Passive stability system for a vehicle moving through a fluid
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsDavid A Corder, Paul A Merems
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stability system for a vehicle moving through a fluid includes stabilizers each having a drive surface that follows the position of the fluid stream perceived by the vehicle. The movement of the drive surface positions control surfaces of the stabilizers, which are coupled to the drive surfaces by mechanical linkages. Lift forces on the drive surfaces provide the force that is used in positioning the control surfaces. The deflection of the control surfaces provides a force on the vehicle that affects stability of the vehicle, for instance in making an inherently unstable vehicle more stable. The stability system may work completely passively, without any active control, and without the need for power to operate it.
Claims20
A stability system for a vehicle moving through a fluid, the system comprising:
- a drive surface pivotable on a fuselage of the vehicle;
- and
- a control surface pivotable on the fuselage;
- wherein the drive surface passively pivots on the fuselage in response to changes in fluid flow external to and relative to the vehicle;
- and
- wherein the drive surface is mechanically coupled to the control surface such that pivoting of the drive surface on the fuselage causes pivoting of the control surface on the fuselage, thereby passively providing a stabilizing moment on the vehicle.
A vehicle comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a drive surface pivotable on the fuselage;
- a control surface pivotable on the fuselage;
- and
- a mechanical linkage;
- wherein the drive surface passively pivots on the fuselage in response to changes in fluid flow external to and relative to the vehicle;
- and
- wherein the drive surface is mechanically coupled to the control surface by the mechanical linkage, such that pivoting of the drive surface on the fuselage causes pivoting of the control surface on the fuselage, thereby passively providing a stabilizing moment on the vehicle.
A method of passively stabilizing a vehicle, the method comprising:
- passively aligning drive surfaces of the vehicle toward an external fluid flow relative to the vehicle, by pivoting the drive surfaces on a fuselage of the vehicle;
- and
- passively positioning control surfaces that are operatively coupled to the control surfaces by linkages, using fluid forces on the drive surfaces, acting through the linkages, pivot the control surfaces;
- wherein the positioning control surfaces provides stability to the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.