Patents by Inventor Heinz A. Gerhardt
Heinz A. Gerhardt has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 5992341Abstract: A linear motion wind driven power plant utilizes a closed-loop track having a plurality of carriages configured to move thereabout. At least one sail is formed to each of the carriages so as to be rotatable 360 degrees of azimuth. At least one electrical power generator generates electrical power from the movement of the carriages around the track. A sail assembly is defined by the sail, a sensor system for sensing lift generated by the action of the wind upon the sail, and a controller which causes the sail to turn to a position wherein the sensed lift of the sail is approximately maximized.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 1997Date of Patent: November 30, 1999Assignee: Northrop Grumman CorporationInventor: Heinz A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: 5984231Abstract: An aircraft with a variable forward-sweep wing and the method of configuring the wing in an optimal position for a desired flight regime. The variable forward-sweep wing is positionable from an essentially unswept position to a full-forward sweep position. In the unswept position the wing is approximately orthogonal to a fuselage centerline, while in the full-forward sweep position the wing has approximately a delta wing planform. Moreover, as the wing position changes from the unswept position to the full-forward sweep position the trailing edge becomes the leading edge. In addition, the aforementioned apparatus may be used in a method to configure the aircraft for flight in a desired flight regime. This method includes moving the wing to an optimal position for the desired flight regime.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 1998Date of Patent: November 16, 1999Assignee: Northrop Grumman CorporationInventors: Heinz A. Gerhardt, Kenneth Seho, Joan Nolan, Matthew N. Mrdeza
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Patent number: 5758911Abstract: A linear motion wind driven power plant utilizes a closed-loop track having a plurality of carriages configured to move thereabout. At least one sail is formed to each of the carriages so as to be rotatable 360 degrees of azimuth. At least one electrical power generator generates electrical power from the movement of the carriages around the track. A sail assembly is defined by the sail, a sensor system for sensing lift generated by the action of the wind upon the sail, and a controller which causes the sail to turn to a position wherein the sensed lift of the sail is approximately maximized.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 1996Date of Patent: June 2, 1998Assignee: Northrop Grumman CorporationInventor: Heinz A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: 5669308Abstract: Propulsion apparatus for a transportation system vehicle. At least one gas producer is mounted on the vehicle for discharging a propulsive fluid stream. The propulsive fluid stream is directed against at least one longitudinally extending linear turbine assembly to propel the vehicle. A manifold delivers the propulsive fluid stream to the linear turbine assembly. A plenum beneath the vehicle receives the propulsive fluid stream from the linear turbine assembly to support the vehicle on a gascushion. Each linear turbine assembly includes cooperating nozzle blades and turbine blades mounted on the vehicle. Each nozzle blade has a longitudinal axis which is transverse of the fluid stream, the longitudinal axes of the nozzle blades all being substantially parallel to one another and to the longitudinal axes of each of the turbine blades, all of the turbine blades being substantially equally spaced from the nozzle blades.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 1996Date of Patent: September 23, 1997Assignee: Northrop Grumman CorporationInventor: Heinz A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: 5542357Abstract: Propulsion apparatus for a transportation system vehicle. At least one gas producer is mounted on the vehicle for discharging a propulsive fluid stream. The propulsive fluid stream is directed against at least one longitudinally extending linear turbine assembly to propel the vehicle. A manifold delivers the propulsive fluid stream to the linear turbine assembly. A plenum beneath the vehicle receives the propulsive fluid stream from the linear turbine assembly to support the vehicle on a gascushion. Each linear turbine assembly includes cooperating nozzle blades and turbine blades mounted on the vehicle. Each nozzle blade has a longitudinal axis which is transverse of the fluid stream, the longitudinal axes of the nozzle blades all being substantially parallel to one another and to the longitudinal axes of each of the turbine blades, all of the turbine blades being substantially equally spaced from the nozzle blades.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 1994Date of Patent: August 6, 1996Assignee: Northrop Grumman CorporationInventor: Heinz A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: 5538201Abstract: A reverse delta aerodynamic wing has a basic reverse delta wing portion bounded by a leading edge and by a pair of trailing edges extending from respective ends of said leading edge toward a trailing apex point and respective span-wise wing extensions in a natural laminar boundary layer wing region extending chordwise from said leading edge by a fraction of the chordlength of said wing and extending span-wise from opposing sides of said wing. Laminar flow control in other regions of the wing employs fuel stored in the wing as a coolant.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 1993Date of Patent: July 23, 1996Assignee: Northrop Grumman CorporationInventor: Heinz A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: 5398888Abstract: Aerodynamic control apparatus for an aircraft is provided which includes a pair of control surfaces, one for each side of the aircraft, each control surface extending between a root end at the fuselage and a distant tip end. The root end of each control surface is pivotally mounted on the fuselage on a stationary hinge axis which is angularly disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. The hinge axis is elevated or depressed at the leading edge of the control surface relative to the trailing edge such that the hinge axis is in an oblique orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. An actuator enables selective movement of each control surface to any one of a range of positions between an inactive position flush with a contoured outer surface of the fuselage and a deployed position at which a tip end of the control surface is distant from the fuselage.