Description

The present invention relates to an aerial apparatus with several successive aeronautical configurations. The invention also relates to the relative method of flight.

Technical field of the invention.

The aerial apparatus with several successive aeronautical configurations object of the invention is a so-called "spatial convertiplane", i. e. an aerial system capable of assuming several aeronautical configurations, different from each other in an alternating way, at different points and times of the flight, which are part, however, of a same complex aerial system or aircraft.

Document EP2897860 A2, US 9 540 091 Bl, US 2015/183520 Al, US 2018/237141 Al disclose an aerial apparatus with several successive aeronautical configurations.

In particular, document EP2897860 A2 discloses a combination of two airships, one of it being a payload airship (the lower one) for moving the balloons up to 37 km above sea level (a.s.l.). The sail is filled with hydrogen but the balloons are not; they are just foreseen for directional purposes, ascending in a certain way by their own but not being able to ascend the airship neither single, nor in combination.

Summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide an aerial apparatus with several successive aeronautical configurations, which be able to ascend up to 42.7 kilometres above sea level (a.s.l.) and, then, to descend, in a secure way.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flight method carried out with the above specified aerial apparatus.

In view of these objects, the present invention provides an aerial apparatus with several successive aeronautical configurations, the essential feature of which forms the subjectmatter of claim 1.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a flight method carried out with the above specified aerial apparatus, the essential feature of which forms the subject-matter of claim 3.

As will become apparent hereinafter, the aerial apparatus with several successive aeronautical configurations comprises, in general, a motorized paraglider with a nonpressurized sail arranged vertically above the spacecraft of the paraglide, protected by a respective envelope (made of nylon ® fabric) and two stratospheric sounding balloons,

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) arranged vertically one above the other, having diameters, hydrogen volumes and latex thicknesses different each other and which are mechanically connected by a cable. These two aircraft, which assembled together represent the convertiplane, can become a single unit, i.e. a single body, when connected through an electromechanical releasing device. This complex flight system uses for the rise toward the space the two stratospheric sounding balloons having different sizes and thicknesses and volumes of gas, which are mechanically connected by means of a cable, one above the other, and which simultaneously bring up the motorized paraglide, including a spacecraft, that has been previously connected.

The larger-sized balloon (called the primary balloon, which has a greater thickness of the latex envelope than the smaller overlying balloon) contains most of the amount of hydrogen gas required for the fly and is calibrated to explode at a height of about 42,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.).

The smaller balloon (called the secondary balloon, which has a smaller thickness of the latex envelope than the primary balloon, arranged below) is calibrated to explode at a height of about 40,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.) and contains a much smaller amount of gas than the underlying balloon. In other words, the smaller balloon holds the remaining amount of gas, which serves to drive the aerodynamic forces adapted to the flight.

The secondary balloon may be called a "pilot balloon" because it is the balloon that triggers the overall flight of the aerial system. In fact, without it the primary balloon is not capable of generating the right aerostatic thrust for the flight.

When the secondary balloon reaches a height of about 40,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.), it explodes, freeing the hydrogen content and thus interrupting the aerostatic ascent, thus reducing the aerostatic lift with respect to the weight. In the meantime, the residues of the secondary balloon, once exploded, remain connected to the primary balloon, without ever touching the spacecraft below. Thus, failing that aerostatic thrust, though minimal but essential to the flight, that was guaranteed by the secondary balloon, the entire aircraft begins to descend gently toward the thickest layers of the atmosphere until it returns to the base.

On this complex aircraft, after the descending phase from the apogee (40,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.) about), and during the return to the earth atmosphere, when the altitude of 3,000 meters downhill about is reached, the electromechanical releasing system managed by the automatic pilot "ArduPilot" (commercial name) intervenes, which, through the software "Mission Planner" (commercial name), causes the separation of the motorized paraglider from the primary stratospheric sounding balloon. It should be noted that "ArduPilot" is a complete open-source autopilot system. It allows the user to transform any fixed, rotating or multi-rotor wing vehicle (even cars and boats) into a fully autonomous vehicle; capable of performing planned GPS missions with waypoints. It is fully programmable and is equipped with 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis magnetometer, barometric pressure sensor for altitude, GPS receiver module with 10 Hz refresh rate, battery status signal sensor and 4 MB memory for on-board data recording. The open-source firmware is available in different versions that support aircrafts ("ArduPlane"), multicoptera (quadricoptera, hexacoptocoptera, etc.) helicopters ("Ar-duCopter") and rover ("Ard u Rover"). Power: 5V, Power consumption: 200 mA, Size (mm): 66.45 (Length) x 40.62 (Width) x 12 (Height).

