JP2020183210A - Multicopter - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a multicopter which enables improvement of accuracy of position control under a situation that a thrust force (for example, a thrust force generated by driving of a cooling fan and exhaust air) acts.SOLUTION: In one embodiment of the disclosure, a multicopter 1 has an engine 41, a generator 42, and a cooling fan 43 which drives to generate airflow that cools the engine 41 and the generator 42 and further has a rotation control part 38 which rotates the multicopter 1 or the cooling fan 43. The cooling fan 43 is disposed so that a direction of a center axis FA of the cooling fan 43 is set to a horizontal direction. The rotation control part 38 performs wind direction facing rotation control which rotates the multicopter 1 or the cooling fan 43 so that a direction of a horizontal vector of a thrust vector generated by driving of the cooling fan 43 substantially faces a direction of a horizontal vector of a window force vector.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to a multicopter, which is a rotary wing aircraft equipped with a plurality of rotors (propellers).

Patent Document 1 discloses an engine-mounted flight device that generates thrust that allows the thrust generation unit to float in the air by supplying electric power generated by the power generation unit to the thrust generation unit. Then, this device has a power generation unit and a cooling fan for cooling an engine that is driven to rotate the power generation unit.

JP-A-2017-193209

In the engine-mounted flight apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan, that is, the thrust generated by the pressure difference between the front and rear of the cooling fan by driving the cooling fan acts. As a result, the position of the device may shift. Therefore, the accuracy of the position control of the device may decrease. Therefore, in particular, when performing fixed-point photography, there is a risk that the device cannot be maintained at the fixed-point position and fixed-point photography cannot be performed properly.

Therefore, the present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to improve the accuracy of position control in a situation where thrust (for example, thrust generated by driving or exhausting a cooling fan) acts. The purpose is to provide a multicopter capable of.

One embodiment of the present disclosure made to solve the above problems is to use a multicopter having a heat generating portion and a cooling fan for driving to generate an air flow for cooling the heat generating portion, the multicopter or the cooling fan. The rotation control unit has a rotation control unit to be rotated, and the cooling fan is arranged so that the central axis direction of the cooling fan is the horizontal direction. The rotation control unit is a thrust vector generated by driving the cooling fan. Among them, the wind direction facing rotation control for rotating the multicopter or the cooling fan is performed so that the direction of the vector in the horizontal direction and the direction of the vector in the horizontal direction of the wind force vector are substantially opposed to each other.

According to this aspect, since the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan can be canceled by the wind power, it becomes difficult for the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan to push the multicopter in the direction of its action, so that the misalignment of the multicopter is less likely to occur. In this way, the accuracy of the position control of the multicopter can be improved under the condition that the thrust generated by the drive of the cooling fan acts.

In the above aspect, the power generation unit which is one of the heat generating units, the drive unit which is one of the heat generation units and is driven to generate power by the power generation unit, and the drive value of the drive unit are used. It has a drive control unit to control, and when the value of wind power is larger than a predetermined wind power value, the rotation control unit performs the wind direction facing rotation control, and the value of the wind power is equal to or less than the predetermined wind power value. In some cases, it is preferable that the drive control unit controls the drive value of the drive unit to be less than a predetermined drive value.

According to this aspect, since an appropriate position control of the multicopter can be selected according to an external situation, the position control of the multicopter can be made more accurate.

In the above aspect, it has a power generation unit which is one of the heat generation units and an engine as a drive unit which is one of the heat generation units and is driven to generate power in the power generation unit. It is preferable that the engine is arranged so that the central axis direction of the crankshaft of the engine is in the horizontal direction, and the piston of the engine is arranged above the crankshaft in the vertical direction.

According to this aspect, since the position of the center of gravity of the multicopter can be set to the upper side as much as possible, the flight attitude of the multicopter can be easily stabilized, and the electric power required for the flight can be reduced.

In the above aspect, it is preferable that the rotation control unit performs the wind direction facing rotation control when the multicopter is hovering.

According to this aspect, the position accuracy at the time of hovering control can be improved.

In the above aspect, it is preferable to have an imaging unit that captures or records the outside, and the rotation control unit performs the wind direction facing rotation control on condition that the imaging unit captures or records the image. ..

According to this aspect, the wind direction facing rotation control is performed only when the accuracy of the position control of the multicopter is required, such as when the image pickup unit performs fixed point shooting (imaging or recording at a fixed position). The frequency of this can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power consumption due to the wind direction facing rotation control.

In the above aspect, in the rotation control unit, when the multicopter is moving, the direction of the thrust vector generated by the drive of the cooling fan in the horizontal direction and the moving direction of the multicopter are substantially different from each other. It is preferable to perform the movement direction matching rotation control for rotating the multicopter or the cooling fan so as to match.

According to this aspect, it becomes easy to move the multicopter to a desired position by effectively utilizing the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan for the movement of the multicopter. In addition, the power required to move the multicopter can be reduced.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure made to solve the above problems is a multicopter having a heat generating portion and a cooling fan driven to generate an air flow for cooling the heat generating portion, wherein the cooling fan is the same. The cooling fan is arranged so that the central axis direction is the vertical direction, and among the thrust vectors generated by driving the cooling fan, the vertical vector acts in the direction of raising the multicopter. ..

According to this aspect, since the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan does not act in the horizontal direction, the accuracy of the position control of the multicopter (particularly, the position control in the horizontal direction) is improved. Further, since the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan acts in the direction of raising the aircraft, the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan can be effectively utilized for the flight of the multicopter, and the electric power required for the flight can be reduced.

In the above aspect, the power generation unit which is one of the heat generating parts, the engine as a drive unit which is one of the heat generating parts and is driven to generate power in the power generation part, and the vibration of the engine. The engine is arranged so that the central axis direction of the crankshaft of the engine is the vertical direction, and the vibration damping portion is the central axis of the crankshaft. It is preferable to suppress the vibration of the engine acting in the vertical axis rotation direction, which is the rotation direction centered on.

According to this aspect, it is possible to prevent the multicopter from rotating due to the influence of engine drive.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure made to solve the above problems is the multicopter or the cooling fan in a multicopter having a heat generating portion and a cooling fan driven to generate an air flow for cooling the heat generating portion. The cooling fan has a rotation control unit for rotating the cooling fan, and the cooling fan is arranged so that the central axis direction of the cooling fan is the horizontal direction. The rotation control unit is a thrust vector generated by driving the cooling fan. Of these, the movement direction matching rotation control for rotating the multicopter or the cooling fan so that the direction of the vector in the horizontal direction and the moving direction of the multicopter substantially coincide with each other is performed.

According to this aspect, it becomes easy to move the multicopter to a desired position by effectively utilizing the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan for the movement of the multicopter. In addition, the power required to move the multicopter can be reduced.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure made to solve the above problems has a rotation control unit for rotating the multicopter in a multicopter having an engine and a thrust generating unit that generates thrust when the engine is driven. In the rotation control unit, the direction of the horizontal vector of the thrust vectors generated when the engine is driven by the thrust generation unit and the direction of the horizontal vector of the wind power vectors are substantially opposite to each other. It is characterized in that the engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control for rotating the multicopter is performed.

According to this aspect, since the thrust generated when the engine is driven can be offset by the wind power, it becomes difficult for the thrust generated when the engine is driven to push the multicopter in the direction of its action, so that the position shift of the multicopter is less likely to occur. In this way, the accuracy of the position control of the multicopter can be improved under the condition that the thrust generated when the engine is driven acts.

In the above aspect, the engine control unit that controls the rotation speed of the engine is provided, and when the value of the wind force is larger than the predetermined wind value, the rotation control unit performs the engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control. When the value of the wind force is equal to or less than the predetermined wind value, it is preferable that the engine control unit controls the rotation speed of the engine to be less than the predetermined rotation speed value.

