U.S. patent application number 11/859657 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-10 for aircraft.
Invention is credited to Aloys Wobben.
Application Number | 20080006737 11/859657 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27762744 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080006737 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wobben; Aloys |
January 10, 2008 |
AIRCRAFT
Abstract
The present invention concerns an aircraft having a plurality of
lifting and thrust rotors, with an electric motor and an inverter
for each motor. In order to provide an aircraft having a greater
payload, connecting bars are provided between the motors. In that
respect the invention is based on the realization that, if such
connecting bars are arranged in the manner of a latticework, they
can provide a light but nonetheless stable structure for the
aircraft, and that structure can carry correspondingly greater
loads.
Inventors: |
Wobben; Aloys; (Aurich,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SEED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW GROUP PLLC
701 FIFTH AVE
SUITE 5400
SEATTLE
WA
98104
US
|
Family ID: |
27762744 |
Appl. No.: |
11/859657 |
Filed: |
September 21, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10934634 |
Sep 3, 2004 |
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11859657 |
Sep 21, 2007 |
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PCT/EP03/02210 |
Mar 5, 2003 |
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10934634 |
Sep 3, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
244/17.13 ;
244/17.23 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64C 39/024 20130101;
B64C 2201/165 20130101; B64C 27/20 20130101; B64C 39/022 20130101;
B66F 19/00 20130101; B64C 2201/042 20130101; B64C 2201/108
20130101; B64C 2201/027 20130101; B64C 29/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
244/017.13 ;
244/017.23 |
International
Class: |
B64C 27/00 20060101
B64C027/00; G05D 1/00 20060101 G05D001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 6, 2002 |
DE |
10209881.6 |
Claims
1. An aircraft to carry loads, comprising: a plurality of lifting
rotors and a plurality of thrust rotors; a plurality of electric
motors, each motor associated with one of the rotors; a plurality
of inverters, each inverter associated to one of the electric
motors, to individually control each electric motor; an electric
motor-operated cable winch to raise or lower external loads that
can be carried by the aircraft; at least one connecting bar
provided between at least two of the electric motors; and a lifting
cable attachable to an external load, wherein the external load is
a component of a building.
2. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising at least
one trailing cable permanently coupled to a ground and coupled to
the aircraft to supply power to the aircraft from the ground.
3. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising a wired
remote control system.
4. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising two remote
control systems which can act alternately on the aircraft.
5. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein the at least one
connecting bar comprises a plurality of connecting bars that
together form a generally triangular shape.
6. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising a control
device for automatic control of flight attitude.
7. The aircraft according to claim 6, further comprising additional
connecting bars between at least two electric motors and the
control device.
8. The aircraft according to claim 6, further comprising a GPS
system to provide data to the control device to cause the aircraft
to head to a position.
9. The aircraft according to claim 6 wherein the control device is
arranged beneath a plane in which said at least one connecting bar
extend between the electric motors.
10. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein each motor and
inverter form a structural combination.
11. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein said at least one
connecting bar is hollow, the aircraft further comprising wires
arranged in an interior of the hollow connecting bar to provide
electrical power to said electrical motors.
12. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein said at least one
connecting bar is fixedly but releasably connected between the
electric motors.
13. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising an energy
storage device arranged on the aircraft.
14. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein said at least one
connecting bar comprises a plurality of connecting bars, and
wherein the aircraft has a chassis which is constructed
substantially from said hollow connecting bars.
15. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein the building is wind
power installation.
16. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein the lifting rotors
are substantially double-blade rotors.
17. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising a
wireless remote control system.
18. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising two
remote control systems which can act simultaneously on the
aircraft.
19. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising a control
device for automatic control of flight height.
20. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein the at least one
connecting bar comprises a plurality of connecting bars positioned
along a periphery of the aircraft to form a polygonal shape.
21. The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein each of said lifting
rotors provides more power than each one of said thrust rotors.
22. An aircraft, comprising: a frame having connecting bars; a
plurality of electric motors coupled to said connecting bars of the
frame; at least one lifting rotor mechanically linked to one of the
plurality of electric motors; a plurality of inverters each
associated to one of the electric motors to individually control
each electric motor; at least one thrusting rotor mechanically
linked to one of the plurality of electric motors; and a lifting
cable attachable to a load, wherein the load is a component of a
building.
