Integrated Duct Design for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsAdam Entsminger, Daniel Ross Collette
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ducted fan air vehicle having increased storage capacity inside the duct for equipment and electronics provides improved airflow and fan efficiency over ducted fan air vehicles carrying cargo in external pods. The outside of the duct may extend outwardly to allow equipment and electronics to be stored inside the duct in storage areas located at intervals along the duct. The storage areas may form a square duct having a circular inside wall. Additionally, the storage areas may extend in the direction of the axis of rotation of the fan to provide additional storage above the lower lip of the duct.
Claims22
A duct for a ducted fan air vehicle comprising:
- a fan comprising an axis of rotation;
- and
- a duct comprising:
- an inside duct wall having a substantially circular cross-section;
- an outside duct wall cooperatively engaged with the inside duct wall to form an at least partially enclosed space;
- and
- a plurality of enlarged areas of the at least partially enclosed space, wherein the plurality of enlarged areas extend outwardly in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the fan, and wherein portions of the outside duct wall defining the plurality of enlarged areas define surfaces of the duct that extend furthest from the axis of rotation of the fan in the direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the fan.
(canceled)
A duct for a ducted fan air vehicle comprising:
- a fan comprising an axis of rotation;
- and
- a duct comprising:
- an inside duct wall having a substantially circular cross-section;
- an outside duct wall cooperatively engaged with the inside duct wall to form an at least partially enclosed space;
- and
- a plurality of enlarged areas of the at least partially enclosed space,
- wherein the plurality of enlarged areas extend outwardly in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the fan, and wherein portions of the outside duct wall defining the plurality of enlarged areas define surfaces of the duct that extend furthest from the axis of rotation of the fan, and
- wherein the plurality of enlarged areas extend upwardly in the direction of the axis of rotation of the fan.
15-16. (canceled)
A ducted fan air vehicle comprising:
- a fan comprising fan blades,
- an engine configured to drive the fan blades,
- a plurality of stators downstream of the fan blades, and
- a duct comprising:
- an inside duct wall having a substantially circular cross-section;
- an outside duct wall, wherein the inside duct wall and the outside duct wall cooperatively form an at least partially enclosed space;
- and
- four enlarged areas separated from one another by four side walls,
- wherein the four enlarged areas are located at 90 degree intervals along the a perimeter of the duct,
- wherein a cross-sectional shape of the duct in a plane perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the fan is substantially square,
- wherein the four enlarged areas extend outwardly in a direction perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the fan,
- wherein the four enlarged areas extend upwardly in the direction of the axis of rotation of the fan,
- wherein the distance between the axis of rotation and the outside duct wall at the four enlarged areas is between 10 to 40 percent larger than the distance between the axis of rotation and the inside duct wall, and
- wherein the distance between a top surface of one of the enlarged areas and a bottom surface of the duct is between 5 to 30 percent larger than the distance between a top surface of one of the side walls and the bottom surface of the duct.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.