Back to results
US 8,308,112 B2Granted
Plasma actuators for drag reduction on wings, nacelles and/or fuselage of vertical take-off and landing aircraft
AssigneesTextron Innovations Inc., University of Notre Dame du Lac
InventorsTommie L. Wood, Thomas C. Corke, Martiqua Post
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft includes a surface over which an airflow passes. A plasma actuator is configured to generate a plasma above the surface, the plasma coupling a directed momentum into the air surrounding the surface to reduce separation of the airflow from the surface. A method of reducing separation of an airflow from a surface of an aircraft includes generating a plasma in air surrounding the surface at a position where the airflow would separate from the surface in the absence of the plasma.
Claims23
A vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft comprising:
- a surface over which a turbulent vortex generating airflow passes when in use, the turbulent flow being generated by a movement of the surface and a velocity of the airflow relative to the surface is greater than about 10 m/s, and
- a plasma actuator configured to generate a plasma above the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft, the plasma coupling a directed momentum into the air surrounding the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft to reduce separation of the airflow from the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft,
- wherein the plasma actuator comprises:
- a dielectric,
- a first electrode on a first side of the dielectric, the first electrode having a first surface in contact with the dielectric and a second surface opposite the first surface exposed to the surrounding air,
- a second electrode covered by a second side of the dielectric, and
- an alternating current voltage source connected between the first and second electrodes, and
- wherein an amount of separation of the turbulent vortex generating airflow from the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft depends on a velocity of the airflow and a frequency of the alternating current voltage source, wherein based upon the velocity of airflow, a frequency of the alternating current voltage source is selected so as to reduce the amount of separation of the airflow from the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft.
5 more elements
A method of reducing separation of a turbulent vortex generating airflow from a surface of a vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft, the comprising:
- applying an alternating current voltage between a first and a second electrodes at a steady frequency or an unsteady frequency, the first electrode having a first surface in contact with a first side of a dielectric and a second surface opposite the first surface exposed to surrounding air, the second electrode having a surface in contact with a second side of the dielectric;
- generating a plasma in air surrounding the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft at a position where the airflow would separate from the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft in the absence of the plasma, a velocity of the airflow relative to the surface is greater than about 10 m/s;
- and
- selecting a frequency of the alternating current voltage source based upon a velocity of the turbulent vortex generating airflow passing over the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft so as to reduce an amount of separation of the airflow from the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft.
1 more element
A vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft comprising:
- a surface over which a turbulent vortex generating airflow passes when in use, the turbulent flow being generated by a movement of the surface and a velocity of the airflow relative to the surface is greater than about 10 m/s, and
- a plasma actuator configured to generate a plasma above the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft, the plasma coupling a directed momentum into the air surrounding the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft to reduce separation of the airflow from the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft,
- wherein the plasma actuator comprises:
- a dielectric,
- a first electrode on a first side of the dielectric, the first electrode having a first surface in contact with the dielectric and a second surface opposite the first surface exposed to the surrounding air,
- a second electrode covered by a second side of the dielectric, and
- an alternating current voltage source connected between the first and second electrodes, and
- wherein an amount of separation of the turbulent vortex generating airflow from the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft depends on a velocity of the airflow and a frequency of the alternating current voltage source, and based upon the velocity of the airflow, a frequency of the alternating current voltage source is selected so as to reduce the amount of separation of the airflow from the surface of the vertical take-off and vertical landing rotor aircraft.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.