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US 4,402,475 AGranted
Thrusters for airship control
AssigneeAirships International, Inc.
InventorVladimir H. Pavlecka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The use of thrusters at the bow and stern of an airship for control of the direction, attitude, and orientation of such an airship is described. The thruster utilizes an electric motor or a gas turbine for power. In the electric motor embodiment, the motor utilizes two contra-rotating rotors which each drive a separate and contra-rotating propeller to generate the controlling jet of air. Thrusters are arranged in pairs at the top, bottom, and each side of the bow and stern of the airship. Lifting thrusters directed downwardly and located above the longitudinal extent of the hull are provided to augment the static lift capability of the airship when under heavy load.
Claims13
A controllable airship having a large internal lifting gas space enclosed within the hull of the airship comprising:
- an airship hull having a bow and a stern, said bow and stern having a bow chamber and a stern chamber respectively therein;
- first thruster means located at the bow for influencing movements of the front end of the airship, said first thruster means being located internally of the hull of the airship;
- first air intake means opening exteriorly of the hull for said first thruster means, said first intake means comprising an inlet to each of said first thruster means being located internally of the hull adjacent said first thruster means for communicating air thereto from said bow chamber without ducting through the lifting gas space and first air intake duct means adjacent said first thruster means for entrance of air into said bow chamber;
- second thruster means located at the stern for influencing the movements of the rear end of the airship, said first and second thruster means each comprising a set of four perimetrally spaced-apart pairs of thrusters, each thruster being oriented so as to produce a controlled jet of air in a direction which is at an angle of 90.degree. with respect to the direction of the controlled jet of air produced by adjacent thrusters, said second thruster means being located internally of the hull of the airship;
- second air intake means opening exteriorly of the hull for said second thruster means, said second intake means comprising an inlet to each of said second thruster means being located internally of the hull adjacent said second thruster means for communicating air thereto from said stern chamber without ducting through the lifting gas space and second air intake duct means adjacent said second thruster means for entrance of air into said stern chamber;
- and
- control means connected between an operations control station and the first and second thruster means for controlling the operation of said thruster means.
4 more elements
A controllable airship comprising:
- an airship hull having a bow and stern said bow and stern having a bow chamber and a stern chamber respectively therein;
- a first set of four perimetrically spaced-apart pairs of thrusters located at the bow for influencing the movements of the front end of the airship, each pair of bow thrusters in said first set being oriented so as to produce a controlled jet of air in a direction which is at an angle of 90.degree. with respect to the direction of the controlled jet of air produced by adjacent pairs of thrusters;
- first air intake means for said first set of thrusters, said intake means comprising an inlet to each of said first thrusters being located internally of the hull adjacent said first set of thrusters for communicating air thereto from said bow chamber without ducting through the lifting gas space and a first air intake duct means located adjacent said first thrusters for entrance of air into said bow chambers;
- a second set of four perimetrically spaced-apart pairs of thrusters located at the stern for influencing the movements of the rear end of the airship, each pair of stern thrusters in said second set being oriented so as to produce a controlled jet of air in a direction which is at an angle of 90.degree. with respect to the direction of the controlled jet of air produced by adjacent pairs of thrusters;
- second air intake means for said second set of thrusters, said second intake means comprising air inlet to each of said second thrusters being located internally of the hull adjacent said second set of thrusters for communicating air thereto from said stern chamber without ducting through the lifting gas space and second air intake duct means located adjacent said second thrusters;
- and
- control means connected between an operations control station and the first and second set of thrusters for contolling the operations of said thruster means.
4 more elements
A controllable airship comprising:
- an airship hull having a bow and a stern said bow and stern having a bow chamber and a stern chamber respectively therein;
- first thruster means located at the bow for influencing the movements of the front end of the airship;
- second thruster mens located at the stern for influencing the movements of the rear end of the airship, said first and second thruster means each comprising a set of four pairs of perimetrically spaced-apart thrusters, each thruster pair being oriented so as to produce a controlled jet of air in a direction which is at an angle of 90.degree. with respect to the direction of the controlled jet of air produced by adjacent thruster pairs;
- first and second air intake means located at the bow and the stern respectively, each of said intake means comprising an inlet to each of said thrusters being located interiorly of the hull adjacent its associated first and second thruster means respectively, for communicating air thereto from said bow chamber and stern chamber respectively without ducting through the lifting gas space and first and second air intake duct means adjacent said first and second thruster means respectively for entrance of air into said bow chamber and said stern chamber respectively;
- and
- control means connected between an operations control station and the first and second thruster means for controlling the operation of said thruster means.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.