Autonomous propulsion apparatus and methods are disclosed. An example autonomous propulsion unit (106) includes a flight controller (112) capable of executing flight control instructions stored in a memory of the autonomous propulsion unit; and a propulsor to generate propulsion in accordance with the instructions for a payload carrier to which the autonomous propulsion unit is coupled, wherein the flight controller (112) is to provide flight control for the propulsor (106) in an absence of flight control instructions from the payload carrier.

An aircraft (10) comprises a wing (12) having a trailing edge (34), a suction surface (14) and a pressure surface (16). The aircraft (10) further comprises a propulsor device (22) having a first inlet (24) and an outlet (30) defined by a passageway. The first inlet (24) is located so as to ingest boundary layer air (56) adjacent the suction surface (14), and the outlet (30). The outlet (30) is located downstream of the trailing edge (34) of the wing (12).

A vertical lift fan has a switchable transmission system. The fan includes a lift fan unit having one or more fan rotors. The fan further includes a differential gearbox having an input gear connectable to a transmission shaft for providing power to the fan, and first and second output gears. The first output gear drives the fan rotors. The fan further includes a first brake unit for braking the first output gear, and a second brake unit for braking the second output gear. When the second brake unit is activated and the first brake unit is deactivated, rotational action provided by the transmission shaft is diverted to the first output gear to turn the fan rotors, and when the first brake unit is activated and the second brake unit is deactivated, rotational action provided by the transmission shaft is diverted to the second output gear away from the fan rotors.

A ducted propulsion unit for an airship is described, together with a method of using the propulsion unit and an airship including such a propulsion unit. The propulsion unit has a propeller (28) mounted in a duct (22) with at least one port (32a,32b,36a,36b) in the wall of the duct downstream of the propeller allowing air flow transverse to the axis of the duct. The duct has a closure (33a,33b,37a,37b) to occlude outflow from the rear of the duct, and an additional closure to control flow through each port. Selective operation of one of the ports provides thrust radially to the axis of the duct for control of direction, altitude or attitude of the airship.

[Subject] To achieve mass transportation, freer flights, and safer services in an energy-saving manner by allowing the blowout direction of a shroud included rotor having the drive principle of linear motors that can freely change airflow to be changed freely to produce a device capable of freely changing both airflow and wind direction and by attaching the produced device that can freely change airflow and wind direction to the airframe of an aircraft to control the airflow and wind direction of the device.

[Means for Solution] The present invention achieves a safe and energy-saving aircraft that allows for transportation of a larger number of passengers and cargoes, freer flights in the sky, and easier control by attaching a large-sized or super-sized rapid airflow generation wind direction changing device with a diameter of greater than 10m or 20m to the side surface or wall of the airframe by at least one for each side, that is, at least two in total for both side surfaces or walls and by utilizing the mechanism of the rapid airflow generation wind direction changing devices that can freely control airflow and wind direction.

A propeller has a shaft 1 with at least two hubs 2 arranged on it, with blades 3 fixed on each of the hubs. Each blade 3 has sharp front and rear edges and configured along an extension of the blades with a maximum thickness of profiles (0.10-0.25)b, wherein b is a length of a local chord of the blade 3. In each of the blades 3 a maximum thickness 6 of the profile is located in a middle of each local chord and twisted relative to an axis 8, extending through a middle of local chords along the extension of the blade 3. The blades 3 can be fixed on each of the hubs 2 inclinedly to a radius of the hub 2 at an angle < 90º, which leads to a reduction of local aerodynamic resistance and reduction of aerodynamic loads. The propeller can be provided with an immovable cylindrical casing, surrounding all the blades 3 and moved out forwardly of the blades of the front hub 2 not less than by a length of the blade, which increases a value of a torque.

The invention refers to a propeller comprising a base (2, 15) and a plurality of blades (1, 14) extending from said base in an upstream tilted manner, i.e. in the direction corresponding to the forward motion direction (D1) of the craft. The blades extend in a direction forming an acute angle α with the forward motion direction, 10° ≤ α ≤ 80°.

The invention also refers to a propulsion system including the propeller, as well as to a craft including the propulsion system.

A high-performance propeller has one hub and a plurality of blades, characterized in that a double-side or a single-side arc brim is provided at the tip of each blade. The propeller of the invention can provide a small induced drag and convert the centrifugal force to the effective force so as to increase the differential pressure near the tip of blades and thereby increase the acting force on blades. Under the condition of same power consumption, it has been tested for the large propeller in the type of lateral inclination that the amount of flow is increased about 12%∼17%, which is equivalent to save energy 40%∼70%. Since the fluid dynamic performance presents the aspect ratio approaching infinity, the width of the blades can be increased whereas the induced drag is not increased. Applying the method of increasing the area of the blades and decreasing the velocity of outflow fluid, the effect on saving of energy can be further improved greatly on the present basis.