US5150859A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Wingtip turbine
Assignee: Sundstrand Corp
•
Filing: 1988-10-11
•
Granted: 1992-09-29
•
Expires: 2008-10-11
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for generating power from a trailing vortex induced at the wingtip of an aircraft. A turbine is mounted on the wingtip and is disposed in the trailing vortex. The turbine includes propeller blades extending generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to utilize substantially only the radial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to thereby reduce the vortex strength and decrease wing drag. The turbine is coupled to an operative system of the aircraft for providing power to the system from the turbine, such as a wing de-icing system, a wing boundary layer control system, a hydraulic pump and an electric generator.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas F. Ransick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 11:25
CPC Classifications
F; F03; F03D; F03D9/00; F03D9/30; F03D9/32; B; B64; B64C; B64C23/00; B64C23/06; B64C23/065; B64D; B64D41/00; B64D41/007; F03D9/20; F03D9/28; F03D9/25; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/70; Y02E10/72; Y02E10/728; Y02T; Y02T50/00; Y02T50/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
143 words
An apparatus for generating power from a trailing vortex induced at the wingtip of an aircraft, comprising: turbine means mounted on the wingtip, said turbine means including a housing and propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex for extracting a portion of substantially only the rotational energy of the trailing vortex, said propeller means comprising a plurality of propeller blades adjustably oriented to remain generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to utilize substantially only the radial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to thereby reduce the vortex strength and decrease wing drag; and means for coupling the wingtip turbine means to a wing de-icing system, and including compressor means located within the housing of the turbine means and coupled to the propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex for operating the wing de-icing system.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
143 words
An apparatus for generating power from a trailing vortex induced at the wingtip of an aircraft, comprising: turbine means mounted on the wingtip, said turbine means including a housing and propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex for extracting a portion of substantially only the rotational energy of the trailing vortex, said propeller means comprising a plurality of propeller blades adjustably oriented to remain generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to utilize substantially only the radial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to thereby reduce the vortex strength and decrease wing drag; and means for coupling the wingtip turbine means to a wing de-icing system, and including compressor means located within the housing of the turbine means and coupled to the propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex for operating the wing de-icing system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 1, including controller means for automatically changing the pitch of said propeller means to maintain the propeller means generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 2, including manual override means coupled to said controller means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said compressor means is connected at one end to an air intake located within said housing, and at the other end to a duct extending along the wing, said compressor means supplying air from the intake to the duct for de-icing the wing.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
142 words
An apparatus for generating power from a trailing vortex induced at the wingtip of an aircraft, comprising: turbine means mounted on the wingtip, said turbine means including a housing and propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex for extracting a portion of substantially only the rotational energy of the trailing vortex, said propeller means comprising a plurality of propeller blades adjustably oriented to remain generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to utilize substantially only the radial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to thereby reduce the vortex strength and decrease wing drag; and means for coupling the wingtip turbine means to a wing boundary layer control system and including compressor means located within the housing of the turbine means and coupled to the turbine means for operating the wing boundary layer control system.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
142 words
An apparatus for generating power from a trailing vortex induced at the wingtip of an aircraft, comprising: turbine means mounted on the wingtip, said turbine means including a housing and propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex for extracting a portion of substantially only the rotational energy of the trailing vortex, said propeller means comprising a plurality of propeller blades adjustably oriented to remain generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to utilize substantially only the radial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to thereby reduce the vortex strength and decrease wing drag; and means for coupling the wingtip turbine means to a wing boundary layer control system and including compressor means located within the housing of the turbine means and coupled to the turbine means for operating the wing boundary layer control system.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
152 words
An apparatus for generating power from a trailing vortex induced at the wingtip of an aircraft, comprising: turbine means mounted on the wingtip, said turbine means including a housing, rotatable shaft means within said housing and propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex for extracting a portion of substantially only the rotational energy of the trailing vortex, said propeller means comprising a plurality of propeller blades adjustably oriented to remain generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to utilize substantially only the radial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to thereby reduce the vortex strength and decrease wing drag; and a wing de-icing system for the aircraft, including compressor means located within the housing of the turbine means and coupled to the shaft means of the wingtip turbine means for feeding the wing de-icing system in response to shaft power from the turbine means.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
