The present patent document claims the benefit of German Patent Application No. 10 2022 131 791.9, filed Nov. 30, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The disclosure relates to a nacelle device and to a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
Aircraft that may take-off and land vertically or vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft are known in principle. If an electric drive is used as the drive device of such an aircraft, the aircraft is also referred to as an eVTOL aircraft. Such aircraft are of considerable interest specifically for the use of aircraft in the urban sector (UAM: urban air mobility).
In principle, different designs are used, e.g., pure rotary wing aircraft or designs with pivotable wings or pivotable drives.
In a version with pivotable drives, the latter are moved from a lift position into a propulsion position, e.g., by pivotable nacelle devices (also referred to as nacelles). The nacelle devices are connected to a wing via a pylon device, with the pivoting about an axis taking place on the housing of the pylon device.
It is the object to provide improved nacelle devices that permit efficient flow guidance during the pivoting of the nacelle device.
The scope of the present disclosure is defined solely by the appended claims and is not affected to any degree by the statements within this summary. The present embodiments may obviate one or more of the drawbacks or limitations in the related art.
In this case, a nacelle device for a vertical take-off and landing aircraft is connected via a pylon device in a manner known per se to a wing of the vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The nacelle device is pivotable relative to the pylon device by a pivoting device about an axis of rotation between a first position, (e.g., a propulsion position), and a second position, (e.g., a lift position).
The axis of rotation is arranged within the pylon device and/or the nacelle device, wherein the axis of rotation may lie on or in an axial center plane of the pylon device.
By shifting of the axis of rotation into the interior, e.g., of the pylon device, the nacelle device may be pivoted spatially compactly. This also facilitates internal flow guidance.
The pivoting device may be part of the pylon device. For example, the pivoting device may be integrated within the pylon device. This may mean that parts of the wall of the pylon device are concomitantly pivoted.
Furthermore, the nacelle device is configured in such a manner that, when coupled to an air-guiding device inside the pylon device, air may flow continuously through the air-guiding device, specifically in the first position and in the second position of the nacelle device and also in positions in between. For a particularly efficient design, the interior of the pylon device is at least partially designed as the air-guiding device.
In one embodiment, the nacelle device may have at least one outlet opening, wherein the outlet opening has a first outlet region in the side wall and a second outlet region in the axial end region of the air-guiding device. Air may thus flow in different directions out of the nacelle device (or else may flow in, depending on the main flow direction). This arrangement of the outlet region makes it possible for air to be able to flow through the nacelle device and the pylon device in any pivoting position of the nacelle device.
It may be expedient for the at least one outlet opening with the outlet regions to be arranged axially in the region of the axis of rotation. In this case, the nacelle device pivots virtually around the outlet opening.
In a further embodiment, at least one air-conveying device, (e.g., a fan), may be arranged in the flow path of the air-guiding device, with the flow being able to be directed away from the drive unit or towards the drive unit.
The nacelle device may be coupled to at least one drive device, e.g., a rotor or a jet engine. The drive device may be configured electrically, e.g., as a transverse-flux machine.
The pivoting device may have a lever mechanism, (e.g., a hydraulically, electrically, or pneumatically driven lever mechanism). With these types of drive mechanisms, the nacelle device may be pivoted efficiently and safely.
The nacelle device, the pylon device, and/or the air-guiding device may have a circular, an elliptical, or a polygonal cross section at least in an axial section, for example. This allows different spatial requirements and flow conditions to be taken into account.
In a further embodiment, the nacelle device may be coupled via the pivoting device to a cover element, which, in the first position, covers and/or seals an open region between the nacelle device and the pylon device and which, upon pivoting into the second position, may be moved out of the region between the nacelle device and the pylon device. The cover element is thus used in the first position to delimit the interior of the nacelle device and the pylon device from the external space. In the event of pivoting, the cover element has to be pivoted out of this region so that, in the second position, the nacelle device and the pylon device fit together with their respective cross sections.
