Ground effect vanes arrangement
AssigneeUrban Aeronautics Ltd.
InventorRaphael Yoeli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle, particularly a VTOL air vehicle, includes a duct carried by the vehicle frame with the longitudinal axis of the duct perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle frame; a propeller rotatably mounted within the duct about the longitudinal axis of the duct to force an ambient fluid therethrough from its inlet at the upper end of the duct through its exit at the lower end of the duct, and thereby to produce an upward lift force applied to the vehicle, and a plurality of spaced vanes mounted to and across the inlet and exit ends of the duct about axes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the duct and selectively operational to produce a desired horizontal control force in addition to the lift force applied to the vehicle.
Claims30
A method of improving aerodynamic flow through a ducted fan of a Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) vehicle when the VTOL vehicle is in proximity to the ground, the ducted fan comprising an open-ended duct, having an inlet end and an outlet end;
- a propeller mounted within said duct between said inlet and outlet ends;
- and a first plurality of vanes extending across the inlet end of the duct;
- the method comprising:
- (a) adding a second plurality of vanes across the outlet end of the duct, said second plurality of vanes being pivotally adjustable about axes parallel to longitudinal axes of said second plurality of vanes;
- and
- (b) pivotally adjusting at least some of said second plurality of vanes to substantially match angularity of flow exiting the duct caused by the flow impinging on the ground.
A method of improving aerodynamic flow through a ducted fan of a VTOL vehicle when the VTOL vehicle is in proximity to the ground, the ducted fan comprising an open-ended duct, having an inlet end and an outlet end;
- a propeller mounted within said duct between said inlet and outlet ends and a first plurality of vanes extending across the inlet end of the duct;
- the method comprising:(a) adding a second plurality of vanes across the outlet end of the duct;
- and(b) providing means for adjusting flow along said second plurality of vanes to substantially match angularity of flow exiting the duct caused by the flow impinging on the ground.
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle frame;
- a duct carried by the vehicle frame with the longitudinal axis of the duct perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle frame;
- a propeller rotatably mounted within the duct about the longitudinal axis of the duct to force an ambient fluid therethrough from its, inlet at the upper end of the duct through its exit at the lower end of the duct and thereby to produce an upward lift force applied to the vehicle;
- a first plurality of spaced vanes mounted to and across the inlet end of the duct about pivot axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the duct and selectively operational to produce a desired horizontal control force in addition to the lift force applied to the vehicle;
- and
- a second plurality of vanes across the outlet end of the duct, selectively rotatable to align substantially with transverse outflow stream lines extending in outward directions caused by flow impinging on ground proximate the outlet end of the duct to thereby prevent separation of the flow on said second plurality of vanes and retain the control effectiveness of said plurality of vanes near the ground.
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle frame;
- a duct carried by the vehicle frame with the longitudinal axis of the duct perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle frame;
- a propeller rotatably mounted within the duct about the longitudinal axis of the duct to force an ambient fluid therethrough from its inlet at the upper end of the duct through its exit at the lower end of the duct, and thereby to produce an upward lift force applied to the vehicle;
- a first plurality of spaced vanes mounted to and across the inlet end of the duct about pivotal axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the duct and selectively operational to produce a desired horizontal control force in addition to the lift force applied to the vehicle;
- a second plurality of vanes across the outlet end of the duct;
- and means for influencing flow across said second plurality of vanes to reduce separation of flow from said vanes as required by local streamline direction near each said vane under conditions when flow exiting the duct impinges on the ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.