152 words
An apparatus for generating power from a trailing vortex induced at the wingtip of an aircraft, comprising: turbine means mounted on the wingtip, said turbine means including a housing, rotatable shaft means within said housing and propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex for extracting a portion of substantially only the rotational energy of the trailing vortex, said propeller means comprising a plurality of propeller blades adjustably oriented to remain generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to utilize substantially only the radial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to thereby reduce the vortex strength and decrease wing drag; and a wing de-icing system for the aircraft, including compressor means located within the housing of the turbine means and coupled to the shaft means of the wingtip turbine means for feeding the wing de-icing system in response to shaft power from the turbine means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said compressor means is connected at one end to an air intake located within said housing, and at the other end to a duct extending along the wing, said compressor means supplying air from the intake to the duct for de-icing the wing.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
111 words
An apparatus for generating power from a trailing vortex induced at the wingtip of an aircraft, comprising: turbine means mounted on the wingtip, said turbine means including a housing, rotatable shaft means within said housing and propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex for extracting a portion of substantially only the rotational energy of the trailing vortex, said propeller means including a plurality of propeller blades adjustably oriented relative to said shaft to remain generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to utilize substantially only the radial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to thereby reduce the vortex strength and decrease wing drag.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
111 words
An apparatus for generating power from a trailing vortex induced at the wingtip of an aircraft, comprising: turbine means mounted on the wingtip, said turbine means including a housing, rotatable shaft means within said housing and propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex for extracting a portion of substantially only the rotational energy of the trailing vortex, said propeller means including a plurality of propeller blades adjustably oriented relative to said shaft to remain generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to utilize substantially only the radial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to thereby reduce the vortex strength and decrease wing drag.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said compressor means is connected at one end to an air intake located within said housing, and at the other end to a duct extending along a leading edge of the wing and a duct extending along a trailing edge of the wing, said compressor means supplying air from the intake to said ducts.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
137 words
An apparatus for generating power from a trailing vortex induced at the wingtip of an aircraft, comprising: turbine means mounted on a wingtip, said turbine means including a housing and propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex and extending generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex for utilizing substantially only the radial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to thereby reduce the vortex strength and decrease wing drag; controller means within the housing of the wingtip turbine means for automatically changing the pitch of said propeller means to maintain the propeller means generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex; and means for coupling the turbine means of an operative system of the aircraft for providing power to the system from the turbine means.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
137 words
An apparatus for generating power from a trailing vortex induced at the wingtip of an aircraft, comprising: turbine means mounted on a wingtip, said turbine means including a housing and propeller means disposed in the trailing vortex and extending generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex for utilizing substantially only the radial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex to thereby reduce the vortex strength and decrease wing drag; controller means within the housing of the wingtip turbine means for automatically changing the pitch of said propeller means to maintain the propeller means generally parallel to the axial component of the vorted velocity of the vortex; and means for coupling the turbine means of an operative system of the aircraft for providing power to the system from the turbine means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 10, including manual override means coupled to said controller means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 10, including sensor means coupled to said propeller means to sense the axial load thereon.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1495036A
Cited
US2075817A
Cited
FR850918A
Cited
US2485218A
Cited
US2514105A
Cited
US2650752A
Cited
US2650781A
Cited
US2760740A
Cited
US3098632A
Cited
US3058695A
Cited
US3062483A
Cited
US3057154A
Cited
US3085740A
Cited
US3069116A
Cited
US3411738A
Cited
US3662975A
Cited
US3841587A
Cited
US3917193A
Cited
US3873233A
Cited
US3984070A
Cited
US3932058A
Cited
US3997132A
Cited
US3920203A
Cited
US3987987A
Cited
US4045144A
Cited
US4047832A
Cited
US4105362A
Cited
US4111594A
Cited
US3934844A
Cited
US4172574A
Cited
US4296899A
Cited
US4130258A
Cited
US4222242A
Cited
US4204799A
Cited
US4251040A
Cited
US4258889A
Cited
US4285481A
Cited
US4428711A
Cited
US4324985A
Cited
US4490093A
Cited
US4406431A
Cited
US4418880A
Cited
US4533101A
Cited
US4917332A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-09-29 | 1996-03-30 | 1996-09-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-09-29 | 2000-03-30 | 2000-09-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-09-29 | 2004-03-30 | 2004-09-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |