LIFT UNIT FOR AN AIRCRAFT

Abstract

A lift unit for an aircraft, having the following features: a fan, an engine bearing axially offset from the fan, and a cylindrical electric engine having a sheath surface framed by the engine bearing.

Claims

1. A lift unit for an aircraft, said lift unit comprising: a fan, an engine bearing axially offset from the fan, and a cylindrical electric engine having a sheath surface framed by the engine bearing.

2. The lift unit according to claim 1, wherein the lift unit comprises a fan sheath and fin assemblies, and at least one of the fin assemblies is arranged on a face of the fan sheath.

3. The lift unit according to claim 1, wherein the lift unit comprises a spinner, and the fan carries the spinner on a side of the fan facing away from the electric engine.

4. The lift unit according to claim 1, wherein the electric engine comprises a hollow cylindrical engine housing, and the sheath surface of the electric engine is defined by the engine housing.

5. The lift unit according to claim 4, wherein the lift unit comprises shear bolts oriented radially towards the electric engine, and the shear bolts connect the engine housing to the engine bearing in a torsionally rigid manner.

6. An aircraft comprising (i) the lift unit of claim 1 and (ii) a vehicle structure comprising the engine bearing.

7. The aircraft according to claim 6, wherein the lift unit is arranged on a nose of the aircraft.

8. The aircraft according to claim 7, wherein the nose comprises a cavity receiving the lift unit, and the lift unit is extendable out of the cavity.

9. The aircraft according to claim 6, wherein the lift unit is arranged in a wing of the aircraft.

10. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the engine bearing is annular or the engine bearing is formed by a guide grid surrounding the electric engine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing and are described in further detail below.

[0018] FIGS. 1 to 3 show vertically startable aircraft according to the prior art.

[0019] FIG. 4 shows the bottom view of a wing lift unit according to one embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal section of the wing lift unit along the fan axis.

[0021] FIG. 6 shows a detail of the wing lift unit in a view corresponding to FIG. 5.

[0022] FIG. 7 shows the bottom view of a nose lift unit according to one embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 8 shows a side view of the nose lift unit in a cavity of the aircraft.

[0024] FIG. 9 shows a detail of the nose lift unit in a sectional view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] An aircraft is equipped with two free-traveling and foldable lift rotors on both sides of the nose—hereinafter: “nose lifting units”—a total of six ducted and finned lift rotors in the bilateral wings—hereinafter: “wing lift units”—as well as two rearward fans with elongated sheaths—hereinafter: “cruising thrust units.” (In this context, the term “fan” is always used in a broad sense of the word, which includes the primarily propulsion-serving travel thrust units on the one hand and the lift-serving nose and wing lift units on the other hand; accordingly, sheathed thrust and lift units are equally referred to as “ducted fans.”) In the cruising and ground configuration, the fins of the wing lift units are closed and the nose lift units are folded under or into the fuselage; whereas, when suspended, the fins of the wing lift units are open and both nose lift units are unfolded sideways.

[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates the bearing of the electric engine of one of the wing lift units (10). In this embodiment, the engine bearing (12) is formed by a guide grid (12) made of carbon or carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFC), which supports the electric engine (13) in an axially and rotationally symmetrical arrangement of opposite sides. Two struts of the guide grid (12) run parallel to one another in the upstream direction of the wing—not shown here in its entirety—and tangentially flank the associated electric engine (13). Two bars joined to these cheeks are complemented by the bars of the opposite cheek diametrically opposite the engine in order to form an diagonal cross and stiffen the electric engine (13) such that the guide grid (12) assumes all horizontal forces in the engine plane.

[0027] As can be seen in FIG. 5, the struts of the guide grid (12) have a width that approximates the height of the electric engine (13). In the present case, the latter supports a fan (11) axially offset from the engine bearing (12) and lined with a blunt spinner (15). In the illustrated configuration, the inlet and outlet of the fan sheath are closed by front-facing fin assemblies (14), but can be opened as needed via a drive, which is only suggested in the drawings.

[0028] FIG. 6 illuminates the connection of the electric engine (13) at the support point of one of the struts of the guide grid (12—cf. FIG. 3). As can be seen in the drawing, in the embodiment shown, the engine housing (16) defines the sheath surface of the cylindrical engine, which is framed by engine bearings (12) integrally configured with the vehicle structure (18). To the latter, the engine housing (16) is connected by a crushing or shear bolt (17) oriented radially to the electric engine (13), which, in the case of substantial damage to the lift unit (10), yields under strong vibration and allows for controlled ejection of the electric engine (13).

[0029] FIG. 7 illustrates the corresponding configuration of one of the nose lift units (10), whose engine bearing (12) is annularly formed. As can be seen in FIG. 8, the nose of the aircraft comprises a cavity (19), which receives the lift unit (10) but allows it to extend laterally as needed. Here, too, the engine bearings (12) and engine housing (16) are connected by a shear bolt (17) oriented radially to the electric engine (13).

[0030] In the present embodiment, the electric engine (13) is embodied as an air-cooled internal rotor with integrated control. It is understood that, in an alternative configuration, for example, an external runner or liquid cooling can be employed without departing from the scope of the invention. Further exemplary options are disclosed in, for example, DUFFY, Michael, et al. Propulsion scaling methods in the era of electric flight. In: 2018 HIAA/IEEE Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium (EATS). IEEE, 2018. pg. 1-23. Each of these references is incorporated by reference herein.