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US 11,591,080 B2Granted
Systems and methods for drive control of a magnetically levitated rotor
AssigneeMagLev Aero Inc.
InventorIan Morris Randall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods relate to a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) platform that can include a stator and a rotor magnetically levitated by the stator. The rotor and stator can be annular, such that the rotor rotates about a rotational axis. The stator can include magnets that provide guidance, levitation, and drive forces to drive the rotor, as well as to control operation of rotor blades of the rotor that can be independently rotated to specific pitch angles to control at least one of lift, pitch, roll, or yaw of the VTOL platform. Various controllers can be used to enable independent and redundant control of components of the VTOL platform.
Claims16
has been amended to read as follows:
- A system, comprising:
- a rotor, comprising:
- a rotor sidewall defining a rotational axis;
- at least one rotor blade coupled with and transverse the sidewall along a first surface of the sidewall;
- and
- a rotor magnet coupled with the sidewall along a second surface of the rotor sidewall opposite the first surface;
- a stator, comprising:
- a plurality of stator magnets circumferentially arranged along a surface of a stator sidewall facing the second surface of the rotor sidewall;
- and
- a controller wirelessly coupled to the plurality of stator magnets, the controller controlling the plurality of stator magnets to selectively produce a respective magnetic field interacting with the rotor magnet of the rotor to rotate the rotor and the rotor blade about the rotational axis to produce lift along the rotational axis
- wherein the at least one rotor blade comprises a first rotor blade rotatablycoupled with the sidewall to rotate about a first blade axis perpendicular to the rotational axis and a second rotor blade rotatablycoupled with the sidewall to rotate about a second blade axis perpendicular to the rotational axis;
- wherein the controller is configured to provide a plurality of control signals to the plurality of stator magnets to cause the plurality of stator magnets to output electromagnetic fields corresponding to the plurality of control signals that drive the rotor magnets of the rotor to rotate the rotor about the rotational axis, and to cause the first rotor blade to rotate about the first blade axis and the second rotor blade to rotate about the second blade axis to produce a desired movement.
9 more elements
has been amended to read as follows:
- A method, comprising:
- providing a rotor having a rotor sidewall defining a rotational axis, at least one rotor blade coupled with and transverse the sidewall along a first surface of the sidewall, and a rotor magnet coupled with the sidewall along a second surface of the rotor sidewall opposite the first surface, wherein the at least one rotor blade comprises a first rotor blade rotatably coupled with the sidewall to rotate about a first blade axis perpendicular to the rotational axis and a second rotor blade rotatably coupled with the sidewall to rotate about a second blade axis perpendicular to the rotational axis;
- providing a stator having a plurality of stator magnets circumferentially arranged along a surface of a stator sidewall facing the second surface of the rotor sidewall;
- and
- controlling the plurality of stator magnets to selectively produce a respective magnetic field interacting with the rotor magnet of the rotor to rotate the rotor and the rotor blade about the rotational axis to produce lift along the rotational axis, by providing a plurality of control signals to the plurality of stator magnets to cause the plurality of stator magnets to output electromagnetic fields corresponding to the plurality of control signals that drive the rotor magnets of the rotor to rotate the rotor about the rotational axis, and to cause the first rotor blade to rotate about the first blade axis and the second rotor blade to rotate about the second blade axis to produce a desired movement.
2 more elements
has been amended to read as follows:
- A vehicle, comprising:
- a rotor, comprising:
- a rotor sidewall defining a rotational axis;
- at least one rotor blade coupled with and transverse the sidewall along a first surface of the sidewall;
- and
- a rotor magnet coupled with the sidewall along a second surface of the rotor sidewall opposite the first surface;
- a stator, comprising:
- a plurality of stator magnets circumferentially arranged along a surface of a stator sidewall facing the second surface of the rotor sidewall;
- and
- a controller wirelessly coupled to the plurality of stator magnets, the controller controlling the plurality of stator magnets to selectively produce a respective magnetic field interacting with the rotor magnet of the rotor to rotate the rotor and the rotor blade about the rotational axis to produce lift along the rotational axis
- wherein the at least one rotor blade comprises a first rotor blade rotatablycoupled with the sidewall to rotate about a first blade axis perpendicular to the rotational axis and a second rotor blade rotatablycoupled with the sidewall to rotate about a second blade axis perpendicular to the rotational axis;
- wherein the controller is configured to provide a plurality of control signals to the plurality of stator magnets to cause the plurality of stator magnets to output electromagnetic fields corresponding to the plurality of control signals that drive the rotor magnets of the rotor to rotate the rotor about the rotational axis, and to cause the first rotor blade to rotate about the first blade axis and the second rotor blade to rotate about the second blade axis to produce a desired movement.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.