Patent Application
20240025537
The present disclosure relates to fixed-wing aircraft and, in particular, to fixed-wing aircraft with variable-volume buoyant bags.
Fixed-wing aircraft (e.g., manned, unmanned) are typically jet or propeller driven. These aircraft are maneuverable, but their flight duration is limited by their fuel efficiency. Airships (e.g., blimps) and balloons rely on buoyancy and can support long flights but are not maneuverable or as fast as fixed-wing aircraft. A hybrid plane-airship has been developed with fixed volume buoyant bags. The hybrid aircraft allow increased flight duration but suffer from the lack of maneuverability of airships and exhibit lower performance in atmospheric winds.
According to one embodiment, a system in a fixed-wing aircraft includes inflatable buoyant bags. Each of the inflatable buoyant bags is arranged to conformally cover a corresponding pylon attachment of the fixed-wing aircraft in a deflated state. The system also includes a tank storing pressurized gas and a controller to control inflow of the pressurized gas from the tank into the inflatable buoyant bags to increase buoyancy of the fixed-wing aircraft and to control outflow of the pressurized gas out of the inflatable buoyant bags to decrease buoyancy of the fixed-wing aircraft.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the system also includes a pressure regulator to regulate pressure of the pressurized gas from the tank before the pressurized gas is supplied to one of the inflatable buoyant bags.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the pressurized gas is hydrogen.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the pressurized gas is helium.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, two of the inflatable buoyant bags are arranged to conformally cover two corresponding pylon attachments.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the pylon attachments are affixed to tips of each of two wings of the fixed-wing aircraft.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the controller determines whether the inflow or the outflow of the pressurized gas is needed based on a current state of inflation of the inflatable buoyant bags and a desired state of inflation of the inflatable buoyant bags.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the controller obtains the desired state of inflation of the inflatable buoyant bags as an input.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the controller determines the desired state of inflation of the inflatable buoyant bags based on an input of a flight mode.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the fixed-wing aircraft is manned or unmanned.
According to another embodiment, a method of assembling a system in a fixed-wing aircraft includes arranging inflatable buoyant bags such that each of the inflatable buoyant bags conformally covers a corresponding pylon attachment of the fixed-wing aircraft in a deflated state. The method also includes storing pressurized gas in a tank of the fixed-wing aircraft and configuring a controller to control inflow of the pressurized gas from the tank into the inflatable buoyant bags to increase buoyancy of the fixed-wing aircraft and to control outflow of the pressurized gas out of the inflatable buoyant bags to decrease buoyancy of the fixed-wing aircraft.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the method also includes arranging a pressure regulator to regulate pressure of the pressurized gas from the tank before the pressurized gas is supplied to one of the inflatable buoyant bags.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the storing the pressurized gas includes storing hydrogen.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the storing the pressurized gas includes storing helium.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the arranging the inflatable buoyant bags includes arranging two of the inflatable buoyant bags to conformally cover two corresponding pylon attachments.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the pylon attachments are affixed to tips of each of two wings of the fixed-wing aircraft.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the configuring the controller includes the controller determining whether the inflow or the outflow of the pressurized gas is needed based on a current state of inflation of the inflatable buoyant bags and a desired state of inflation of the inflatable buoyant bags.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the configuring the controller includes the controller obtaining the desired state of inflation of the inflatable buoyant bags as an input.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the configuring the controller includes the controller determining the desired state of inflation of the inflatable buoyant bags based on an input of a flight mode.
In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the fixed-wing aircraft is manned or unmanned.
Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure. For a better understanding of the disclosure with the advantages and the features, refer to the description and to the drawings.
For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts:
As previously noted, fixed-wing aircraft generally are more maneuverable than airships but have a shorter flight duration. Prior approaches to a hybrid plane-airship have involved fixed volume buoyant bags. These hybrids suffer some of the disadvantages of fixed-wing aircraft and airships. Embodiments of the systems and methods detailed herein relate to a fixed-wing aircraft with variable-volume buoyant bags. Inflated volume of the variable-volume buoyant bags may be controlled to vary between full deflation and full inflation. Thus, based on the conditions, the aircraft may benefit from the performance of a typical fixed-wing aircraft, the buoyant lift of an airship, or a mix of the two.
A controller 130 is also shown in
At block 410, obtaining the input may, instead, refer to obtaining a flight mode (e.g., fully-buoyant lift, steady flight (or glide), wind hovering, loitering descent) or other information that does not directly indicate inflation level for the buoyant bags 110. This input (e.g., flight mode) may be used, at block 420, to determine a corresponding inflation level. For example, fully-buoyant lift requires full inflation (i.e., buoyant bags 110a). An input mode of steady flight requires full deflation (i.e., buoyant bags 110b). Wind hovering mode requires partially inflated buoyant bags 110c and balancing of wing and buoyant lift against wind. Loitering descent may require partial or no inflation of the buoyant bags 110.
At block 430, the processes include determining whether inflow or outflow of pressurized gas is needed. That is, the desired inflation level, which is obtained as input at block 410 or determined at block 420, is compared with the current inflation level of the buoyant bags 110 to determine whether pressurized gas must be added to or removed from the buoyant bags 110 to achieve the desired level of inflation. Once the determination is made, at block 430, of whether inflow or outflow is needed, the needed inflow or outflow of pressurized gas is controlled at block 440. If deflation is needed, the gas expelled from the buoyant bags 110 may be recaptured, as previously noted.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form detailed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
While the preferred embodiments have been described, it will be understood that those skilled in the art, both now and in the future, may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the disclosure as first described.
