Reaction jet helicopter
AssigneeGenesis Aerotech Limited
InventorsMartin Leslie, Patrick Mallon, Michael Rice
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reaction-jet helicopter having an air compressor and a power source operable to power the compressor. The air compressor is in fluid communication with a cavity in a rotor blade of the reaction-jet helicopter. The rotor blade has one or more openings for the expulsion of compressed air from the cavity thereby resulting in rotation of the rotor blade. The reaction jet helicopter further has an arrangement for manipulating airflow between the compressor and the one or more openings. This results in reduced losses of energy as the airflow travels from the compressor to the one or more openings.
Claims17
A reaction-jet helicopter comprising:
- (i) an air compressor;
- (ii) a power source operable to power the air compressor;
- (iii) a plurality of rotor blades, wherein each rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades includes a cavity, and wherein the air compressor is in fluid communication with each cavity of each rotor blade, and wherein each rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades includes an opening for the expulsion of compressed air from each cavity of each rotor blade thereby resulting in rotation of each rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades;
- (iv) a duct in fluid communication with the air compressor and in further fluid communication with each cavity of each rotor blade;
- (v) a hub in fluid communication with the duct and with each cavity of each rotor blade, the hub being disposed relative to the duct and each cavity of each rotor blade such that airflow travels from the duct to the hub and then into each cavity of each rotor blade;
- and
- (vi) a means for manipulating airflow between the compressor and the opening of each rotor blade, wherein the means for manipulating airflow comprises a hub swirl component, said hub swirl component being located within the hub, wherein the hub swirl component is integrally formed with the hub, and wherein the hub swirl component is shaped to direct the airflow from the compressor towards each cavity of each rotor blade, and wherein the hub swirl component is an impeller, and wherein the means for manipulating airflow comprises a duct component for manipulating the direction and speed of airflow within the duct, said duct component being locatable within the duct.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.