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).
Vehicle attitude control using movable mass
Vehicle attitude control using movable mass
Issue
Date
Publication Date
Patent No.
10,414,518
Category
Device and Algorithm
Keywords: attitude, attitude control
International Class: B64G 1/28, B64C 17/02 , B64C15/02, B64C19/00, F02K1/00, F02K9/80, F02K9/90