JP2023073742A - Air vehicle and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an air vehicle which enables reduction of the weight of a peripheral device of a fuel battery.SOLUTION: According to an embodiment, an air vehicle includes a propeller, a motor, a fuel battery, and a heat exchanger. The propeller generates propulsion power for flying an airframe. The motor drives the propeller. The fuel battery serves as a power source of the motor. The heat exchanger cools the fuel battery. At least part of at least one of the heat exchanger and a suction port part of a pipe for supplying air to the fuel battery is arranged at the side of a second direction, which is opposite to a first direction in which a wind pressure generated by rotation of the propeller occurs, relative to an end of the propeller as seen in the second direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present invention relate to flight vehicles and control methods.

The flying object flies by rotating a motor using a storage battery such as a lithium ion battery as a power source. Air vehicles include winged aircraft, helicopters, and multicopters.

Since it is difficult to carry out a long flight with a heavy payload using a lithium-ion battery, a multicopter using a fuel cell as a power source has been developed. If the fuel cell is not cooled in accordance with the heat generated by power generation, the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell will decrease. Similarly, power generation efficiency is reduced unless an appropriate amount of cathode gas is supplied to the fuel cell.

JP 2017-114186 A

However, when mounted on an aircraft such as a multicopter, the weight of peripheral devices that cool the fuel cell or supply the cathode gas to the fuel cell may hinder flight performance.

Therefore, the problem to be solved by the invention is to provide an aircraft capable of reducing the weight of the peripheral devices of the fuel cell.

According to this embodiment, the aircraft includes a propeller, a motor, a fuel cell, and a heat exchanger. Propellers generate thrust for the aircraft to fly. A motor drives the propeller. The fuel cell powers the motor. A heat exchanger cools the fuel cell. Air is supplied to the heat exchanger and the fuel cell in a second direction opposite to the first direction in which the wind pressure generated by the rotation of the propeller is generated and on the second direction side of the end of the propeller in the second direction. At least a portion of at least one of the inlet portions of the piping is arranged.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the weight of the fuel cell unit to be mounted on the aircraft.

The schematic diagram which shows the external appearance of an aircraft. Side view of an air vehicle in flight. A block diagram of a fuel cell unit. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a fuel cell unit with a fan; FIG. 2 is a side view of an air vehicle with a fan in flight; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control unit; 4 is a flow chart showing an example of control by a flight control unit; The side view of the aircraft which concerns on the modification 1 of 1st Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the external appearance of the flying object based on the modified example 2 of 1st Embodiment. The block diagram of the control unit which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. A side view of the aircraft according to the second embodiment during flight. The block diagram of the fuel cell unit which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing another configuration example of the fuel cell unit according to the third embodiment; The front view of the aircraft which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The side view of the aircraft which concerns on 3rd Embodiment in flight. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of control by a flight control unit according to the third embodiment; The block diagram of the fuel cell unit which concerns on 4th Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing another configuration example of the fuel cell unit according to the fourth embodiment; The schematic diagram which shows the external appearance of the flying object which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, a flying object and a control method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown below are examples of embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these embodiments. In addition, in the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same reference numerals or similar reference numerals are given to the same portions or portions having similar functions, and repeated description thereof may be omitted. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings may differ from the actual ratios for convenience of explanation, and some of the configurations may be omitted from the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of an aircraft 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, an aircraft 1 according to this embodiment is, for example, a multicopter. This aircraft 1 has a body 10 . Airframe 10 includes a body 12 , a plurality of frames 14 , a plurality of rotors 16 and a heat exchanger 18 . Note that the frame may be referred to as an arm.

The main body 12 is provided at or near the center of gravity of the aircraft 1 . This main body 12 has a fuel cell unit 100 and a control unit 200 as will be described later. The aircraft 1 flies under the control of the control unit 200 using power supplied from the fuel cell unit 100 or the like as a power source. Details of the fuel cell unit 100 and the control unit 200 will be described later.

