Methods and apparatus for an asymmetrical fairing
US8157216B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 2008 |
| Grant date | Apr 17, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 6, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB64G1/641
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A fairing includes three sections: an aft section, a middle section, and a nose section. The aft section includes a first surface having a generally constant conic angle (i.e., a “boat-tail angle”) with respect to the longitudinal axis such that the aft section tapers to a first end configured to attach to a generally cylindrical body. The middle section, which intersects and is axially aligned with the aft section, has a second surface characterized by a constant elliptical cross-section along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The nose section intersects and is axially aligned with the middle section. The nose section is further defined by four generally concave trianguloid surfaces, each extending from the middle section to a common apex intersecting the longitudinal axis, wherein each adjacent pair of trianguloid surfaces intersects at an edge (e.g., an incurvate edge). The four trianguloid surfaces are asymmetrically disposed with respect to rotational symmetry about the longitudinal axis, and the edges have a sharpness that varies from the common apex to the middle section.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.