From the altitude of about 3,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.), the motorized paraglider separated from the balloon, will perform a series of manoeuvres driven by the coordinates of a GPS that will bring it back to the launch base, for the subsequent recovery. The launch base is defined as the same place from where the aerial system had initially taken off.

The primary sounding balloon complete with electromechanical releasing device, after separated from the motorized paraglider, can ascend again toward the space to complete its mission. Subsequently, upon reaching a certain height, due to the decrease in atmospheric pressure, the hydrogen-filled casing will explode and by gravity it will precipitate toward the earth together with the electromechanical releasing device and the residual parts of the components that will remain joined to the primary balloon following the explosion. Once the motorized paraglider returns to the atmosphere, it is slowed down in its descent through the use of a recessed dome braking parachute, which will gently lay it down on the ground.

For the safety of the flight, it is pointed out that the spacecraft of the motorized paraglider is authorized by the Enac to fly away from agglomerations of people and things; therefore, it can fly inside Italian national borders only above large mirrors of water such as the sea, so that, should any technical problems arise for the entire aircraft, it will not create damage during its uncontrolled descent/fall or return to the ground/sea. It is for this reason that the spacecraft of the motorized paraglider has been equipped with a "seaplane" floating system, to allow in case of potential failure or " forced splash down" to splash down and float on the surface of the water without risking to sink. Therefore, such aircraft can be easily recovered through the signal of its transmitter and reprogramed for the subsequent mission.

An exemplary small-scale quantitative embodiment of the invention

According to an example of a reduced-scale embodiment of the aerial apparatus with several successive aeronautical configurations of the invention, the total litres of hydrogen used in the apparatus are 20 litres divided as follows: 18 litres in the primary balloon, having a diameter of 6 meters and a latex thickness of 3 dmms, and 3 litres in the secondary balloon, having a diameter of 3 meters and a latex thickness of 2 dmms. Features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows details important to the invention, as well as from the claims.

The characteristics illustrated herein do not necessarily have to be understood to scale and are represented in such a way that the peculiarities according to the invention are clearly pointed out.

The different characteristics can be realized individually or in any combination, as variants of the invention.

Presentation of the figures of the drawing

In the drawing:

- Figure 1 is an overall view of the aerial apparatus with several successive aeronautical configurations, illustrated in ascending flight attitude, according to an embodiment of the invention;

- Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views, taken in three-quarters from above, respectively of the left side and the right side of a motorized paraglider comprised in the aerial apparatus of Figure 1, illustrated on a larger scale and in a descending flight attitude;

- Figure 4 is a view on a larger scale of the lower part of the aerial apparatus of figure 1;

- Figure 5 is a detailed view on a larger scale of the detail V of figure 4;

- Figure 6 is a perspective view of a detail on a larger scale, taken in three-quarters from below, illustrating an electromechanical releasing device included in the aerial apparatus of figure 1.

Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention

The aerial apparatus 10 with several successive aeronautical configurations, according to the present invention, considered in ascending flight attitude, comprises: - a motorized paraglider 11, including a spacecraft 11.1 and a non-pressurized sail 11.2, connected to said spacecraft by means of a plurality of ropes 11.3, arranged vertically above said spacecraft 11.1, including a fixed stem 11.4 protruding externally from the top of said sail 11.2 and enclosed in a respective tubular casing 11.5, comprising a plurality of eyelets 11.6 in the top part;

- two stratospheric sounding balloons 12, 13, containing hydrogen and with respective latex wrapping 12.1, 13.1, vertically above said sail 11.2 of the motorized paraglider 11.1 and arranged vertically one above the another, wherein one of said two sounding balloons, hereinafter referred to as the primary sounding balloon 12, has a diameter, volume of hydrogen contained and thickness of the casing greater than the corresponding sizes of the other sounding balloon, hereinafter referred to as a secondary sounding balloon 13, wherein said secondary sounding balloon 13 is above said primary sounding balloon 12;

