Patent Application
20220194557
This disclosure relates generally to aircraft and aircraft componentry, and more particularly to a rotor assembly for an aircraft.
A drone aircraft may be configured for vertical takeoff-and-landing (VTOL), enabling it to operate without a runway. Such an aircraft may include one or more rotor assemblies that provide lift during takeoff and landing. Naturally, it is desirable for an aircraft rotor assembly to operate with high efficiency. In many scenarios, it is further desirable for a rotor assembly to operate with minimal vibration and/or acoustic emission.
One aspect of this disclosure relates to an aircraft rotor assembly. The rotor assembly comprises first and second rotors and a drive assembly. The first and second rotors are rotatable about a common axis synchronously and with respect to each other. The first rotor has a first blade extending radially from the common axis. The second rotor has a second blade extending radially from the common axis, longitudinally offset from the first blade along the common axis. The drive assembly is coupled to the first and second rotors and configured to controllably vary, during continuous rotation of the first and second rotors, the differential phase angle separating the first and second blades as projected onto a plane perpendicular to the common axis.
This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Neither is the scope of the claimed subject matter limited to implementations that address any problems or disadvantages that may be noted in any part of this disclosure. The features, functions, and advantages described in this disclosure may be achieved independently in some implementations and may be combined in other implementations.
This disclosure will be better understood from reading the following Detailed Description with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
As noted above, this disclosure relates to a rotor assembly for an aircraft. One objective for the rotor assembly is to minimize the aerodynamic drag on the rotor blades of the rotor assembly in the powered-down state—e.g., during cruising flight. It is a further benefit to achieve this objective in a way that does not limit the number of rotor blades that may be arranged in the rotor assembly, as each additional rotor blade provides additional thrust at a given rotational velocity. Other objectives include reducing the amount of vibration and/or acoustic noise produced by the rotor assembly during various modes of operation (e.g., takeoff, landing, cruising flight).
To satisfy the above objectives, the rotor assemblies herein include plural, coaxial rotors with blades that are set apart by 180 degrees. The differential phase angle separating the blades of different rotors is adjustable, however. That angle can be expanded to provide maximum thrust for vertical takeoff and landing and reduced to zero during cruising flight, where every blade may be aligned to the flow direction of the surrounding air mass, in order to reduce drag.
The features introduced above will now be described by way of example and with reference to the attached drawing figures. Components, process steps, and other elements that may be substantially the same in one or more of the figures are identified coordinately and are described with minimal repetition. It will be noted, however, that elements identified coordinately may also differ to some degree. It will be further noted that the figures are schematic and generally not drawn to scale. Rather, the various drawing scales, aspect ratios, and numbers of components shown in the figures may be purposely distorted to make certain features or relationships easier to see.
Aircraft 10 includes an on-board computer 24. The computer may be arranged in fuselage 26 of the aircraft, together with the sensory and communications componentry described below. The computer is configured to receive electronic input signal from a plurality of aircraft sensors. Such sensors may include camera 28, altimeter 30, accelerometer 32, magnetometer 34, air-speed sensor 36, and global-positioning system (GPS) receiver 38, among others. The computer is configured to output electronic control signal to a plurality of electronically controlled aircraft components. Such components may include, among others, electromechanical actuators for flight-control surfaces and electronic motor controllers (vide infra) associated with rotor assemblies 12 and forward thruster 20. In a typical flight-control strategy, computer 24 computes a desired setpoint for every control variable based on pilot input and/or sensory signal. The actual values of the control variables are iteratively or continuously sensed and the aircraft componentry actuated in a closed-loop manner so as to urge the sensed values toward their respective setpoints. In some variants, computer 24 outputs the setpoints to downstream actuator components that enforce the control loop. In other variants, the control loop is enforced by the computer itself.
Aircraft 10 includes a transmitter-receiver 40 coupled operatively to computer 24. The transmitter-receiver may include a two-way radio of any suitable technology. The transmitter-receiver may be configured to enable remote piloting and transmission of video feed from camera 28 to a remote location. Leveraging that feature, aircraft 10 may take the form of a remotely piloted drone suitable for surveillance, parcel delivery, and various other military and civilian applications. Aircraft similarly configured but implemented on a larger scale may be suitable for transporting passengers and/or heavier cargo. Irrespective of the use scenario or scale of implementation, rotor assemblies 12 enable aircraft 10 to take off and land without need of a runway.
