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US 2023/0356833 A1Published application
Aircraft propulsion and torque mitigation technologies
AssigneeThrust Drive LLC
InventorDaniel Kekoa PEOPLES
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Abstract
Aircraft propulsion and torque mitigation technologies for aircraft are described. In embodiments, the disclosed technologies enable the provision of rotational torque for rotating the rotor blades of a vertical lift aircraft, while mitigating or even eliminating the need for counter torque methods and apparatuses such as tail rotors and counter rotating blades.
Claims25
An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a support bearing coupled to the fuselage;
- a rotor shaft attached to the fuselage by the support bearing, wherein the rotor shaft can rotate about a first axis extending through the rotor shaft, and the support bearing always allows the rotor shaft to rotate about said first axis and relative to the fuselage;
- a rotor blade coupled to the rotor shaft, such that rotation of the rotor shaft causes the rotor blade to rotate about said first axis;
- a thrust support structure coupled to the rotor shaft;
- and
- an engine coupled to the fuselage or the thrust support structure;
- wherein in operation:
- the engine causes the thrust support structure to rotate about said first axis;
- rotation of the thrust support structure causes the rotor shaft to rotate about said first axis, which in turn causes the rotor blade to rotate about said first axis;
- and
- the support bearing isolates the fuselage from torque generated by rotation of at least the rotor blade.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.