WO2016201556A1

WO2016201556A1 - Centrifugal propeller

Info

Publication number: WO2016201556A1
Application number: PCT/CA2016/050676
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jeff PLUIM
Original assignee: Pluim Jeff
Priority date: 2015-06-16
Filing date: 2016-06-13
Publication date: 2016-12-22
Also published as: CA3026787A1

Abstract

This invention relates to propulsion systems. The Centrifugal Propeller is a dosed propulsion system with no external moving parts, other than a drive shaft, and has no external vents. The Centrifugal Propeller creates thrust by redirecting the reaction from centrifugal force so as to create directed thrust. The Centrifugal Propeller has significant advantages over other propulsion systems because it can be closed to the environment that it operates in. That means that it can operate in water, in air, or in outer space. It does not produce energy such as an electric motor but rather, converts that energy from a drive source such as an electric motor, into directed thrust. The invention's operation is not limited to closed environments. The Centrifugal Propeller will create thrust in any environment that its drive source will operate in. An electric motor can be completely closed to the environment it operates in and so would be the best source of power for the Centrifugal Propeller. Potential drive sources for the invention are: electric motors, internal combustion motors, turbines, and rockets. The Centrifugal Propeller will operate in outer space. An ideal match would be to use an electric motor running off of a nuclear generator, to turn the Centrifugal Propeller. In space the Centrifugal Propeller will continually accelerate and so space craft will have constant gravity while accelerating or decelerating. The Centrifugal Propeller will be used to propel and/or lift objects. It can be used to replace any current propulsion systems including but not limited to: cranes, jet engines, rocket engines, marine propellers and aircraft propellers.

Description

CENTRIFUGAL PROPELLER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to propellers and in particular to a centrifugal propeller, DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

The closest prior art would be jet engines and rocket engines because they generate their thrust inside their units, but they have external vents that are necessary for their action-reaction motion. Most of them necessarily use combustion of fuel to create their action-reaction process. There are also rocket packs that use chemical expansion but they have very limited operational time and there are risks associated with proximity to their vents.

Cranes operate by pushing off of something and are therefore limited in their fields of operation ·

Other propellers such as aircraft propellers or marine propellers do hot operate in closed units,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The centrifugal propeller can create thrust in a closed unit.

The Centrifugal Propeller is a propulsion system that generates directed thrust in a closed unit by using the forces of centrifugal force and centripetal force.

Unlike aircraft propellers or marine propellers, the Centrifugal Propeller does not push off of something like air or water. The invention's propulsion is created in a completely closed unit. It redirects its own "reaction" so that the "action" that is generated by the Centrifugal Propeller is not cancelled by the "reaction". The reaction to the centrifugal force that is generated in the invention is redirected and split apart. The split "reaction" is redirected in opposition to itself so that it mostly cancels the "reaction" thus allowing the "action" to dominate the forces in the invention, thus creating thrust in one direction for the entire unit.

The Centrifugal Propeller uses centrifugal force to generate thrust and then converts some of that centrifugal force into centripetal force. The invention then redirects the centripetal force so that it becomes a counter to centripetal force on the opposite side of the invention, thus cancelling out the reaction from both the centrifugal and centripetal forces.

The Centrifugal Propeller does not need external vents and does not create combustion in order to operate.

The Centrifugal Propeller can operate in air, in and on water, and in outer space.

This invention relates to propulsion systems. The Centrifugal Propeller is a closed propulsion system with no external moving parts, other than a drive shaft, and has no external vents. The Centrifugal Propeller creates thrust by redirecting the reaction from centrifugal force so as to create directed thrust.

The Centrifugal Propeller has significant advantages over other propulsion systems because it can be closed to the environment that it operates in. That means that it can operate in water, in air, or in outer space. It does not produce energy such as an electric motor but rather, converts that energy from a drive source such as an electric motor, into directed thrust.

The invention's operation is not limited to closed environments. The Centrifugal Propeller will create thrust in any environment that its drive source will operate in. An electric motor can be completely closed to the environment it operates in and so would be the best source of power for the Centrifugal Propeller.

Potential drive sources for the invention are: electric motors, internal combustion motors, turbines, and rockets. The Centrifugal Propeller will operate in outer space. An ideal match would be to use an electric motor running off of a nuclear generator, to turn the

Centrifugal Propeller. In space the Centrifugal Propeller will continually accelerate and so space craft will have constant gravity while accelerating or decelerating.

The Centrifugal Propeller will be used to propel and/or lift objects. It can be used to replace any current propulsion systems including but not limited to: cranes, jet engines, rocket engines, marine propellers and aircraft propellers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1. is a description of an outside, angled, top/side plan view of the present invention.

Figure 2. is a description of a top view of the present invention with upper housing removed, thruster shaft removed, thruster bearing removed, and upper bearing removed.

Figure 3. is a description of a top plan view with the upper housing removed, thruster shaft removed, thruster bearing removed, upper bearing removed, hub with hinge pins removed, and spokes removed.

