluggerät mit aktiv betriebenen schwenkbaren Rotoren und passiv betriebenen Hauptrotor
DE202017106992U1 (de) * 2017-11-17 2017-11-30 SCHOPPE DEVELOPMENT UG (haftungsbeschränkt) Tragschrauber
RU2730082C1 (ru) * 2019-11-01 2020-08-17 Денис Владимирович Чаннов Автожир
DE102020118710B4 (de) 2020-07-15 2023-04-13 Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. Flugschrauber mit hybridem Antrieb

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2699299A (en) * 1948-08-11 1955-01-11 Gerard P Herrick Convertible aircraft
US2712911A (en) * 1951-03-01 1955-07-12 Gerard P Herrick Convertible aircraft
US5727754A (en) * 1995-08-31 1998-03-17 Cartercopters, L.L.C. Gyroplane
US20110036954A1 (en) * 2009-08-14 2011-02-17 Piasecki Frederick W Compound Aircraft with Autorotation

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2699299A (en) * 1948-08-11 1955-01-11 Gerard P Herrick Convertible aircraft
US2712911A (en) * 1951-03-01 1955-07-12 Gerard P Herrick Convertible aircraft
US5727754A (en) * 1995-08-31 1998-03-17 Cartercopters, L.L.C. Gyroplane
US20110036954A1 (en) * 2009-08-14 2011-02-17 Piasecki Frederick W Compound Aircraft with Autorotation

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11174016B2 (en) 2018-05-03 2021-11-16 Jaunt Air Mobility, Llc Compound rotorcraft with propeller

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE112013002003T5 (de) 2014-12-31

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