Returning now to
Rotor assembly 12 includes a drive assembly 46 coupled to first rotor 42A and to second rotor 42B. The drive assembly is configured to support, depending on conditions, both synchronous and differential rotation of the first and second rotors about axis A. In particular, the first and second rotors of rotor assembly 12 are rotatable synchronously for combined thrust during takeoff and landing. The first and second rotors are also rotatable with respect to each other, enabling dynamic adjustment of the phase lag between rotors and static alignment of the rotor blades for cruising flight. More specifically, and with reference now to
Turning now to
Various types of electric motors may be used in drive assembly 46, provided that certain conditions are met. One condition is that the motors are capable of substantially synchronous operation, such that the afore-mentioned differential phase angle φ is controllable to a desired accuracy. To that end, the differential phase angle may be iteratively or continuously sensed, typically via independent sensing of the absolute rotation angles of each rotor (α for first rotor 42A, β for second rotor 42B) and evaluation of the difference φ=α−β. In other examples, the difference itself may be sensed directly.
Turning now to
In some examples, where an absolute rotation angle is sensed for a given rotor, an electronic motor controller may be capable of stationing that rotor within a desired angular interval. Stationing is achieved via closed-loop control of the absolute rotation angle, by applying impulses of forward and reverse torque iteratively so as to maintain the absolute rotation angle within the desired angular interval (e.g., stationed at rest within the desired angular interval).
In some examples, rotation angle sensors 56 may be distinct from first motor 48A or second motor 48B. The rotation angle sensors may be optoelectronic, Hall-effect, acoustic, etc. The rotation angle sensors may be arranged at any suitable position on drive assembly 46. In other examples, the rotation angle sensors 56 may be integrated within first motor 48A and second motor 48B. By way of example, brushless DC motors and synchronous AC motors both provide output waveforms that, when received as input to a suitable electronic motor controller, reveal the absolute rotation angle of the rotor. Accordingly, an integrated rotation angle sensor 56 may take the form of an internal motor winding or Hall-effect sensor of a motor in some examples.
Returning now to
Turning now to
No aspect of the drawings or description herein should be understood in a limiting sense, as numerous variations, extensions, and omissions are also envisaged. While illustrated rotor assembly 12 includes two rotors and a corresponding number of motors, other suitable rotor assemblies may include three or more rotors, each coupled to a corresponding motor of the drive assembly. Alternatively, a given motor of the drive assembly may be configured to drive either plural rotors or a single rotor with blades arranged at each end of its associated shaft. Various advantages of the rotor assemblies herein are exemplified in the lift-providing orientation, but that orientation is not strictly necessary, as such rotor assemblies may be used in other orientations as well, to secure other advantages.
At 72 of method 70, the relative air-mass flow velocity, or wind velocity relative to the aircraft, is sensed. In aeronautics, the term ‘relative wind velocity’ is a surrogate for the velocity of an aircraft relative to the air mass in which the aircraft is flying. As the relative wind velocity is a vector in three dimensions, the relative wind velocity admits of a projection in the horizontal plane (i.e., the plane perpendicular to the altitude component). In some examples herein, the term ‘relative wind velocity’ is used to refer to that projection, which excludes the altitude component. In some examples, the relative wind velocity may be sensed via an air-speed sensor arranged in the aircraft. In other examples, the relative wind velocity may be sensed indirectly, based on GPS, accelerometer, and/or other data. As described below, the onboard computer of the aircraft may receive the relative wind velocity as input and compute a setpoint for the differential phase angle co based on the relative wind velocity. In that manner, the setpoint for the differential phase angle may vary in response to the relative wind velocity.
At 74 of method 70, if the relative wind velocity is below a predetermined threshold, then, at 76, the differential phase angle is set to substantially 180/N degrees, where N is the number of rotors in the rotor assembly. In other words, the setpoint for the differential phase angle may be about 180/N degrees for limiting low values of the relative wind velocity. The limiting low values may correspond to vertical takeoff or landing conditions, for instance, or any portion thereof. In examples where two rotors are arranged in the rotor assembly, the differential phase angle may be set to substantially 90 degrees under such conditions.
