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US 6,691,632 B2Granted
Sailing craft stable when airborne
OwnerMac Stevensinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wind propelled vehicle comprising: (a) an assembly of airfoils fixedly joined; (b) all-moveable rudder and horizontal stabilizer, or suitable substitute, for aerodynamic yaw and pitch control; and (c) pontoons and hydrofoils, skis, skates, runners or wheels. The vehicle is wind-propelled by controlling the angle of the relative wind to produce a sideways lift force on the airfoil assembly and controlling the angle of the pontoons, etc. to use that force to cause forward motion. Airborne operation is achieved by changing the angle of the relative wind to produce an upward lift force on the airfoil assembly. Water rudder is absent. Orientation is always controlled aerodynamically.
Claims15
A wind-propelled vehicle capable of travel on a support medium;
- said vehicle comprising:
- an airfoil assembly comprising a plurality of airfoils fixedly joined;
- said airfoil assembly having substantially a single particular usual upright attitude in relation to said support medium when said vehicle uses wind for propulsion;
- aerodynamic means for orientation of said airfoil assembly in pitch, in relation to a relative wind;
- aerodynamic means for orientation of said airfoil assembly in yaw, in relation to a relative wind;
- the aerodynamic yaw orientation means comprising one or more rotatable surfaces, each said rotatable surface having a neutral position and rotatable within a range of at least 150 degrees, from −75 degrees to 75 degrees in relation to its said neutral position;
- at least one traction means for controlling direction of movement of said vehicle relative to said support medium;
- each said traction means allowing motion of said vehicle in a particular direction and its opposite, hereinafter called respectively forward and reverse, and resisting motion of said vehicle in directions not substantially aligned with either said forward or said reverse direction;
- all said traction means being steerable in unison only, relative to said airfoil assembly, whereby all said traction means have substantially the same forward direction at any given time;
- said traction means being substantially coplanar, whereby all said traction means are capable of contact with said support medium at the same time;
- a vertical pivot axis passing through the centroid of all surfaces of said traction means in contact with said support medium when airfoil is in its usual upright attitude;
- said vertical pivot axis being perpendicular to said support medium;
- wherein both the aerodynamic yaw orientation means and the aerodynamic pitch orientation means rely only on the presence of said relative wind;
- whereby said vehicle may be effectively oriented both when in contact with, and when not in contact with, said support medium;
- wherein, when each said rotatable surface is in its said neutral position, the volume of the solid of revolution generated by revolving collectively said rotatable surfaces of the aerodynamic yaw orientation means completely about said vertical pivot axis, is greater than half the volume of the solid of revolution generated by revolving all fixed airfoil surfaces of said vehicle completely about said vertical pivot axis;
- wherein the combined surface area of said airfoils fixedly joined, of said airfoil assembly, comprises at least 70 percent of the combined surface area of all airfoils of the entire vehicle;
- wherein the combined surface area of all said traction means in contact with said support medium comprises at least 50 percent of the combined surface area of all surfaces of the entire vehicle in contact with said support medium when said airfoil assembly is in its usual upright attitude.
14 more elements
A wind-propelled vehicle capable of travel on water;
- said vehicle comprising:
- an airfoil assembly comprising a plurality of airfoils fixedly joined;
- said airfoil assembly having substantially a single particular usual upright attitude in relation to said water when said vehicle uses wind for propulsion;
- aerodynamic means for orientation of said airfoil assembly, in both yaw and pitch, in relation to a relative wind;
- the aerodynamic orientation means relying only on the presence of said relative wind;
- whereby said vehicle may be effectively oriented both when in contact with, and when not in contact with, said water;
- a plurality of pontoons such that
- (i) each said pontoon is rotatable, relative to said airfoil assembly, about an axis substantially perpendicular to surface of said water when said vehicle is in its usual attitude,
- (ii) each said pontoon is elongated about a respective longitudinal axis;
- (iii) each said pontoon allows relative motion of said water in directions aligned with its said respective longitudinal axis and resists relative motion of said water in directions not aligned with its said respective longitudinal axis;
- and
- (iv) said pontoons are substantially coplanar, whereby each said pontoon is capable of contacting surface of said water at the same time
- wherein the combined surface area of said airfoils fixedly joined, of said airfoil assembly, comprises at least 70 percent of the combined surface area of all airfoils of the entire vehicle.
