Bae Systems, Inc.

Clyde Warsop

Martyn John Hucker

Nicholas Giacomo Robert Colosimo

Julian David Wright

Ian Michael Sturland

David William Gough

Alexander Roy Parfitt

Graham Andrew Johnson

Andrew Julian Press

William James Crowther

Ian Lunnon

Paul James Dawson

Gary D Lock

Nisar Ahmed Mirza

Alan Geraint Davies

Mike Woods

Harriet Ann Holden

Michael Victor Cook

James Henderson

A vehicle control system () for use with at least one fluidic control effector () for a vehicle, the vehicle control system () comprising a controller (), wherein the controller is configured to: receive a vehicle control input indicating a demanded vehicle manoeuvre, wherein the input is further configured to receive condition data; determine a fluid mass-flow for the at least one fluid control effector based on the received vehicle control input and the condition data, wherein the relationship between the fluid mass-flow and the vehicle control input is substantially non-linear; and output data relating to the determined fluid mass-flow to effect the demanded vehicle manoeuvre, wherein the fluid mass-flow is determined to provide a substantially linear relationship between the vehicle control input and the effected demanded vehicle manoeuvre.

Controller providing linear fluidic control responses to vehicle manoueuvre inputs

The present disclosure relates to a control system for a vehicle, comprising: at least one compressor arranged to generate compressed fluid having a massflow rate; at least one fluidic control effector in fluidic communication with the at least one compressor and arranged to change the direction of travel of the vehicle when the compressed fluid is incident on the at least one fluidic control effector; a dump duct for expelling excess compressed fluid not delivered to the at least one fluidic control effector out of the vehicle; a dump valve for controlling the massflow rate of compressed fluid delivered to the dump duct; and a controller electrically coupled to the dump valve and configured to adjust the dump valve. The present disclosure also relates to an aircraft having the control system and a method of controlling a vehicle.

Vehicle control

A rotary-wing air vehicle comprising a main body () and at least two rotor devices () arranged and configured to generate propulsion and thrust, in use, to lift and propel said air vehicle, said rotor devices () being arranged and configured relative to said main body () such that the blades thereof do not cross through a central vertical axis of said main body () defining the centre of mass thereof, wherein said main body () is provided with an aperture () that extends therethrough to define a channel about said central vertical axis.

Rotary-wing air vehicle and method and apparatus for launch and recovery thereof

A wing member () for an air vehicle (), said wing member comprising a core section () defining its longitudinal axis and having upper and lower surfaces, at least one of said surfaces comprising apparatus () selectively configurable between at least two positions, wherein in a fully extended position, at least portions of said apparatus extend outwardly from said respective surface so as to increase the effective cross-sectional area of said wing member and define an effective aerofoil in respect thereof.

Air vehicle and method and apparatus for control thereof

An air vehicle comprising a main body and a pair of opposing wing members extending substantially laterally from the main body, at least a first propulsion device associated with a first of said wing members and a second propulsion device associated with a second of said wing members, each said propulsion device being arranged and configured to generate linear thrust relative to said main body, in use, the air vehicle further comprising a control module for generating a control signal configured to change a mode of flying of said air vehicle, in use, between a fixed wing mode and a rotary wing mode, wherein, in said fixed wing mode of flying, the direction of thrust generated by the first propulsion device relative to the main body is the same as the direction of thrust generated by the second propulsion device, and in said second mode of flying, the direction of thrust generated by the first propulsion device relative to the main body is opposite to that generated by the second propulsion device.

An air vehicle () comprising a main body () and a pair of opposing wing members () extending substantially laterally from the main body () having a principal axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis () of said wing members, at least a first propulsion device () associated with a first of said wing members arranged and configured to generate a linear thrust relative to the main body in a first direction, and a second propulsion device () associated with a second of said wing members arranged and configured to generate linear thrust relative to said main body in a second, substantially opposite, direction such that said wing members and said main body are caused to rotate about said principal axis, in use, the air vehicle further comprising an imaging system () configured to cover a substantially 360&#xb0; imaging area about said principal axis and comprising at least one electro-optic sensor () mounted on a support member () and having a field of view () covering a portion of said imaging area, said support member being mounted on said air vehicle, said imaging system () further comprising a control module () configured to define an object or region of interest in relation to said air vehicle, determine a nominal sensor field of view incorporating said object or region of interest, and obtain sequential image data from a sensor having a field of view matching said nominal field of view as said air vehicle completes a rotary cycle.

Air vehicle and imaging apparatus therefor

A tile assembly () which, in use, is fitted to a base structure to form at least part of a fluid washed surface. The tile assembly comprises a housing () with at least one plenum () being provided within the housing (). A wall () of the housing () is provided with a plurality of flow passages () which extend from the plenum side of the wall () to an outer surface () of the wall. Flow passage closures () are provided which are operable to open and close at least some of the flow passages ().

