Aircraft with energy battery for cruise and power battery for take-off and landing

Abstract

An aircraft has an energy battery, a power battery, lifting rotors and cruise propellers and is configured such that the energy battery supplies the cruise propellers in cruising phases and the power battery supplies the lifting rotors in take-off and landing phases. The aircraft also includes a reserve power battery. The reserve power battery is configured to selectively supply power to the lifting rotors in an emergency. The reserve power battery is rechargeable, and, during the cruising phases, the energy battery is configured to charge the power battery and the reserve power battery.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising: an energy battery, a power battery, lifting rotors, cruise propellers, a reserve power battery that is configured to selectively supply power to the lifting rotors in an emergency and not during regular take-off and landing phases of the aircraft, and a DC voltage converter, wherein the reserve power battery and the power battery are connected to one side of the DC voltage converter, and the energy battery is connected to another side of the DC voltage converter, wherein the energy battery is configured to supply power to the cruise propellers in cruising phases of the aircraft, and the power battery is configured to supply power to the lifting rotors in the regular take-off and landing phases of the aircraft, and wherein the reserve power battery is rechargeable, and, during the cruising phases, the energy battery is configured to charge the power battery and the reserve power battery.

2. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aircraft has a fully electric drive.

3. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aircraft comprises bent or bendable wings.

4. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the batteries are chargeable in a predetermined time.

5. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifting rotors are horizontally fixed ducted fans.

6. The aircraft as claimed in claim 5, wherein the aircraft has louvers and the horizontal ducted fans are selectively able to be covered by way of the louvers.

7. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cruise propellers are vertically fixed ducted fans for generating a propulsion.

8. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aircraft is able to be selectively controlled in a fully autonomous manner.

9. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reserve power battery is not configured to supply power to the lifting rotors during the cruising phases.

10. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reserve power battery is not configured to supply power to the cruise propellers during either the cruising phases or the emergency.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) One exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and will be described in more detail below.

(2) FIG. 1A shows the block diagram of an aircraft according to aspects of the invention.

(3) FIG. 1B shows the flow of energy during a cruising phase with comparatively low power consumption but high energy consumption.

(4) FIG. 1C shows the flow of energy during take-off and landing phases with a high to very high power requirement but just a low to middling energy requirement.

(5) FIG. 1D shows the use of a reserve energy source in the event of a fault.

(6) FIG. 2 depicts an isometric view of an aircraft, wherein the wings are shown in an extended configuration and the rear propellers are shown in an angled orientation.

(7) FIG. 3 depicts a front elevation view of the aircraft of FIG. 2, wherein the wings are shown extended configuration and the rear propellers are shown in a cruising orientation.

(8) FIG. 4 depicts another front elevation view of the aircraft, wherein the wings are shown in a folded configuration and the rear propellers are shown in a take-off/landing orientation.

(9) FIG. 5 depicts a top plan view of a portion of an aircraft, showing an internal duct extending between a nose of the aircraft and a horizontal fan mounted to the wing.

(10) FIG. 6 depicts moveable louvers applied on top of the horizontal fan of FIG. 5, wherein the louvers are shown in a closed position.

(11) FIG. 7 depicts the movable louvers of FIG. 6, wherein the louvers are shown in an open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(12) The terms ‘fan,’ ‘rotor’ and ‘propeller’ may be used interchangeably herein.

(13) FIG. 1A illustrates the structural features of one preferred embodiment of the aircraft 10 according to aspects of the invention, the flight phase-dependent operational principle of which is now explained with reference to FIGS. 1C to 1D.

(14) As may be seen in FIG. 1B, an energy battery 11 supplies the cruise propellers 14 and is used only during the illustrated cruising phase. Its capacity is in this case designed for cruising and landing, while the maximum power draw depends on the power of the cruise propellers 14 and the recharge rate of an additional power battery 12.

(15) Said power battery 12, as illustrated in FIG. 1C, supplies only the lifting rotors 15 and is used continuously. The power battery 12 is discharged during take-off and landing and is recharged during cruising. Its capacity is dimensioned for the most unfavorable case of application of lift-off, since landing requires only a fraction of the take-off energy. The same applies to the design of the power battery 12 in terms of its power output and the power requirement at take-off and landing.

(16) A reserve power battery 13 elucidated in FIG. 1D supplies only the lifting rotors 15 and is used solely for an emergency landing if the power battery 12 fails or if the landing has taken place earlier than expected and the cruising time was not long enough to recharge the power battery 12. Its capacity is accordingly based on the requirements of landing, and its maximum power output is based on the power consumption, required for hovering or landing, of the lifting rotors 15. It may be a primary or secondary cell.

