AIRSKI EVTOL PAV WITH INTEGRATED DUCTED-FAN FAIRING

Abstract

An Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (EVTOL) Passenger Air Vehicle (PAV) using a plurality of electric motors positioned concentrically about the passenger compartment and utilizing ducted turbines to produce thrust allowing the vehicle to take off and land vertically and fly without the use of aerodynamic wings. Utilizes a plurality of independent electric battery powered motors providing sufficient thrust to ensure the vehicle can hover and complete a safe landing despite a loss of thrust from any two adjacent motors and up to half of the motors, if non-adjacent, by utilizing redundant onboard flight control systems to vary motor torque as need to maintain steady, controlled flight. Design utilizes a pivoting seat for passenger comfort as well as shock mounting of the seat for safety. Ingress and egress are facilitated by integrated folding air stairs. The turbine fairing is designed to be rapidly manufactured as two parts, as upper and lower shells, using a composite forging process.

Claims

1. A passenger seat utilized in the present invention that is allowed to tilt on the PAV transverse axis by means of mounting pins supported by the adjacent wall structure to either side, thereby enabling said seat and PAV passenger to remain at an approximately level attitude during all phases of flight. a. The passenger seat of claim 1 wherein self-leveling is achieved by attaching the seat to the PAV by means of a pivot pin and is balanced by the geometric positioning of said pivot pin in relation to said passenger and seat combined center of gravity. b. The passenger seat of claim 1 wherein the seat angle relative to the PAV floor may be adjustable by means of changing the position of the mounting pins relative to the occupant center of gravity through an unspecified mechanism of forward and aft seat-mount position-adjustment. c. The passenger seat of claim 1 wherein safety is enhanced by a shock absorbing system built into said seat mount arms that allow substantial hard landing energy to be absorbed by said seat mount, reducing the possibility of passenger injury.

2. A design for EVTOL multiple turbine fairing which integrates air-stairs for passenger ingress, egress which extend from and retract into the turbine fairing by means of a double hinge thereby allowing the adjacent fairing upper edge to become a handhold whereby substantially easing passenger ingress and egress. a. The passenger air-stairs of claim 2 wherein utilizing a double hinge design provides means for said air-stair assembly to rest flush on the ground when open even if the surface is not on the same plane which the PAV is resting.

3. A manufacture process, utilized by the present invention, of a composite material forging utilizing materials such as carbon fiber to produce the vehicle in a plurality of parts such as top and bottom shells which when bonded together produce an integrated multiple-turbine fairing, exhaust nozzle, inner stairs and passenger compartment as a single unit whereby substantially increasing manufacturing efficiency. a. The turbine fairing of claim 3 wherein by means of the flared turbine-intake tract, aerodynamic drag is reduced by the action of the rotation turbines. b. The turbine fairing of claim 3 wherein utilizes landing gear containing a device selected from the group consisting of a multitude of rubber feet and unspecified mounting hardware to be mounted about the outer edge of the bottom of the PAV whereby protecting the PAV from foreign object damage upon landing.

4. A fairing design of an alternate embodiment FIG. 9, which allows convection air cooling of electrical components of the present invention by means of direct airflow through said electronics compartment of said fairing during forward flight. a. The fairing design of claim 4 wherein provides motor cooling by means of conduction through the motor mount being constructed of an unspecified material of high thermal conductivity thereby providing means for convection cooling of said motor by the induced airflow about the mount positioned below the air turbine.

Description

DRAWINGSFIGURES

[0024] FIG. 1 shows the front and left side quarter view showing the basic PAV design layout.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows the bottom rear view.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows front view with dome canopy and stairs in the open position, the pivoting seat can be seen inside.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows side view with dome canopy and stairs in the open position.

[0028] FIG. 5 shows the bottom half of the turbine fairing shell.

[0029] FIG. 6 shows the top half of the turbine fairing shell.

[0030] FIG. 7 shows passenger seat, right side view.

