vertoflyer – a new class of aircrafts
TRANSCRIPT
Vertoflyer – a new class of aircrafts Author: Liviu Giurca
1. Introduction
As Ford president says, in the near future the terrestrial personal transportation will become limited, not only by CO2 emissions, but also by congestion. We will rapidly approach a point where traffic simply stands still, and that will limit our personal movement. So the vertical flight becomes a logic and immediate solution. On the other hand, the single actual means for vertical flight is represented by helicopter. This expensive aerial vehicle is very risky to be used in urban environment because its exposed external rotors for which any contact with other external object leads to a disaster. A new solution is proposed to solve these issues. Vertoflyer is the ultimate transportation vehicle of the future having Vertical TakeOff and Landing (VTOL) capability as helicopters and the ability to flight horizontally as fixing wing aircraft. It has high maximum speed and safety at minimum cost. Vertoflyer is based on a new innovative VTOL powerplant named I-VTOL.
2. Problems to be solved
A. Creation of a new class of aircraft and propulsion system combining characteristics of helicopters and airplanes. B. Creation of effective, reliable and safe aircraft that do not require special places for takeoff and landing and for which the contact with obstacles would not lead to disasters. C. Creation of an aircraft for a wide range of everyday tasks and emergency situations.
3. State of the art Helicopter
Disadvantages:
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-Too complex and expensive; -External dangerous open rotors; -Difficult to be controlled. Only for very talented pilots; -Low horizontal flight efficiency.
Entecho Entecho concept employs a novel flexible shroud and radial fan which works in conjunction with some lifting surfaces to achieve lift and control. The fan configuration ensures a uniform and optimum flow over the length of each blade and packages a very large blade length within a small envelope. The resultant low blade speed provides the benefit of reduced noise and decreased danger to operators and/or passengers. This configuration also ensures that the fan disc loading is kept as low as possible to efficiently generate significant lift.
Disadvantages: -Low value of the working surfaces reported to the vehicle foot print; -Relatively low impulse of the air mass; -The cockpit obstructs the entry of the air into the fan; -Too complex drive of the fun (with at least three electric motor) and too expensive; -In this configuration is difficult to employ an internal combustion engine which represents the cheaper solution for the powerplant; -Low horizontal flight efficiency; -It can fly only with ground effect at maximum 2 m from soil.
An operational demonstrator was achieved proving the solution of the radial fan to vertical flight. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjriUmUN2Jg
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4. I-VTOL description and operation I-VTOL uses a revolutionary design, without airscrews, and generates lift within a relatively small diameter body by employing a unique combination of lifting surfaces. This is primarily because it allows the creation of an extremely compact aerial vehicle which has VTOL capabilities and high lifting efficiencies. VTOL-PP mainly employs two centrifugal fans which are superposed, creating a unique combination of lifting surfaces and a double flux air distribution. Each centrifugal fan and its envelope form a centrifugal or radial compressor. Each centrifugal compressor moves the air from the upper surface to the lower surface. The fans are acted by one or two electric motors. The rotation motion of one fan is contrary to the other and will be not necessary other anti-torque system.
The lift is generated by creating a depression on the upper surface and a big pressure on the lower surface. The air entries and exits are designed to use the entire upper surface and the entire lower surface. So, doe to the ducts arrangement the entire upper and lower surface is used. Additional lift is obtained by the huge impulse of air mass directed downward by the both compressors.
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5. Vertoflyer in different configurations Any Vertoflyer configuration uses at least one I-VTOL double flux powerplant arranged in an innovative manner. The main Vertoflyer configurations are: -Compound Vertoflyer; -Suspended cabine Vertoflyer; -Personal Vertoflyer; -Tandem Vertoflyer; -Drone Vertoflyer. Compound Vertoflyer This aircraft uses a single I-VTOL powerplant and can takes-off vertically but in horizontal flight can use also some fixed wings like a normal airplane to supplement sustentation and be more economic. At least an additional propeller or turboreactor is used to provide the horizontal flight. If a propeller is used, this can be protected by an envelope.