At 78 of method 70, the differential phase angle is decreased with increasing relative wind velocity. In some examples, the onboard computer of the aircraft receives the relative wind velocity sensed at 72 and adjusts the setpoint for the differential phase angle downward with increasing relative wind velocity. In some examples the setpoint collapses to substantially zero degrees as the aircraft approaches a relative wind velocity indicative of cruising flight. Thus, the differential phase angle may be set to 0 degrees during cruising flight or any portion thereof.
At 80 of method 70, the altitude of the aircraft is sensed. In some examples, the altitude may be sensed via an altimeter arranged in the aircraft. In other examples, the altitude may be sensed indirectly, based on GPS and/or other data. At 82 the differential phase angle is varied as a function of the altitude. In some examples, the onboard computer may adjust the setpoint of the differential phase angle in response to the altitude. In some examples, the setpoint of the differential phase angle may be adjusted in response to the altitude indicative of cruising flight or to a change in flight mode (vertical to cruising transition, for instance). This control feature may be enacted, for instance, to compensate for ground-wash effects—where objects and/or structures in the wake of a rotor assembly may affect the differential phase angle desired to reduce acoustic emission while maintaining thrust.
At optional step 84, acoustic noise from the aircraft is sensed. In some examples the acoustic noise may be sensed via a directional or omnidirectional microphone arranged onboard the aircraft. In some scenarios, the noise of particular interest is noise caused by injection of the vortex of an upstream rotor blade of a rotor assembly by a downstream rotor blade of the same rotor assembly.
At 86 of method 70, the differential phase angle is varied so as to reduce the amount of acoustic noise. More specifically, the onboard computer of the aircraft may vary the setpoint of the differential phase angle in an open- or closed-loop manner so as to reduce the amount of acoustic noise from the aircraft, including noise due to vortex ingestion. In some examples, the onboard computer may receive input from an onboard microphone and adjust the setpoint in a closed-loop manner so as to reduce the amount noise. In other examples, the computer may adjust the setpoint in an open-loop manner based on one or more sensed or predicted parameter values. Suitable parameter values include rotational velocity of the rotors, aircraft altitude, relative wind velocity, etc. In some examples, the computer may compute the setpoint as a numerical function. In other examples, the computer may read the setpoint from a look-up table stored in computer memory.
At 88 of method 70, it is determined whether aircraft has achieved cruising flight, where the rotational velocity of the rotors of the rotor assembly is reduced to a powered-down state. At 90, if the rotor assembly is powered down for cruising flight then each blade in the rotor assembly is stationed (i.e., stopped) and statically aligned to the relative wind direction. As used herein, the ‘relative wind direction’ is the direction parallel to the horizontal projection of the relative wind velocity. In some examples, the computer receives the relative wind direction (as described above) and adjusts the setpoint for the static orientation of the blades of all rotors of the rotor assembly to the relative wind direction. As shown in
As noted above, the control methods herein may be tied to a computer system of one or more computing devices, such as onboard computer 24. Such methods and processes may be implemented as an application program or service, an application programming interface (API), a library, and/or other computer-program product.
Computer 24 includes a logic system 92 and a computer-memory system 94. Computer 24 may optionally include a display system 96, an input system 98, a network system 100, and/or other systems not shown in the drawings.
Logic system 92 includes one or more physical devices configured to execute instructions. For example, the logic system may be configured to execute instructions that are part of at least one operating system (OS), application, service, and/or other program construct. The logic system may include at least one hardware processor (e.g., microprocessor, central processor, central processing unit (CPU) and/or graphics processing unit (GPU)) configured to execute software instructions. Additionally or alternatively, the logic system may include at least one hardware or firmware device configured to execute hardware or firmware instructions. A processor of the logic system may be single-core or multi-core, and the instructions executed thereon may be configured for sequential, parallel, and/or distributed processing. Individual components of the logic system optionally may be distributed among two or more separate devices, which may be remotely located and/or configured for coordinated processing. Aspects of the logic system may be virtualized and executed by remotely-accessible, networked computing devices configured in a cloud-computing configuration.
