Integrated thrust-lift wing
View Patent ↗The novel wing design disclosed herein has a cambered, swept wing design for aircraft application that can achieve steady state flight via the integration of an electric motor driven lift-thrust system that can provide both vertical thrust for take-off and horizontal thrust for flight propulsion by the selective use of fan blades connected to the motor.
1. An integrated thrust-lift system comprising:
a wing having a root for connecting to an aircraft surface, a tip opposite the root, a leading edge, and a trailing edge;
a thrust-lift system disposed in said wing adjacent to and outboard of the root, wherein the thrust-lift system comprises a motor having a drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft is connected to a first clutch connected to a first control hub, further connected to a set of axial fan blades, and wherein the drive shaft is further connected to a second clutch connected to a second hub connected to centrifugal fan blades, wherein the thrust-lift system is further enclosed in a housing having a top port, a bottom port, and an exhaust port, wherein the axial fan blades draw air through the top port and directs it through the wing through the bottom port generating lift, wherein the centrifugal fan blades draw air through the top port and directs it into the exhaust port wherein the exhaust port further comprises an internal control surface for directing exhaust air created by the centrifugal fan blades, wherein the axial fan blades provide vertical lift and the centrifugal blades create exhaust air for horizontal thrust; and
a control unit connected to the motor, first clutch, second clutch, first control hub, and internal control surface to selectively operate the motor, first clutch, second clutch, first control hub, and internal control surface.
2. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 1 , wherein said wing is cambered.
3. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 1 , wherein the motor is electric.
4. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 1 , wherein said wing further comprises ailerons.
5. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 4 , wherein the control unit is further connected to, and controls, the ailerons.
6. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 5 , wherein the wing further comprises flaps.
7. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is further connected to, and controls, the flaps.
8. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 1 , wherein the axial fan blades are variable pitched axial fan blades.
9. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft surface is a fuselage.
10. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft surface is an empennage.
11. An integrated thrust-lift system comprising:
a cambered wing having a root for connecting to an aircraft surface, a tip opposite the root, a leading edge, and a trailing edge;
a thrust-lift system disposed in said wing adjacent to and outboard of the root, wherein the thrust-lift system comprises an electric motor having a drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft is connected to a first clutch connected to a first control hub, further connected to a set of axial fan blades, and wherein the drive shaft is further connected to a second clutch connected to a second hub connected to centrifugal fan blades, wherein the thrust-lift system is further enclosed in a housing having a top port, a bottom port, and an exhaust port, wherein the axial fan blades draw air through the top port and directs it through the wing through the bottom port generating lift, wherein the centrifugal fan blades draw air through the top port and directs it into the exhaust port wherein the exhaust port further comprises an internal control surface for directing exhaust air created by the centrifugal fan blades, wherein the axial fan blades provide vertical lift and the centrifugal blades create exhaust air for horizontal thrust; and
a control unit connected to the motor, first clutch, second clutch, and internal control surface to selectively operate the motor, first clutch, second clutch, and internal control surface.
12. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 11 , wherein said wing further comprises ailerons.
13. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 12 , wherein the control unit is further connected to, and controls, the ailerons.
14. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 13 , wherein the wing further comprises flaps.
15. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 14 , wherein the control unit is further connected to, and controls, the flaps.
16. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 11 , wherein the axial fan blades are variable pitched axial fan blades.
17. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 11 , wherein the aircraft surface is a fuselage.
18. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 11 , wherein the aircraft surface is an empennage.
19. An integrated thrust-lift system comprising:
a cambered wing having a root for connecting to an aircraft surface, a tip opposite the root, a leading edge, and a trailing edge;
a thrust-lift system disposed in said wing adjacent to and outboard of the root, wherein the thrust-lift system comprises an electric motor having a drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft is connected to a first clutch connected to a first control hub, further connected to a set of variable-pitch axial fan blades, and wherein the drive shaft is further connected to a second clutch connected to hub connected to centrifugal fan blades, wherein the thrust-lift system is further enclosed in a housing having a top port, a bottom port, and an exhaust port, wherein the variable-pitch axial fan blades draw air through the top port and directs it through the wing through the bottom port generating lift, wherein the centrifugal fan blades draw air through the top port and directs it into the exhaust port wherein the exhaust port further comprises an internal control surface for directing exhaust air created by the centrifugal fan blades, wherein the variable-pitch axial fan blades provide vertical lift and the centrifugal blades create exhaust air for horizontal thrust; and
a control unit connected to the motor, first clutch, second clutch, first control hub, and internal control surface to selectively operate the motor, first clutch, second clutch, first control hub, and internal control surface.
20. The integrated thrust-lift system of claim 19 , wherein the aircraft surface is a fuselage.