US 7,581,381 B2 · Ducted air power plant

Abstract

A ducted air power plant, comprising a motor driven fan (7) situated in a duct (4), the fan (7) having an air intake side and in operation providing a high pressure air stream in the duct, and the fan being located adjacent air splitter mechanism (18), the air splitter mechanism (18) being arranged to divert the air stream into two or more subsidiary streams for delivery to respective jet nozzles (9) of the plant. The plant may be used in a vehicle such as an aircraft in order to provide a vertical take-off and hover capability as well a level flight power source.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims7

Dependent claims

A ducted air power plant comprising:

a motor-driven fan for producing a high-pressure air stream;
air splitter means for deriving a plurality of subsidiary air streams from the high-pressure air stream;
a plurality of vectoring air-jet nozzles;
and
means for ducted delivery of the subsidiary air streams to respective ones of the vectoring air-jet nozzles;
the air splitter means comprises selectively-adjustable splitter means for splitting the high-pressure air-stream proportionally between the subsidiary air streams, the selectively-adjustable splitter means being selectively adjustable to vary the proportions with which the high-pressure air stream is split between the respective subsidiary air streams;
the selectively-adjustable splitter means comprises a splitter plate, the splitter plate defining first and second duct-entry openings for receiving individual ones of the subsidiary air streams, a control-blade device mounted for angular displacement relative to the first and second duct-entry openings, and means for selectively adjusting the angular displacement of the control-blade device for varying the proportions by which air of the high-pressure air-stream is split between the first and second duct-entry openings;
and
the control-blade device comprises means defining a plurality of parallel passages for directing air of the high-pressure air stream into the first and second duct-entry openings in relative proportions dependent on the angular displacement of the control-blade device relative to the first and second duct-entry openings.

6 more elements

A craft having a VTOL capability, the craft incorporating a ducted air power plant, and the ducted air power plant comprising:

two pairs of vectoring air-jet nozzles, the two nozzles of each pair being spaced apart laterally on opposite sides of the craft and the two pairs of nozzles being spaced apart forward and rearward of the craft;
a motor-driven fan for producing a high-pressure air stream;
air splitter means for splitting the high-pressure air stream into four subsidiary air streams;
and means for ducted delivery of the four subsidiary air streams to the four vectoring air-jet nozzles respectively;
wherein the air splitter means comprises selectively-adjustable splitter means for splitting the high-pressure air-stream proportionally between the four subsidiary air streams, the selectively-adjustable splitter means being selectively adjustable to vary the proportions with which the high-pressure air stream is split between the four subsidiary air streams;
and wherein the nozzles of the four vectoring air-jet nozzles are vectored by respective servo-motor controls, and wherein the selectively-adjustable splitter means comprises a splitter plate, the splitter plate defining four duct-entry openings for individual ones of the subsidiary air streams, four control-blade devices each associated with a respective pair of the four duct-entry openings, each control-blade device being mounted for angular displacement relative to the two duct-entry openings of its respectively-associated pair of duct-entry openings to vary the proportions by which the high-pressure air-stream is split between the two duct-entry openings of the pair of duct-entry openings associated with that respective control-blade device, and means for selectively adjusting the angular displacement of each control-blade device for varying the proportions by which the high-pressure air-stream is split between the two duct-entry openings of the pair of duct-openings associated with that respective control-blade.

3 more elements

A craft having a VTOL capability, the craft incorporating a ducted air power plant, and the ducted air power plant comprising:

two pairs of vectoring air-jet nozzles, the two nozzles of each pair being spaced apart laterally on opposite sides of the craft and the two pairs of nozzles being spaced apart forward and rearward of the craft;
a motor-driven fan for producing a high-pressure air stream;
air splitter means for splitting the high-pressure air stream into four subsidiary air streams;
and means for ducted delivery of the four subsidiary air streams to the four vectoring air-jet nozzles respectively;
wherein the air splitter means comprises selectively-adjustable splitter means for splitting the high-pressure air-stream proportionally between the four subsidiary air streams, the selectively-adjustable splitter means being selectively adjustable to vary the proportions with which the high-pressure air stream is split between the four subsidiary air streams;
and wherein the nozzles of the four vectoring air-jet nozzles are vectored by respective servo-motor controls;
wherein the selectively-adjustable splitter means comprises a splitter plate, the splitter plate defining four duct-entry openings for individual ones of the subsidiary airstreams, four control-blade devices each associated with a respective pair of the four duct-entry openings, each control-blade device being mounted for angular displacement relative to the two duct-entry openings of its respectively-associated pair of duct-entry openings, and means for selectively adjusting the angular displacement of each control-blade device for varying the proportions by which the high-pressure air-stream is split between the two duct-entry openings of the pair of duct-openings associated with that respective control-blade;
and
wherein each control-blade device comprises means defining a plurality of parallel passages for directing air of the high-pressure air stream into the two duct-entry openings of its associated pair of duct-entry openings.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description3,527 words

Summary673 words

#This application is a national stage completion of PCT/GB2003/002770 filed Jun. 27, 2003 which claims priority from British Application Serial Nos. 0214961.5 and 0301177.2 filed Jun. 28, 2002 and Jan. 20, 2003, respectively.