(17) A DC voltage converter 17 delivers a constant power in order to charge the power battery 12, which is generally discharged following take-off, during cruising, in order to be able to use said battery again during landing. As shown in FIG. 1A, the reserve power battery 13 and the power battery 12 are connected to one side of the DC voltage converter 17, and the energy battery 11 is connected to another side of the DC voltage converter 17.

(18) FIGS. 2-4 depict an aircraft 100. The aircraft 100 shown in those figures may appear different from the previously described aircraft, however, many (if not all) of the details of the previously described aircraft also apply to aircraft 100.

(19) The aircraft 100 includes foldable wings 102. The wings 102 are shown in a folded configuration in FIG. 4 and an extended configuration in FIG. 3. A motor or solenoid is configured to move the wings between those configurations. Alternatively, the wings 102 may be permanently maintained in a folded (i.e., bent) position.

(20) Rear propellers 104 are mounted on the trailing edge of the airfoils or wings 102 (i.e., the edge furthest from the nose 105). Propellers 104 may be referred to as cruising propellers because they are used during the cruising operation of the aircraft (at least in one position of the propellers 104). The propellers 104 are configured to pivot between two different positions, as shown in FIGS. 2-4. In the vertical position of the propellers 104 shown in FIG. 3, the propellers 104 generate maximum horizontal thrust for cruising operation of the aircraft (i.e., while the aircraft is flying through the air). In the horizontal position of the propellers 104 shown in FIG. 4, the propellers 104 generate maximum vertical thrust for take-off and landing operations of the aircraft. A motor or solenoid is configured to move the propellers 104 between those two positions. Alternatively, the propellers 104 may be immovable and fixed in a vertical position, as shown in FIG. 2.

(21) Horizontally mounted propellers 106 are fixedly mounted and integrated into the wings 102. Unlike the propellers 104, the position of the propellers 106 is fixed, however, those skilled in the art will recognize that the propellers 106 could be modified so that they are pivotable between vertical and horizontal positions. The propellers 106 generate maximum vertical thrust for take-off and landing operations of the aircraft. The propellers 106 may also be referred to herein as lifting propellers.

(22) The propellers 104 and 106, which may also be referred to herein as fans, may be operated by a fully-electric drive. To that end, a battery charging system 108 including a charger, an inverter and a fast-charging battery are positioned within the fuselage of the aircraft for powering the propellers 104 and 106. The fuselage may also be configured to carry one or more passengers.

(23) FIGS. 5-7 depict views of an aircraft 200. The aircraft 200 shown in those figures may appear different from the previously described aircraft 100, however, most (if not all) of the details of the previously described aircraft 100 also apply to aircraft 200. Only a segment of the aircraft 200 is shown in FIG. 5. An air duct 210 extends between an opening 212 formed on the nose 214 of the aircraft 200 and the horizontally mounted propeller 206 that is fixedly mounted to the wing 202. In operation, air is delivered to the propeller 206 via the duct 210, as depicts by the arrows. Although not shown, air ducts that are similar to duct 210, may extend to the propeller 206 on the opposite wing 202, as well as any rear propellers 104 (not shown in these views). Accordingly, the propellers may be referred to as either “ducted propellers” or “ducted fans.”

(24) FIGS. 6 and 7 depict louvers 216 that are configured to selectively cover the horizontally mounted propellers 206. It is noted that the louvers 216 are omitted from FIG. 5 for clarity purposes. Each louver 216 is rotatable about a shaft (or otherwise moveable) between a closed position (FIG. 6) and an open position (FIG. 7). The louvers 216, which are flush with the top face of the wing 202, may be moved to the closed position during the cruising operation of the aircraft 200 for aerodynamic purposes. The louvers 216 may be moved to an open position at any time during operation of the propellers 206 to permit the exit or entrance of air therethrough. A motor or solenoid is configured to move the louvers 216 between those positions. It is noted that the louvers are shown in a closed position in FIG. 2.

(25) A sealing ring 218 surrounds the louvers 216 and is moveable between a retracted position (FIG. 6) and a deployed position (FIG. 7). The louvers 216 are mounted to the sealing ring 218 and move therewith between the retracted and deployed positions. The lower surface of the sealing ring 218 is configured to be in sealing relationship with an opening 220 formed in the wing 202. It should be understood that the opening 220 accommodates the body of the propeller 206. The sealing ring 218 may be moved to the retracted position, which is flush with the top face of the wing 202, during cruising operation of the aircraft 200 for aerodynamic purposes. Alternatively, the sealing ring 218 may be moved to the deployed (i.e., extended) position at any time during operation of the propellers 206 to permit the exit or entrance of air, as depicted by the arrows in FIG. 7. A motor or solenoid is configured to move the sealing ring 218 between those positions.