Description:FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to an aircraft. More particularly, the invention relates to a VTOL aircraft useful in the aviation industry for aerial mobility purposes having battery-operated devices.
DEFINITIONS
AEA: The term “AEA” used hereinafter in the specification refers to All-Electric aircraft which is powered by electricity and is seen as a way to reduce the environmental effects of aviation, providing zero emissions and quieter flights.
AOA: The term “AOA” used hereinafter in the specification refers to angle of attack.
CG: The term “CG” used hereinafter in the specification refers to Centre of Gravity and is defined as the point at which the aircraft would balance were it possible to suspend it at that point.
EDF: The term “EDF” used hereinafter in the specification refers to an Electric Ducted Fan and is a thrust-producing device.
EPS: The term “EPS” used hereinafter in the specification refers to an Electric Propulsion System and it consists of a number of EDFs arranged in series mounted on the boom structures.
eVTOL: The term “eVTOL” used hereinafter in the specification refers to an Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft that uses electric batteries as power source.
FRL: The term “FRL” used hereinafter in the specification refers to Fuselage Reference Line. It is defined as a reference line used in the design and construction of an aircraft from which basic dimensions are laid out and major components are located. It is usually along the plane of symmetry and at a convenient height.
SERVICE CEILING: The term “service ceiling” used hereinafter in the specification is defined as the altitude at which the aircraft cruises.
MTOW: The term “MTOW” used hereinafter in the specification refers to Maximum Take-Off Weight and it is the maximum allowable takeoff mass as stated in the approved certification basis for an airplane type design. It is a fixed value, expressed in kilograms or pounds and does not vary with changes in temperature, altitude or runway available.
UAV: The term “UAV” used hereinafter in the specification refers to Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
VTOL: The term “VTOL” used hereinafter in the specification refers to Vertical Take-Off and Landing of an aircraft.
BACKGROUND
Aircraft is a vehicle that can fly in the air. Humans were always fascinated by the sky and dreamt of flying like the birds. Various attempts were made to fly in a continuous manner. One such attempt was of fixed-wing aircrafts. A power source was needed which could provide the required thrust and the lift for the flight.
In recent years, airplane technology has developed continuously. These advancements helped in the development of different aircrafts such as fixed-wing aircrafts, helicopters, VTOL and electric aircrafts, etc.
Fixed wing aircrafts have wings that use forward air speed to generate lift. These aircrafts provide more efficient forward flight hence capable of travelling longer distances. But, they cannot hover in the air and require a proper runway for take-off and landing. They have limitations in terms of transportation. Moreover, the wingspan of the aircraft must be increased to provide maximum lift for larger payloads but this also restricts the mobility of aircraft in congested or isolated areas.
Rotorcrafts such as a helicopter are capable to take-off and land vertically using a limited area and hover in point and can fly sideways, forward or backward, without the need of a runway. They use a spinning rotor with aerofoil cross-section blades (a rotary wing) to provide the necessary strength for lifting purpose. They are faster means of mobilization than fixed wing aircrafts and additionally save time on daily basis. However, they have few limitations as they are noisy, possess very high vibrations and inefficient during forward flight. Also, they are expensive, mechanically very complex and non-ergonomic in nature, consume a lot of fuel, require a lot of maintenance and cannot travel very far between fuel stops.
The technological advancements in every field have brought a new vision towards aviation. VTOL aircrafts have the potential to incorporate features of a helicopter, such as the capability to take-off and land vertically using a limited area and hovering, as well as the features of a fixed-wing aircraft, such as the capability for an efficient forward flight. They are more suitable than other aerial modes of transportation with capability of performing on demand intercity and intracity point-to-point commute. Use of combustion engine or a combination of battery cells with combustion engine makes the aircraft VTOL (these are referred only to fossil fuel-based VTOL) or a hybrid VTOL respectively. Existing VTOLs have few advantages as they require smaller launch and recovery area, show rapid deployability and translational capabilities. But they have limitations of fuel efficiency, airspeed and lower operational altitude capabilities. VTOL mechanisms are complicated, not able to take off vertically at their full load, fly slower and at lower altitudes than other platforms due to the design of the aircraft.
Existing VTOL aircrafts includes wing type, ducted type and helicopter type of configuration. Different ways have been used to combine vertical flight with fixed wings aircrafts by arrangements of thrust producing devices, rotors, fixed wings, ducted fans, plurality of propulsion system, landing gears, etc. to overcome the problems of flight efficiency, stability, stalling angle, stall speed, maneuverability and control of aircraft. But these all factors mandate to design the aircraft with high complexity leading to high cost of manufacturing and high weight of the aircraft.