Tile assembly

The invention relates to a launched aerial surveillance vehicle, more specifically to a grenade or under-slung grenade launcher (UGL) aerial surveillance vehicle, a surveillance system and methods of providing rapid aerial surveillance. The vehicle once deployed is capable of autonomous flight paths, with basic inputs to change the circular flight paths, so as to build up surveillance for an area of interest. The vehicle comprises at least one optical sensor, which may be IR or visible range, to survey the area of interest, and feed the images back to at least one remote user.

Surveillance system

The thrust vectoring apparatus comprises: a housing defining a primary outlet for emitting the primary jet; Coanda surfaces extending from opposing regions of said housing, and radially spaced from the primary outlet such that a step is defined between each Coanda surface and the primary outlet; ducts leading from a fluid source to secondary outlets; and flow control means operable to control the mass flow through the secondary outlets. When the jet engine operates to exhaust a primary jet through the primary outlet, low pressure regions are formed in the vicinity of the steps. Each secondary outlet is located adjacent one of the Coanda surfaces so as to emit a secondary flow into a low pressure region. On activation of the secondary flow by the flow control means, the primary jet is entrained by the Coanda surface opposing the Coanda surface adjacent said the secondary outlet from which the secondary flow has been emitted. Method of vectoring the thrust or of upgrading existing jet engines with the thrust vectoring apparatus and jet engines comprising the thrust vectoring apparatus are disclosed.

Thrust vectoring apparatus for a jet engine, corresponding jet engine, thrust vectoring method and upgrading method for a jet engine

A millimeter-scale pulse jet engine comprises an engine body that defines a combustion chamber, a fuel, an air intake, and an exhaust. The fuel inlet is arranged to inject fuel directly into the combustion chamber. The air intake and the exhaust are in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, and the combustion chamber is configured such that air from the air intake and fuel from the fuel inlet cyclically combust in the combustion chamber to produce exhaust gases.

Millimetre-scale engine

A separator is disclosed for separating particles of at least first and second mass/size ranges from an ambient fluid (e.g. gaseous) medium in which they are present, particles of the first range being of generally larger size/mass than particles of the second range. The separator is especially designed for use in an air monitoring device which is designed for rapid detection of micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, pathogens and the like, and is designed to be portable so that it can be readily and rapidly deployed in both civilian and military environments and can be used indoors and outdoors; it can also be designed for personal use.

Particle separator

In order to discriminate between laminar flow and turbulent flow states, and to provide an indication, e.g. to a pilot of an aircraft of air flow over an aircraft wing, a sensor mounted on the wing provides an analogue signal of airflow, and an intermittency value of the analogue signal is derived in analogue circuitry including an AC coupling of the signal to an integrator for integrating the signal for a preset time. The integrated value is compared with a threshold value to indicate whether the intermittency represents quiet laminar flow or noisy turbulent flow.

Apparatus and method for determining a fluid flow state

A sensor device for sensing air flow speed at the exterior of an aircraft, comprising a substrate having an upper side on which is mounted a diaphragm over an aperture or recess in the substrate, the diaphragm being thermally and electrically insulative, and mounting on its upper surface a heating element comprising a layer of resistive material, and wherein electrical connections to the heating element are buried in the diaphragm and/or the substrate, and provide electrical terminals at the lower side of the substrate. The heating element is exposed to the environment, but the remaining electrical parts of the device are not exposed.

Sensor device

To provide an indication of whether airflow is separated, as opposed to other states of flow, over a surface, two or more adjacent sensors at a location on the surface each produce an analogue signal representative of airflow. The analogue signals are correlated with each other, and the degree of correlation indicates whether the airflow is in a separated state. The correlation may be carried out by comparing processed values of the analogue signals, and thresholding the comparison result.

Fluid flow monitoring

A flow control actuatorfor a body exposed to fluid flow comprises first and second flow surfacesspaced to define an elongate gaptherebetween. An elongate control element is disposed in or adjacent the gap and has an externally facing arcuate surface and defines a first slotbetween the control element and said first flow surface and a second slot between said control element and said second flow surface. The control elementis moveable to allow the width of said slots to be adjusted generally proportionally. The flow of pressurized flow control fluid passes from a plenum chamberout through one or both slotsto be deflected around the arcuate surface under the influence of the Coanda effect. The flow control actuatormay be provided in the trailing or leading edge of an aerofoil; alternatively it may be provided between two surfaces spaced to provide said gap but otherwise providing a generally continuous surface.

Growing community of inventors

Lydney, United Kingdom

Clyde Warsop