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US 9,809,304 B1Granted
Aerial vehicle propeller ducts with active airflow channels
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsBrian C. Beckman, Gur Kimchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure describes a configuration of an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle, in which one or more of the propellers are positioned within a duct that includes an active airflow channel within the interior of the duct. The active airflow channel actively moves within the duct so that it remains aligned with the tips of the blades of the propeller within the duct. As the propeller and the active airflow channel rotate, at least some of the airflow structures (e.g., vortices) shed from the blades of the propeller are collected by the active airflow channel and channeled away from the propeller so that a following blade of the propeller does not pass through the collected airflow structures.
Claims20
An aerial vehicle, comprising:
- a frame;
- a lifting motor coupled to the frame;
- a lifting propeller having a first diameter, the lifting propeller coupled to the lifting motor and rotatable at a first speed by the lifting motor;
- a duct coupled to the frame and encompassing the lifting motor and the lifting propeller, the duct having an interior surface area of a substantially cylindrical shape, the substantially cylindrical shape of the interior surface area having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter so that the lifting propeller can rotate within the duct without contacting the interior surface area of the duct, the duct further including:
- a plurality of rotating members positioned adjacent the interior surface area of the duct and aligned along a length of the duct, each of the plurality of rotating members including:
- a plurality of paddles affixed to the rotating member and configured to rotate with a rotation of the rotating member such that at least one of the plurality of paddles affixed to the rotating member is substantially aligned with the interior surface area of the duct and at least one of the plurality of paddles is not aligned with the interior surface area of the duct;
- and
- wherein the plurality of rotating members are configured to rotate at a second speed that corresponds with the first speed such that an active airflow channel formed by at least some of the paddles of each of the plurality of rotating members follows a position of a blade of the propeller.
5 more elements
An aerial vehicle, comprising:
- a frame;
- a motor coupled to the frame;
- a propeller having a first diameter, the propeller coupled to the motor and rotatable at a first speed by the motor;
- a duct coupled to the frame and encompassing the propeller, the duct having an interior surface area of a substantially cylindrical shape, the substantially cylindrical shape of the interior surface area having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter so that the propeller can rotate within the duct, the duct further including:
- a plurality of actuators affixed to the interior surface area of the duct and configured to activate and protrude into a central portion of the duct or deactivate and be substantially in-line with the interior surface area of the duct;
- an active airflow controller in communication with each of the plurality of actuators and configured to send instructions to each of the plurality of actuators instructing each of the plurality of actuators to activate and protrude into the central portion of the duct or deactivate and be substantially in-line with the surface area of the duct;
- wherein:
- during operation of the aerial vehicle, the instructions cause a first set of the plurality of actuators to activate and cause a second set of the plurality of actuators to deactivate, thereby altering a shape of the interior surface area of the duct;
- and
- the altered shape of the interior surface area of the duct affects airflow through the duct such that a sound generated by the aerial vehicle is altered.
7 more elements
An aerial vehicle, comprising:
- a motor;
- a propeller having a first diameter, the propeller coupled to the motor and rotatable at a first speed by the motor;
- a duct substantially encompassing the propeller, the duct having a substantially cylindrical shape of a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter so that the propeller can rotate within the duct, the duct further including:
- a plurality of rotating members aligned along a length of the duct, each of the plurality of rotating members including:
- a plurality of paddles affixed to the rotating member and configured to rotate with a rotation of the rotating member such that a first paddle affixed to the rotating member is substantially aligned with the duct and a second paddle is not aligned with the duct;
- and
- wherein the plurality of rotating members are configured to rotate while the propeller is rotating so that a position of each of the plurality of paddles changes, thereby altering a contour of an interior surface area of the duct;
- and
- wherein the altered contour of the interior surface area of the duct disrupts an airflow through the duct.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.