Electric VTOL Aircraft

Abstract

An electric and hybrid Vertical-Take Off and Landing (“VTOL”) aircraft is disclosed comprising a plurality of small Electric Ducted Fans (“EDFs”) of various sizes and orientations. The thrust of each fixed EDF is individually controlled by modulation of motor power by one or more onboard microcomputers connected to a plurality of onboard laser distance measuring sensors, at least three onboard three-axis accelerometers and at least one GPS thereby allowing extremely precise and safe VTOL operation. The aircraft may be employed to allow robotic and passenger vehicles to transition extremely quickly between normal linear flight and VTOL and tb operate in extreme and gusty conditions.

1 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing (“VTOL”) aircraft comprising a system of electrically powered ducted fans having a maximum power, wherein:
 a thrust of one or more of said fans of said system of fans is controlled by altering power supplied to a fan driving motor; and 
 said system of fans comprises a first plurality of vertically mounted fans having a first diameter for controlling said aircraft in a vertical direction and a second plurality of vertically mounted fans having a second diameter for controlling said aircraft in said vertical direction, wherein the ratio of said second diameter to said first diameter is greater than or equal to 1.5, 
 wherein said aircraft further comprises a controller configured to:
 iteratively increase or decrease power to said second plurality of fans until the aircraft changes altitude, and 
 iteratively adjust power to the first plurality of fans to respond to height transients in altitude. 
 
 
     
     
         2 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of said electrically powered ducted fans comprises an independent battery or other source of electrical energy for powering said fan, wherein failure of a battery or other source of electrical energy does not result in failure of other batteries or other sources of electrical energy.   
     
     
         3 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each motor is controlled by an individual Electronic Speed Controller (“ESC”). 
     
     
         4 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein each Electronic Speed Controller is controlled by a separate flight controller. 
     
     
         5 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein:
 each Electronic Speed Controller is controlled by said separate flight controller using pulse width modulation (“PWM”);   each flight controller comprises an inertial navigation system;   each flight controller comprises a Global Positioning System (“GPS”) device;   each flight controller comprises an accelerometer;   each flight controller comprises a gyro; and/or   each flight controller is arranged and adapted to relay measurements of acceleration and/or distance to a central processor.   
     
     
         6 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of said electrically powered ducted fans comprises a distance determining device or sensor for determining the vertical distance between said electrically powered ducted fan and the ground. 
     
     
         7 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said distance determining device or sensor comprises: (i) a laser ranging time of flight sensor; (ii) an inertial navigation system comprising one or more accelerometers; (iii) a Global Positioning System (“GPS”) device; (iv) a camera or video camera system; or (v) an image recognition system. 
     
     
         8 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said independent batteries or other sources of electrical energy are arranged in a central battery system, and wherein said aircraft further comprises a power distribution system arranged and adapted to distribute power from said central battery system to said motors. 
     
     
         9 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said aircraft comprises a redundant flight control system having multiple independent channels in order to prevent loss of flight control in the event of failure of one or more channels. 
     
     
         10 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said aircraft comprises a redundant flight sensor system having multiple independent channels in order to prevent loss of sensor signals in the event of failure of one or more channels. 
     
     
         11 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an aerodynamic lifting body or surface. 
     
     
         12 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said aircraft is arranged and adapted, during linear flight, to alter a lifting thrust of said vertically mounted fans to compensate for aerodynamic lift of said aerodynamic lifting body or surface. 
     
     
         13 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said system of fans comprises a second plurality of horizontally or laterally mounted fans for controlling said aircraft in a horizontal or lateral direction. 
     
     
         14 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said aircraft is arranged and adapted to use said horizontally or laterally mounted fans, during vertical take-off, to rotate horizontally until it is facing in a direction that linear flight is desired. 
     
     
         15 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said aircraft is arranged and adapted to energise said horizontally or laterally mounted fans to accelerate in a required direction. 
     
     
         16 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of vanes for thrust vectoring or for converting vertical thrust into thrust having a horizontal or lateral component or for converting horizontal or lateral thrust into thrust having a vertical component. 
     
     
         17 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein one or more of said fans are rotatable or pivotable for thrust vectoring or for converting vertical thrust into thrust having a horizontal or lateral component or for converting horizontal or lateral thrust into thrust having a vertical component. 
     
     
         18 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said batteries or other sources of electrical energy are recharged in flight by one or more electrical generators connected to one or more gas turbines or one or more internal combustion engines or one or more other sources of energy. 
     
     
         19 . A Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of said fans is powered by an electrical generator connected to a gas turbine or an internal combustion engine or another source of energy. 
     
     
         20 . A method of operating a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (“VTOL”) aircraft comprising a system of electrically powered ducted fans to propel said aircraft, said plurality of fans comprises a first plurality of vertically mounted fans having a first diameter for controlling said aircraft in a vertical direction and a second plurality of vertically mounted fans having a second diameter for controlling said aircraft in said vertical direction, wherein the ratio of said second diameter to said first diameter is greater than or equal to 1.5,
 said method comprising:
 increasing or decreasing power to said second plurality of fans until the aircraft changes altitude; and 
 iteratively adjusting power to the first plurality of fans to respond to height transients in altitude.