Method of configuring a wing-mounted turbine for generating electricity and increasing thrust

A method of configuring a turbine for use on an aircraft with a particular configuration including at least two wings, each said wing having a distal wingtip and providing a lift force supporting the aircraft in flight in a predetermined direction at a particular freestream velocity V∞, wherein said turbine includes:

• the method comprising:
• modeling the fluid flow trailing said wings;
• identifying a preliminary turbine construction including turbine blades extending from a proximal blade root to a distal blade tip and being defined by preliminary values of a set of turbine parameters that provides a weighted combination of a propulsive force along a turbine axis to an amount of power generated by said turbine when said fluid flow is introduced to a turbine inlet, wherein said set of turbine parameters includes at least (i) a number of said blades, (ii) a turbine radius from the turbine axis to said blade tips, (iii) blade pitch, and (iv) blade twist and chord profiles comprising functions of the distance from the blade root to the blade tip;
• determining final values of a corresponding set of turbine parameters by modifying selected ones of said preliminary values to define a final turbine construction that provides a specified said weighted combination of the propulsive force in the predetermined direction to an amount of power generated by said final turbine construction when mounted proximate the trailing edge of each said wing at a location where an airflow trailing said wing when said aircraft is traveling at V∞in said predetermined direction is introduced to said turbine inlet;
• and
• constructing said turbine according to said final values of said turbine parameters,
• wherein said turbine includes:
• a plurality of said turbine blades with a predetermined airfoil profile mounted to a turbine shaft and arranged around the turbine axis for rotating said turbine shaft in the presence of the airflow introduced to the turbine inlet;
• and
• an electrical generator operatively connected to the turbine shaft for providing electricity to the aircraft when the turbine shaft is rotated by said airflow.

A method of configuring a turbine having turbine blades extending from a proximal blade root to a distal blade tip for use on an aircraft with a particular configuration including at least two wings, each said wing having a distal wingtip and providing a lift force supporting the aircraft in flight in a predetermined direction at a particular freestream velocity V∞,

• the method comprising:
• selecting a set of turbine parameters including at least (i) a number of said turbine blades, (ii) a turbine radius from a turbine axis to said blade tips, (iii) blade pitch, and (iv) blade twist and chord profiles comprising functions of the distance from the blade root to the blade tip;
• modeling the fluid flow trailing said wings;
• and
• constructing said turbine with a particular set of said turbine parameters determined according to said modeled fluid flow,
• wherein said turbine includes a plurality of said turbine blades with a predetermined airfoil profile mounted to a turbine shaft and arranged around the turbine axis for rotating said turbine shaft in the presence of the modeled fluid flow introduced to a turbine inlet, said airfoil profile being defined by values of said set of turbine parameters that provide a specified weighted combination of a propulsive force along the turbine axis to an amount of power generated by said turbine when said turbine is mounted proximate the trailing edge of each said wing at a location where said fluid flow trailing said wing when said aircraft is traveling at V∞in said predetermined direction is introduced to the turbine inlet.