Aerial Vehicle and Method of Flight

Abstract

An aerial vehicle is described which comprises: a first compartment for holding a lighter than air gas; a second compartment for holding atmospheric air and having an inlet and an outlet; a solar panel for converting sunlight into electricity; a compressor for pumping atmospheric air through the inlet into the second compartment; control means for controlling the pitch and yaw of the vehicle; and a controller for controlling the buoyancy of the vehicle via the compressor and the outlet such that the vehicle is either lighter than the surrounding air and rising or heavier than the surrounding air and falling, and for controlling the control means such that the rising and falling motion includes a horizontal component. In another embodiment the solar panel is replaced by an engine and a fuel tank for storing fuel for the engine is also provided. The aerial vehicle can remain airborne for extended periods by using buoyancy propulsion. In the embodiments including a solar panel, a system including a light transmission station may be provided to supply energy to the solar panel from the light transmission station rather than relying on the incident sunlight alone. A method of flight using buoyancy propulsion is also described.

1 . An aerial vehicle comprising:
 a first compartment for holding a lighter than air gas;   a second compartment for holding atmospheric air and having an inlet and an outlet;   a solar panel for converting sunlight into electricity;   a compressor for pumping atmospheric air through the inlet into the second compartment;   control means for controlling the pitch and yaw of the vehicle; and   a controller for controlling the buoyancy of the vehicle via the compressor and the outlet such that the vehicle is either lighter than the surrounding air and rising or heavier than the surrounding air and falling, and for controlling the control means such that the rising and falling motion includes a horizontal component.   
     
     
         2 . An aerial vehicle comprising:
 a first compartment for holding a lighter than air gas;   a second compartment for holding atmospheric air and having an inlet and an outlet;   an engine;   a fuel tank for storing fuel for use by the engine;   a compressor for pumping atmospheric air through the inlet into the second compartment;   control means for controlling the pitch and yaw of the vehicle; and   
       a controller for controlling the buoyancy of the vehicle via the compressor and the outlet such that the vehicle is either lighter than the surrounding air and rising or heavier than the surrounding air and falling, and for controlling the control means such that the rising and falling motion includes a horizontal component. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the aerial vehicle creates substantially no aerodynamic lift at a zero degree angle of attack. 
     
     
         5 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the aerial vehicle further comprises a nacelle, and wherein the first compartment and the second compartment are both contained within the nacelle. 
     
     
         6 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 5 , wherein the nacelle has an outer surface which defines a body of revolution or an aerofoil. 
     
     
         7 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 5 , wherein the nacelle is transparent and the solar panel is contained within the nacelle. 
     
     
         8 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 5 , further comprising a parabolic mirror associated with the solar panel for focussing sunlight onto the solar panel. 
     
     
         9 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 7 , further comprising an actuator for changing the orientation of the solar panel and/or the parabolic mirror relative to the vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one wing. 
     
     
         11 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one wing comprises the solar panel. 
     
     
         12 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 11 , wherein the solar panel is positioned on the underside of the at least one wing. 
     
     
         13 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the nacelle is an aerofoil with a ratio of thickness to chord length between approximately 5% and approximately 35%. 
     
     
         14 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein a wall of the first compartment may comprise a barrier layer for limiting loss of the lighter than air gas through the wall of the compartment. 
     
     
         15 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 1 , further comprising a third compartment for holding a refrigerant which can undergo a reversible phase change from a gas into a liquid. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one transmitter and at least one receiver for providing a wireless communications network. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 17 , wherein the at least one receiver comprises an antenna formed by a metallised track having an undulating pattern. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the control means comprises a movable mass. 
     
     
         22 . An aerial vehicle according to  claim 1 , further comprising an electrolyser for electrolysing water into hydrogen and oxygen. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . An aerial vehicle system comprising:
 an aerial vehicle according to  claim 1 ; and   an electromagnetic radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation for reception by the solar panel.   
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A method of flight for an aerial vehicle comprising a first compartment filled with a lighter than air gas and a second compartment for holding atmospheric air, the method comprising:
 alternately compressing atmospheric air into the second compartment and then releasing the compressed atmospheric air from the second compartment, thereby altering the buoyancy of the aerial vehicle such that it is either heavier than air and falling or lighter than air and rising; and   actuating at least one control surface such that the rising and falling motion includes a horizontal component.