Besides above mentioned limitations, all existing aircrafts use fossil fuels and emit greenhouse gases and particulate matter while flying in the air. Airplanes operate on non renewable energy sources and air travel is responsible for 2 - 5% of the world's carbon emissions. The combination of water vapor in aircraft engine exhaust and the low ambient temperatures that often exists at high altitudes allows the formation of contrails. Cirrus clouds can develop after the formation of persistent contrails which are high cold ice that reflect sunlight and absorb warming infrared radiation and can have an additional global warming effect.
Following the surge of technological boom in aircraft industry, there is a need to develop further economically improved electrically driven aircraft which enables rapid VTOL flight operations thereby providing higher on demand point-to-point aerial mobility services for intracity and intercity commute. eVTOLs are aircrafts that use electric power to take-off, hover and land vertically. eVTOLs are either entirely battery powered or hydrogen powered or can be a combination of these two.The use of electric power reduces the operating as well as the maintenance cost. In recent years, a lot of different approaches are being explored with respect to the configuration, design, payload capacity, stability and other aspects of eVTOL. Aircrafts generally do not have canards instead they have empennage located in the rear end of the fuselage. Aircrafts having wing-canard configuration have the wing and canard placed on the same reference line horizontally which helps to increase the aerodynamic efficiency.
The existing eVTOL aircrafts are less compact with high static thrust, low aerodynamic and control efficiency with low safety measures of the rotary blades and with low payload capacity.
Accordingly, in order to overcome the aforementioned problems inherent in the existing aerial mobility solutions, there is a need to build a simple, compact and highly ergonomic eVTOL aircraft which produces less vibrations, be with low maintenance, increased fuel efficiency, airspeed and high thrust generated equivalent or higher than MTOW of the aircraft with minimal noise, cost effective, lower operational altitude capabilities and higher payload carrying capacity useful for various purposes.
The present invention considers all above pointers and involves an eVTOL system which is functionally advanced as compared to the existing technology since it is fully powered by battery management system. It has been designed in such a way that it finds its applications in diverse sectors of aerial mobility. The enhanced flight performance of the proposed eVTOL system allows it to achieve economically viable mode of aerial transport that is efficient for daily commute.
OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Some of the objects of the present invention are as follows:
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an electrically driven aircraft capable of VTOL.
Another object of the present invention is to propose a configuration of eVTOL with enhanced aerodynamic characteristics and efficient stability with control elements.
Another object of the present invention is to create an eVTOL to provide enhanced stalling characteristics with respect to conventional stall of a fixed-wing aircraft.
Another object of the invention is to configure an eVTOL having a propulsion system which is capable of pivoting vertically or horizontally in relation to the forward flight direction during VTOL or horizontal cruise flights respectively.
Another object of the present invention is to come up with an eVTOL which has high wing-low canard configuration for experiencing an undisturbed flow with predictable response of the control elements thereby, enhancing the stability and control of the aircraft.
Further, another object of the present invention is to represent an eVTOL having a gull wing which enhances the maneuverability and provides a better wing-fuselage junction.
Another object of the present invention is to construct an eVTOL using control elements such as elevons and ailerons instead of conventional elevators and rudders as the latter end up in structurally more robust due to the increased load involved.
Yet another object of the present invention is to construct an eVTOL having control elements such as elevons coupled with canard starting near the mid-section and ending at the tip section of canard.
Yet another object of the present invention is to construct an eVTOL having control elements such as ailerons coupled with the gull wing which commences near the mid-section and concludes at tip section of gull wing.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tricycle landing gear which is connected with the bottom of the fuselage to assist in the dragging and stationing of the aircraft.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
This section is provided to introduce certain objects and aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to an eVTOL and its method of operation using high wing-low canard configuration with a set of control elements and a set of quartet EPS.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to an electrically driven aircraft for vertical take-off and landing (100) with green technology. It includes a fuselage (101), a canard wing (102), a gull wing (103), a set of control elements (102a and 103a), plurality of winglets (104), a set of quartet EPS (105) and a tricycle landing gear (106).