Further, the aircraft 1 according to this embodiment includes, for example, four frames 14 and four rotors 16 arranged at the ends of the four frames 14 . For example, four frames 14 extend radially from body 12 . Although the aircraft 1 according to this embodiment has a configuration in which the frames 14 radially extend from the main body 12, it is not limited to this. For example, an arbitrary configuration such as a configuration in which a plurality of rotors 16 are provided in the circumferential direction of the annular body 10 is possible. Also, the number of propellers 22 is not limited to four. For example, the number of propellers 22 may be one or more.

Each rotor 16 has a motor 21 and a propeller 22 . Motor 21 is a drive source that drives propeller 22 . The motor 22 operates using electric power supplied from, for example, the fuel cell unit 100 housed in the main body 12 as a power supply. Propeller 22 is rotationally driven by motor 21 . By rotating the propeller 22 with the motor 21, the propulsive force required for flight is generated. Further, the traveling direction, traveling speed, acceleration, rotation angle, altitude, etc. of the flying object 1 can be controlled by rotation speed control of each motor 21 .

FIG. 2 is a side view of the aircraft 1 during flight. Let the vertically upward direction be the direction of the Z-axis. Multicopters fly with the aircraft tilted. Rotation of the propeller 22 generates wind pressure in the first direction V1. A direction opposite to the first direction V1 is defined as a second direction V2.

The heat exchanger 18 is, for example, a radiator, and cools the fuel cells within the fuel cell unit 100 . If the heat exchanger 18 is arranged below the position of the propeller 22 , the wind hardly hits the heat exchanger 18 even during flight due to the influence of the rotation of the propeller 22 . Therefore, the heat exchanger 18 according to the present embodiment is installed vertically above the position of the propeller 22 . For example, at least part of the heat exchanger 18 is arranged on the second direction V2 side of the end of the propeller 22 in the second direction V2.

As shown in FIG. 2, when three or more propellers 22 are provided, the heat exchanger 18 is positioned on the second direction V2 side of the plane S1 connecting the ends of the three or more propellers 22 in the second direction V2. at least partially positioned. This allows the heat exchanger 18 to efficiently receive the flow of air (wind) generated by the flight of the aircraft 1 . The heat exchanger 18 is at least partially open to the atmosphere for air flow.

Further, by orienting the wind receiving surface 18a of the heat exchanger 18 in the flight direction, it is possible to hit the heat exchanger 18 with more wind. When the wind receiving surface 18a is a plane, the direction of the perpendicular to this plane is the front surface of the wind receiving surface 18a. In other words, if the wind receiving surface 18a faces at least one of the traveling direction of the aircraft 1 and the direction of the wind, the heat exchanger 18 can be exposed to the wind more efficiently.

Also, the larger the area of the heat exchanger 18 exposed to the air, the greater the cooling effect. In this way, the heat exchanger 18 can be made smaller because the cooling efficiency can be increased by receiving the wind.

FIG. 3 is an example of a block diagram of the fuel cell unit 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the fuel cell unit 100 includes a fuel cell stack 111, a hydrogen storage section 112, a valve 113, flow controllers 114 and 116, a supercharger 115, and a pump 117. . Moreover, in FIG. 3, piping L10, L12, L14, and L16 are illustrated. Note that the fuel cell unit 100 according to the present embodiment has at least the fuel cell stack 111, and may include devices (modules) necessary for driving the fuel cell stack 111 and piping. In some cases, devices other than the fuel cell stack 111 in the fuel cell unit 100, the heat exchanger 18, and the fans 119 and 122 (see FIGS. 4 and 13) are called peripheral devices.

The fuel cell stack 111 has cells with fuel electrodes 111a, air electrodes 111b, and cooling plates 111c. For example, the fuel cell stack 111 is configured by stacking a plurality of cells. In this embodiment, the fuel cell stack 111 including at least the fuel electrode 111a and the air electrode 111b is called a fuel cell.

Fuel gas is supplied from the hydrogen storage unit 112 through the pipe L10, and air is supplied through the pipe L14. The hydrogen storage unit 112 is filled with, for example, high-pressure hydrogen as fuel gas. The fuel cell stack 111 is composed of a plurality of cells arranged in layers as described above. In the fuel cell stack 111, the fuel gas supplied through the pipe L10 is supplied as the anode gas to the fuel electrode 111a. Also, oxygen contained in the air supplied through the pipe L14 is supplied as a cathode gas to the air electrode 111b. Cooling water circulates through the heat exchanger 18 and the cooling plate 111c through the pipe L18 to cool the fuel cell stack 111. FIG.