23. The aircraft of claim 22 wherein said at least one lifting
rotor provides more power than said at least one thrusting
rotor.
24. The aircraft of claim 22 wherein the cable is mechanically
linked to one of the plurality of electric motors to raise and
lower the load.
25. The aircraft of claim 22, further comprising a power cable,
that can be coupled to a power supply on a ground and to the
aircraft, to provide electrical power to the aircraft from the
power supply on the ground rather than from an energy storage
device carried on the aircraft, if the power cable is coupled to
the power supply, the energy storage device carried in the aircraft
being capable to provide electrical power to the aircraft if the
power cable is decoupled from the power supply, wherein said
electrical power provided to the aircraft is carried by wires
arranged inside at least one of said connecting bars, which is
hollow.
26. The aircraft of claim 22, further comprising one or more
control systems to position the aircraft.
27. The aircraft of claim 26 wherein said one of the one or more
control systems is wirelessly connected to an input device to send
commands to the one of the one or more control systems.
28. The aircraft of claim 26 wherein said one of the one or more
control systems comprises a computing system capable of
autonomously positioning the aircraft.
29. The aircraft of claim 26, further comprising a Global
Positioning System capable of providing data to said one of the one
or more control systems.
30. The aircraft of claim 22 wherein said frame having connecting
bars comprises a frame constructed substantially from hollow ones
of said connecting bars, said hollow connecting bars being fixedly
but releasably coupled to said electric motors.
31. The aircraft of claim 22 wherein the lifting rotor rotates
substantially in a horizontal plane.
32. The aircraft of claim 22 wherein the one or more of said
plurality of thrusting motors rotates substantially in a vertical
plane.
33. The aircraft of claim 22 wherein the frame having the
connecting bars together form a generally triangular shape.
34. The aircraft of claim 22 wherein the building is a wind power
installation.
35. The aircraft of claim 22 wherein the connecting bars are
positioned along a periphery of the frame to form a polygonal
shape.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of and claims
priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 120 to U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 10/934,634, entitled "AIRCRAFT," filed Sep. 3, 2004, which in
turn is a continuation-in-part of International Application No.
PCT/EP03/02210, filed Mar. 5, 2003, which in turn claims priority
to DE Application No. 102 09 881.6, filed Mar. 6, 2002. All of
these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their
entireties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to an aircraft for lifting heavy
loads, and more particularly, to a barge type aircraft with a
plurality of electric lifting and thrusting motors that travels
only a short distance above the ground.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] A crane is usually required for erecting high buildings and
constructions. That naturally also applies to tower-like buildings
such as wind power installations. It will be noted that wind power
installations are becoming increasingly larger and this means that
the cranes on the one hand must reach ever increasing heights and
on the other hand move ever increasing masses. That in turn results
in larger and heavier cranes. Those cranes are then in turn more
and more expensive and the expenditure for transporting such a
crane from one building site to another also rises, as also the
expenditure for assembly and dismantling of the crane.
[0006] An alternative is an aircraft which is capable of
transporting the components of the building or construction, such
as for example a wind power installation.
[0007] DE 22 34 524 discloses a flying platform with a plurality of
lifting and thrust rotors, with an electric motor for each rotor
and an inverter for each motor.
[0008] A disadvantage with that known aircraft however is that the
electric motors are mounted to a common platform. That platform on
the one hand is of a high inherent weight and, due to the
construction involved, predetermines the possible numbers of motors
and rotors respectively.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Therefore one object of the invention is to provide an
aircraft able to carry a heavier payload than prior similar
barge-type aircraft.
[0010] In the aircraft in accordance with the invention, that
object is attained by connecting bars between motors. In that
respect the invention is based on the realization that a stable
connection between the individual motors is admittedly required,
but it is possible to save on the inherent weight of the platform
when using a bar structure. The weight which is saved in that way,
with the same carrying capacity on the part of the aircraft, is
then available as an additional payload.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the invention the power supply
is implemented by way of at least one trailing cable. In that
fashion the aircraft admittedly also has to lift the weight of the
cable, but in return for that it does not need to carry costly and
heavy energy storage devices. The power supply by way of a
plurality of trailing cables which are preferably mounted to
various locations on the aircraft means that reliable operation is
still possible, even in the event of failure of a cable.