The fuselage (101) of the proposed eVTOL forms main body of the aircraft and includes an adaptable cabin. The canard wing (102) is mounted at the frontal part of fuselage (101), placed ahead of the cg and slightly below the RP (108) while the gull wing (103) is positioned at the rear end of the fuselage (101), placed aft of the cg and above the FRL (107). The set of control elements include elevons (102a) which originate from central part and concluding at tip section of the canard wing (103a) and ailerons (103a) which initiates at mid-point and terminates at tip section of the gull wing (103) whereas plurality of winglets (104) are positioned on vertical extensions of both canard wing (102) and gull wing (103). The set of quartet EPS (104) are having a plurality of EDFs mounted in series on plurality of boom structures and lies on the RP (108) placed slightly below the FRL (107), behind the canard wing (102) and ahead of gull wing (103). Further, these EPS (105) includes a pair of forward EPS (105a) positioned behind the canard wing (102) and ahead of the aircraft cg; and a pair of rear EPS (105b) which are located ahead of gull wing (103) and aft of the aircraft cg. The tricycle landing gear (106) is connected with bottom of the fuselage (101).
Further, the embodiments of the present disclosure encompass a method of operation of an electrically driven aircraft for vertical take-off and landing with green technology. The proposed eVTOL uses electrically-driven propulsion system to take-off vertically, hover, climb, cruise, descend and land vertically and the method of operation includes below mentioned steps of:
1)Take off and hover: The set of quartet EPS (105) produces static thrust more than MTOW of the aircraft (100) by using the electrical energy generated by electric motors of the EDFs and maintains a pre-defined rotational angle allowing eVTOL to hover. The canard wing (102) reduces the drag and generates a positive load that points the aircraft upwards by counteracting the aircraft cg alongside itself. Also, the canard wing (102) decreases the load exerted on gull wing (103) and enhances maneuverability of the aircraft. The eVTOL takes-off vertically in a limited area due to static thrust produced by set of quartet EPS (105) and it starts to hover upwards in the air and it flies vertically upwards to obtain a specified altitude. The winglets (104) present on the tip of both canard wing (102) and gull wings (103) provide additional directional stability to the eVTOL (100).
2) Climb: When the eVTOL (100) reaches specified altitude, it starts to climb towards its service ceiling at a specified AOA. During the climbing phase of flight, the EPS (105a and 105b) begins to pivot into horizontal position, the high wing-low canard configuration experiences an undisturbed flow which provides an anticipated response of the control elements (102a and 103a) thereby maintains stability, enhance stalling characteristics and aerodynamic efficiency of the eVTOL during the whole process of taking off, hovering and climbing.
3) Cruise/Voyage: When the eVTOL (100) reaches its service ceiling and the EPS (105a and 105b) is in horizontal position, it starts to voyage in the forward direction and covers a pre-defined distance for arriving at a specified destination.
4) Descend: As the eVTOL (100) arrives at its specified destination, it starts to descend downwards at a specified AOA for reaching down to a specified altitude. During this phase, the EPS (105a and 105b) starts to pivot to regain its vertical position. This phase of flight is similar yet reverse of the climb phase.
5) Hover and land: When the eVTOL (100) descends to a specified altitude and the EPS (105a and 105b) is in vertical position, the eVTOL starts to hover downwards in the air and finally lands vertically at its pre-defined destination using tri-cycle landing gear.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a free body diagram of eVTOL aircraft of the present invention displaying the reference planes and forces acting on the aircraft.
FIG. 2a is an isometric view of eVTOL aircraft of the present invention in a horizontal cruise position.
FIG. 2b is a front view of eVTOL aircraft of the present invention in a VTOL cruise position.
FIG. 3a is a side view of eVTOL aircraft of the present invention arranged in a horizontal cruise position displaying the planes of references.
FIG. 3b is a side view of eVTOL aircraft of the present invention arranged in a VTOL position displaying the planes of references.
FIG. 4 is a top view of eVTOL aircraft of the present invention arranged in a horizontal cruise position.
FIG. 5 is a top view of the eVTOL aircraft of the present invention arranged in a VTOL position.
FIG. 6 depicts the eVTOL aircraft of the present invention that uses electrically-driven propulsion system to take-off vertically, hover, cruise and land vertically.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude or rule out the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or groups thereof. The process steps, method steps, protocols, or the like may be described in a sequential order, such processes, methods, and protocol may be configured to work in alternate orders. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may be described does not necessarily indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order. The steps of processes described herein may be performed in any order practical. Further, some steps may be performed simultaneously, in parallel, or concurrently. The aim of this specification is to describe the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. A person skilled in the relevant art may realize the variations from the specific embodiments that will nonetheless fall within the scope of the invention, and such variations are deemed to be within the scope of the current invention. It may be appreciated that various other modifications and changes may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Before the present invention is described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular methodologies described, as these may vary as per the person skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Throughout this specification, the word “comprises”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the invention to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
This will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the present invention may easily be produced in other specific forms without departing from its essential characteristics. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered as merely illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and it will be appreciated that many variations in detail are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention and all such variations therefore intended to be embraced therein.