According to this aspect, since an appropriate position control of the multicopter can be selected according to an external situation, the position control of the multicopter can be made more accurate.

In the above aspect, the engine is arranged so that the central axis direction of the crankshaft of the engine is horizontal, and the piston of the engine is arranged above the crankshaft in the vertical direction. , Are preferred.

According to this aspect, since the position of the center of gravity of the multicopter can be set as upward as possible, the flight attitude of the multicopter can be easily stabilized, and the electric power required for flight can be reduced.

In the above aspect, the rotation control unit has an imaging unit that captures or records the outside, and the rotation control unit performs the engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control on condition that the image pickup or recording is performed by the imaging unit. Is preferable.

According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce the frequency of performing engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power consumption due to the engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control.

In the above aspect, a plurality of the thrust generating parts are provided, and the directions of the horizontal vectors of the thrust vectors generated at the time of driving the engine at each of the thrust generating parts are the same. It is preferable that the thrust generating portion is arranged.

According to this aspect, even if a plurality of thrust generating units are provided, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of position control of the multicopter.

In the above aspect, the rotation control unit determines the direction of the horizontal vector of the thrust vectors generated when the engine is driven by the thrust generating unit when the multicopter is moving, and the direction of the multicopter. It is preferable to perform engine thrust movement direction matching rotation control for rotating the multicopter so that the movement direction is substantially the same.

According to this aspect, it becomes easy to move the multicopter to a desired position by effectively utilizing the thrust generated when the engine is driven by the thrust generating unit for the movement of the multicopter. In addition, the power required to move the multicopter can be reduced.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure made to solve the above problems is in a multicopter having an engine and a thrust generating unit that generates thrust when the engine is driven, the thrust generating unit is attached to the thrust generating unit. It is characterized in that the direction of the thrust vector generated when the engine is driven is arranged or controlled so as to be the vertical direction.

According to this aspect, since the thrust generated when the engine is driven at the thrust generating portion does not act in the horizontal direction, the accuracy of the position control (particularly, the horizontal position control) of the multicopter is improved. In addition, if the thrust generated when the engine is driven by the thrust generating part acts in the direction of raising the aircraft, the thrust generated when the engine is driven by the thrust generating part can be effectively utilized for the flight of the multicopter for flight. The required power can be reduced.

In the above aspect, the engine has a body base and a vibration damping unit provided between the body base and the engine to suppress the vibration of the engine, and the engine is a crankshaft of the engine. The vibration damping unit is arranged so that the central axis direction is the vertical direction, and the vibration damping unit suppresses the vibration of the engine acting in the vertical axis rotation direction, which is the rotation direction centered on the central axis of the crankshaft. That is preferable.

According to this aspect, it is possible to prevent the multicopter from rotating due to the influence of engine drive.

In the above aspect, an exhaust port that is one of the thrust generating units and is connected to the engine, a rotation mechanism that rotates the exhaust port three-dimensionally, and a mechanism control unit that controls the rotation mechanism. It is preferable to have.

According to this aspect, since the exhaust port can be directed in various directions, the exhaust can be used as thrust or the exhaust can be used for warming up an engine or the like.

In the above aspect, the mechanism control unit makes the exhaust port face in a direction other than the lower side when a thermal fragile body is present below the multicopter in a situation where the altitude of the multicopter is lower than a predetermined altitude. It is preferable to control.

According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a fire of a thermally fragile body due to the heat of the exhaust gas.

In the above embodiment, the mechanism control unit has at least one heat generating unit, and controls the exhaust port to face the heat generating unit when the temperature of the heat generating unit falls below an appropriate range. preferable.

According to this aspect, the heat generating portion can be warmed up by the heat of the exhaust gas, and the temperature of the heat generating portion can be kept within an appropriate range.

In the above aspect, it is preferable to have a plurality of the heat generating portions, and the exhaust port is arranged at a position between the plurality of the heat generating portions in the vertical direction.

According to this aspect, even if there are a plurality of heat generating portions, the heat generating portions can be warmed up by the heat of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port.

According to the multicopter of the present disclosure, the accuracy of position control can be improved in a situation where a thrust (for example, a thrust generated by driving or exhausting a cooling fan) acts.

It is an external perspective view of the multicopter of this disclosure. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the multicopter of this disclosure. It is a figure which showed the side view of the multicopter of 1st Embodiment simply. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the control performed at the time of hovering. It is a figure which showed the side view of the multicopter of 2nd Embodiment simply. It is the figure which showed the side view of the multicopter of 3rd and 4th Embodiment simply. It is the figure which showed the side view of the multicopter of another example of 3rd and 4th Embodiment simply. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the control performed in 1st Example of 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the control performed in 2nd Embodiment of 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the control performed in the 3rd Example of 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the control performed in 4th Example of 4th Embodiment. It is the figure (when the clutch is engaged) which showed the side view of the multicopter of 5th Embodiment simply. It is the figure (when the clutch is disengaged) which showed the side view of the multicopter of 5th Embodiment simply. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the control performed in 5th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the multicopter of the present disclosure will be described.

[First Embodiment]
First, the first embodiment will be described.

<Overview of multicopter>
(Multicopter configuration)
As shown in FIG. 1, the multicopter 1 of the present embodiment has an airframe 11 and an engine power generation unit 12.

The airframe 11 includes a propeller (also referred to as a “rotor”) 21, a motor 22, an airframe main body 23, and a suspension member 24. The suspension member 24 is an example of the "airframe base" of the present disclosure.

A plurality of propellers 21 (for example, eight propellers 21) are provided. Then, by rotating the plurality of propellers 21 at the same time, the multicopter 1 flies.

The motor 22 is provided on each propeller 21 and rotates the propeller 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the motor 22 includes a battery 31 and an engine power generation unit 12 provided in the machine body 23 via an ESC 36 (inverter (not shown)) provided in the machine body 23 and a power control unit 35. It is electrically connected to the generator 42 provided in the. As a result, the electric power generated by the generator 42 and the electric power discharged from the battery 31 are supplied to the motor 22 via the power control unit 35 and the ESC 36.

As shown in FIG. 1, the machine body portion 23 is provided above the suspension member 24. As shown in FIG. 2, the machine body 23 includes a battery 31, a fuel tank 32, a control unit 33, an FC (flight controller) 34, a power control unit 35, and an ESC (Electric Speed Control) 36. Etc. are provided.

The battery 31 is a charge / discharge unit (secondary battery, storage battery) capable of charging / discharging electric power. As shown in FIG. 2, the battery 31 is electrically connected to the generator 42 via the power control unit 35, and charges the electric power generated by the generator 42. Further, the battery 31 is electrically connected to the motor 22 via the power control unit 35 and the ESC 36, and discharges the power supplied to the motor 22. Further, the battery 31 is provided with a sensor that detects the current / voltage of the battery 31, the temperature of the battery 31, and the SOC (State Of Charge, charge rate), and the sensor sends a signal related to such information to the control unit 33. send.

The fuel tank 32 stores fuel (for example, gasoline) used for driving the engine 41 provided in the engine power generation unit 12. Further, a level sensor (not shown) provided in the fuel tank 32 sends a signal regarding information on the remaining amount of fuel to the control unit 33.

The control unit 33 is configured as a small computer and controls the entire multicopter 1. For example, the control unit 33 controls the drive of the engine 41 to control the power generation of the generator 42.

The FC34 is a device that controls the flight of the multicopter 1. The FC34 sends a thrust instruction signal to the control unit 33 and the ESC 36, and receives a signal related to SOC information from the control unit 33. Further, the FC 34 receives a signal of an operation instruction of the operator from the controller 71 described later, and receives a signal related to the information of the detection result from various sensors 72 described later.