[0012] In a particularly preferred feature the aircraft is
controlled from the ground by way of a wireless or wired remote
control system. In that respect it is also possible to provide two
or more remote control systems which act alternately on the
aircraft. In that way it is possible to effect rough positioning
such as lifting of the load and fundamentally determining the
direction of flight from the ground, while fine positioning, for
example of a section of the pylon of the installation, is effected
from the pylon in a position from which the procedure can be
precisely monitored.
[0013] In a preferred development of the invention the aircraft has
landing feet with which it can be set down on the ground. For that
purpose a resiliently mounted support plate is provided at the end
of each rotor, which is remote from the shaft.
[0014] In a particularly preferred feature the aircraft according
to the invention has a device for automatic control of the flight
attitude and/or the flight altitude. That device can also be
coupled to a GPS system in order in that way to provide for
automatically heading for a predeterminable position. In that way
rough positioning of the aircraft according to the invention can be
effected automatically.
[0015] In order to reduce the inherent weight of the aircraft to
the minimum possible extent, even when the flight control system is
installed on the aircraft, the device is preferably arranged with
connecting bars between at least two motors. In that case the
device is particularly preferably arranged beneath the plane in
which the bars extend between the motors. In that way, even in the
case of a flight without a load, the aircraft has a low center of
gravity which contributes to the stability of its flight
attitude.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment the motors and the inverters are
structurally combined so that they can be pre-assembled and handled
as a unit.
[0017] In order to protect the electric cables which are required
on the aircraft the connecting bars in a particularly preferred
feature are hollow and the cables extend in the interior of the
bars.
[0018] So that the aircraft can be dimensioned as flexibly as
possible and in dependence on the loads to be transported, fixed
but releasable connections are provided between the connecting bars
and the motors. That permits scaling of the aircraft according to
the invention, insofar as, in dependence on the load to be
transported, a desired number of motors is selected, the motors
then being suitably connected by the connecting bars in the manner
of a latticework to afford a stable aircraft.
[0019] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in
the appendant claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] An embodiment by way of example of the invention is
described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the
Figures in which:
[0021] FIG. 1A shows a top side simplified view of an aircraft
according to the invention.
[0022] FIG. 1B shows a side elevation view of the aircraft of FIG.
1A.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a simplified view of a motor according to the
invention of the aircraft.
[0024] FIG. 3 shows an end portion of a connecting bar according to
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] In FIGS. 1A and 1B, reference 10 denotes a motor, reference
12 denotes the rotor, such as a propeller, reference 14 denotes the
inverter, reference 15 denotes a connecting bar and reference 16
denotes a control device for controlling the flight attitude or
position, and/or the flight altitude.
[0026] The aircraft according to the invention is here shown as
being of a triangular basic shape.
[0027] Some of the motors 10 are so arranged that the rotor 12
thereof rotates in a vertical plane. Depending on the direction of
rotation of the motor 10 such a rotor 12 acts as a pusher rotor or
a traction rotor. The direction of flight is accordingly influenced
with those rotors.
[0028] A power supply cable 25 provides power from the ground to
the control device, which provides and controls power to the motors
10 via respective cables 26.
[0029] Arranged at the end points of the triangular shape are
further motors 10, the rotors 12 of which rotate in a substantially
horizontal plane. They operate as lifting rotors and permit lifting
of the load or flight at a predeterminable height.
[0030] Associated with each motor 10 is an inverter 14 which
permits individual actuation of each motor 10. In that way the
individual motors 10 can be actuated independently of each other
and that therefore permits on the one hand the aircraft to be
controlled in a very precise manner while on the other hand it
permits the aircraft to be controlled independently of
direction.
[0031] The triangular shape is only shown as a variant, in this
Figure. It will be appreciated that other polygons such as
quadrangles, pentagons or any other shapes with a suitable
arrangement of motors are possible in order to be able to lift and
transport correspondingly large loads.
[0032] Provided at the center of the aircraft is a control device
16 which on the one hand feeds electrical energy to the inverters
14 and thus the motors 10 and which on the other hand also
influences the inverters 14 in order to produce a flight behavior
corresponding to the control commands. It is also possible to
integrate into that control device 16 an energy storage device
which, for example in the event of a breakage of the trailing
cable, still provides sufficient energy for the aircraft to make an
emergency landing, in order to avoid an uncontrolled crash.