The fuel cell stack 111 generates power based on a chemical reaction between fuel gas as anode gas and oxygen as cathode gas. Fuel and air that have not contributed to power generation in the fuel cell stack 111 are discharged through pipes L12 and L16, respectively.

The valve 113 is provided in the middle of the pipe L10. By opening and closing the valve 113, it is possible to switch between a state in which fuel is supplied from the hydrogen storage unit 112 to the fuel cell stack 111 and a state in which the fuel supply is stopped. Also, the flow rate controller 114 adjusts the amount of fuel gas supplied from the hydrogen storage unit 112 to the fuel cell stack 111 .

The supercharger 115 is, for example, a compressor, a blower, etc., and is provided in the middle of the pipe L14. The supercharger 115 supercharges the intake air flowing through the pipe L14. The intake air supercharged by the supercharger 115 is introduced into the fuel cell stack 111 through the flow controller 116 . By supercharging the intake air, the substantial amount of air supplied to the fuel cell stack 111 can be increased, so the power generation amount of the fuel cell stack 111 can be increased. Also, the flow rate controller 116 adjusts the amount of air supplied from the supercharger 115 to the fuel cell stack 111 .

The heat exchanger 18 cools the cooling water by exchanging heat between the cooling water flowing inside and the outside air flowing outside. Cooling water cooled by the heat exchanger 18 is sucked into the pump 117 . That is, the pump 117 can flow the cooling water inside the fuel cell stack 111 by pumping the cooling water cooled through the heat exchanger 18 at a predetermined pump pressure. This cools the fuel cell stack 111 . The cooling water whose temperature has increased by absorbing heat in the fuel cell stack 111 is returned to the heat exchanger 18 to be cooled again. The valve 113 , flow rate controllers 114 and 116 , supercharger 115 and pump 117 are controlled by a control unit 200 . Moreover, the anode gas and the cathode gas may be recycled, and a mechanism for humidifying the gas may be provided. Furthermore, a storage battery such as a lithium ion battery may be installed together with the fuel cell unit 100 . In this case, it is possible to store the power generated by the fuel cell unit 100 in the power reserve in the storage battery and use the power of the storage battery as a power source for the aircraft 1 as well. Also, the cooling water according to the present embodiment corresponds to the cooling medium.

FIG. 4 is an example block diagram of a fuel cell unit 100 having a fan 119 . FIG. 5 is an in-flight side view of aircraft 1 having fan 119 . As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a fan 119 may also be provided. The fan 119 is rotated by a motor and blows air to the heat exchanger 18 . Thereby, the heat exchanger 18 can be efficiently cooled even when the aircraft 1 is stopped in the air. For example, the control unit 200 drives the fan 119 according to the flight speed of the aircraft 1 in the traveling direction. As a result, power consumption can be suppressed during flight, and the heat exchanger 18 can be efficiently cooled during suspension. Therefore, even if the size of the heat exchanger 18 is reduced, the cooling capacity for the fuel cell unit 100 can be maintained. In addition, the fan 119 may be attached behind the heat exchanger to suck air.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the control unit 200. As shown in FIG. A control unit 200 is housed in the main body 12 . As shown in FIG. 6 , the control unit 200 has a control section 202 , a storage section 230 and a sensor section 210 . The controller 202 has a state detector 204 , a flight controller 206 and a fuel cell controller 208 .

The control unit 202 is composed of a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM and RAM. The control section 202 is connected to the plurality of motors 21, the fuel cell unit 100, the sensor section 210, and the like. The control unit 202 implements a state detection unit 204, a flight control unit 206, and a fuel cell control unit 208 in software by executing a computer program stored in the ROM. The state detection unit 204, the flight control unit 206, and the fuel cell control unit 208 may be realized by hardware, or may be realized by cooperation between hardware and software. Storage unit 230 may be shared with the ROM and RAM of control unit 202 . The storage unit 210 stores a flight plan including information such as a preset flight route and flight altitude.

