Method and system for improving transition lift-fan performance
AssigneeAurora Flight Sciences Corporation
InventorRobert Parks
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method enabled to increase efficiency during a VTOL aircraft's transition. A VTOL aircraft enabled to operate multiple lift fans arranged into separately controllable groups, wherein the VTOL aircraft initially has vertical flight but transitions to horizontal flight. A first group of lift fans may be kept at full throttle, a second group of lift fans may be throttled to balance thrust and/or weight, and a third group of lift fans may be shut off.
Claims20
A method of operating a propulsion system in a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the VTOL aircraft having a forward thrust propulsion system and a plurality of ducted lift fans, the method comprising:
- controlling the forward thrust propulsion system to generate a forward thrust during a transition from vertical flight to forward flight;
- selectively allocating, during the transition from vertical flight to forward flight, each of the plurality of ducted lift fans into a first operation group configured to operate at substantially full throttle, a second operation group configured to operate at intermediate throttle, or a third operation group configured to operate at substantially zero throttle,
- wherein:
- each of the plurality of ducted lift fans is configured to be controlled independently, and
- the first operation group, the second operation group, and the third operation group are configured to generate, in aggregate, a first desired thrust as a function of momentum drag;
- and
- selectively reallocating, during the transition from vertical flight to forward flight, one or more of the plurality of ducted lift fans from one of the first operation group, the second operation group, or the third operation group to a different one of the first operation group, the second operation group, or the third operation group to generate a second desired thrust as a function of momentum drag.
A system for operating a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft comprising:
- a forward propulsion system;
- a plurality of ducted lift fans;
- and
- a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
- control the forward thrust propulsion system to generate a forward thrust during a transition from vertical flight to forward flight;
- selectively allocate, during the transition from vertical flight to forward flight, each of the plurality of ducted lift fans into a first operation group configured to operate at substantially full throttle, a second operation group configured to operate at intermediate throttle, or a third operation group configured to operate at substantially zero throttle,
- wherein:
- each of the plurality of ducted lift fans is configured to be controlled independently, and
- the first operation group, the second operation group, and the third operation group are configured to generate, in aggregate, a first desired thrust;
- selectively reallocate, during the transition from vertical flight to forward flight, one or more of the plurality of ducted lift fans from one of the first operation group, the second operation group, or the third operation group to a different one of the first operation group, the second operation group, or the third operation group to generate a second desired thrust as a function of momentum drag;
- control the forward thrust propulsion system to generate a forward thrust during forward flight;
- and
- allocate each of the plurality of ducted lift fans to the third operation group during forward flight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.