Vehicle attitude control using movable mass

Issue
 Date
Publication Date
Patent No.
10,414,518
Category
Device and Algorithm

Attitude of a vehicle may be controlled using movable mass. The movable mass may move inside a vehicle or its outline, outside of the vehicle or its outline, inside-to-outside and/or outside-to-inside of the vehicle or its outline, or any combination thereof. The movable mass may be a solid, liquid, and/or gas. When the center-of-mass of the vehicle is moved relative to the line-of-action of applied forces such as thrust, drag, or lift, a torque can be generated for attitude control or for other purposes as a matter of design choice. In the case of external movable masses that extend from the vehicle or its outline, when operating in endoatmospheric flight, or general travel through a fluid, aerodynamic forces from the atmosphere or general fluid forces may further be leveraged to control the attitude of the vehicle (e.g., aerodynamic flaps).

Keywords: attitude, attitude control
International Class: B64G 1/28, B64C 17/02 , B64C15/02, B64C19/00, F02K1/00, F02K9/80, F02K9/90