10 more elements
A wind-propelled vehicle capable of travel on a support medium;
- said vehicle comprising:
- an airfoil assembly comprising a plurality of airfoils fixedly joined;
- said airfoil assembly having substantially a single particular usual upright attitude in relation to said support medium when said vehicle uses wind for propulsion;
- aerodynamic means for orientation of said airfoil assembly in pitch, in relation to a relative wind;
- aerodynamic means for orientation of said airfoil assembly in yaw, in relation to a relative wind;
- the aerodynamic yaw orientation means comprising one or more rotatable surfaces, each said rotatable surface having a neutral position and rotatable within a range of at least 150 degrees, from −75 degrees to 75 degrees in relation to its said neutral position;
- at least one traction means for controlling direction of movement of said vehicle relative to said support medium;
- each said traction means allowing motion of said vehicle in a particular direction and its opposite, hereinafter called respectively forward and reverse, and resisting motion of said vehicle in directions not substantially aligned with either said forward or said reverse direction;
- all said traction means being steerable in unison only, relative to said airfoil assembly, whereby all said traction means have substantially the same forward direction at any given time;
- said forward direction being adjustable within a range of at least 30 degrees, from 15 degrees port to 15 degrees starboard relative to a neutral position;
- and said traction means being substantially coplanar, whereby all said traction means are capable of contact with said support medium at the same time;
- a vertical pivot axis passing through the centroid of all surfaces of said traction means in contact with said support medium when airfoil is in its usual upright attitude;
- said vertical pivot axis being perpendicular to said support medium;
- wherein both the aerodynamic yaw orientation means and the aerodynamic pitch orientation means rely only on the presence of said relative wind;
- whereby said vehicle may be effectively oriented both when in contact with, and when not in contact with, said support medium;
- wherein, when each said rotatable surface is in its said neutral position, the volume of the solid of revolution generated by revolving collectively said rotatable surfaces of the aerodynamic yaw orientation means completely about said vertical pivot axis, is greater than half the volume of the solid of revolution generated by revolving all fixed airfoil surfaces of said vehicle completely about said vertical pivot axis;
- wherein the combined surface area of said airfoils fixedly joined, of said airfoil assembly, comprises at least 70 percent of the combined surface area of all airfoils of the entire vehicle
- wherein the combined surface area of all said traction means in contact with said support medium comprises at least 50 percent of the combined surface area of all surfaces of the entire vehicle in contact with said support medium when said airfoil assembly is in its usual upright attitude.
15 more elements
A wind-propelled vehicle capable of travel on a support medium;
- said vehicle comprising:
- an airfoil assembly comprising a plurality of airfoils fixedly joined;
- said airfoil assembly having substantially a single particular usual upright attitude in relation to said support medium when said vehicle uses wind for propulsion;
- said airfoil assembly comprising one or more airfoils inclined at more than 15 degrees to horizontal when said airfoil assembly is in its said usual upright attitude;
- the inclined airfoils making up more than 50% of the total area of all airfoils in said airfoil assembly;
- at least one all-moveable airfoil rudder rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to said support medium when said vehicle is in said usual upright attitude, whereby yaw of said airfoil assembly in relation to a relative wind may be controlled;
- each said all-moveable airfoil rudder having a neutral position and rotatable within a range of at least 150 degrees, from −75 degrees to 75 degrees in relation to its said neutral position;
- at least one horizontal stabilizer airfoil with adjustable trailing-edge flap;
- each said horizontal stabilizer being substantially parallel to said support medium when said vehicle is in said usual upright attitude;
- whereby pitch of said airfoil assembly in relation to said relative wind may be controlled
- at least one traction means for controlling direction of movement of said vehicle relative to said support medium;
- each said traction means allowing motion of said vehicle in a particular direction and its opposite, hereinafter called respectively forward and reverse, and resisting motion of said vehicle in directions not substantially aligned with either said forward or said reverse direction;
- all said traction means being steerable in unison only relative to said airfoil assembly, whereby all said traction means have substantially the same forward direction at any given time;
- said fraction means being substantially coplanar, whereby all said traction means are capable of contact with said support medium at the same time;
- a vertical pivot axis passing through the centroid of all surfaces of said traction means in contact with said support medium when airfoil is in its usual upright attitude;
- said vertical pivot axis being perpendicular to said support medium;
- wherein, when each said all-moveable rudder is in its said neutral position, the volume of the solid of revolution generated by revolving collectively the surfaces of each said all-moveable rudder completely about said vertical pivot axis, is greater than half the volume of the solid of revolution generated by revolving all fixed airfoil surfaces of said vehicle completely about said vertical pivot axis;
- wherein the combined surface area of said airfoils fixedly joined, of said airfoil assembly, comprises at least 70 percent of the combined surface area of all airfoils of the entire vehicle
- wherein the combined surface area of all said traction means in contact with said support medium comprises at least 50 percent of the combined surface area of all surfaces of the entire vehicle in contact with said support medium when said airfoil assembly is in its usual upright attitude.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.