An arrangement for mechanically changing a surface includes an insulating layer, a pair of electrodes, which is arranged on or in the insulating layer, and a piezo element, which is arranged on or in the insulating layer. The piezo element is separated from the pair of electrodes by the insulating layer. The pair of electrodes is designed to generate in a region of the piezo element an electric field, which causes the piezo element to carry out a mechanical change of shape, in order in this way to mechanically change a surface of the arrangement. The pair of electrodes is also designed to generate the electric field such that the electric field has a minimum field strength in a surrounding area of the arrangement, in order in this way to generate a plasma in the surrounding area of the arrangement.

A fluid control system includes a dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) device, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to obtain a streamwise length scale of a fluid flowing over a surface. The processing circuitry is also configured to obtain a convective time scale of the fluid flowing over the surface. The processing circuitry is also configured to operate the DBD device, based on the streamwise length scale and the convective time scale, to adjust a flow property of the fluid.

A conduit is placed between a vacuum system and the open air or other gaseous environment. A laser or other excitation source is used to ionize the air on the air-side of the conduit. An axial applied electric field is used to repel positive ions from traversing the tube and reaching the region of the vacuum. Electrons are collected in the vacuum region and disposed of using a Faraday cup. The repelled ions assist in creating a counter pressure to sweep neutral atoms out of the tube and back into the ambient air. As a result, a hollow tube can connect an evacuated volume to the open air without compromising the vacuum. This is a “windowless window.” An array of such tubes can be assembled together to increase the area of the aperture.

An aircraft control system includes a flow control device and a control circuit. The flow control device is configured to control a flow of air around an aircraft. The control circuit is configured to control the flow control device so that a pressure distribution loaded on a surface of a structure that constitutes the aircraft is equal to a control value of a pressure distribution calculated based on a physical quantity detected by a sensor provided in the aircraft. The physical quantity relates to the air.

A flow control system includes a movable wing attachable to a wing of an aircraft, and a plasma actuator mountable on a surface of the movable wing. The flow control system is configured to control air flow around the wing by having the changing of the steering angle of the movable wing work in conjunction with the operation of the plasma actuator.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to electroaerodynamic (EAD) thrusters for use in thrust generation. An EAD thruster may include one or more ion sources, one or more ion collectors, and one or more airfoils. In some embodiments, the one or more of the one or more ion sources and/or ion collectors may be integrated into a surface of the one or more airfoils. The EAD thruster arrangement may also include multiple EAD stages in some embodiments.

An aircraft propulsion system with a drag reduction portion adapted to reduce skin friction on at least a portion of the external surface of an aircraft. The drag reduction portion may include an inlet to ingest airflow. The aircraft may also have an internally cooled electric motor adapted for use in an aerial vehicle. The motor may have its stator towards the center and have an external rotor. The rotor structure may be air cooled and may be a complex structure with an internal lattice adapted for airflow. The stator structure may be liquid cooled and may be a complex structure with an internal lattice adapted for liquid to flow through. A fluid pump may pump a liquid coolant through non-rotating portions of the motor stator and then through heat exchangers cooled in part by air which has flowed through the rotating portions of the motor rotor. The drag reduction portion and the cooled electric motor portion may share the same inlet.

A flight propulsion system for Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) and Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft, having a two cyclorotors, installed in the front and rear portions of a pair-wings mechanism involving top wing and bottom wing, three degree-of-freedom DOF adjusting mechanism for pair-wings, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators, a bar mechanism for pitching oscillation and rotation speed controls and rear cyclorotor, a yawing mechanism for rear cyclorotor, all on each side of the flight vehicle. This propulsion system is particularly useful for VTOL aircraft. The main features are: high controllability and manoeuvrability, low noise and environmental pollutions, VTOL, STOL, hover state flights, marine and ground take-off and landing, high safety, suitable for different aircraft scales and for different missions and purposes, instant altering the flight direction.

A rotor support device includes a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, a dielectric material, and at least one alternating-current power supply. The dielectric material is disposed between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. The at least one AC power supply is configured to apply an alternating-current voltage across the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes and induce flows of gas by causing dielectric barrier discharge between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. At least one of the plurality of first electrodes or the plurality of second electrodes is disposed apart from each other in a static system that is stationary with respect to a rotor provided in an aircraft. The static system is adjacent to the rotor.

The embodiments herein disclose a retrofitted or in built or add-on kit/device for airborne vehicles to reduce the aerodynamic drag thereby increasing performance parameters/metrics of the vehicles. Drag reduction is achieved through shape/contour optimization, and/or heat/energy/fluid addition to the flow in neighbourhood of the vehicle. The device is designed with an external surface to offers the minimum drag. The device is configured to deposit heat/energy/fluid in neighbourhood of flying vehicle in several ways by generating/injecting hot gases in neighbourhood of vehicle for energy/heat addition, thereby causing maximum drag reduction. Heat/energy/fluid is added through the nozzles in the add-on kit/device.