Suspended cabin Vertoflyer This aircraft uses a single I-VTOL powerplant from which is suspended cabin for pilot and passengers. The horizontal flight is obtained by directing the air flow downwards with some additional flaps.
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Personal Vertoflyer In this case the pilot use a frame which is also suspended by a single I-VTOL powerplant. In this case the horizontal flight is obtained by inclining the I-VTOL powerplant with an angle reported to the frame.
Tandem Vertoflyer Tandem Vertoflyer uses two I-VTOL powerplants arranged in “tandem”. Between the I-VTOL powerplants is located the cabin which can accommodate at least two person. The cabin can support two fixing wings located in the middle area.
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Under each powerplant are mounted two flaps, serving to stabilize the vehicle during vertical flight. Tangentially to each powerplant are located two nozzles which diverge the air flow of the superior compressor rearwards and can create a horizontal thrust. Each nozzle is controlled by a throttle acted by an actuator.
In the pure electric variant of Tandem Vertoflyer, the two or four electric motors are supplied with electricity by a number of modular batteries which are mounted in the lateral walls of the cabin. The system can work with minimum two batteries. If the traveling distance is short only two batteries will be used. The number of embarked batteries increases with the distance. This system, with modular batteries, avoids transporting a futile mass. On the other hand, if the batteries are discharged, they can be easy replaced (being modular) and Tandem Vertoflyer is very quickly prepared for the next fly.
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In the hybrid variant of Tandem Vertoflyer, the two or four electric motors are supplied with electricity by an alternator acted by a high power density IC engine.
Tandem Vertoflyer as all Vertoflyers can be launched and landed almost anywhere. The lift is ensured by the two powerplants. After vertical lift the throttles of the nozzles are gradually open and an horizontal thrust is created. If the horizontal speed increses suficiently, a big part of the sustentation is created by the fixed wing and a small part by the two vertical powerplants. Tandem Vertoflyer can land by using the two powerplants.
Drone Vertoflyer Drone Vertoflyer can use a single I-VTOL having attached on the underneath area a compartment containing the propulsion, the sensors/cameras, etc. For horizontal flight the drone body ca inclined by the help of a skirt which can be deformed.
Concept advantages
As opposed to the mechanically complicated cyclic swash-plate and mechanically coupled tail rotor found in a conventional helicopter, the presented aircraft implements a simple, safe and low weight construction. This system uses fewer and simpler parts than a conventional helicopter, which should ultimately make it less expensive to manufacture and maintain.
Compared with Entecho concept (already proved), I-VTOL offers double working surfaces reported to the footprint and double air impulse. Also the entry of the air is not obstructed. That means I-VTOL can be at least twice more efficient than Entecho concept reported to the same external diameter.
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I-VTOL permits to an aerial vehicle with centrifugal fans to progress from the stage of hovercraft (Entecho case) to the stage of VTOL aircraft with high lift capability.
A comparison is made between I-VTOL Powerplant and Entecho.
No. Criterion Entecho I-VTOL Improvement
1 Propulsion type One radial single stage compressor
Two superposed counter rotating radial compressors: one with single stage and one with two stages
2 External diameter [m] 3 3 -
3 Foot print [m²] 7 7 -
4 Total compressor flow [kg/s]
72 179 + 250%
5 Maximum Weight [kg] 280 900* +320%
6 Weight without pilot 150 300 +100%
7 Power [kW] 240 600* +250%
8 Specific power [kg/kW] 1.2 1.67 +40%
9 Specific surface [kg/m²]** 40 143 +357%
*I-VTOL used as a flying crane ** Specific surface = the ratio between the lifting force and the total area of the working body
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Specific power diagram
Specific surface diagram
The performances of the I-VTOL can be even more improved (with around 20%) using the Coanda jet amplifier. This happens without to increase the power or the fuel consumption.
Intellectual Property status: Patent pending
E-mail : Phone no. : 0040731015778
Bibliography http://www.entecho.com.au/