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US 10,329,015 B2Granted
Aircraft lift and propulsion from disparate air flows
OwnerHenry C. DeBeyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Generally, an inventive aircraft (1) having at least a first lift body (2) and a second lift body (3) each controllably configurable to correspondingly generate an amount of lift (4) sufficient to remain aloft at a first elevation (5) and a second elevation (6) a sufficient distance apart (7) to subject the first lift body (2) and the second lift body (3) to sufficiently disparate fluid flow characteristics (8) to propel the aircraft (1).
Claims11
An aircraft, comprising:
- a first lift body controllably configurable to generate a lift sufficient to remain aloft at a first elevation;
- a first lift body sensor which senses said fluid flow characteristics proximate said first lift body;
- a first lift body controller which controllably configures said first lift body to alter said amount of lift or alter said amount of drag;
- a second lift body controllably configurable to generate a lift sufficient to remain aloft at a second elevation, said first elevation and said second elevation having a difference in altitude, said difference in altitude subjects said first lift body to a first fluid flow and said second lift body to a second fluid flow, said first fluid flow and said second fluid flow having sufficiently disparate fluid flow characteristics, said disparate fluid flow characteristics propel said aircraft;
- a second lift body sensor which senses said fluid flow characteristics proximate said second lift body;
- a second lift body controller which controllably configures said second lift body to alter said amount of lift or alter said amount of drag;
- a first connective member having a length disposed between a first end and a second end, said first end coupled to said first lift body;
- a second connective member having a length disposed between a first end and a second end, said first end coupled to said second lift body;
- a payload container, said second end of said first connective member and said second connective member coupled to said payload container;
- and
- an aircraft controller which receives a first signal from said first lift body sensor and a second signal from said second lift body sensor, said first signal and said second signal varying based on change in said fluid flow characteristics of said first fluid flow and said second fluid flow, said aircraft controller analyzing said first signal and said second signal to compensate for an amount of weight of said aircraft including said payload container and said payload to generate commands which drive said first lift body controller and said second lift body controller to controllably configure said first lift body and said second lift body to variably generate lift to propel said weight of aircraft in a flight path between pre-selected destination coordinates.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.