In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only one of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein. Example embodiments of the present disclosure are described below, as illustrated in various drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by the way of explanation of the invention and not meant as limitation of the invention, e.g. features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment to yield still third embodiment. It is intended that the present invention includes these and other modifications and variations. The variation and inclusion of components and their positional arrangement in different aviation circumstances shall not limit the scope of the invention.
This invention aims at 2-pronged approach to tackle environmental issues underpinning the aviation sector.
Firstly, the present invention involves green technological aspects since the eVTOL aims at focusing to provide a sustainable model of aircraft driven fully by electric motors for saving the global carbon foot prints of humans.
Secondly, the present invention emphasizes towards building a model which creates less noise pollution as compared to the existing VTOLs.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The proposed invention provides an all electrically driven aircraft with net zero carbon emission which does not use the fossil fuel based energy sources thereby reducing emission of carbon dioxide and ultimately lowering down the greenhouse effect, which is the main contributory factor to the global warming experienced by the earth today. Thus the proposed technology of an AEA involves electrically powered engines for finding an alternative sustainable solution for fossil fuel-based engines. Moreover, the conventionally used fossil fuel-based engines undergo processes like combustion and exhaustion that cause a lot of noise and air pollution. The electric motors used in AEA have a lower noise and air pollution as compared to fossil fuel-based engines.
The novel features incorporated in the proposed AEA introduces beneficial features of a helicopter, such as the capability to take-off and land vertically and overcomes the drawback of the helicopter to take off and land in a limited area and hovering. It also includes advantageous features of a fixed-wing aircraft, such as the capability for an efficient forward flight. These fixed wing aircrafts have few limitations in terms of transportation such as they cannot hover in the air and require a proper runway for take-off and landing. Moreover, the wingspan of the fixed wing aircrafts is required to be increased in order to provide maximum lift for larger payloads which restricts the mobility of such aircrafts in congested or isolated areas.
The existing VTOL aircrafts are less compact with low aerodynamic and control efficiencies. The wing-canard configuration proposed in the present AEA increases the compactness and decreases the wing loading and drag experienced by the aircraft.
The electrically driven aircraft for vertical take-off and landing with green technology also includes gull wing for providing a better wing-fuselage junction. The AEA proposed by the present invention is categorized as eVTOL which means the aircraft is fully driven by the electric batteries and it has the capability to vertically take-off and land.
The various components of the eVTOL aircraft are as given below in the Table 1.
Sr. No. Name of the Component Reference Numeral
1. eVTOL Aircraft 100
2. Fuselage 101
3. Canard wing 102
4. Elevons 102a
5. Gull wing 103
6. Ailerons 103a
7. Plurality of winglets 104
8. A set of quartet EPS
i) Forward EPS
ii) Rear EPS 105
105a
105b
9. Landing gear 106
10. FRL 107
11. RP 108
Table 1
General aircraft do not have canards; they usually have empennage (vertical and horizontal tail) that is located in the rear end of the fuselage. General wing-canard aircrafts have the wing and canard placed on the same reference line horizontally. The existing wing-canard configuration aircrafts are designed in such a manner that the canard stalls before the wing and creates an aircraft nose pitch down moment thereby helping the canard to control the roll moment and stabilize the aircraft again. In very rare cases, the wing can stall before the canard. This creates a deep stall which is unrecoverable for any type of aircraft.
The eVTOL aircraft proposed in the present invention has the wing and canard on different horizontal lines, where the wing is placed above the FRL in a high-wing configuration and the canard is placed below the FRL in a low-canard configuration. This novel configuration provides a high lift-to-drag ratio and aerodynamic efficiency. It helps in increasing the aircraft compactness while providing a larger surface area for generating lift force. This wing-canard configuration has a lower wing loading, lower drag and an increase in the compactness of that aircraft when compared to fixed-wing aircraft configuration.
The eVTOL aircraft (100) is an electrically driven aircraft for purposes of vertical take-off and landing. The aircraft (100) consists of fuselage (101), a canard wing (102), a gull wing (103), control elements such as elevons (102a) and ailerons (103a), plurality of winglets (104), a set of quartet EPS (105) including forward EPS (105a) and rear EPS (105b), a landing gear (106), FRL (107) and RP (108). Fuselage (101) forms main body of the aircraft (100) and it includes a multi-purpose cabin where the payload is contained.