Computer-memory system 94 includes at least one physical device configured to temporarily and/or permanently hold computer system information, such as data and instructions executable by logic system 92. When the computer-memory system includes two or more devices, the devices may be collocated or remotely located. Computer-memory system 94 may include at least one volatile, nonvolatile, dynamic, static, read/write, read-only, random-access, sequential-access, location-addressable, file-addressable, and/or content-addressable computer-memory device. Computer-memory system 94 may include at least one removable and/or built-in computer-memory device. When the logic system executes instructions, the state of computer-memory system 94 may be transformed—e.g., to hold different data.
Aspects of logic system 92 and computer-memory system 94 may be integrated together into one or more hardware-logic components. Any such hardware-logic component may include at least one program- or application-specific integrated circuit (PASIC/ASIC), program- or application-specific standard product (PSSP/ASSP), system-on-a-chip (SOC), or complex programmable logic device (CPLD), for example.
Logic system 92 and computer-memory system 94 may cooperate to instantiate one or more logic machines or engines. As used herein, the terms ‘machine’ and ‘engine’ each refer collectively to a combination of cooperating hardware, firmware, software, instructions, and/or any other components that provide computer system functionality. In other words, machines and engines are never abstract ideas and always have a tangible form. A machine or engine may be instantiated by a single computing device, or a machine or engine may include two or more subcomponents instantiated by two or more different computing devices. In some implementations, a machine or engine includes a local component (e.g., a software application executed by a computer system processor) cooperating with a remote component (e.g., a cloud computing service provided by a network of one or more server computer systems). The software and/or other instructions that give a particular machine or engine its functionality may optionally be saved as one or more unexecuted modules on one or more computer-memory devices.
Machines and engines may be implemented using any suitable combination of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. Non-limiting examples of techniques that may be incorporated in an implementation of one or more machines include support vector machines, multi-layer neural networks, convolutional neural networks (e.g., spatial convolutional networks for processing images and/or video, and/or any other suitable convolutional neural network configured to convolve and pool features across one or more temporal and/or spatial dimensions), recurrent neural networks (e.g., long short-term memory networks), associative memories (e.g., lookup tables, hash tables, bloom filters, neural Turing machines and/or neural random-access memory) unsupervised spatial and/or clustering methods (e.g., nearest neighbor algorithms, topological data analysis, and/or k-means clustering), and/or graphical models (e.g., (hidden) Markov models, Markov random fields, (hidden) conditional random fields, and/or AI knowledge bases)).
When included, display system 96 may be used to present a visual representation of data held by computer-memory system 94. The visual representation may take the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) in some examples. The display system may include one or more display devices utilizing virtually any type of technology. In some examples, display system may include one or more virtual-, augmented-, or mixed reality displays. In some examples, the display system may be remote from computer 24 and coupled operatively to computer 24 via network system 100.
When included, input system 98 may comprise or interface with one or more input devices. An input device may include a sensor device or a user input device. Examples of user input devices include a keyboard, mouse, or touch screen. In some examples, the input system may be remote from computer 24 and coupled operatively to computer 24 via network system 100.
When included, network system 100 may be configured to communicatively couple computer 24 with one or more other computer systems. The network system may include wired and wireless communication devices compatible with one or more different communication protocols. The network system may be configured for communication via personal-, local- and/or wide-area networks.
In conclusion, one aspect of this disclosure is directed to an aircraft rotor assembly comprising: a first rotor having plural fixed-pitch blades configured to rotate about an axis of rotation in a first rotation plane; a first rotor shaft extending from the first rotor; a first electric motor configured to rotate the first rotor shaft and the first rotor; a second rotor having plural fixed-pitch blades configured to rotate about the axis of rotation in a second rotation plane, parallel to and offset from the first rotation plane; a second rotor shaft extending from the second rotor coaxially through the first rotor shaft; a second electric motor configured to rotate the second rotor shaft and the second rotor; and a motor control system configured to controllably vary a differential phase angle between the first rotor and the second rotor.
In some implementations, the rotor assembly further comprises a mechanical interlock configured to limit the differential phase angle, thereby allowing the first electric motor to rotate the second rotor or the second electric motor to rotate the first rotor. In some implementations, the rotor assembly further comprises one or more electronic motor controllers coupled operatively to the first and second electric motors, and one or more rotation angle sensors configured to sense a rotation angle of the first and second electric motors, wherein the one or more electronic motor controllers are configured to receive feedback signal from the one or more rotation angle sensors. In some implementations, the one or more electronic motor controllers are configured to statically align the blades of the first rotor and the blades of the second rotor.