The sensor unit 210 has, for example, a 6-axis sensor 212, a geomagnetic sensor 214, a GPS sensor 216, an altitude sensor 220, an angular velocity sensor 222, and the like. The state detection unit 204 detects the flight state of the aircraft 1 using information from the sensor unit 210 . Specifically, the 6-axis sensor 212 detects orientation and attitude information of the aircraft 1 . The geomagnetic sensor 214 detects geomagnetism in three-dimensional three-axis directions. The GPS sensor 216 receives GPS signals from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. The acceleration sensor 218 detects the acceleration applied to the flying object 1 in three-dimensional three-axis directions of the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis of the flying object 1 . Altitude sensor 220 detects the air pressure or the distance to the ground. The angular velocity sensor 222 detects the angular velocity of the aircraft 1 .

The state detection unit 204 detects the attitude of the flying object 1, that is, the flying object around the yaw axis, roll axis and pitch axis, based on the output values of the 6-axis sensor 212, the geomagnetic sensor 214, the acceleration sensor 218, and the angular velocity sensor 222. The rotation angle of 1 is also specified. Further, the state detection unit 204 detects the 6-axis angle detected by the 6-axis sensor 212, the geomagnetism detected by the geomagnetic sensor 214, the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 218, and the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor 222. Detects the flight attitude, flight speed, etc. Furthermore, the state detection unit 204 detects the flight position of the aircraft 1 from the GPS signal detected by the GPS sensor 216 . State detection unit 204 also identifies the flight position and flight speed of aircraft 1 using the output values of acceleration sensor 218 , geomagnetic sensor 214 and angular velocity sensor 222 and the output value of GPS sensor 216 .

A flight control unit 206 controls the flight of the aircraft 1 . The flight control unit 206 controls the flight state of the aircraft 1 in automatic control mode or manual control mode. The automatic control mode is a flight mode in which the aircraft 1 is allowed to fly autonomously without requiring an operation by an operator outside the aircraft 1 . In the automatic control mode, the flight control unit 206 automatically controls the flight of the aircraft 1 according to the flight plan stored in the storage unit 230 using the detection information of the state detection unit 204 . On the other hand, the manual control mode is a flight mode in which an operator outside the aircraft 1 flies the aircraft 1 . In the manual control mode, the flight control unit 206 controls the flight state of the aircraft 1 based on operations input from an input device (not shown) external to the aircraft 1 .

In either the automatic control mode or the manual control mode, the flight control unit 206 controls the traveling direction of the flying object 1 based on the rotation angle of the flying object 1 detected by the state detection unit 204, for example, the rotation angle about the roll axis. On the other hand, the output of each motor 21 is controlled in the direction in which the heat exchanger 18 receives the most wind. For example, the flight control unit 206 uses information about the direction of rotation with respect to the roll axis to perform control to orient the swept wind surface 18a (see FIG. 2) of the heat exchanger 18, which has the largest surface area, in the direction of flight. In this case, information on the direction of rotation of the aircraft 1 with respect to the yaw axis and the pitch axis detected by the state detection unit 204 may be further used to control the direction in which the heat exchanger 18 receives the most wind.

The fuel cell control section 208 controls the valve 113, the flow rate controllers 114 and 116, the supercharger 115, the pump 117, and the fan 119 of the fuel cell unit 100 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). At this time, the valve 113, the flow rate controllers 114 and 116, the supercharger 115, the pump 117, and the fan 119 are controlled according to the altitude, speed, acceleration, etc. of the aircraft 1 detected by the state detection unit 204. may For example, the fuel cell control unit 208 increases supercharging by the supercharger 115 as the altitude of the aircraft 1 increases. Further, for example, the fuel cell control unit 208 controls the flow rate controllers 114 and 116 to increase the flow rate as the acceleration of the aircraft 1 detected by the state detection section 204 increases.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control example of the flight control unit 206 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, first, the flight control unit 206 sets the flight direction of the flying object 1 and controls the output of each motor 21 so that the flying object 1 moves in the traveling direction (step S100).

