Patent Application
20130014485
This invention relates generally to the field of transportation and more specifically to an apparatus for propulsion.
There are different modes of transportation for different environments. On land, any vehicle that has wheels is the main type of transportation. In the air, any vehicle that has wings to provide lift is the main type of transportation. In space, any vehicle capable of discharging mass is the main type of transportation.
An automobile requires a transmission between the engine and the tires to provide the necessary rotational force to turn the tires in order to provide movement forward or backward depending on the gear selected. The addition of the transmission adds extra weight to the car and loss of engine power through the transmission gears. An airplane requires the movement of air over and under the wings of the airplane to provide both the necessary lift and forward movement by pushing air rearward. This limits the ability of the plane to go into space, where there is no air to provide the lift and the thrust of air necessary to push the plane forward. A rocket requires expulsion of mass to move the rocket forward; and this expulsion will generate a great amount of thrust to move the rocket forward. The thrust is limited, however, by the amount of fuel that the rocket carries, which fuel also adds to the weight of the whole rocket. And because the rocket exhausts the fuel supply, there is a limit to its speed.
In contrast to rocket, airplane, boat and automobile, the present invention uses the rotation of fluid mass to create an imbalanced centripetal force which results in a directional force. This invention, however, does not require expellants, as rockets do, but rather circulates the fluid mass that it uses to provide the directional force over and over again. The present invention would be able to provide a continuous directional force applied to the desired direction. Since the present invention does not interact with its surrounding environment to provide the necessary force to move vehicle, the same vehicle can be used on land or in water, air, and space without any modification. Furthermore, the vehicle can simultaneously maneuver in three dimensions by using one or more apparatuses at the same time.
This invention is lightweight, especially compared to rockets, because the necessary thrust is self-contained and repeated and reused. This invention would benefit outer-space travel as much as on-earth travel due to its compactness and usefulness.
Some prior technologies have a counter-force associated, so they are unable to convert most of the mass into useable force. U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,123 (FIG. 4) proposes the use of solenoids to change the radius of the rotating weights and thereby create a net resultant force. U.S. Pat. Application Publication No. US 2009/0165594 A1 (FIG. 1) proposes a fluid rotation within an annular tubular container that creates a net resultant force by varying the diameter of the annular tubular containers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,698 (FIG. 5) proposes an eccentric rotor, whereby, as the rotor rotates, the mass of the rotor is imbalanced because its center of rotation is offset from the center and so creates a net force in one direction. The present invention maximizes the centripetal force created by the rotation of the rotator with negligible counterforce.
The primary object of the invention is to provide continuous directional force through its sealed circulating fluid mass.
Another object of the invention is to provide necessary force to move a vehicle so that same vehicle can be used not only on land but also in water, air, and space.
Another object of the invention is to provide vehicle maneuverability in three dimensions by using one or more apparatuses at the same time.
Another object of the invention is to provide circulation of the fluid mass in a loop so that the directional force is created continuously.
A further object of the invention is to reduce the overall weight of a vehicle.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed an apparatus for propulsion comprising: a main body, a fluid flow channel for fluid mass to circulate within a self-sealed apparatus or to the open environment, an air flow channel for air to circulate within a self-sealed apparatus, a fluid mass, a rotator having compartments to move the fluid mass centrifugally, a cover providing sealed containment for the apparatus and providing means to remove the rotator from the main body, and a rotator shaft providing means to rotate the rotator by motor.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.
Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiments are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching someone how to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.
In accordance with the present invention, a propulsion apparatus as shown in
In
As shown in
The filled fluid mass in the fluid flow channel (10) enters the rotator compartment (22) through the entry opening (11) while air is being push out of rotator compartment (22) into the air flow channel (9). As the rotator (2) rotates counterclockwise (40), the filled fluid mass in the rotator compartments (23 to 26) pushes against the wall (5) to provide the continuous directional force (17 to 20) required to move the object in the net directional force (41). When the filled fluid mass encounters the exit opening (12), the filled fluid mass will exit the rotator compartment (27) go through an exit opening (12) into fluid flow channel (10) in the fluid flow direction (13 to 15), and the directional force (21) is dissipated. As the fluid mass is exiting the rotator compartment (27), air is being sucked into rotator compartment (27) to replace the loss volume of fluid mass via the air flow channel (9). The rotator compartments (28 to 39) will be empty of fluid mass therefore providing no directional force. The directional force (17 to 20) is transferred from the wall (5) to the main body (1) which then provides a net directional force (41) to the apparatus for propulsion. This net directional force (41) can then be applied by attaching the apparatus for propulsion to a moveable object, more specifically vehicle such as a boat, a car, an airplane, or a spaceship. The circulation of the self-sealed fluid mass within the fluid flow channel (10) and the rotator compartments (22 to 27) by the rotator (2) keeps repeating; and so, the directional force (17 to 20) is continuously produced centrifugally until the rotator (2) stops rotating. To increase or decrease the directional force (17 to 20), the rotator (2) needs to rotate faster or slower, respectively.
Depending on how an apparatus is mounted to an object, the continuous net directional force (41) can be aligned in such a way that wherever the net directional force (41) is pointing, that is the direction towards which the object will move. If the object needs to move up, the apparatus' net directional force (41) needs to be pointing up. If the object needs to move down, the apparatus' net directional force (41) needs to be pointing down. So as to apply the movement of an object to the right, left, backward, forward and any direction in between, the apparatus' net directional force (41) needs to be pointing in that direction. In addition, a combination of two or more apparatuses can manipulate the direction the object will move by adding individual vector together to provide a resultant vector as
To control and pressurize fluid mass flow further, the said fluid flow channel (10) can be in plane or out of plane at any angle with the main body.
To further control and pressurize fluid mass flow, the air flow channel (9, 59 and/or 95) can be alter to incorporate a one way valve air pump providing pressurized air to rotator compartment (27 and 79) while providing vacuum to rotator compartment (22 and 74) simultaneously.
The alternative of the present invention, as demonstrated in
The numbers, sizes, shapes, and materials of the rotator compartments can vary, depending on the density of the fluid, the laminar flow of the fluid, the fluid control and the desired directional output force that will dictate how big a rotator (2 and 52) is needed to provide the calculated force required to move the vehicle.
In the present form of the invention, comprising gears between the shaft and motor, the torque and speed of the rotator can be controlled, thereby increasing or decreasing the directional output force.
While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth; but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