- first mechanical cable connection means 14 arranged between said primary sounding balloon 12 and said secondary sounding balloon 13, second mechanical cable connection means 15 arranged between said primary sounding balloon 12 and suspension means 16 of said sail 11.2 of the motorized paraglider 11.1 with respect to said primary sounding balloon 12, wherein said suspension means 16 comprise:

- first coupling means 16.1 of said plurality of eyelets 11.6 of said casing 11.5 of said sail 11.2;

- second coupling means 16.2 of said stem 11.4 of said sail 11.2, which include separable mechanical connection means 16.3, configured to retain said stem 11.4 in a first operative arrangement and to release said stem 11.4 in a second operative arrangement;

- parachute means (17) constrained with respect to said second mechanical cable connection means 15; wherein:

- said two sounding balloons 12, 13 exert, in combination with each other, an aerostatic thrust sufficient to cause the ascent of said aerial apparatus 10 from the ground into the atmosphere, if said aerial apparatus 10 is not restrained by constraints;

- each of said two sounding balloons 12, 13 is not suitable for exerting, on its own, an aerostatic thrust sufficient to cause the ascent of said aerial apparatus 10 from the ground into the atmosphere; - the hydrogen gas pressure existing in said primary sounding balloon 12 and the thickness of the casing 12.1 of said primary sounding balloon 12 are selected so as to cause the primary sounding balloon 12 to explode when it reaches an altitude of at least 42,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.);

- the hydrogen gas pressure existing in said secondary sounding balloon 13 and the thickness of the casing 13.1 of said secondary sounding balloon 13 are selected so as to cause the secondary sounding balloon 13 to explode when it reaches an altitude of about 40,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.).

The aerial apparatus 10, furthermore, comprises microcontroller means (included in an "ArduPilot" autopilot system) programmed and configured to automatically determine the switching of said separable mechanical connection means 16.3, of said second coupling means 16.2 of said stem 11.4, in said second operative arrangement and the release of said stem 11.4 and relative sail 11.2, when said aerial apparatus 10 reaches the descent level of 3,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.).

Description of the flight method implemented with the said aerial apparatus 10

The flight method implemented with the aerial apparatus 10 comprises the following steps:

- ascent of the aerial apparatus 10 due to its own aerostatic thrust up to an altitude of about 40,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.), wherein said separable mechanical connection means 16.3 of said second coupling means 16.2 of said stem 11.4 of the sail 11.2 of said motorized paraglider 11.1 are in said first operative arrangement and retain said stem 11.4 with relative sail 11.2;

- automatic explosion of said secondary sounding balloon 13 at an altitude of approximately 40,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.); interruption of the aerostatic ascent of the aerial apparatus 10 and reduction of the aerostatic lift with respect to the residual weight of the aerial apparatus 10;

- descent of the aerial apparatus 10 from an altitude of about 40,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.) through the densest layers of the atmosphere, controlled by means of said primary sounding balloon 12 up to an altitude of about 3,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.);

- switching - when said aerial apparatus 10 reaches the descent level of about 3,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.) - of said separable mechanical connection means 16.3, of said second coupling means 16.2 of said stem 11.4 of said sail 11.2, in said second operative arrangement and release of said stem 11.4 and relative sail 11.2; - removal of said sail 11.2 with respect to the corresponding casing 11.5 which, by means of said plurality of eyelets 11.6, is retained with respect to said first coupling means 16.1 of said suspension means 16;

- ascent in height of said primary sounding balloon 12 with said suspension means 16 and with the residues of the casing of the secondary sounding balloon 13, up to its explosion in the upper layers of the atmosphere; automatic intervention of the parachute means 17 which slow down the fall of the above-mentioned components of the aerial apparatus 10;

- descent of the motorized paraglider 11.1 with relative sail 11.2 deployed to the ground, controlled by means of a motor group of said motorized paraglider 11.

It is highlighted that said switching is controlled automatically by means of microcontroller means (included in an "ArduPilot" autopilot system), which are installed on said aerial apparatus 10, are programmed and are configured to automatically determine the switching of said separable mechanical connection means 16.3 in said second operative arrangement, when said aerial apparatus 10 reaches the descent level of 3,000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.).

As is apparent from the description above, the present invention provides an aerial apparatus with several successive aeronautical configurations, which, in a simple and efficient manner, achieves the objects described in the introductory part.