Energy conserving supersonic aircraft

Patent · Tue Sep 18 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:5544003

Rethorst, S C

This invention is an extension of a system to recover into useful work the energy normally wasted by a supersonic aircraft in its shock wave mechanism. This system utilizes the excess propulsive jet velocity in a sheet below the wing to form a planar vortex flap which acts as a pressure shield. The present improvement extends the pressure generating forward concave wing undersurface of this system into an upward reflexed aft surface so as to benefit from the increased pressure provided by the downstream upwash vortex field. This allows the aft portion of the wing to serve as the energy recovery section by achieving the pressure required for lift on the undersurface of this aft wing portion at a lesser angle with reduced drag. This stream-wise series of functions specifies the wing undersurface as concave, convex, and concave sequentially in the flow direction, thus corresponding to the upper element of a planar supersonic nozzle. The jet manifold and its continuing vortex flap below comprise a reflecting concave, convex, concave lower element. Thus the underwing surface and vortex flap together comprise a planar converging/diverging nozzle, generating the pressure increase under the wing required for lift and recovering this pressure into velocity at the wing trailing edge. The vortex flap then simulates an extended chord wing, imparting downward momentum to a greater mass of airbelow, thereby operating at a reduced angle with less drag.

• Assignee: Vehicle Research Corp.
• Patent Number(s): US 4168044
• OSTI ID: 5544003
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320201* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Transportation-- Air & Aerospace
AIR TRANSPORT
AIRFOILS
DESIGN
DRAG
ENERGY CONSERVATION
SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT
TRANSPORT