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AssigneeSundstrand Corporation
InventorsWilliam B. Kroll, Patrick D. Curran
Estimating the term…
An aircraft (10) including a stowable, wingtip mounted, vortex turbine (30) for dissipating or extracting energy from a lift induced vortex (28) emanating from the aircraft (10) is provided. The vortex turbine (30) includes a first and a second array (38, (40) of blades (32a,b) (34a,b) extending respectively from a first and a second hub section (32), (34). Hub sections (32), (34) may be independently pivoted about a common axis of rotation (36) to a stowed position for landing, take-off, or ground operation, whereat none of the blades (32a,b) (34a,b) extend below a minimum ground clearance of the aircraft, or beyond a maximum horizontal extension of the wing (16). In flight, the hub sections (32), (34) may be deployed and the pitch of the blades adjusted to maximize dissipation of the lift induced vortex (28), thereby minimizing drag and providing improved safety for other aircraft flying through the wake of the aircraft (10) producing the vortex (28). The hub sections (32, 34) may also be locked together to form a turbine wheel (46) having a circumferentially symmetrical array of blades. The turbine wheel (46) is rotatable about the axis of rotation (36) for extracting usable energy from the lift induced vortex (28) and/or free stream air passing through the turbine wheel (46).
In an aircraft having a body defining a fore and aft axis of said aircraft and a wing extending generally horizontally from said body to a wingtip at the distal end of said wing such that said aircraft and said wing define a minimum ground clearance of said wing and said wingtip defines a maximum horizontal extension of said wing, a deployable vortex turbine disposed to intercept a lift induced vortex generated by a portion of said wing said deployable vortex turbine comprising:
A deployable vortex turbine adapted to be secured to an airfoil adjacent a tip end of the airfoil whereby said vortex turbine intercepts a drag-inducing vortex fluid flow around said tip from a higher pressure surface to a lower pressure surface of the airfoil, said vortex turbine comprising:
A method for providing dissipation of and energy extraction from, a lift induced vortex emanating from an aircraft comprising the steps of:
In an aircraft generating a lift induced vortex, a vortex turbine disposed within said lift induced vortex, said vortex turbine comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.