Next, the state detection unit 204 detects the rotation angle of the aircraft 1, for example, the rotation angle relative to the roll angle (step S102). Subsequently, based on the rotation angle of the flying object 1 detected by the state detecting unit 204, the flight control unit 206 rotates each motor 21 in the direction in which the heat exchanger 18 receives the most wind with respect to the traveling direction of the flying object 1. The output is controlled (step S104). In this way, the flight control unit 206 controls the flight object 1 in the direction in which the wind hits the heat exchanger 18 most, for example, with respect to the traveling direction of the flight object 1 . This makes it possible to further enhance the cooling effect of the heat exchanger 18 .

As described above, the flying object 1 according to the present embodiment has a second direction V2 opposite to the first direction V1 in which the wind pressure generated by the rotation of the propeller 22 is generated, and the end of the propeller 22 in the second direction V2. At least part of the heat exchanger 18 is installed on the second direction V2 side of the part. This enables the heat exchanger 18 to efficiently receive the flow of air (wind) generated by the flight of the aircraft 1 . Therefore, the size of the heat exchanger 18 can be reduced while maintaining the cooling performance of the fuel cell stack 111 . This makes it possible to reduce the weight of peripheral devices in the fuel cell unit 100 .

(Modification 1 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a side view of the aircraft 1 according to Modification 1 of the first embodiment. The propeller 22 may be arranged below the motor 21 as shown in FIG. That is, the propeller 22 is arranged on the first direction V1 side with respect to the frame 14 . In this case, all of the heat exchangers 18 are arranged on the second direction V2 side of the plane S1 connecting the ends of the three or more propellers 22 in the second direction V2. This allows the heat exchanger 18 to more efficiently receive the flow of air (wind) generated by the flight of the aircraft 1 . Therefore, the heat exchanger 18 can be made more compact while maintaining the cooling performance of the fuel cell stack 111 . This makes it possible to further reduce the weight of peripheral devices in the fuel cell unit 100 .

(Modification 2 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of an aircraft 1 according to Modification 2 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the fuselage 10 may have the main body 12 disposed on the upper portion of the fuselage 10 . In this case, at least part of the main body 12 is arranged on the second direction V2 side (for example, see FIG. 2) with respect to the plane S1 connecting the ends of the three or more propellers 22 in the second direction V2. This allows at least a part of the main body 12 to receive the flow of air (wind) generated by the flight of the aircraft 1 . Therefore, the main body 12 can also be cooled more efficiently. As a result, the weight of peripheral devices in the fuel cell unit 100 can be reduced.

(Second embodiment)
The aircraft 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the aircraft 1 according to the first embodiment in that the tilt of the heat exchanger 18 is controlled in addition to the direction of the heat exchanger 18 . Differences from the aircraft 1 according to the first embodiment will be described below.

FIG. 10 is an example of a block diagram of the control unit 200 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10 , the control unit 200 is connected to a second motor 23 that changes the inclination of the heat exchanger 18 . Further, the sensor unit 210 includes a wind direction and wind speed sensor 224 . The wind direction and wind speed sensor 224 detects the wind direction and wind speed in the aircraft 2 . FIG. 11 is a side view of the aircraft 1 according to the second embodiment during flight.

In either the automatic control mode or the manual control mode, the flight control unit 206 detects the traveling direction of the flying object 1 or the wind direction and wind speed sensor 224 based on the rotation angle of the flying object 1 detected by the state detecting unit 204. controls the output of each motor 21 in the direction in which the heat exchanger 18 receives the most wind with respect to the detected wind direction. In this case, the flight control unit 206 further uses the information on the yaw axis, roll axis, and pitch axis of the aircraft 1 detected by the state detection unit 204, and further controls the heat exchanger 18 to tilt in the direction that receives the most wind. This is done for the second motor 23 . More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the flight control unit 206 controls the inclination of the wind receiving surface 18a of the heat exchanger 18 to be perpendicular to at least one of the traveling direction of the aircraft 1 and the wind direction. , may control the second motor 23 . Since the direction of the wind and the direction of movement generally do not match, either one may be prioritized for control. For example, the flight control unit 206 controls the inclination of the swept surface 18a with priority given to the direction of the wind when the flying object 1 is at a speed less than a predetermined speed, and controls the inclination of the swept surface 18a with priority given to the direction of travel when the speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed. Controls the tilt of 18a.