The power control unit 35 is a device that controls the electric power supplied to the motor 22. The power control unit 35 receives the electric power generated by the generator 42, supplies and receives the electric power to and from the battery 31, and supplies the electric power to the ESC 36. Further, the power control unit 35 receives a charge / discharge switching instruction signal from the control unit 33.

The ESC 36 is a device that controls the rotation speed of the motor 22. The ESC 36 supplies the electric power supplied from the power control unit 35 to the motor 22 as driving electric power. Further, the ESC 36 receives a thrust instruction signal from the FC 34.

As shown in FIG. 1, the engine power generation unit 12 is provided below the suspension member 24. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the engine power generation unit 12 includes an engine 41, a generator (that is, a generator) 42, a cooling fan 43, and a cooling duct 44. The engine 41 is an example of the "heating unit" and the "driving unit" of the present disclosure, and the generator 42 is an example of the "heating unit" and the "power generation unit" of the present disclosure.

The engine 41 is a power source for the generator 42, and is, for example, a small diesel engine or a reciprocating engine. That is, the engine 41 is driven to generate electric power to be supplied to the motor 22 or the battery 31 by the generator 42. Further, the engine 41 receives a signal for instructing the generated power from the control unit 33.

In the present embodiment, in the engine 41, the central axis CA direction of the crankshaft 41a of the engine 41 is the central axis AA direction of the body 11 (that is, the arrangement direction of the engine 41 and the suspension member 24 (vertical direction in FIG. 3)). It is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the. That is, when the central axis AA direction of the machine body 11 is defined as the vertical direction and the direction orthogonal to the vertical direction is defined as the horizontal direction, the engine 41 has the central axis CA direction of the crank shaft 41a of the engine 41 as the horizontal direction. It is arranged so as to be.

Further, in the present embodiment, the generator 42 is arranged so that the central axis RA direction of the rotor 42a of the generator 42 is orthogonal to the central axis AA direction of the machine body 11. That is, the generator 42 is arranged so that the central axis RA direction of the rotor 42a of the generator 42 is the horizontal direction.

The cooling fan 43 is an air-cooling fan that cools the engine 41 and the generator 42, and is driven to generate an air flow that cools the engine 41 and the generator 42. The cooling fan 43 is provided together with the generator 42 in a cooling duct 44 which is a pipe (or a housing (cover)) for guiding an air flow generated by driving the cooling fan 43. The cooling fan 43 includes a shaft portion 43a and a plurality of vane portions 43b provided on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 43a. In such a cooling fan 43, the shaft portion 43a rotates around its central axis (that is, the central axis FA of the cooling fan 43), and the plurality of wing portions 43b rotate around the central axis FA. A pressure difference is generated before and after the central axis FA to generate an air flow in the cooling duct 44. Then, the cooling fan 43 cools the generator 42 arranged in the cooling duct 44 and the engine 41 facing the cooling duct 44 by the air flow generated in this way.

In the present embodiment, the cooling fan 43 is arranged so that the central axis FA direction of the cooling fan 43 is orthogonal to the central axis AA direction of the machine body 11. That is, the cooling fan 43 is arranged so that the central axis FA direction of the cooling fan 43 is the horizontal direction (or the substantially horizontal direction). In other words, in the cooling fan 43 of the present embodiment, the central axis FA direction of the cooling fan 43 is formed on the central axis CA of the crankshaft 41a and on the central axis RA of the rotor 42a of the generator 42. Have been placed.

Further, a mount rubber member 51 for suppressing the vibration of the engine 41 is provided at a connecting portion between the suspension member 24 and the engine 41. The mount rubber member 51 is an example of the "vibration damping unit" of the present disclosure.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the multicopter 1 has a controller 71 and various sensors 72.

The controller 71 is an operation unit possessed by the operator of the multicopter 1, and is, for example, a joystick. Further, the various sensors 72 are sensors that detect altitude, attitude, latitude, longitude, acceleration, obstacles, and the like.

Further, in the multicopter 1 of the present embodiment, a series hybrid system is configured by the motor 22, the battery 31, and the engine 41. That is, in the multicopter 1, a system is configured in which the engine 41 is used only for power generation, the motor 22 is used for driving the propeller 21, and the battery 31 for recovering the electric power is further provided. In this way, the multicopter 1 flies by generating electricity in the generator 42 by driving the engine 41 and driving the motor 22 with the generated electric power to drive the propeller 21. Further, the multicopter 1 temporarily stores the surplus electric power generated by the generator 42 by driving the engine 41 in the battery 31 and uses it for driving the motor 22 as needed.

(Action of multicopter)
The multicopter 1 having such a configuration flies by supplying electric power to the motor 22 and rotating a plurality of propellers 21. Then, by controlling the rotation speed of the propeller 21 and balancing the lift obtained by the rotation of the propeller 21 with the gravity of the multicopter 1 itself, it is possible to realize hovering flight and forward / backward / left / right movement flight of the multicopter 1. .. Further, the lift generated by the propeller 21 can be increased to realize the ascending flight of the multicopter 1, and the lift generated by the propeller 21 can be decreased to realize the descending flight of the multicopter 1. Further, by controlling the rotation speed of each propeller 21 and causing an imbalance in the lift generated by the rotation of the plurality of propellers 21, it is possible to realize forward / reverse / left / right movement flight of the multicopter 1. Then, by providing a difference in the rotation speeds of the propellers 21 that rotate relative to each other, turning (rotation) flight can be realized.

<Suppression of thrust generated by driving a cooling fan>
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the cooling fan 43 is arranged so that the central axis FA direction of the cooling fan 43 is the horizontal direction. As a result, the thrust generated by the drive of the cooling fan 43 acts on the multicopter 1 in the horizontal direction (specifically, in the direction opposite to the direction of the air flow), as shown in FIG. 3 as the "thrust direction". To do. Here, the "thrust generated by driving the cooling fan 43" means the front and rear of the cooling fan 43 in the FA direction of the central axis when an air flow is generated in the cooling duct 44 by sucking air in the cooling fan 43. It is the thrust generated by the pressure difference of.

When the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan 43 acts on the multicopter 1 in this way, the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan 43 when the multicopter 1 is hovering is in the acting direction (the present embodiment). Then, the multicopter 1 is pushed in the horizontal direction). Therefore, the position shift of the multicopter 1 is likely to occur, and the accuracy of the position control of the multicopter 1 in the horizontal direction may be lowered.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the direction of action of the thrust generated by the drive of the cooling fan 43 (that is, the direction of the thrust) and the direction of the wind are controlled to face each other. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the direction of the thrust vector generated by driving the cooling fan 43 in the horizontal direction and the direction of the wind vector of the wind blowing on the multicopter 1 in the horizontal direction face each other. Control. Then, in this way, the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan 43 is offset by the wind power and suppressed.

Therefore, specifically, in the present embodiment, the multicopter 1 has a wind direction acquisition unit 37 and a rotation control unit 38, as shown in FIG. Here, the wind direction acquisition unit 37 is a means for acquiring the direction of the wind blowing on the multicopter 1, and detects or estimates, for example, based on GPS position information, a value of a voltage applied to the motor 22, and the like. Get the wind direction to be done. Further, the rotation control unit 38 is a control unit that rotates (turns (rotates)) the multicopter 1 around the central axis AA of the airframe 11. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the wind direction acquisition unit 37 and the rotation control unit 38 are provided as a part of the control unit 33, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the wind direction acquisition unit 37 and the rotation control unit 38 may be provided separately from the control unit 33. Good.

Further, in the present embodiment, the multicopter 1 has a wind power acquisition unit 39 as shown in FIG. The wind power acquisition unit 39 is a means for acquiring the wind power of the wind blowing on the multicopter 1, and detects, for example, based on a detection value of a wind power sensor (not shown), a value of a voltage applied to the motor 22, or the like. Or get the estimated wind value.

