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CN-115535231-B - Aircraft for vertical take-off and landing

CN115535231BCN 115535231 BCN115535231 BCN 115535231BCN-115535231-B

Abstract

A method for operating a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft includes varying a first variable member of a wing associated with a first portion of a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans relative to a second variable member of a wing associated with a second portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans to adjust an exposure ratio of the first portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans relative to the second portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans.

Inventors

  • K.D. Murrow
  • A. Brize-Stirlingfellow
  • D.T. Zatolski
  • D. BARONE

Assignees

  • 通用电气公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20180723
Priority Date
20170721

Claims (19)

  1. 1. An aircraft defining a vertical direction, comprising: A body; a propulsion system including a power source and a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans driven by the power source, and A wing extending from the fuselage, the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans arranged along a length of the wing along a longitudinal direction of the wing, the wing including a diffusing assembly positioned along the longitudinal direction of the wing and including a first diffusing member downstream of at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans, wherein the first diffusing member defines a curved shape relative to a longitudinal direction of the aircraft, and wherein the longitudinal direction is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wing; Wherein the first diffusion member extends below at least two of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans arranged along the length of the wing.
  2. 2. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans defines a respective fan axis, and wherein the first diffusion member is offset relative to an axis of at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans.
  3. 3. The aircraft of claim 2 wherein the curved shape of the first diffusion member is convex relative to a fan axis of at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans.
  4. 4. The aircraft of claim 2, further comprising: A second diffuser member generally aligned with an axis of at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans.
  5. 5. The aircraft of claim 4 wherein the first diffusion member has a different geometry in the longitudinal direction than the second diffusion member.
  6. 6. The aircraft of claim 4, further comprising: a third diffusion member located on an opposite side of the second diffusion member relative to the first diffusion member, wherein the third diffusion member has a different geometry in the longitudinal direction than the second diffusion member.
  7. 7. The aircraft of claim 6, further comprising: a fourth diffusing member configured as a front diffusing member located at least partially in front of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans in the longitudinal direction, and A fifth diffusion member configured as a rear diffusion member located at least partially behind the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans in the longitudinal direction, wherein the fourth and fifth diffusion members have a substantially common shape in the longitudinal direction.
  8. 8. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein a first portion of the first diffusion member is located aft of a second portion of the first diffusion member, the first portion of the first diffusion member is located downstream of a first vertical thrust electric fan of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans, and the second portion of the first diffusion member is positioned offset in the longitudinal direction relative to the first vertical thrust electric fan of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans.
  9. 9. The aircraft of claim 6 wherein the first and third diffusion members are separated from each other along the wing at a first point in the longitudinal direction and separated from each other along the wing at a second point in the longitudinal direction by a second distance, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.
  10. 10. A method for operating a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the aircraft including a fuselage, wings extending from the fuselage, and a propulsion system having a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans disposed along the wings, the method comprising: Starting at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans disposed along the wing, and Diffusing an airflow from at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans through a diffusing assembly, the diffusing assembly including a first diffusing member defining a curved shape relative to a longitudinal direction of the aircraft; Wherein the first diffusion member extends below at least two of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans arranged along the length of the wing.
  11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans defines a respective fan axis, and wherein the first diffusion member is offset relative to an axis of at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans.
  12. 12. The method of claim 10, further comprising: the variable geometry assembly is moved between a forward thrust position and a vertical thrust position.
  13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans are at least partially covered by the variable geometry assembly in the forward thrust position.
  14. 14. A wing extending from a fuselage of an aircraft, the wing comprising: A plurality of vertical thrust electric fans arranged along the length of the wing in the lengthwise direction of the wing, and A diffusing assembly positioned along the lengthwise direction of the wing and including a first diffusing member downstream of at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans, wherein the first diffusing member defines a non-linear shape relative to a lengthwise direction of the aircraft, and wherein the lengthwise direction is substantially perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the wing; Wherein the first diffusion member extends below at least two of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans arranged along the length of the wing.
  15. 15. The airfoil of claim 14, further comprising: A second diffuser member generally aligned with an axis of at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans.
  16. 16. The airfoil of claim 15, wherein the first diffusion member has a different geometry in the longitudinal direction than the second diffusion member.
  17. 17. The airfoil of claim 15, further comprising: A third diffusion member located on an opposite side of the second diffusion member relative to the first diffusion member, wherein the third diffusion member is non-parallel to the second diffusion member.
  18. 18. The airfoil of claim 17, wherein the first and third diffusion members are separated from each other in the longitudinal direction along the airfoil by a first distance at a first point and are separated from each other in the longitudinal direction along the airfoil by a second distance at a second point, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.
  19. 19. The airfoil of claim 17, wherein the first and third diffusion members have geometries that are opposite one another relative to the second diffusion member.

Description

Aircraft for vertical take-off and landing RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is based on and claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 62/535444 filed on 7/21 in 2017. Technical Field The present subject matter relates generally to aircraft having vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, and methods for controlling the same. Background Aircraft have been developed that have the ability to perform vertical take-off and landing. This capability may allow the aircraft to reach relatively rough terrain and remote locations where it may not be practical or feasible to build a runway large enough to allow conventional aircraft (lacking vertical takeoff capability) to take off or land. Typically, these aircraft capable of performing vertical take-off and landing have engines and propellers that are vectoring to generate both vertical thrust and forward thrust. These propellers may be relatively large to generate the amount of thrust required for vertical take-off and landing, as well as forward flight. However, this configuration may create complexity because the propeller is generally designed to be most efficient during one of a vertical thrust operation or a forward thrust operation. This situation may thus lead to inefficiencies in the aircraft. Accordingly, an aircraft designed to address these inefficient vertical take-off and landing would be useful. Disclosure of Invention Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided for operating a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that includes a fuselage, wings extending from the fuselage, and a propulsion system having a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans arranged along the wings. The method includes varying a first variable member of a wing associated with a first portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans relative to a second variable member of a wing associated with a second portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans to adjust an exposure ratio of the first portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans relative to the second portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans. . In certain exemplary aspects, changing the first variable member relative to the second variable member includes positioning the first variable member in a forward thrust position. For example, in certain exemplary aspects, positioning the first variable member in the vertical thrust position includes substantially completely enclosing a first portion of the plurality of forward thrust electric fans. For example, in certain exemplary aspects, altering the first variable member relative to the second variable member further includes positioning the second variable member in a vertical thrust position. For example, in certain exemplary aspects, positioning the second variable member in the vertical thrust position includes substantially completely exposing a second portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans in the wing. For example, in certain exemplary aspects, the method further comprises providing a first amount of electrical power to a first portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electrical fans and providing a second amount of electrical power to a second portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electrical fans, and wherein the first amount of electrical power is less than the second amount of electrical power. In certain exemplary aspects, altering the first variable member relative to the second variable member comprises positioning the first variable member in an intermediate position, and wherein positioning the first variable member in the intermediate position comprises partially exposing a first portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans and partially enclosing the first portion of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans. In certain exemplary aspects, the first variable member is spaced apart from the second variable member along the length of the wing. In certain exemplary aspects, each of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans is secured within the wing in an orientation and is arranged substantially linearly along the length of the wing. In certain exemplary aspects, the first variable member of the wing is a first partial wing assembly, wherein the second variable member of the wing is a second partial wing assembly. In certain exemplary aspects, the wing is a starboard wing, wherein the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans is a first plurality of vertical thrust electric fans, wherein the aircraft further comprises a port wing extending from the fuselage, wherein the propulsion system comprises a second plurality of vertical thrust electric fans arranged along the port wing, and wherein the method further comprises varyi