As described above, in the flying object 1 according to the present embodiment, the flight control unit 206 further uses information on the yaw axis, roll axis, and pitch axis of the flying object 1 detected by the state detection unit 204 to further heat the object. The second motor 23 is controlled to tilt the wind receiving surface 18a in the direction in which the exchanger 18 receives the most wind. This allows the heat exchanger 18 to more efficiently receive the flow of air (wind) generated by the flight of the aircraft 1 . Therefore, the heat exchanger 18 can be made smaller. This makes it possible to further reduce the weight of peripheral devices in the fuel cell unit 100 .

(Third embodiment)
The flying object 1 according to the third embodiment differs from the flying object 1 according to the first embodiment in that the air inlet is installed vertically above the position of the propeller 22 . Differences from the aircraft 1 according to the first embodiment will be described below.

FIG. 12A is an example of a block diagram of the fuel cell unit 100 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12A, the fuel cell unit 100 according to the third embodiment includes a fan 122 instead of the supercharger 115 and the flow rate controller 116, and an air intake port portion 124 arranged at the end of the pipe L14. is different from the fuel cell unit 100 according to the first embodiment. Fan 122 is controlled by fuel cell controller 208 (see FIG. 10).

FIG. 12B is an example of a block diagram showing another configuration example of the fuel cell unit 100 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12B, in the fuel cell unit 100 shown in FIG. 12B, instead of the pump 117 and radiator 18, air is blown through a fan 122 and an air inlet 124 arranged at the ends of the pipes L15a and L15b. It is different from the fuel cell unit 100 shown in FIG. 12A in that the cooling plate 111c is air-cooled by the supplied air. The air discharged from the cooling plate 111c is discharged through the pipe L15c. Note that the fan 122 may be a compressor.

FIG. 13 is a front view of the flying object 1 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 14 is a side view of the aircraft 1 according to the third embodiment during flight. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the fan 122 and the air inlet 124 are arranged vertically above the position of the propeller 22 . At least part of the air intake port 124 is arranged on the second direction V2 side of the plane S1 connecting the ends of the three or more propellers 22 in the second direction V2. As a result, the flow of air (wind) generated by the flight of the aircraft 1 can be efficiently drawn into the air inlet portion 124 .

The fan 122 is rotated by a motor and blows air to the air inlet portion 124 . As a result, even when the aircraft 1 is stationary, the air can be blown to the air inlet portion 124 . For example, the control unit 200 drives the fan 122 according to the flight speed of the aircraft 1 or the wind speed. Similarly, the control unit 200 drives the fan 19 according to the flight speed of the aircraft 1 or the wind speed. As a result, power consumption can be suppressed during flight, and air can be efficiently blown to the air inlet portion 124 during stoppage.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing a control example of the flight control unit 206 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, first, the flight control unit 206 sets the flight direction of the flying object 1 and controls the output of each motor 21 so that the flying object 1 moves in the traveling direction (step S100).

Next, the state detection unit 204 detects the rotation angle of the aircraft 1, for example, the rotation angle with respect to the roll axis, the wind direction, and the wind speed (step S200). Subsequently, the flight control unit 206 determines that the heat exchanger 18 receives the most wind in the traveling direction of the aircraft 1 based on the direction of the wind in the aircraft 1 detected by the state detection unit 204 and the rotation angle with respect to the roll axis. The output of each motor 21 is controlled in the direction (step S202).

Next, the fuel cell control unit 208 performs control to drive the fans 19 and 122 when the wind speed detected by the state detection unit 204 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (step S204). In this manner, the flight control unit 206 controls the flight object 1 in the direction in which the wind hits the heat exchanger 18 the most with respect to the traveling direction of the flight object 1 . This makes it possible to further enhance the cooling effect of the heat exchanger 18 . Furthermore, since the fans 19 and 122 are controlled according to the wind speed of the aircraft 1, it is possible to reduce power consumption and cool the fuel cells according to the heat generated by the power generation. Gas can be supplied.

As described above, in the second direction V2 opposite to the first direction V1 in which the wind pressure generated by the rotation of the propeller 22 is generated, the fan is positioned on the second direction V2 side of the end of the propeller 22 in the second direction V2. 122 and at least a part of the intake port portion 124 are arranged. As a result, the flow of air (wind) generated by the flight of the aircraft 1 can be efficiently taken into the pipe L16 by the intake port portion 124 . Therefore, it is possible to downsize or eliminate the need for a supercharger such as an air supercharger for the fuel cell stack 111 . This makes it possible to further reduce the weight of peripheral devices in the fuel cell unit 100 .