Figure 4. is a description of a side plan view with the front facing portion of the side housing removed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The Centrifugal Propeller is a propulsion system and a lifting system. Specifically, it converts centrifugal force into directed thrust in a closed unit with no external moving parts other than the drive shaft, and the invention has no external vents.

The Centrifugal Propeller has significant advantages over other propulsion systems and lifting systems. For instance, jet engines are noisy and have limited fields in which they can operate. Jet engines cannot operate in outer space or under water. The exhaust of jet engines and rockets is dangerous to be near. The Centrifugal Propeller is comparatively quieter than jets or rockets and a person can be as close as they want to be to it without serious risk of getting burned. The invention can operate in air, in space, and under water.

Marine and aircraft propellers are dangerous to get too close to. You cannot enter their operational space without risk of damaging them and injuring yourself. Aircraft propellers cause loud noise. The Centrifugal Propeller poses no immediate risk to those in close proximity to it and it is quieter than an aircraft propeller and when the invention is used in submarines it will make no cavitation signature that is associated with submarine propellers. This will make submarines more difficult to detect through cavitation. Cranes can only lift in areas where they are safe to operate. Construction cranes are dangerous to assemble and to operate. They are limited in their ability to operate in certain environments. On job sites the Centrifugal Propeller will not be restricted by ground conditions such as wet or uneven ground and it is capable of performing all functions of standard construction cranes. The invention can even be affixed with current remote operation technology allowing remote operation in extremely dangerous conditions.

If you cannot move a crane into a certain area, like into an existing building, then your options are limited as to how you move a heavy object. The

Centrifugal Propeller will allow the operator to strap the invention onto something heavy, like a household appliance, and turn on the invention to lift the appliance. You will then be able to move the appliance horizontally or even up or down stairs almost as easily as pushing a balloon. The invention will operate regardless of the weather conditions and so can be used in rescue situations. It can be used like a helicopter but with much greater safety and in more confined places than a helicopter can operate.

With reference to the drawings

The Centrifugal Propeller is in the shape of a cylinder with the drive source on the bottom of the Centrifugal Propeller. The invention is closed on the top, sides and the bottom except where the drive shaft 4 exits the invention. The only external moving part is the drive shaft 4 that is attached to the drive source 5, typically an electric motor that is attached under the bottom of the base housing 2.

The Centrifugal Propeller must have at least two opposing spokes 9 radiating out from the hub 15. The spokes' 9 outer ends are bent downward at an angle to the main arm of the spokes 9 to create the downward bends 10. The downward bends 10 also have castor bearings 11 attached to them on the undersides of the downward bends 10 of the spokes 9. These castor bearings 11 can roll in any direction. The spokes 9 are positioned at an angle to the base housing 2, rising upward and outward from the hub 15 toward the side housing 3 and toward the upper housing 1. The spokes 9 must be able to pivot on a hinge 8, from the imaginary plane that the hub 15 is on but must have a limit to the distance that they can pivot upward so that when the hub 15 is in its uppermost position, the spokes 9 and downward bend 10 cannot contact either the upper housing 1 or the side housing 3.

Opposing spokes 9 must be balanced in overall weight. There can be more than two spokes 9 provided the opposing spokes 9 and their attachments are balanced against each other. The spokes 9 are each attached by a hinge 8 to the hub 15. The hub 15 and spokes 9 with their attachments, are balanced for revolution. The hub 15 has a hole in its center and through the hole runs the drive shaft 4. Both the hub 15 and the drive shaft 4 are keyed so that as the drive shaft 4 turns, so turns the hub 15. The hub 15 can slide up and down the drive shaft 4 between the base housing 2 and the thruster shaft 6. Both the drive shaft 4 and the hub 15 are positioned equidistant from the side housing 3. The drive shaft 4 runs through the center of the invention between the upper housing 1 and the base housing 2.

The thruster shaft 6 is attached to the underside of the upper housing 1 in the center of the upper housing 1. The thruster shaft 6 is cylindrical in shape and is equidistant from the side housing 3, on all sides.

There is a thruster bearing 7 attached to the bottom end of the thruster shaft 6. This thruster bearing 7 is positioned to come into contact with the hub 15, when the invention is in operation.

The drive shaft 4 passes through the center of the thruster shaft 6 and through the hub 15 and through the thruster bearing 7 and through the base housing 2. The drive shaft 4 is turned by a drive source 5 of some type, such as an electric motor. The drive shaft 4 is secured by an upper bearing 12 at the upper housing 1 and a bearing 13 at the base.

The roller plate 14 is attached to the base housing 2. The roller plate 14 is a cone shaped plate. The roller plate 14 is attached at an angle to the base housing 2 of 45 degrees or greater from the base housing 2.

The castor bearings 11 allow the spokes to freely turn as the castor bearings 11 roll around the roller plate 14.