When the air guidance points away from the drive unit, least one exhaust-air opening for air from the one air-guiding device may be arranged on the pylon device. Furthermore, a flow-guiding device may be arranged under the wing. This makes it possible to direct the exhaust air in certain directions, e.g., vertically downwards to assist vertical flight.
In addition, the pylon device may be connected to a non-pivotable drive device.
The disclosure is explained in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures. In the figures:
The embodiment shown here is a vertical take-off and landing aircraft 10 in which a drive device 12, (e.g., a rotor or propeller), is pivotably coupled to a nacelle device 1.
For flight horizontally, (i.e., in a propulsion position), the rotor 12 is oriented on the front side of the pylon device 2 in such a manner that the rotor 12 moves air horizontally in the direction of the wing 11 during operation such that lift is generated. This is the first position A (propulsion position) of the drive device 12, which is illustrated in
To enable a vertical take-off and landing aircraft 10 to take off and land vertically, a drive device 12 that may also generate thrust vertically is required. The drive device 12 is located here on a nacelle device 1 (also called nacelle), which is designed as a housing that is movable relative to the pylon device 2.
In the embodiment illustrated in
For take-off and landing, it is possible to switch between the two positions A and B, as indicated by the double arrow. This type of pivoting is known per se.
However, in the embodiment illustrated here, the axis of rotation D of the pivoting is arranged within the pylon device 2 and also within the nacelle device 1. The nacelle device 1 (and therefore the drive device 12) may thus be pivoted relative to the pylon device 2, with the pivoting not being carried out about an axis which lies in the outer wall of the nacelle device 1 or the wall of the pylon device 2.
By the arrangement of the axis of rotation D within the pylon device 2 or within the nacelle device 1, a spatially compact pivoting may be carried out to the effect that the nacelle device 1 (and thus the drive device 12) may be pivoted “within” the pylon device 2.
In the embodiment shown here, the axis of rotation D is arranged in the axial center plane M of the pylon device 2. Axially denotes here the longitudinal extent of the pylon device 2 in the flight direction. In other embodiments, the axis of rotation D may also be arranged above or below the axial center plane M, remaining within the housing of the pylon device 2 or the nacelle device 1.
The pivoting device 3 with which the pivoting of the nacelle device 1 is brought about is not illustrated in
The effect which may furthermore be achieved by the axis of rotation D integrated in the pylon device 2 and a special configuration of the nacelle device 1 is particular air guidance in the interior of the pylon device 2, this being shown in
In other embodiments, the drive device 12 may also be configured as a jet engine, which is configured to be pivotable relative to the pylon device 2.
In principle, the two figures show the embodiment according to
In particular, a portion of the air conveyed by the rotor 12 is conveyed into the interior of the nacelle device 2, illustrated in
The nacelle device 1 has an outlet opening 7 in the axial rear part (with reference to the flow direction of the air), wherein the outlet opening 7 has a first outlet region 8 in the side wall and a second outlet region 9 in the axial end region of the air-guiding device 5.
This is illustrated schematically in
Starting from the axially front part, air (indicated by a double arrow) flows through the interior of the nacelle device 1 in the direction of the outlet opening 7. The latter has two portions (outlet regions 8, 9), which are oriented differently.
The first outlet region 8 is a recess in the cylindrical side surface of the nacelle device 1, i.e., air may flow out radially here. The second outlet region 9 is a recess in the axial end surface of the nacelle device 1, i.e., air may flow out axially here.
This outlet opening 7 extending around the axial end makes it possible for air from the nacelle device 1 to be able to flow in each pivoting position from the nacelle device 1 into the air-guiding device 5 of the pylon device 2, this being illustrated for two positions in
In the propulsion position (
In the lift position (
Even though only two (end) positions of the nacelle device 1 are illustrated here, it may be seen that the arrangement and shape of the outlet opening 7 makes it possible for air to flow through at least one of the outlet regions 8, 9 in each pivoting position of the nacelle device 1 between the first position A and the second position B. The axis of rotation D, about which the nacelle device 1 is pivotable, is also illustrated in
In other embodiments, the nacelle device 1 (and correspondingly the associated pylon device 2) may have other cross sections, such as elliptical or polygonal cross sections.