The canard wing (102) is mounted at the frontal part of the fuselage (101), placed ahead of the cg and slightly below the RP (109). It is able to generate a positive load that lifts the forward end of the aircraft, with the lift force pointing upwards and counteracting the cg alongside the wing. This helps to reduce the load exerted on the wing thereby decreases the wing dimension requirements. As the canard has a higher lift coefficient than the gull wing, it proportionally reduces drag. Elevons (102a) are the control elements that originate from central part and conclude at tip section of the canard wing (102). They are essential for the stability and control of the aircraft and they function as a combination of elevators that help in pitch control and ailerons that help in roll control.
The gull wing (103) is positioned at rear end of the fuselage (101), placed aft of the cg and above FRL (108). It provides a better wing-fuselage junction thereby makes the manufacturing of aircraft easier. It is a lifting surface that helps to generate a high lift force which enables the aircraft to be airborne and cover longer distances during forward flight of the aircraft. It also enhances the maneuverability, stability, control of the aircraft and provides more visibility which in turn enhances the autonomy of the aircraft. Ailerons (103a) are the control elements that initiate at mid-point and terminate at tip section of the gull wing (103). They help in the longitudinal axis stability and control of the aircraft. They essentially control the rolling moment of the aircraft.
Plurality of winglets (104) is positioned on vertical extensions of the canard wing (102) and gull wing (103). These winglets provide an enhanced directional stability to the aircraft and reduce the drag experienced by the aircraft.
The set of quartet EPS (105) are having a plurality of EDFs mounted in series on plurality of boom structures and they lie on said RP (109) placed slightly below FRL (108), behind the canard wing (102) and ahead of gull wing (103). These EPS include:
(i) a pair of forward EPS (105a) is positioned behind said canard wing (102) and ahead of the aircraft cg and
(ii) a pair of rear EPS (105b) is located ahead of gull wing (103) and aft of the aircraft cg.
The EPS produces higher static thrust using a smaller rotor area showing a lesser aerodynamic resistance to the airflow. The EDF functions as a safety feature that prevents wear and tear of the fan and prevents any other object or human from any damage or injury inflicted by the fan. Due to the compactness of the EPS, the integrated aircraft configuration requires a smaller area for flight operations as compared to the helicopter.
Each EPS has the capability of pivoting vertically as well as horizontally in relation to the forward flight direction during VTOL or horizontal cruise flights, respectively. Each EPS has a pre-defined rotational angle in the range of 70-90°, where the horizontal position is considered as the stationary position and the EPS rotates with a pre-defined angle in clockwise direction to obtain VTOL position. Each EPS in the stationary position provides an enhanced forward flight path, also known as cruise similar to the fixed-wing aircraft. While in VTOL position, the EPS provides the capability of hovering, taking off and landing vertically in a limited area similar to the helicopter.
The aircraft is powered by an electric Lithium-based battery pack instead of fossil fuel. The electric motors consume power from the battery pack. The electric motors convert the energy into mechanical energy and provide a rotational motion to the propellers. This rotational motion of the propellers generates a static thrust that enables the aircraft to move through the air.
The tricycle landing gear (107) is connected with bottom of the fuselage (101), helps in the take-off and landing of the aircraft. The main wheel of the landing gear is located at the front end of the fuselage and below the rotor plane while the tail wheels are located below the rotor plane and at the rear end of the fuselage, right before the upward curvature of the fuselage begins.
FRL (107) is a line that passes through the cg of the aircraft along the plane of symmetry. It is used as a reference line to laid out the location of the VTOL components.
RP (108) is a reference plane defined for the proposed aircraft about which the cg of every EPS lies. The EPS pivots horizontally or vertically about their cg w.r.t. to the rotor plane.
The placement of canard wing (102) and gull wing (103) in the present eVTOL is the distinguishing and positive feature that makes the aircraft to achieve the necessary high wing- low canard configuration. This novel configuration of the aircraft allows it to experience an undisturbed flow and thus provides a predictable response of the control elements and enhances the stalling characteristic and aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft. Briefly all these features such as high wing-low canard configuration having plurality of winglets and control elements with pivoting EPS mounted on boom structures in the proposed invention overcomes the issues of non-compactness, experiencing high disturbed flow, non-predictable response of the control elements, difficulties in rolling moment, necessary characteristics to delay the stall of VTOL, high drag and less aerodynamic efficiency of the existing aircrafts.
The configuration proposed in the present aircraft has an enhanced maneuverability, stability and control due to the integration of gull wing in a high wing-low canard configuration and pivoting EPS.