Further, in the present embodiment, the multicopter 1 has an engine control unit 40 as shown in FIG. The engine control unit 40 is a control unit that controls the rotation speed of the engine 41.

Then, in the present embodiment, the control shown in FIG. 4 is performed under such a configuration. As shown in FIG. 4, when the multicopter 1 is hovering (during hovering) (step S1: YES) and during fixed point shooting (step S2: YES), the wind power acquisition unit 39 sets the value of the wind power. Acquire (step S3). Note that "during fixed point shooting" is, for example, when the imaging unit 61 provided in the machine body 23 is performing fixed point shooting (capturing or recording the outside at a fixed position).

Then, when the value of the wind power acquired by the wind power acquisition unit 39 is larger than the predetermined value A (step S4: YES), the wind direction acquisition unit 37 acquires the wind direction (step S5). Then, the rotation control unit 38 controls to rotate the multicopter 1 (wind direction facing rotation) so that the action direction (thrust direction) of the thrust generated by the drive of the cooling fan 43 and the wind direction acquired by the wind direction acquisition unit 37 face each other. Control) (step S6). Specifically, the rotation control unit 38 sets the multicopter 1 so that the direction of the horizontal vector of the thrust vector generated by the drive of the cooling fan 43 and the direction of the horizontal vector of the wind vector face each other. Control to rotate. The predetermined value A has a larger thrust generated by driving the cooling fan 43, and is assumed to be wind power that cannot be offset by wind power (in other words, wind power that is close to no wind, and more specifically, the wind speed is 2 m. / S) value.

On the other hand, when the wind power value acquired by the wind power acquisition unit 39 is equal to or less than the predetermined value A (step S4: NO), if the SOC is larger than the predetermined value B (for example, 70%) (step S7: YES), The engine control unit 40 sets the engine output to the Low mode (step S8). Specifically, in step S8, the engine control unit 40 controls the rotation speed of the engine 41 to be less than a predetermined rotation speed (for example, 5000 rpm). Further, in step S6, if the SOC is equal to or less than the predetermined value B (step S7: NO), the rotation control unit 38 ends the process as it is. At this time, the engine control unit 40 may set the engine output to the High mode.

<About the action and effect of this embodiment>
As described above, in the multicopter 1 of the present embodiment, the cooling fan 43 is arranged so that the central axis FA direction of the cooling fan 43 is the horizontal direction. Then, the rotation control unit 38 controls the rotation facing the wind direction, that is, the direction of the vector in the horizontal direction of the thrust vector generated by driving the cooling fan 43 and the direction of the vector in the horizontal direction of the wind force vector face each other. Control is performed to rotate the multicopter 1 so as to be.

As a result, the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan 43 can be offset by wind power, so that when the multicopter 1 is hovering, the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan 43 causes the multicopter 1 to act in the direction of its action (horizontal direction). Since it is difficult to push forward, it is difficult for the multicopter 1 to be displaced in the horizontal direction. In this way, the accuracy of the position control of the multicopter 1 can be improved under the condition that the thrust generated by the driving of the cooling fan 43 acts.

Further, when the value of the wind power acquired by the wind power acquisition unit 39 is larger than the predetermined value A, the rotation control unit 38 performs wind direction facing rotation control. On the other hand, when the wind power value acquired by the wind power acquisition unit 39 is equal to or less than the predetermined value A, the engine control unit 40 controls the rotation speed of the engine 41 to be less than the predetermined rotation speed.

In this way, when the wind is strong, the wind direction facing rotation control can be performed to effectively cancel the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan 43 with the wind power. On the other hand, when the wind is weak, the output of the engine 41 is lowered without performing the wind direction facing rotation control. As a result, the thrust of the cooling fan 43 can be reduced to improve the accuracy of position control. In addition, the amount of fuel consumed in the fuel tank 32 can be reduced.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the piston 41b of the engine 41 is arranged above the crankshaft 41a in the vertical direction, that is, on the suspension member 24 side.

As a result, the position of the center of gravity of the multicopter 1 can be set to the upper side as much as possible, so that the flight attitude of the multicopter 1 can be easily stabilized and the electric power required for the flight can be reduced. In addition to stabilizing the flight attitude, it becomes easier to change the flight attitude (in other words, the responsiveness to change of the flight mode is improved).

Further, the rotation control unit 38 performs wind direction facing rotation control when the multicopter 1 is hovering. This makes it possible to improve the position accuracy during hovering control.

Further, the rotation control unit 38 performs wind direction facing rotation control on condition that the image pickup unit 61 is capturing or recording.

As a result, the wind direction facing rotation control is performed only when the accuracy of the position control of the multicopter 1 is required, such as when the image pickup unit 61 performs fixed point shooting (imaging or recording at a fixed position), so that the wind direction facing rotation control is performed. The frequency can be kept low. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power consumption due to the wind direction facing rotation control. Therefore, the remaining charge of the battery 31, that is, the SOC can be maintained.

Further, the mount rubber member 51 suppresses vibration of the engine 41 acting in the horizontal axis rotation direction, which is the rotation direction centered on the central axis CA of the crankshaft 41a of the engine 41. As a result, it is possible to prevent the multicopter 1 from rotating due to the drive of the engine 41.

<Modification example>
Further, as a modification, in the rotation control unit 38, when the multicopter 1 is moving, the direction of the horizontal vector among the thrust vectors generated by the drive of the cooling fan 43 coincides with the moving direction of the multicopter 1. The movement direction matching rotation control for rotating the multicopter 1 may be performed as described above.

In this way, the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan 43 is effectively utilized for the movement of the multicopter 1 (parallel movement, that is, forward / backward / left / right movement flight), thereby moving the multicopter 1 to a desired position. Becomes easier. Therefore, the accuracy of the position control of the multicopter 1 can be improved under the condition that the thrust generated by the driving of the cooling fan 43 acts. In addition, the power required for moving the multicopter 1 can be reduced.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the second embodiment will be described, but the components equivalent to those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, the description thereof will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly described.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the engine 41 is arranged so that the central axis CA direction of the crankshaft 41a of the engine 41 is the vertical direction. Further, the generator 42 is arranged so that the central axis RA direction of the rotor 42a of the generator 42 is the vertical direction. Further, the cooling fan 43 is arranged so that the central axis FA direction of the cooling fan 43 is the vertical direction. Then, among the thrust vectors generated by driving the cooling fan 43, the vector in the vertical direction acts in the direction of raising the machine body 11.

In this way, since the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan 43 does not act in the horizontal direction, the accuracy of the horizontal position control is improved when the multicopter 1 is hovering. Further, since the vertical vector of the thrust vectors generated by driving the cooling fan 43 acts in the direction of raising the airframe 11, the position can be controlled at a fixed point when the multicopter 1 is hovered. In addition, the power consumption when raising the multicopter 1 can be reduced. In this way, the thrust generated by driving the cooling fan 43 can be effectively utilized for the flight of the multicopter 1, and the electric power required for the flight can be reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, the mount rubber member 51 has a directional vibration damping force, and acts in the vertical axis rotation direction, which is the rotation direction centered on the central axis CA of the crankshaft 41a of the engine 41. The vibration of the engine 41 is suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the multicopter 1 from rotating due to the influence of the drive of the engine 41 (for example, the influence of the anti-torque acting in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the crankshaft 41a).

[Third Embodiment]
Next, the third embodiment will be described, but the points different from those of the first and second embodiments will be mainly described.