In the embodiment according to
Thus, in the interior of the air-guiding device 5, an air-conveying device 15 is arranged in the form of fans that provide that air from the nacelle device 1 is effectively conveyed to the first outlet opening.
The rotor of the drive device 12 in the illustrated embodiment is also driven by an electric transverse-flux machine 17. Alternatively, it is also possible for other electric drives to be used.
The embodiment according to
The embodiment according to
In the event of lift (
A flow-guiding device 18 is arranged between the two exhaust-air openings 13, 14, the flow-guiding device providing the alignment of the air flow in the vertical direction. The flow-guiding device 18 is arranged here below the wing 11.
The air flow from the non-pivotable drive device 16 is also assisted in the air-guiding device 5 by air-conveying device 15.
It is further noted that the flow direction from the drive device 12 through the air-guiding device 5 in this example (and also in the following examples) is not mandatory. Even if air flows in the other direction through the air-guiding device 5, because the air is sucked up, (e.g., by the drive unit 12), the same structure may be used. Even in this case, air may flow through the pylon device 2 and the pivotable nacelle device 1 in any position A, B.
On the other hand, the pivoting device 3, which is designed as a lever mechanism (e.g., similarly to the lever mechanism of an aircraft landing gear), is shown. Only one lever which is located outside the housing of the pylon device 2 is shown here. The dashed double arrow indicates the direction in which the lever moves.
However, the illustration in
The nacelle device 1 is designed to be pivotable relative to the pylon device 2, wherein, in the embodiment illustrated here, the axis of rotation D is located inside the nacelle device 1 on the axial center plane M (see
The nacelle device 1 has an outlet opening 7 for the air-guiding device 5, not shown in detail here, in the interior of the nacelle device 1. This means that inflowing air from the nacelle device 1 may flow via the outlet opening 7 into the pylon device 2. The outlet opening 7 is designed here in such a way that the side wall of the nacelle device 1 and the axial wall of the nacelle device 1 are partially cut out. The section goes from the side wall as far as the axial center plane M. The section angle is approx. 30° in relation to the axial center plane M.
The axis of rotation D is arranged axially in the nacelle device 1 in such a way that it is located in the region of the outlet opening 7, here approximately in the axially rear half of the region of the outlet opening 7.
A lever element of the pivoting device 3 is shown on the upper side of the nacelle device 1 and of the pylon device 2. As may be seen in
The lever element of the pivoting device 3 is applied to the nacelle device via a rotary joint 19, the function of which during the pivoting will become clear below.
In principle, it is possible for sealing elements to be arranged at the edges of the outlet opening 7 and/or at the corresponding cross section of the pylon device 2, so that air flowing through the nacelle device 1 may flow without loss, or at least with little loss, into the pylon device 2.
In
When pivoting the nacelle device 1 into the second end position (position B, see
It should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the concepts described here. It is furthermore to be noted that any of the features described may be used separately or in combination with any other features, provided that they are not mutually exclusive. The disclosure extends to and includes all combinations and sub-combinations of one or more features that are described here. If ranges are defined, these ranges therefore include all the values within these ranges as well as all the partial ranges that lie within a range.
It is to be understood that the elements and features recited in the appended claims may be combined in different ways to produce new claims that likewise fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, whereas the dependent claims appended below depend on only a single independent or dependent claim, it is to be understood that these dependent claims may, alternatively, be made to depend in the alternative from any preceding or following claim, whether independent or dependent, and that such new combinations are to be understood as forming a part of the present specification.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2022 131 791.9 | Nov 2022 | DE | national |