Another aspect of this disclosure is directed to an aircraft rotor assembly, comprising: first and second rotors rotatable about a common axis synchronously and with respect to each other, the first rotor having a first blade extending radially from the common axis, the second rotor having a second blade extending radially from the common axis, longitudinally offset from the first blade along the common axis; and a drive assembly coupled to the first and second rotors and configured to controllably vary, during continuous rotation of the first and second rotors, a differential phase angle separating the first and second blades as projected onto a plane perpendicular to the common axis.
In some implementations, the first rotor includes a third blade extending radially from the common axis, 180 degrees separated from the first blade, and the second rotor includes a fourth blade extending radially from the common axis, 180 degrees separated from the second blade. In some implementations, the drive assembly includes first and second motors coupled, respectively, to the first and second rotors. In some implementations, the first and second rotors are among three or more rotors each coupled to a corresponding motor of the drive assembly. In some implementations, the rotor assembly further comprises one or more rotation angle sensors configured to sense a rotation angle of the first and second motors or of the first and second rotors, wherein the drive assembly includes an electronic motor controller configured to receive feedback signal from the one or more rotation angle sensors. In some implementations, the rotor assembly further comprises a first shaft coupling the first motor to the first rotor and a second shaft coupling the second motor to the second rotor, wherein the first and second shafts are concentric. In some implementations, the first and second motors are adjacent along the common axis, such that the first and second blades are arranged at one side of the rotor assembly and the first and second motors are arranged at an opposite side of the rotor assembly. In some implementations, the rotor assembly further comprises a mechanical interlock configured to couple the first motor to the second rotor when the differential phase angle reaches a predetermined value. In some implementations, the first and second blades are fixed-pitch blades. In some implementations, the first and second blades differ in length.
Another aspect of this disclosure is directed to an aircraft comprising: a forward thruster; and at least one rotor assembly, the rotor assembly including: first and second rotors rotatable about a common axis synchronously and with respect to each other, the first rotor having a first pair of blades extending radially in opposite directions from the common axis, the second rotor having a second pair of blades longitudinally offset from the first pair of blades along the common axis and extending radially in opposite directions from the common axis, and a drive assembly operatively coupled to the first and second rotors and configured to controllably vary, during continuous rotation of the first and second rotors, a differential phase angle separating the first pair of blades and the second pair of blades, such that the differential phase angle is substantially 180/N degrees during takeoff and landing of the aircraft, and the differential phase angle is substantially 0 degrees during cruising flight of the aircraft, where Nis a number of rotors in the rotor assembly.
In some implementations, the drive assembly includes first and second motors configured to rotate, respectively, the first and second rotors. In some implementations, the aircraft further comprises a mechanical interlock configured to limit the differential phase angle, thereby allowing the first electric motor to rotate the second rotor or the second electric motor to rotate the first rotor. In some implementations, the number of rotors in the rotor assembly is two, and the differential phase angle is substantially 90 degrees during takeoff and landing. In some implementations, the differential phase angle is controllably varied in response to a wind velocity relative to the aircraft. In some implementations, the aircraft further comprises an altimeter, wherein the differential phase angle is controllably varied in response to output of the altimeter. In some implementations, the drive assembly is further configured to station and statically align the first pair of blades and the second pair of blades to an airmass flow direction relative to the aircraft during cruising flight of the aircraft. In some implementations, the rotor assembly and the forward thruster have a fixed relative orientation.
It will be understood that the configurations and/or approaches described herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments or examples are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The specific routines or processes described herein may represent one or more of any number of processing strategies. As such, various acts illustrated and/or described may be performed in the sequence illustrated and/or described, in other sequences, in parallel, or omitted. Likewise, the order of the above-described processes may be changed.
The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various processes, systems and configurations, and other features, functions, acts, and/or properties disclosed herein, as well as any and all equivalents thereof.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/126,747, filed Dec. 17, 2020, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63126747 | Dec 2020 | US |