In addition to the cooling fan 43 described above, for example, an exhaust port 81 connected to the engine 41 (FIG. 6 and FIG. (See FIG. 7) is conceivable. That is, as an example of engine thrust, there is thrust generated by the flow of exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port 81. In the present embodiment, the accuracy of the position control of the multicopter 1 is improved under the situation where such an engine thrust acts.

Therefore, the rotation control unit 38 so that the direction of the vector in the horizontal direction of the engine thrust vector (hereinafter, referred to as “engine thrust vector”) and the direction of the vector in the horizontal direction of the wind force vector face each other. Control to rotate the multicopter 1 (hereinafter referred to as "engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control") is performed.

As a result, the engine thrust can be offset by the wind power, so that when the multicopter 1 is hovering, it becomes difficult for the engine thrust to push the multicopter 1 in the direction of its action (horizontal direction), so that the position shift of the multicopter 1 in the horizontal direction is displaced. It becomes difficult to occur. In this way, the accuracy of the position control of the multicopter 1 can be improved under the condition that the engine thrust acts.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the wind power value acquired by the wind power acquisition unit 39 is larger than the predetermined value A, the rotation control unit 38 performs engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control. On the other hand, when the value of the wind power acquired by the wind power acquisition unit 39 is equal to or less than the predetermined value A, the engine control unit 40 controls the rotation speed of the engine 41 to be less than the predetermined rotation speed.

As a result, the appropriate position control of the multicopter 1 can be selected according to the external situation, so that the position control of the multicopter 1 can be made more accurate.

Further, the piston 41b of the engine 41 is arranged above the crankshaft 41a in the vertical direction, that is, on the suspension member 24 side.

Further, the rotation control unit 38 performs engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control on condition that the image pickup unit 61 is capturing or recording.

Further, a plurality of exhaust ports 81 may be provided. At this time, it is desirable that the plurality of exhaust ports 81 are arranged so that the directions of the vectors in the horizontal direction of the engine thrust vectors of the respective exhaust ports 81 match.

As a result, even if a plurality of exhaust ports 81 are provided, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of position control of the multicopter 1.

<Modification example>
Further, the rotation control unit 38 rotates the multicopter 1 so that the direction of the vector in the horizontal direction of the engine thrust vector and the moving direction of the multicopter 1 coincide with each other when the multicopter 1 is moving. The movement direction matching rotation control may be performed.

By effectively utilizing the engine thrust for the movement of the multicopter 1 in this way, it becomes easy to move the multicopter 1 to a desired position. Therefore, the accuracy of the position control of the multicopter 1 can be improved under the condition that the engine thrust acts. In addition, the power required for moving the multicopter 1 can be reduced.

Further, the exhaust port 81 may be arranged or controlled so that the direction of the engine thrust vector is the vertical direction.

In this way, since the engine thrust does not act in the horizontal direction, the accuracy of the horizontal position control is improved when the multicopter 1 is hovering. Further, since the engine thrust vector acts in the direction of raising the airframe 11, the position can be controlled at a fixed point when the multicopter 1 is hovered. In addition, the power consumption when raising the multicopter 1 can be reduced. In this way, the engine thrust can be effectively utilized for the flight of the multicopter 1 to reduce the electric power required for the flight.

Further, at this time, the engine 41 may be arranged so that the central axis CA direction of the crankshaft 41a of the engine 41 is the vertical direction, and the mount rubber member 51 may have directivity in its vibration damping force. .. Then, the mount rubber member 51 may suppress the vibration of the engine 41 acting in the vertical axis rotation direction, which is the rotation direction centered on the central axis CA of the crankshaft 41a of the engine 41. As a result, it is possible to prevent the multicopter 1 from rotating due to the influence of the drive of the engine 41.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, the fourth embodiment will be described, but the differences from the first to third embodiments will be mainly described.

In the present embodiment, while improving the accuracy of position control under the condition where thrust acts, the exhaust energy is warmed in order to utilize the exhaust energy (that is, the thermal energy of the exhaust and the flow velocity energy) that have been discarded in the past. Used for machine promotion and thrust enhancement.

That is, the temperature range in which the battery 31 and the engine 41 can be efficiently driven is determined. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the heat of the exhaust gas discharged from the engine 41 is used to quickly reach the temperature range in which the temperature of the battery 31, the engine 41, and the like can be efficiently driven. As a result, the time for driving the battery 31 and the engine 41 with low efficiency can be shortened, and the battery 31 and the engine 41 can be driven efficiently.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the multicopter 1 has a rotation mechanism 82 and a mechanism control unit 83, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The rotation mechanism 82 is a mechanism for rotating the exhaust port 81 three-dimensionally. Further, the mechanism control unit 83 is a control unit that controls the rotation mechanism 82, and is provided as, for example, a part of the control unit 33 (see FIG. 2). Further, the exhaust port 81 is arranged as shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the exhaust port 81 is arranged at a position above the engine 41, that is, at a position between the battery 31 and the engine 41 in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 6). Further, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the exhaust port 81 is arranged at a position in the side surface direction of the engine 41.

<First Example>
Therefore, first, the first embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, control is performed by the flow shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, at the time of starting the multicopter 1, the control unit 33 first performs warm-up control.

In this warm-up control, when the outside air temperature is higher than the charge / discharge limit temperature of the battery 31 (step S101: YES), the control unit 33 warms up the engine 41 as it is (step S103). On the other hand, when the outside air temperature is equal to or lower than the charge / discharge limit temperature of the battery 31 (step S101: NO), the control unit 33 warms up the battery 31 (step S102) and then warms up the engine 41. (Step S103). Here, when warming up the battery 31 or the engine 41, the mechanism control unit 83 may control the exhaust port 81 so as to face the battery 31 or the engine 41. As a result, the battery 31 and the engine 41 are warmed up by the heat of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port 81.

Next, when the temperature of the battery 31 is equal to or higher than the lower limit of the appropriate range PR1 (step S104: YES), the control unit 33 ends the warm-up control as it is (step S106).

On the other hand, when the temperature of the battery 31 is less than the lower limit of the appropriate range PR1 (step S104: NO), the control unit 33 finishes the warm-up control after warming up the battery 31 (step S105). (Step S106).

Here, when the battery 31 is warmed up in step S105, the mechanism control unit 83 controls the exhaust port 81 so as to face the battery 31. In this way, the mechanism control unit 83 controls the exhaust port 81 to face the battery 31 when the temperature of the battery 31 falls below the appropriate range PR1. As a result, the battery 31 is warmed up by the heat of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port 81. The "appropriate range PR1" is a temperature range in which the battery 31 can be efficiently driven.

In this way, after performing warm-up control, the control unit 33 flies the multicopter 1 while controlling the direction of the exhaust port 81 by the mechanism control unit 83.

Specifically, when the altitude is higher than "0", that is, when the multicopter 1 is in flight (step S107: YES), the control unit 33 determines whether the flight state of the multicopter 1 is hovering. It is determined whether or not (step S108).

Then, when the flight state of the multicopter 1 is hovering (step S108: YES), the control unit 33 turns the exhaust port 81 downward by the mechanism control unit 83 (step S109). As a result, the thrust due to the flow of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port 81 acts upward, so that the energy required to maintain the hovering of the multicopter 1 is reduced, and the accuracy of the position control during hovering is improved. Can be done.

On the other hand, when the flight state of the multicopter 1 is not hovering but descending (step S108: NO, step S110: YES), the control unit 33 turns the exhaust port 81 downward by the mechanism control unit 83 (step). S111). As a result, the thrust due to the flow of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port 81 acts upward, so that it is possible to promote the descent of the multicopter 1 while suppressing the multicopter 1 from shifting in the horizontal direction.

Further, when the flight state of the multicopter 1 is neither hovering nor descending (step S108: NO, step S110: NO), that is, when the flight state of the multicopter 1 is moving or ascending, the control unit 33 determines. The mechanism control unit 83 turns the exhaust port 81 in the direction opposite to the traveling direction (step S112).