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 1993Date of Patent: March 21, 1995Assignee: Northrop Grumman CorporationInventor: Heinz A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: 5265827Abstract: An aircraft having vertical takeoff and landing capability having at least first and second laterally extending paddle wheels rotatable on a central axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and between its nose and tail. Each of the paddle wheels has a plurality of blades pivoted by a system of linear actuators to a determined optimum blade pitch angle. One paddle wheel is positioned adjacent the port side of the aircraft and the other paddle wheel is positioned adjacent the starboard side. The pilot is able to operate the aircraft in all regimes of flight by differentially adjusting the pivot angle of each of the blades. In one embodiment utilizing only a pair of paddle wheels, differential operation of the blades provides lift, thrust, roll, and yaw control of the aircraft, while an aircraft pitch control rotor rotatable about a vertical axis distant from the paddle wheels is provided for controlling pitch of the aircraft.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 1992Date of Patent: November 30, 1993Assignee: Northrop CorporationInventor: Heinz A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: 5156358Abstract: An outboard control surface for an aircraft. The control surface is operably connected to wing side edges of the aircraft and includes a forward flap and a rearward flap with at least one of the flaps being movable into and out of alignment with the plane of the wing.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 1991Date of Patent: October 20, 1992Assignee: Northrop CorporationInventor: Heinz A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: 4741498Abstract: Method and apparatus for reducing aerodynamic drag and enhancing lift by using ultrasound to alter the structure of boundary layers. In one embodiment, a continuous thin sheet of ultrasound is radiated transversely into the boundary layer parallel to an aerodynamic surface, such as an aircraft wing, carrying that boundary layer.To ensure that the ultrasound sheet remains under (or over) the wing, means are provided to compensate for any downstream drift of the sheet with wing flow by transmitting it in a forward direction in proportion to the Mach number of the flow. The ultrasonic sheet may be applied as periodic strips spaced at predetermined downstream intervals.In order to decrease the amount of acoustical energy required to implement the techniques of the present invention and to operate in a more efficient manner, the ultrasound transmission is modulated with audio frequencies.Means for tuning the audio frequency to match various flight conditions are provided.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 1986Date of Patent: May 3, 1988Assignee: Northrop CorporationInventor: Heinz A. A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: 4648571Abstract: Disclosed is a propulsive lift mechanism which improves the short takeoff and landing capabilities of an aircraft by generating transverse thrust lift augmentation by exhausting gasses ported from the main exhaust through a nozzle, close behind and parallel with the trailing edges of the wings of the aircraft, which transverse jet together with thrust vectoring means of the aircraft, provide improved aerodynamic lift on the wings of the aircraft. The transverse nozzle, having means adjustable for creating reverse thrust, and optionally for discharging said exhaust gasses with a swirling motion, may provide both increased circulation of air over the wings as well as improved flow separation control on the trailing edge flaps of the wings. Exhaust gas from the jet engine of the aircraft is ported to the transverse nozzles by flap valves operating in the exhaust of the jet engine.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 1984Date of Patent: March 10, 1987Assignee: Northrop CorporationInventor: Heinz A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: 4582276Abstract: An aerodynamic structure which when included into the design of a supersonic aircraft provides the aircraft with a higher lift/drag ratio than has been obtainable previously in supersonic aircraft design. In a preferred embodiment, the aerodynamic structure has the general shape of a modified U-channel with each of the legs of the U-channel being configured in cross section as an isosceles triangle and extending from a cross plate. The vertical apices of each triangle face each other and are separated so that shock waves originating from the leading edges of the aerodynamic structures are cancelled by expansion waves being generated from the vertical apices. At supersonic speeds lift of the aircraft is created by a pressure field generated by a shock-expansion system acting on the cross plate of the U-channel.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 1983Date of Patent: April 15, 1986Assignee: Northrop CorporationInventor: Heinz A. A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: 4181277Abstract: A variable span wing in which a movable wing segment is externally mounted to slide along the trailing edge of the stationary main wing. The movable wing segment is extended beyond the span of the main wing at subsonic flight and retracted to the same span at supersonic flight. Extension (or retraction) on one side only provides roll control. Retraction subsonic speeds is utilized to achieve improved ride qualities and a reduction in wing loads at high load factors.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 1977Date of Patent: January 1, 1980Assignee: Northrop CorporationInventor: Heinz A. Gerhardt
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Patent number: D356990Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1993Date of Patent: April 4, 1995Assignee: Northrop Grumman CorporationInventors: Thomas J. Weir, Heinz A. Gerhardt, Robert V. Dunkason, Randall B. Hall