[0031] FIG. 7a shows passenger seat suspension detail view

[0032] FIG. 8 shows PAV in forward flight configuration, the dome canopy is not show in this view to allow a clear view of the battery configuration.

[0033] FIG. 9 shows PAV is a narrow canopy configuration that allows air cooling of the batter compartment.

DRAWINGSREFERENCE NUMERALS

[0034] 11 stairs

[0035] 12 domed canopy

[0036] 13 turbine rotors

[0037] 14 ducted rotor exhaust nozzles

[0038] 15 turbine fairing

[0039] 16 seat suspension

[0040] 17 self-leveling seat

[0041] 18 double hinged air stairs hinge panel

[0042] 19 multifunction displays

[0043] 20 manufacturing seam

[0044] 21 passenger compartment/electronics compartment wall

[0045] 22 batteries and various electrical equipment

[0046] 23 motor (1 of 8)

[0047] 24 landing feet

[0048] 25 swirl straighteners

[0049] 26 narrow canopy

[0050] 27 air flow, battery cooling

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0051] FIG. 1 is a perspective, in flight, view of the EVTOL PAV. This present invention utilizes eight motors each coupled to an air turbine 13 mounted within the integrated 8-motor-fairing 15 in an octocopter configuration. The front of the PAV features fold-away passenger air-stairs 11 that when closed, along with the dome canopy 12, become part of the aerodynamic fuselage. The entire top of the vehicle is designed to reduce aerodynamic drag by smoothing airflow through the engines and creating a low-pressure area above the vehicle. The ducted turbine fairing arrangement also reduces rotor noise and greatly enhances safety of bystanders and passengers by enclosing all dangerous moving parts.

[0052] FIG. 2 is the bottom aft view showing the ducted fan exhaust ports 14, and motors 23 with attached swirl straighteners 25. Various landing gear apparatus could be added to the bottom of the PAV to include simple rubber feet 24 or small leaf springs to protect the underside of the vehicle when landing on uneven or rough ground.

[0053] FIG. 3 is the front view with the parabolic domed canopy 12, in the open position, which can utilize a reflective coating to minimize heat buildup in occupant cabin. The passenger air-stairs are also shown in the open position. In this view the self-leveling seat 17 is visible with the PAV information and navigation display 19 shown on right hand side and duplicated on left hand side of the seat assembly. The passenger seat is mounted to the interior walls by a pivot pin 16 on each side, coupled to wall fittings. The seat is spring, and damper supported to provide shock absorption for the passenger or pilot in the event of a hard landing.

[0054] FIG. 4 is a front quarter view showing the air-stairs assembly 11 which folds out from the turbine fairing assembly 15 on a double hinged panel 18 allowing the stairs to rest flush the ground regardless of relative ground to vehicle angle.

[0055] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show an exploded view of the PAV bottom and top motor fairing halves, respectively. The two haves are intended to be bonded together to form the turbine fairing of the PAV.

[0056] FIG. 7 is a side view of the self-leveling passenger seat with integrated shock absorbing suspension system.

[0057] FIG. 7a is a detail view of the passenger seat shock absorbing suspension system.

[0058] FIG. 8 shows the PAV in forward flight configuration at a high angle of attack to illustrate the operation of the self-leveling seat system which keeps the passenger level at all forward flight angles for greater comfort and visibility. Also shown are the independent batteries 22 in an isolated electronics compartment on each side of the passenger compartment. The batteries and associated electronics are sealed from the passenger compartment for safety. There is a separate battery 22 pack to power each individual motor to enhance vehicle safety by employing multiple redundant propulsion and control systems. The battery packs are arranged to minimize wiring run lengths to each motor to reduce vehicle weight while keeping the center of gravity inboard to reduce mass moment of inertia and maximize vehicle maneuverability.

[0059] FIG. 9 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention utilizing a narrow occupant canopy design and open floor sections thereby allowing cooling air to the PAV batteries and electrical compartments.