Specifically, when the flight state of the multicopter 1 is moving, the control unit 33 sets the exhaust port 81 in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the multicopter 1 by the mechanism control unit 83. As a result, the thrust due to the flow of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port 81 acts in the moving direction of the multicopter 1, so that the movement of the multicopter 1 is promoted.

Further, when the flight state of the multicopter 1 is rising, the control unit 33 makes the exhaust port downward by the mechanism control unit 83. As a result, the thrust due to the flow of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port 81 acts upward, so that the increase of the multicopter 1 is promoted.

When the altitude of the control unit 33 is 0, that is, when the multicopter 1 is not in flight (step S107: NO), the mechanism control unit 83 turns the exhaust port 81 downward (step S113).

Then, after that, the control unit 33 controls the direction of the exhaust port 81 by the mechanism control unit 83 (steps S107 to S113) until the multicopter 1 is stopped (step S114).

<Second Example>
Next, the second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, control is performed according to the flow shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the difference from the first embodiment is that when the control unit 33 does not stop the multicopter 1 in step S214 (step S214: NO), the control unit 33 starts from the previous confirmation of the temperature of the battery 31. When the elapsed time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (step S215: YES) and the temperature of the battery 31 is less than the lower limit of the appropriate range PR2 (step S216: NO), the battery 31 is warmed up (step S217). ). In this way, the control unit 33 warms up the battery 31 when the multicopter 1 is started (step S205), and then rewarms the battery 31 under certain conditions. As a result, the multicopter 1 can be made into a cold region specification. The "appropriate range PR2" is a temperature range in which the battery 31 can be efficiently driven.

Further, the appropriate range PR2 is set to be narrower than the appropriate range PR1 in step S204. As a result, the temperature of the battery 31 can be corrected so as to be within the appropriate range PR1 before the temperature of the battery 31 is about to deviate from the appropriate range PR1, and the battery 31 can be used in the temperature range for driving the battery 31 more efficiently.

<Third Example>
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, control is performed according to the flow shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, when the state of the multicopter 1 is the engine starting state (that is, when the engine 41 is started) (step S301: YES), the control unit 33 performs warm-up control in steps S302 to S308. Do.

As the warm-up control in steps S302 to S308, specifically, when the outside air temperature is higher than the charge / discharge limit temperature of the battery 31 (step S302: YES), the temperature of the engine 41 remains as it is. It is determined whether or not the value is equal to or greater than the lower limit of the appropriate range PRE (step S304).

On the other hand, when the outside air temperature is equal to or lower than the charge / discharge limit temperature of the battery 31 (step S302: NO), the control unit 33 warms up the battery 31 (step S303), and then the temperature of the engine 41 is appropriate. It is determined whether or not it is equal to or greater than the lower limit of the range PRE (step S304). Here, when warming up the battery 31 in step S303, the mechanism control unit 83 may control the exhaust port 81 to face the battery 31. As a result, the battery 31 is warmed up by the heat of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port 81.

Then, when the temperature of the engine 41 is equal to or higher than the lower limit value of the appropriate range PRE (step S304: YES), the control unit 33 determines whether or not the temperature of the battery 31 is equal to or higher than the lower limit value of the appropriate range PR1. Determine (step S306). The "appropriate range PRE" is a temperature range in which the engine 41 can be efficiently driven.

On the other hand, when the temperature of the engine 41 is less than the lower limit of the appropriate range PRE (step S304: NO), the control unit 33 warms up the engine 41 (step S305) and then raises the temperature of the battery 31. It is determined whether or not the value is equal to or greater than the lower limit of the appropriate range PR1 (step S306). Here, when the engine 41 is warmed up in step S305, the mechanism control unit 83 controls the exhaust port 81 so as to face the engine 41. In this way, the mechanism control unit 83 controls the exhaust port 81 to face the engine 41 when the temperature of the engine 41 falls below the appropriate range PRE. As a result, the engine 41 is warmed up by the heat of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port 81.

Then, when the temperature of the battery 31 is equal to or higher than the lower limit value of the appropriate range PR1 (step S306: YES), the control unit 33 ends the warm-up control as it is (step S308). On the other hand, when the temperature of the battery 31 is less than the lower limit of the appropriate range PR1 (step S306: NO), the control unit 33 warms up the battery 31 (step S307) and then ends the warm-up control. (Step S308). Here, when the battery 31 is warmed up in step S307, the mechanism control unit 83 controls the exhaust port 81 so as to face the battery 31.

Then, after performing the warm-up control in this way, the control unit 33 flies the multicopter 1 while controlling the direction of the exhaust port 81 by the mechanism control unit 83 as in the first and second embodiments (step S309). ~ S315).

After that, when the state of the multicopter 1 is that the engine is being driven (that is, the state in which the engine 41 is being driven, including the restart) (step S316: YES), the control unit 33 returns to the process of step S306. .. On the other hand, the control unit 33 terminates this processing routine when the multicopter 1 is not in the engine driving state (step S316: NO) and stops the multicopter 1 (step S317: YES), while the multicopter 1 ends. If is not stopped (step S317: NO), the process returns to step S316.

Further, when the state of the multicopter 1 is not in the engine starting in step S301 (step S301: NO), the control unit 33 determines whether or not the temperature of the battery 31 is equal to or higher than the lower limit value of the appropriate range PR1 (step S301: NO). Step S318). Then, when the temperature of the battery 31 is equal to or higher than the lower limit value of the appropriate range PR1 (step S318: YES), the control unit 33 shifts to the process of step S316. On the other hand, when the temperature of the battery 31 is less than the lower limit of the appropriate range PR1 (step S318: NO), the control unit 33 starts the engine 41 (step S319) to warm up the battery 31. After (step S320), the engine 41 is stopped (step S321), and the process proceeds to step S316.

<Fourth Example>
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, control is performed by the flow shown in FIG. This control is performed, for example, when there is a possibility that a combustible material (for example, grass) is present near the landing site of the multicopter 1, or when the heat resistance upper limit temperature of the landing platform of the multicopter 1 is low.

As shown in FIG. 11, the surrounding environment status of the multicopter 1 is input to the control unit 33 (step S401). Specifically, in step S401, for example, an input regarding the presence or absence of combustibles in the vicinity of the multicopter 1 (that is, an input of "without combustibles" or an input of "with combustibles") is made to the control unit 33. Will be. Here, for example, when "1" is input as the input of the value of the ambient environment condition of "without combustibles" and "2" is input as the value of the ambient environment condition of "with combustibles". To do. Further, the input regarding the presence or absence of combustibles may be an input by the user of the multicopter 1 or an input based on detection in the captured image by the imaging unit 61.

In step S401, for example, an input regarding the heat resistance upper limit temperature of the landing platform of the multicopter 1 (that is, an input indicating that "the heat resistance upper limit temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature" or "a heat resistance upper limit temperature is predetermined" is input to the control unit 33. It may be input that "it is below the temperature"). At this time, for example, "1" is input as the input of the value of the ambient environment condition that "the heat resistance upper limit temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature", and the ambient environment condition that "the heat resistance upper limit temperature is less than the predetermined temperature" is input. It is assumed that "2" is input as the value input.

Then, after the surrounding environment status is input in this way (step S401), the control unit 33 performs warm-up control (steps S402 to S407) in the same manner as in the first and second embodiments.

In this way, after performing warm-up control, the control unit 33 flies the multicopter 1 while controlling the direction of the exhaust port 81 by the mechanism control unit 83.

Specifically, the control unit 33 is different from the first to third embodiments in that the multicopter 1 is input in step S401 when the altitude of the multicopter 1 is equal to or lower than the predetermined altitude PA (step S408: NO). The direction of the exhaust port 81 is controlled according to the value of the ambient environment condition.