[0033] FIG. 1B shows a lifting system for use with the present
invention. An electric motor 27 is provided suspended from the
aircraft frame. The electric motor 27 can be suspended from any
acceptable part of the frame, for example a central region directly
below the control device 16. The electric motor 27 can also be
connected to other portions of the aircraft such as a frame coupled
to the three corners of the aircraft. Extending below the electric
motor 27 is a cable winch 29 and a cable having a hook 31. The
cable winch 29 has sufficient cable for extending to the ground
when the aircraft is in flight at the expected altitude.
[0034] The lift rotors 12 receive power via one or more cables 25
which are coupled to the ground. As the aircraft flies, the
electrical power is provided on cables 25 which are connected to
coiled wire supplies on the ground. As the aircraft flies upward,
the cables 25 will naturally uncurl in order to provide the
additional length needed to maintain the aircraft at a correct
height above the ground and supply power via the ground connection.
This provides the distinct advantage that the power needed to drive
the motors 10 does not need to be carried by the aircraft. Instead,
substantial weight savings is obtained because the weight of the
fuel is not carried by the aircraft. Instead, the load weight can
be increased based upon the fact that no fuel needs to be carried
by the aircraft.
[0035] Of course, other lifting structures besides the winch 29 can
be provided on the aircraft. For example, the aircraft may contain
one or more platforms for carrying a human operator or workers who
will be assisting to assemble the structure being built. It may
also include other support platforms.
[0036] A control line may be coupled via cable 25, or via wireless
to the control device 16 for controlling the aircraft's altitude
ALT and also its attitude ATT, such as when carrying a load 33 with
the hook 31. The various lift and thrust motors can be controlled
via one or more remote control devices RC1 and RC2, each of the
devices RC1 and RC2 working either alone to control the device, or
simultaneously, in which one of the control devices RC1 controls
the lift mechanism and the other control device RC2 controls the
directional thrust motors.
[0037] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a motor 10 according to the
invention. A rotor 12 is connected to that motor 10 by way of a
shaft 32. Provided at the end of the motor 10, which is opposite to
the shaft 32, is a spring leg 22, with a support foot 20 being
mounted to the end of the spring leg 22, which is remote from the
motor. According to the position of installation illustrated in
this Figure, this involves a lifting motor. When the aircraft
according to the invention goes down therefore the support foot 20
will firstly come into contact with the ground and the remaining
part of the aircraft will move downwardly against the pressure of
the spring leg 22. In that way the aircraft according to the
invention can land on the ground without the housing of the motor
10 being exposed to the risk of damage or even only rough dirty
contamination.
[0038] FIG. 3 shows a portion of a connecting bar 15 according to
the invention. The connecting bar 15 has a holder 18 with which it
can be fixedly but releasably connected for example to a motor 10
in order to be able to construct an aircraft according to the
invention. A cable 26 is illustrated within the connecting bar 15
which is of a hollow nature. That arrangement of the cable 26 in
the connecting bar 15 provides that the cable is guided in a
protected condition within the connecting bar 15 and thus this
drastically reduces the risk of damage to the cable 26, such risk
being permanently present precisely in the rough conditions of a
building site.
[0039] The cable 26 issues from the connecting bar 15 at the end
thereof and thus near the motor 10 and can be connected with the
wires 28. In that way none of cable 26, or in some cases, only a
short portion of the cable 26 between the end of the connecting bar
15 and the motor 10 is freely accessible. Here the risk of damage
can be reduced by suitably guiding the cable 26 within the frame
formed by the aircraft. It will be appreciated that this cable can
also be directly connected to the inverter 14 which forms a
structural unit with the motor 10.
[0040] However, guiding a cable in such a way is also advantageous
when the inverter or inverters 14 are associated with the control
device 16. In that case the cables 26 run from the control device
16 with the inverters 14 to the motors 10.
[0041] In the described aircraft the number of lifting rotors is
preferably markedly greater than the number of pusher rotors. For
example the ratio of the number of lifting rotors to the thrust
rotors can be in the range of between 5:1 and 10:1. Further, the
lifting rotors can be of significantly more power than the pusher
rotors. The thrusting rotors can be small and positioned to reduce
the number needed.
[0042] All of the above U.S. patents, U.S. patent application
publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign
patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this
specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet, are
incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety.
[0043] From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although
specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein
for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made
without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended
claims.
* * * * *