Further, the embodiments of the present disclosure encompass a method of operation of an electrically driven aircraft for vertical take-off and landing with green technology. The proposed eVTOL (100) uses electrically-driven propulsion system (105) to take-off vertically, hover, climb, cruise, descend and land vertically and the method of operation includes below mentioned steps of:
1)Take off and hover: The set of quartet EPS (105) produce static thrust more than MTOW of the aircraft by using the electrical energy generated by electric motors of the EDFs and maintains a pre defined rotational angle. The canard wing (102) reduces the drag and generates a positive load that points the aircraft upwards by counteracting the aircraft cg alongside itself. Also, the canard wing (102) decreases the load exerted on gull wing (103) and enhances maneuverability of the eVTOL (100). The eVTOL(100) takes-off vertically in a limited area due to static thrust produced by set of quartet EPS (105) and it starts to hover upwards in the air and flies vertically upwards to obtain a specified altitude. The winglets (104) present on the tip of both canard (102) and gull wings (103) provide additional directional stability to the eVTOL (100).
2) Climb: When the eVTOL (100) reaches specified altitude, it starts to climb towards its service ceiling at a specified AOA. During the climbing phase of flight, the EPS (105) begins to pivot into horizontal position, the high wing-low canard configuration experiences an undisturbed flow which provides an anticipated response of the control elements (102a, 103a) thereby maintains stability, enhance stalling characteristics and aerodynamic efficiency of the eVTOL (100) during the whole process of taking off, hovering and climbing.
3) Cruise/Voyage: When the eVTOL (100) reaches its service ceiling and the EPS (105) is in horizontal position, it starts to voyage in the forward direction and covers a pre-defined distance for arriving at a specified destination.
4) Descend: As the eVTOL (100) arrives at its specified destination, it starts to descend downwards at a specified AOA for reaching down to a specified altitude. During this phase, the EPS (105) starts to pivot to regain its vertical position. This phase of flight is similar yet reverse of the climb phase.
5) Hover and land: When the eVTOL (100) descends to a specified altitude and the EPS (105) is in vertical position, the eVTOL (100) starts to hover downwards in the air and finally lands vertically at its pre-defined destination using tri-cycle landing gear (106).
GREEN TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The proposed invention is an AEA and it has a net zero carbon emission. As the invention is an AEA, the absence of fossil fuel-based engines and the use of electric motors largely impact the noise emissions and air pollution. Electric motors have a lower noise and air pollution as compared to fossil fuel-based engines, which undergo processes like combustion and exhaustion that cause a lot of noise and air pollution. The aircraft is configured pertaining to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The relevance of specific UN SDGs with respect to the proposed technology are SDG7 referring to Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG9 talking about Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG11 emphasizing Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG13 highlighting Climate Action.
The current reliance of aviation industry on fossil fuels is an unsustainable and non-renewable source of energy which is harmful to the mother earth. The present invention proposes an AEA which utilizes electric energy, a renewable energy solution to provide an alternative VTOL with cheaper, more reliable and more efficient aircraft. The focus of present invention is solely based on implementing the new energy solutions to counter climate change, one of the biggest threats to our own survival and ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services in the coming decade.
The lack of access to renewable energy source is hindering economic and human development on a global scale. The proposed technology tries to bridge the huge disparities in access to modern sustainable and available energy alternatives. The AEA of the proposed invention tries to achieve energy and climate goals and creates an affordable massive aerial mobilization preference for public and private purposes using clean and renewable energy, especially in developing countries like India.
Keeping in mind SDG9, the proposed invention promotes sustainable industrialization in the aviation sector and fosters innovation. The higher technological development proposed by the present invention in the aviation industry performs better and recovers faster to provide a strong example of how important technological innovation is to achieve Goal 9.
By paying special attention to maintain air quality, the present invention focuses on providing an access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable aerial mobility solution. As mandated in SDG11, the proposed invention is well-planned and managed to reduce adverse environmental impact thereby lowering down the global greenhouse gas emissions created due to the existing aviation accessories.
Taking urgent action to combat climate change as prescribed by SDG13, proposed invention involves all electric motors with net zero carbon emission and makes this technology net climate positive.
The proposed invention creates new avenues for the enhancement of international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and promotes investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology
The proposed invention makes the accessories of aviation industry sustainable by upgrading the arrangement with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and aviation fuel requirements. To encourage aerial innovation and substantially increase the R&D activities in mobility sector, the proposed invention upgrades the technological capabilities of aviation sectors in developing countries.
Sustainable aerial transport is feasible due to the technological advancement of the proposed invention to accelerate simultaneous progress across the areas where deep, systemic links across the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development are concerned. Aerial mobility is vital for promoting connectivity in healthcare emergency services, trade, economic growth and employment. It overcomes the drawbacks of the existing VTOLs which are implicated as a significant source of green-house gas emissions.
To limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the proposed invention is the best suitable green technological aerial mobility solution as AEA-VTOL for nullifying global greenhouse gas emissions.
ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention described herein above has several advantages including, butnot limited, to compactness of eVTOL. The advantageous features of the proposed invention are disclosed below:
1) The eVTOL aircraft proposed in this invention has the capability to take-off and land vertically in a limited area to make it useful for aerial commute in remote terrains and for covering larger distances.
2) The eVTOL aircraft in the proposed invention uses electric motors which are responsible for reducing the noise emissions.
3) The proposed invention provides an eVTOL aircraft with net zero carbon emission.
4) The design of the eVTOL aircraft proposed in this invention is highly simple, ergonomic and easy to manufacture.
5) The proposed invention provides an eVTOL aircraft which is significantly larger than VTOL UAVs yet more compact than the existing large eVTOLs.
6) The eVTOL of the proposed invention has the capability of carrying a large variation of payloads and/or multiple passengers.
7) The eVTOL of the present invention possesses low risk of emergency landing.
8) The eVTOL of the present invention is highly cost effective model of aircraft with low maintenance having ease of handling making it suitable for point-to-point aerial mobility services for intracity and intercity commute.
9) The eVTOL of the proposed invention does not have the conventional control elements such as elevators and rudders. These elements require much more complex control system and need to be moved together at the surfaces as compared to the innovative ones; elevons and ailerons.
INVENTIVE CONCEPT
The novelty and key inventive features for present invention would fall under multi-pronged approach:
1) The proposed invention provides an eVTOL aircraft which functions fully on an all-electric aircraft (AEA) in the absence of fossil fuel-based engines.
2) The e-VTOL of the present invention possesses a low risk of emergency landing due to its enhanced stalling and stability characteristics. Further, emergency landing risks are lowered due to the higher number of control elements present in the e-VTOL aircraft including ailerons, elevons and the plurality of pivoting EPS that act as individual control elements.
3) The proposed invention provides an eVTOL aircraft with high wing-low canard configuration for creating an undisturbed flow to the wing and the canard thereby, resulting in the enhancement of stalling characteristic, aerodynamic efficiency and reduction of chances of nose diving.
4) The canard wing of the proposed invention lifts the forward end of the aircraft by generating a positive load with the lift force pointing upwards and counteracting the cg alongside of the gull wing. This helps to decrease the load exerted on the gull wing for reduction of the wing dimension requirements. Moreover, the canard experiences the higher lift coefficient and proportionally reduces the drag.
5) The innovative high wing-low canard configuration conceived in the proposed invention makes the aircraft more compact for providing a large surface area to generate lift force with low wing landing and reduced drag as compared to fixed-wing aircraft configuration
6) The presence of gull wing as a novel feature placed at the rear end provides a better wing-fuselage junction and helps to generate a high lift force for enabling the aircraft to be airborne, covering longer distances in forward flight and enhancing the maneuverability, stability and control of the aircraft.
7) The peculiar features, winglets placed at each tip of gull wing and canard wing enhances the directional stability in the present aircraft and reduces the drag experienced by the aircraft.
8) The introductions of control elements such as ailerons and elevons as inventive features of the proposed invention positioned on the canard and gull wing respectively, maintains the cg for additional stability of the aircraft.
9) Ailerons act as a control surface for the eVTOL aircraft proposed by the present invention. It helps in the longitudinal axis stability thereby controlling movement of the aircraft. It essentially controls the rolling moment of the aircraft.
10) Elevons are control surfaces that are coupled with the canard of the aircraft. They are functionally similar to ailerons. They help in the longitudinal stability and control of the aircraft.
11) The eVTOL as devised in the proposed invention constitutes a set of quartet EPS, each of which contains a plurality of EDFs and lies on the RP, located slightly below the FRL.
12) The presence of EPS as an inventive feature mounted on the boom structures coupled with the fuselage on its both sides, generates a static thrust higher than MTOW in a smaller rotor area and shows lesser aerodynamic resistance to the airflow.
13) The novel EPS designed in the proposed eVTOL has the capability of pivoting vertically as well as horizontally in relation to the forward flight direction during VTOL or horizontal cruise flights, respectively.
14) The EPS of the proposed eVTOL is configured in such a way that rotational angle of each EPS is in a pre-defined degree of rotation for considering horizontal position as stationary and it rotates in a pre-defined degree of angle in a clockwise direction to obtain VTOL position. While the EPS is transitioning to horizontal position, it provides longitudinal stability and control of the aircraft.
15) Additionally, each EPS acts as an individual control element, which along with elevons and ailerons provides a better maneuverability, stability and control of the aircraft.