Specifically, when the value of the ambient environment condition is "1" (step S414: YES), the control unit 33 turns the exhaust port 81 downward (step S415). On the other hand, when the input value of the ambient environment condition is not "1" (step S414: NO), that is, when the value of the ambient environment condition is "2", the control unit 33 does not point the exhaust port 81 downward. Orient (step S416).

In this way, in the present embodiment, the mechanism control unit 83 uses the exhaust port 81 when a thermally fragile body (for example, a combustible material) exists below the multicopter 1 in a situation where the altitude is lower than the predetermined altitude PA. Control so that it faces in a direction other than below.

When the altitude is higher than the predetermined altitude PA (step S408: YES), the control unit 33 performs the same control as in steps S108 to S112 of the first embodiment.

<About the action and effect of this embodiment>
As described above, in the multicopter 1 of the present embodiment, the exhaust port 81, which is one of the thrust generating parts and is connected to the engine 41, the rotation mechanism 82 for three-dimensionally rotating the exhaust port 81, and the rotation mechanism 82 are provided. It has a mechanism control unit 83 for controlling.

As a result, the exhaust port 81 can be directed in various directions. Therefore, in situations where accuracy of position control is required, position accuracy improvement control is performed, and in other situations, exhaust is used as thrust or heat of exhaust is used. It can be used for warming up.

Further, in the mechanism control unit 83, when the altitude of the multicopter 1 is lower than the predetermined altitude PA, a thermally fragile body (for example, a combustible material or a landing platform whose heat resistance upper limit temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature) exists below the multicopter 1. In this case, the exhaust port 81 is controlled so as to face in a direction other than the lower part.

As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a fire of a thermally fragile body due to the heat of the exhaust gas.

Further, the multicopter 1 has at least one heat generating portion such as a battery 31 and an engine 41. Then, the mechanism control unit 83 controls so that the exhaust port 81 is directed to the heat generating portion when the temperature of the heat generating portion falls below the appropriate range PR1, PR2, PRE.

As a result, the heat generated by the battery 31 or the engine 41 can be warmed up by the heat of the exhaust gas, and the temperature of the heat generating portion such as the battery 31 or the engine 41 can be kept within the appropriate range PR1, PR2, PRE.

Further, the multicopter 1 has a plurality of heat generating parts such as a battery 31 and an engine 41. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the exhaust port 81 is arranged between a plurality of heat generating portions (for example, the battery 31 and the engine 41) in the vertical direction.

As a result, even if there are a plurality of configurations (that is, heat generating parts) that require warming up, such as the battery 31 and the engine 41, each heat generating part can be warmed up by the heat of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port 81.

[Fifth Embodiment]
Next, the fifth embodiment will be described, but the differences from the first to fourth embodiments will be mainly described.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the rotating shaft 42b of the generator 42 is detachable from the crankshaft 41a of the engine 41 by the clutch 91. Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the rotating shaft 42b of the generator 42 can be rotated in the direction opposite to that at the time of power generation by the circuit 92 when the clutch 91 is not connected to the crankshaft 41a of the engine 41. As a result, the cooling fan 43 connected to the rotating shaft 42b of the generator 42 rotates in the direction opposite to that at the time of power generation and sends wind, so that the multicopter 1 can obtain propulsive force by this wind.

Therefore, the control unit 33 controls according to the flow shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, when the SOC is equal to or higher than the specified value (step S501: YES) and the control unit 33 is instructed to move in the horizontal direction in the horizontal posture (step 502: YES). To disengage the clutch 91 as shown in FIG. 13 (step S503). That is, the control unit 33 disengages the clutch 91 so that the rotating shaft 42b of the generator 42 and the crankshaft 41a of the engine 41 are not connected. Then, the control unit 33 puts the multicopter 1 in a horizontal posture (step S504), rotates the generator 42 in the direction opposite to that at the time of power generation by the circuit 92 (step S505), and performs horizontal movement (step S506).

At this time, in the rotation control unit 38, when the multicopter 1 is moving, the direction of the horizontal vector among the thrust vectors generated by the cooling fan 43 and the moving direction of the multicopter 1 substantially match. As described above, the thrust movement direction matching rotation control for rotating the multicopter 1 is performed. As a result, the flight time of the multicopter 1 is improved.

On the other hand, when the SOC is not equal to or higher than the specified value (step S501: NO) and / or when the control unit 33 is not instructed to move in the horizontal direction (step 502: NO), the control unit 33 is shown in FIG. The clutch 91 is engaged (step S507). That is, the control unit 33 engages the clutch 91 so that the rotating shaft 42b of the generator 42 and the crankshaft 41a of the engine 41 are connected to each other. Then, the control unit 33 puts the multicopter 1 in an inclined posture (step S508) and performs horizontal movement (step S509).

Further, as a modification, in step S501, the control unit 33 may determine whether or not the temperature of the engine 41 is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. Then, at this time, the engine 41 may be stopped when the hovering control of the multicopter 1 is performed and the temperature of the engine 41 is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature. At this time, the engine 41 is provided with a starter.

It should be noted that the above-described embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the present disclosure in any way, and it goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, in the first embodiment and the third embodiment, when the rotation control unit 38 performs wind direction facing rotation control or engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control, the thrust vector generated by driving the cooling fan 43 is in the horizontal direction. The multicopter 1 may be controlled to rotate so that the direction of the vector and the direction of the wind do not completely face each other.

Further, in the modified example of the first embodiment, the modified example of the third embodiment, and the fifth embodiment, the rotation control unit 38 is cooled when performing the moving direction matching rotation control or the engine thrust moving direction matching rotation control. Of the thrust vectors generated by driving the fan 43, the direction of the vector in the horizontal direction and the moving direction of the multicopter 1 may be controlled to rotate so that they substantially match even if they do not completely match.

Further, in the first embodiment, the rotation control unit 38 rotates the cooling fan 43 alone or the engine power generation unit 12 including the cooling fan 43 instead of the entire multicopter 1, and wind direction facing rotation control and movement direction matching rotation. Control may be performed.

Further, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the central axis CA of the crankshaft 41a and the central axis FA of the cooling fan 43 do not necessarily have to be formed on the same axis.

Further, in the first embodiment and the third embodiment, the rotation control unit 38 may perform wind direction facing rotation control at any time during hovering even if the fixed point shooting is not performed.

Further, in the first embodiment, when the engine 41 is equipped with a starter and can be restarted by itself, the wind speed is less than a predetermined value and the SOC of the battery 31 is at least a predetermined amount during hovering control. When one condition is achieved, the engine 41 may be stopped. On the other hand, when at least one of the conditions that the wind force is equal to or higher than the predetermined value and the SOC of the battery is less than the predetermined amount is achieved, the wind direction facing rotation control may be performed. In this case, by stopping the engine 41, the driving of the cooling fan 43 is stopped, so that thrust is not generated and the position accuracy can be further improved.

Further, the multicopter of the present disclosure can be applied to an engine using ethanol fuel, LP gas, natural gas or the like as fuel, or a multicopter (hybrid drone) equipped with a diesel engine or the like, as long as it is a multicopter having a cooling fan. Further, the multicopter of the present disclosure is not limited to a hybrid drone if it is a multicopter having a cooling fan, but also a multicopter without an engine (for example, a multicopter having a cooling fan for cooling an electric circuit) or only an engine. It can also be applied to a multicopter having.

