Inflatable Re-entry Rotor System?

You could store energy more efficiently by using a flywheel weight on the rotor
tips.

Zoltan Szakaly

(ZoltanCCC) wrote in message ...
You could store energy more efficiently by using a flywheel weight on the rotor
tips.

Zoltan Szakaly

Hi! Cool suggestion!

I was going to mention the idea of a flywheel, but I was thinking
about a separate internal flywheel, which would have added lots of
weight to the system. But your idea of making the rotor itself a
flywheel by weighting the tips is very clever.

And I would imagine that the weighted rotor tips would also increase
the tension along the rotors to keep them rigid. Neat stuff!

I would worry tho that the weighted tips might somehow make the
initial inflation deployment of the rotors more difficult -- ie. it
would be more difficult for the rotors to accelerate their rotational
velocity from standstill, with the weighted tips. Perhaps some of the
compressed gas used for inflating the rotors could also be vented out
from tip-jets to initially accelerate the rotors upto speed.

(sanman) wrote in message . com...
(ZoltanCCC) wrote in message ...
You could store energy more efficiently by using a flywheel weight on the rotor
tips.

Zoltan Szakaly

Hi! Cool suggestion!

snip

I would worry tho that the weighted tips might somehow make the
initial inflation deployment of the rotors more difficult -- ie. it
would be more difficult for the rotors to accelerate their rotational
velocity from standstill, with the weighted tips. Perhaps some of the
compressed gas used for inflating the rotors could also be vented out
from tip-jets to initially accelerate the rotors upto speed.

One solution to this might be to have each wingtip contain a chamber
which you only fill with fluid after the rotor is up to speed. This
would require a tube running down the inside of the rotor and a
central fluid reservoir. Obviously care would need to be taken to make
sure the rotor stays properly balanced.

Just a thought,

Martin.

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