16) The feature of EPS available in the eVTOL aircraft as proposed by the invention also acts as a safety feature that prevents the wear and tear of the fan and prevents any other object or human from any damage or injury inflicted by the fan.
, Claims:We claim:
1. An electrically driven aircraft (100) for vertical take-off and landing with green technology comprising:
(i) a fuselage (101) forming main body of said aircraft (100), wherein said fuselage (101) includes a adaptable cabin;
(ii) a canard wing (102) mounted at the frontal part of said fuselage (101), placed ahead of the cg and slightly below the RP (109);
(iii) a gull wing (103) positioned at the rear end of said fuselage (101), placed aft of the cg and above the FRL (108);
(iv) a set of control elements, wherein said set of control elements includes:
a. elevons (102a) originating from central part and concluding at tip section of said canard wing (102) and
b. ailerons (103a) initiating at mid-point and terminating at tip section of said gull wing (103);
(v) a plurality of winglets (104) positioned on vertical extensions of said canard wing (102) and gull wing (103);
(vi) a set of quartet EPS (105), wherein said set of quartet EPS (105) having a plurality of EDFs mounted in series on plurality of boom structures lies on said RP (109) placed slightly below said FRL (108), behind said canard wing (102) and ahead of gull wing (103) including:
a. a pair of forward EPS (105a) positioned behind said canard wing (102) and ahead of the aircraft cg and
b. a pair of rear EPS (105b) located ahead of gull wing (103) and aft of the aircraft cg and
(vii) a tricycle landing gear (107) connected with bottom of said fuselage (101).
2. A method of operation of an electrically driven aircraft (100) for vertical take-off and landing with green technology comprising steps of:
(i) generating electric energy by electric motors of said EDFs;
(ii) producing static thrust by said set of quartet EPS (105) maintaining a pre-defined rotational angle due to electric energy generated in step (i);
(iii) reducing drag of said aircraft (100) by said canard wing (102) and said winglets (104);
(iv) generating positive load by said canard wing (102);
(v) pointing said aircraft (100) upwards due to lift force generated by canard wing (102);
(vi) counteracting the aircraft cg alongside of said canard wing (102);
(vii) decreasing the load exerted on gull wing (103) and enhancing the maneuverability of said aircraft (100);
(viii) taking-off vertically by said aircraft (100) in a limited area due to static thrust produced in step (ii);
(ix) hovering of said aircraft (100) upwards in the air;
(x) providing directional stability to said aircraft (100) by said winglets (104);
(xi) flying of said aircraft (100) vertically upwards with a specified altitude;
(xii) climbing of said aircraft (100) towards its service ceiling at a specified AOA;
(xiii) pivoting of said EPS (105) of said aircraft (100) into horizontal position;
(xiv) experiencing an undisturbed flow by said aircraft (100) due to high wing-low canard configuration;
(xv) maintaining stability by anticipated response of said control elements (102a and 103a) thereby enhancing the stalling characteristic and aerodynamic efficiency of said aircraft (100);
(xvi) voyaging of said aircraft (100) in the forward direction after reaching its service ceiling with said EPS (105) in horizontal position;
(xvii) covering a pre-defined distance by said aircraft (100) for arriving at a specified destination;
(xviii) descending of said aircraft (100) downwards at a specified AOA for reaching down to a specified altitude;
(xix) pivoting of said EPS (105) for regaining its vertical position;
(xx) hovering of said aircraft (100) downwards in the air and
(xxi) landing of said aircraft (100) vertically at its pre-defined destination using said tri-cycle landing gear (107).
3. The method of operation of an electrically driven aircraft (100) for vertical take-off and landing with green technology as claimed in claim 2, wherein higher lift coefficient of said canard wing (102) reduces drag of said aircraft (100) than that of said gull wing (103).
4. The method of operation of an electrically driven aircraft (100) for vertical take-off and landing with green technology as claimed in claim 2, wherein a pre-defined angle of rotation of said EPS (105) allows said aircraft (100) to remain in horizontal stationary position.
5. The method of operation of an electrically driven aircraft (100) for vertical take-off and landing with green technology as claimed in claim 2, wherein a pre-defined angle of rotation of said EPS (105) rotates in clockwise direction to obtain VTOL position.
6. The method of operation of an electrically driven aircraft (100) for vertical take-off and landing with green technology as claimed in claim 2, wherein said canard wing (102) enables said aircraft (100) to be airborne and allows said aircraft (100) to cover longer distances in forward flight.
7. The method of operation of an electrically driven aircraft (100) for vertical take-off and landing with green technology as claimed in claim 2, wherein fewer load is exerted on gull wing (102) for reducing wing dimension requirements of said aircraft (100).