When the drive shaft 4 is put in motion it turns the hub 15. The hub 15 turns the spokes 9. As the spokes 9 turn faster and faster, the centrifugal force pushes the spokes 9 outward from the center of the Centrifugal Propeller and downward towards the base housing 2. As the spokes 9 are forced by centrifugal force to try to find their most outward position from the drive shaft 4 the spokes 9 move downward and outward. As the downward bends 10 of the spokes 9 are forced out and down by the centrifugal force created by the rotation of the hub 15 and spokes 9, the castor bearings 11 apply pressure on the roller plate 14. Because of the angle of the castor bearings 11 and the angle of the roller plate 14, a percentage of the downward force is redirected towards the center of the Centrifugal Propeller.

The hub 15 is moved upward as the opposing spokes 9 move outward. The hub's 15 upward force is exerted against the thruster bearing 7. Because this upward force has no corresponding equal opposite force, the invention creates thrust in the direction of the upper housing 1 and away from the base housing 2.

GLOSSARY OF THE PARTS

1. Upper housing

2. Base housing

3. Side housing

4. Drive shaft

5. Orive source

6. Thruster shaft

7. Thruster bearing

8. Hinge pin

9. Spoke

10. Downward bend (an attached part of the spoke 9)

11. Castor bearing

12. Upper bearing

13. Lower sealed bearing

14. Roller plate

15. Hub

Claims

The Embodiments Of The Invention In Which An Exclusive Property Or Privilege Is Claimed Are Defined As Follows:

1. A propulsion system that creates directed thrust from centrifugal force by redirecting the reaction of centrifugal force, said propulsion system comprising of upper housing and base housing joined together by side housing, a drive source positioned as attached to the underside of said base housing, said drive source being such as an electric motor, to turn a drive shaft, said drive shaft being attached to said drive source and running in the center of the invention, said drive shaft being

perpendicular to the base housing, a rotating hub that said drive shaft passes through said hub, and said hub is keyed to said drive shaft allowing said hub to move up and down on said drive shaft while also being driven by said drive shaft, spokes that are attached by hinges to said hub, said spokes having downward bends on the outer ends of said spokes, said downward bends also extending out from the main length of said spokes in an inwardly curved "T" shape, with the inward curve on the top of the "V and the stem of the T" being the said spoke that protrudes from the said hub, and said spokes having near the point of join with said hub, a shape that restricts said spoke from being in a position that would allow said spoke or any attachments thereto, from coming into contact with said upper housing or said side housing, castor type bearings attached on the underside of said downward bends, a central thruster shaft attached to said upper housing and positioned perpendicular to said upper housing and said thruster shaft positioned above said hub and with said drive shaft running through the center of said thruster shaft, a thruster bearing attached to the bottom of said thruster shaft so that said thruster bearing contacts said hub when invention is operating, a conical shaped roller plate that is attached to said base housing, said roller plate sized and positioned to allow said castor bearings to roll on said roller plate when invention is operating, and the conical angle of said roller plate in relation to said base housing is to be less than 90 degrees and greater than 35 degrees from the plane of said base housing.

2. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claim 1 wherein the drive source is contained within the interior of the centrifugal propeller between the upper housing, base housing and side housing, and is there attached to the said drive shaft.

3. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claim 1 wherein the drive source is positioned on the exterior of the upper housing and is there attached to the said drive shaft.

4. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claim 1 wherein the thruster bearing is mounted on the top of said hub and the bottom end of said thruster shaft is configured to smoothly contact said thruster bearing.

5. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claims 1,2,3 and 4 wherein there are more than two spokes with their attachments.

6. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claims 1,2,3,4 and 5 wherein there are weights attached to the "T" ends of the spokes in order to increase the weight thus increasing the centrifugal force.

7. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claims 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 wherein weights are attach to said spokes and are designed to move along the radius of said spokes in order to increase or decrease the centrifugal force.

8. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claims 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7 wherein there are magnets attached to the said base housing under said roller plate and magnets are attached to the "T" ends of said spokes in a configurations where the magnets attached to said base housing are repelling said magnets attached that are attached to said "T" ends of said spokes.

9. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claim 8 wherein there are conductive coils that are positioned to generate electricity from the passing of magnets on said spokes, past said coils. Said electricity can be used to help power said drive source.

10. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claim 8 wherein there are conductive coils that are positioned on said spokes, to generate electricity from said coils on said spokes passing magnets positioned on said base housing. Said electricity can be used to help power said drive source.

11. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claims 8, 9, and 10 wherein said upper housing, said base housing, said side housing, said spokes, and said hub, are made of non-conductive materials or low conductive materials such as high grade aluminum or high grade stainless steel.

12. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 wherein a pressure seal is in place on said drive shaft, separating the interior of the Centrifugal Propeller that is surrounded by the said upper housing and the said base housing and the said side housing, and the exterior of the Centrifugal Propeller that is not surrounded by the said upper housing, base housing, and side housing.

13. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claims 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and 12, that is using any other drive source than an electric motor.

14. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claims 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 and 13 that has any other shape on the end of said spokes.

15. The Centrifugal Propeller sited in claims 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,13 and 14 wherein the said spokes form part of an electric motor used to drive the invention.