The multicopter of the present disclosure can also be applied to a multicopter (hybrid drone) equipped with a fuel cell system when the fuel cell system is equipped with a cooling fan. At this time, the fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that generates power from fuel and an oxidizing agent, a fuel supply unit (fuel injection valve (injector), etc.) that drives to supply fuel to the fuel cell, and electric power generated by the fuel cell. It has a charge / discharge part for charging / discharging. The fuel cell corresponds to the "power generation unit", the fuel supply unit corresponds to the "drive unit", and the charge / discharge unit corresponds to the "battery".

Further, the multicopter of the present disclosure can be applied to a multicopter having only a power generation unit having no drive unit such as an engine when it has a cooling fan. At this time, as the power generation unit, for example, a solar power generation unit or a wind power generation unit can be considered.

1 Multicopter 11 Airframe 12 Engine power generation unit 21 Propeller (rotor)
22 Motor 23 Main body 24 Suspension member 31 Battery 32 Fuel tank 33 Control 37 Wind direction acquisition 38 Rotation control 39 Wind acquisition 40 Engine control 41 Engine 41a Crank shaft 41b Piston 42 Generator (generator)
42a Rotor 42b Rotating shaft 43 Cooling fan 43a Shaft 43b Wing 51 Mount rubber member 61 Imaging unit 81 Exhaust port 82 Rotating mechanism 83 Mechanism control unit 91 Clutch 92 Circuit CA (of crankshaft) Central axis FA (of cooling fan) Axis RA (Rotor) Central Axis AA (Aircraft) Central Axis PR1, PR2 (Battery Temperature) Appropriate Range PRE (Engine Temperature) Appropriate Range PA Predetermined Altitude

Claims (21)

In a multicopter having a heat generating portion and a cooling fan that drives to generate an air flow that cools the heat generating portion.
It has a rotation control unit that rotates the multicopter or the cooling fan.
The cooling fan is arranged so that the central axis direction of the cooling fan is the horizontal direction.
The rotation control unit is the multicopter or the cooling fan so that the direction of the horizontal vector of the thrust vector generated by driving the cooling fan and the direction of the horizontal vector of the wind vector are substantially opposite to each other. To perform wind direction facing rotation control,
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of claim 1,
The power generation unit, which is one of the heat generation units,
A drive unit that is one of the heat generating units and is driven to generate power in the power generation unit,
It has a drive control unit that controls the drive value of the drive unit.
When the value of the wind force is larger than the predetermined wind value, the rotation control unit performs the wind direction facing rotation control.
When the value of the wind force is equal to or less than the predetermined wind value, the drive control unit controls the drive value of the drive unit to be less than the predetermined drive value.
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of claim 1 or 2,
The power generation unit, which is one of the heat generation units,
It has an engine as a drive unit which is one of the heat generating units and is driven to generate power in the power generation unit.
The engine is arranged so that the central axis direction of the crankshaft of the engine is horizontal.
The piston of the engine is arranged above the crankshaft in the vertical direction.
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of any one of claims 1 to 3,
The rotation control unit performs the wind direction facing rotation control when the multicopter is hovering.
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of claim 4,
It has an imaging unit that captures or records the outside,
The rotation control unit performs the wind direction facing rotation control on condition that the image pickup unit captures or records the image.
A multicopter featuring. In any one of the multicopters of claims 1 to 5,
The rotation control unit performs the rotation control unit so that the direction of the thrust vector generated by the drive of the cooling fan in the horizontal direction and the moving direction of the multicopter substantially match when the multicopter is moving. Performing movement direction matching rotation control to rotate the multicopter or the cooling fan,
A multicopter featuring. In a multicopter having a heat generating portion and a cooling fan that drives to generate an air flow that cools the heat generating portion.
The cooling fan is arranged so that the central axis direction of the cooling fan is the vertical direction.
Of the thrust vectors generated by driving the cooling fan, the vector in the vertical direction acts in the direction of raising the multicopter.
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of claim 7,
The power generation unit, which is one of the heat generation units,
An engine as a drive unit that is one of the heat generating units and is driven to generate power in the power generation unit.
It has a vibration damping unit that suppresses the vibration of the engine.
The engine is arranged so that the central axis direction of the crankshaft of the engine is the vertical direction.
The vibration damping unit suppresses vibration of the engine acting in the vertical axis rotation direction, which is a rotation direction centered on the central axis of the crankshaft.
A multicopter featuring. In a multicopter having a heat generating portion and a cooling fan that drives to generate an air flow that cools the heat generating portion.
It has a rotation control unit that rotates the multicopter or the cooling fan.
The cooling fan is arranged so that the central axis direction of the cooling fan is the horizontal direction.
The rotation control unit rotates the multicopter or the cooling fan so that the direction of the vector in the horizontal direction of the thrust vector generated by driving the cooling fan and the moving direction of the multicopter substantially coincide with each other. To control,
A multicopter featuring. In a multicopter having an engine and a thrust generating unit that generates thrust when the engine is driven,
It has a rotation control unit that rotates the multicopter, and has a rotation control unit.
The rotation control unit is such that the direction of the horizontal vector of the thrust vectors generated when the engine is driven by the thrust generating unit and the direction of the horizontal vector of the wind power vectors are substantially opposite to each other. Performing engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control to rotate the multicopter,
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of claim 10,
It has an engine control unit that controls the rotation speed of the engine.
When the value of the wind force is larger than the predetermined wind value, the rotation control unit performs the engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control.
When the value of the wind force is equal to or less than the predetermined wind value, the engine control unit controls the rotation speed of the engine to be less than the predetermined rotation speed value.
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of claim 10 or 11.
The engine is arranged so that the central axis direction of the crankshaft of the engine is horizontal.
The piston of the engine is arranged above the crankshaft in the vertical direction.
A multicopter featuring. In any one of the multicopters of claims 10 to 12,
It has an imaging unit that captures or records the outside,
The rotation control unit performs the engine thrust wind direction facing rotation control on condition that the image pickup unit captures or records the image.
A multicopter featuring. In any one of the multicopters of claims 10 to 13,
A plurality of the thrust generating parts are provided.
A plurality of the thrust generating portions are arranged so that the directions of the horizontal vectors of the thrust vectors generated when the engine is driven are the same in each of the thrust generating portions.
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of any one of claims 10 to 14,
In the rotation control unit, when the multicopter is moving, the direction of the horizontal vector of the thrust vectors generated when the engine is driven by the thrust generating unit and the moving direction of the multicopter substantially match. To perform engine thrust movement direction matching rotation control to rotate the multicopter,
A multicopter featuring. In a multicopter having an engine and a thrust generating unit that generates thrust when the engine is driven,
The thrust generating unit is arranged or controlled so that the direction of the thrust vector generated when the engine is driven by the thrust generating unit is the vertical direction.
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of claim 16,
Aircraft base and
It has a vibration damping unit provided between the airframe base and the engine to suppress the vibration of the engine.
The engine is arranged so that the central axis direction of the crankshaft of the engine is the vertical direction.
The vibration damping unit suppresses vibration of the engine acting in the vertical axis rotation direction, which is a rotation direction centered on the central axis of the crankshaft.
A multicopter featuring. In any one of the multicopters of claims 10 to 17,
An exhaust port that is one of the thrust generators and is connected to the engine,
A rotation mechanism that rotates the exhaust port three-dimensionally,
Having a mechanism control unit that controls the rotation mechanism,
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of claim 18,
When the altitude of the multicopter is lower than a predetermined altitude and a thermally fragile body is present below the multicopter, the mechanism control unit controls the exhaust port so as to face in a direction other than the downward direction.
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of claim 18 or 19.
It has at least one heat generating part and
The mechanism control unit controls the exhaust port to face the heat generating portion when the temperature of the heat generating portion falls below an appropriate range.
A multicopter featuring. In the multicopter of claim 20,
Having a plurality of the heat generating parts,
The exhaust port shall be arranged at a position between the plurality of heat generating portions in the vertical direction.
A multicopter featuring.

Images