#This invention relates to a ducted air power plant. It relates particularly to a power plant for an aircraft or airship which makes use of movable jet nozzles with variable thrust for controlling the craft's position and attitude. Alternative uses for the power plant include a platform having hovering facilities suitable for carrying equipment such as a camera or fire extinguishing chemicals. An additional possibility is the provision of a freely movable platform for providing aerial observation information.

#The principle of using movable jet nozzles in an aircraft to provide initially lift-off and then forward acceleration was disclosed in patent specifications GB861480, GB3899862 and GB905651 (Hawker). These specifications describe an arrangement of vectoring nozzles which deflect the engine's thrust so that they will be turned partially downward to provide lift-off. After this stage, the nozzles are rotated to provide forward acceleration and at a sufficiently high speed the necessary lift is obtained entirely from the aircraft wings. The nozzles will then be brought into a fully aft position so that they will be devoted solely to producing the forward movement.

Brief description of the drawings13 figures

#By way of example, a particular embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is an end perspective view of the ducted air power plant,

#FIG. 2 is a similar view taken from the opposite side of the plant and partly cut away,

Detailed description2,620 words

#The construction of the ducted air power plant of the invention begins with making a choice of the engine to be used. In the present example, this was a two-stroke water-cooled internal combustion engine having glow plug ignition and a rotational speed of up to 28,000 RPM. The FIGS. 1 and 2 views show the engine mounted with an axial flow fan rotor carried directly on the output shaft of the engine. In the figures, the engine has a working cylinder 1 and aligned at right angles to this the output shaft 2 is located. The engine is also provided with an exhaust silencer 3 and the usual working components including a fuel tank with carburettor. The FIG. 1 view shows the fan rotor being surrounded by a casing 4 which serves to confine the pressurised air flow produced by the fan. In the FIG. 2 view, the casing 4 is shown with a minor modification which provides a bell-shaped opening 6 at the air entry end.

#Mounted at the end of the engine output shaft 2 is the fan rotor 7 the blades of which are aligned to drive air in the direction of the cylinder 1. The incoming air stream is divided into four streams by an air splitter plate 8 and these streams are delivered to adjustable jet nozzles, two of which nozzles 9 can be seen at the left hand side of the FIG. 1 view.

#The nozzles 9 are located at the ends of air delivery tubes 11 which convey the four air streams from the air splitter plate 8 to the four nozzles 9. The adjustment of the nozzles is effected by rotating each nozzle 9 about the end of its delivery tube 11 so that the nozzle may be turned in order to deflect its respective air stream forwards, downwards or rearwards. The rotation of each nozzle is done by operation of a first servo motor 12 alongside the nozzle. There are four of the first servo motors 12, one being provided for each of the nozzles 9. Air guide vanes may or may not be incorporated in the ducts and/or nozzles to improve the airflow efficiency and reduce the airflow losses.

Facts

Application

10/519,526Filed 27 Jun 2003

Priority

GB 0214961.528 Jun 2002

Published

US 2005/0223694 A113 Oct 2005

Granted

1 Sep 2009

Term ended

17 Sep 2025

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 813 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification13 codes

F02K 3/025
In which part of the working fluid by-passes the turbine and combustion chamber: the by-pass flow being at least partly used to create an…
B64C 11/001
Propellers, e.g. of ducted type; Features common to propellers and rotors for rotorcraft: shrouded propellers
B64C 15/02
Attitude, flight direction, or altitude control by jet reaction: the jets being propulsion jets
B64C 29/0025
The lift during taking-off being created by free or ducted propellers or by blowers: the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage

Timeline

28 Jun 2002Priority claimedGB 0214961.5
27 Jun 2003Application filedUS 10/519,526
11 Oct 2005Assigned to Vtol Technologies Limitedassignment of assignor's interest
13 Oct 2005PublishedUS 2005/0223694 A1
1 Sep 2009GrantedUS 7,581,381 B2
17 Sep 2025Term endedEstimated, includes 813 days of adjustment

Ducted air power plant

Life of this patent

Ducted air power plant

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims7

Description3,527 words

Drawings

Classification13 codes

Life of this patent

Description3,527 words