SBIR Phase I: Experimental validation of an innovative lift-generating mechanism for use in future VTOL Aircraft.

这个小企业创新研究SBIR第一阶段项目的广泛影响是，它将回答开发一种新型垂直起降（VTOL）飞机的问题，将有翼飞机的竞争优势与直升机的竞争优势结合起来。因此，该项目将能够生产一种新型的垂直起降飞机，该飞机将能够以640英里/小时的速度巡航；在35000英尺的高空作业；建造和维护成本更低，更容易飞行，更不容易发生事故；并将提供舒适和低噪音水平的有翼飞机享受。这些竞争优势将使这种新型垂直起降飞机对直升机和公务飞机制造商和客户更具吸引力，这将推动每年550亿美元的直升机和公务飞机行业的发展。此外，该项目还将生产用于大都市地区的小型/中型电动垂直起降飞机，这将为美国社区提供一种快速、方便、低噪音的大都市地区交通工具。目前的SBIR第一阶段项目旨在确认一种创新升力产生机制的可行性，以实现新型垂直起降飞机的生产。升力产生机构采用了两个新颖的部件，一个是复合螺旋桨，它具有一系列特别设计的低迎角叶片，它们彼此靠近，还有一个是气流模式调节剂。利用多单元翼型CFD分析工具对这两种部件的可行性进行了论证，从而推动了本文提出的原型机。这个项目将扩大我们对低攻角和彼此靠近位置的叶片的理解。本项目的主要目的是评估复合螺旋桨的性能以及使用气流型改进剂对性能的影响；并对该升力产生机构的总盘载荷和悬停升力效率进行了估算。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research SBIR Phase I project is that it will answer the quest for developing a new type of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft combining the competitive advantages of winged aircraft with those of helicopters. Accordingly, this project will enable the production of a new type of VTOL aircraft that will be able to cruise at 640 mph; to operate at altitudes up to 35,000 feet; will be cheaper to build and maintain, easier to fly and less prone to accidents; and will provide the comfort and low noise level winged aircraft enjoy. These competitive advantages will make this new type of VTOL aircraft more attractive to Helicopter and Business Aircraft manufacturers and customers, which will boost the $55 Billion/year helicopter and business aircraft Industry. In addition, this project will enable the production of small/medium-sized, electric, VTOL Aircraft for use in metropolitan areas, which will provide U.S. communities with a fast, convenient, low-noise means of transportation for use in metropolitan areas. The current SBIR Phase I project aims at confirming the feasibility of an innovative lift-generating mechanism to enable the production of a new type of VTOL Aircraft. The lift-generating mechanism employs two novel components, a compound propeller having a cascade of specially-designed low angle-of-attack blades positioned in close proximity to one another, and an airflow pattern modifier. The feasibility of these two components was suggested with a multi-element airfoil CFD analysis tool, motivating the prototype proposed here. This project will broaden our understanding of blades operating at low angle-of-attack and positioned in close proximity to one another. The main objectives of this project are to assess the performance of the compound propeller and the effect of using the airflow pattern modifiers on the performance; and to estimate the overall disc loading and hover lift efficiency of this proposed lift-generating mechanism.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.