(Fourth embodiment)
The aircraft 1 according to the fourth embodiment has the main body 12 installed vertically above the position of the propeller 22, and directly air-cools the fuel cell stack 111 via the air electrode 111b. It is different from the flying object 1 according to the form. Differences from the aircraft 1 according to the first embodiment will be described below.

FIG. 16A is an example of a block diagram of the fuel cell unit 100 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16A, the fan 122 cools the air electrode 111b. That is, the air electrode 111b is a so-called air-cooling stack, and has both the air electrode and the cooling function. In other words, the air electrode 111b of the fuel cell stack 111 is configured as an air-cooled heat exchanger.

FIG. 16B is an example of a block diagram showing another configuration example of the fuel cell unit 100 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16B, the fuel cell unit 100 differs from the fuel cell unit 100 according to the first embodiment in that it has a fan 122a and an air inlet 124a arranged at the end of the pipe L17a. The cooling plate 111c is air-cooled by the fan 122a. Also, the air discharged from the cooling plate 111c is discharged through the pipe L17b.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of the flying object 1 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, the main body 12 is arranged above the airframe 10, and the air electrode 111b is air-cooled by the fan 122. As shown in FIG. In this case, at least part of the air electrode 111b is arranged on the second direction V2 side (eg, see FIG. 2) of the plane S1 connecting the ends of the three or more propellers 22 in the second direction V2. As a result, the flow of air (wind) generated by the flight of the aircraft 1 can be received by at least a portion of the air electrode 111b. Therefore, the air electrode 111b can also be cooled more efficiently. This makes it possible to further reduce the weight of the air electrode 111b. Furthermore, it becomes unnecessary to construct a device for water cooling, and the weight can be further reduced.

The fuel cell control unit 208 performs control to drive the fan 22 when the wind speed detected by the state detection unit 204 is equal to or less than a predetermined value. In addition, the flight control unit 206 controls the flying object 1 in the direction in which the air pole 111b is most exposed to the wind with respect to the traveling direction of the flying object 1 . This makes it possible to further enhance the cooling effect of the air electrode 111b. Furthermore, since the fan 122 is controlled according to the wind speed of the aircraft 1, it is possible to reduce the power consumption and to cool according to the heat generated by the fuel cell. In addition, the fan 119 may be attached behind the air electrode 111b to suck air.

As described above, the wind pressure caused by the rotation of the propeller 22 is generated in the second direction V2 opposite to the first direction V1, and the air is in the second direction V2 side of the end of the propeller 22 in the second direction V2. We decided to arrange at least a part of the pole 111b. As a result, the flow of air (wind) generated by the flight of the aircraft 1 can be efficiently cooled by the air pole 111b. Therefore, it is possible to downsize or eliminate the need for a supercharger such as an air supercharger for the fuel cell stack 111 . Furthermore, the need for a water-cooling device is eliminated, making it possible to further reduce the weight. This makes it possible to further reduce the weight of peripheral devices in the fuel cell unit 100 .

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

1: Aircraft, 10: Airframe, 14: Frame, 18: Heat exchanger, 19: Fan, 21: Motor, 22: Propeller, 23: Second motor, 100: Fuel cell unit, 111: Fuel cell stack (fuel battery), 122, 122a: fan, 124, 124a: intake port, 200: control unit, 204: state detection unit, 206: flight control unit, 208: fuel cell control unit, L10, L12, L14, L15a, L15b , L15c, L16, L17a, L17b: piping, V1: first direction, V2: second direction.

Claims (14)

A propeller that generates thrust for the aircraft to fly,
a motor that drives the propeller;
a fuel cell that serves as a power source for the motor;
a heat exchanger that cools the fuel cell;
with
In a second direction opposite to the first direction in which wind pressure generated by rotation of the propeller is generated, the heat exchanger and the fuel are arranged on the second direction side of the end of the propeller in the second direction. An aircraft in which at least a part of at least one of the air inlets of the piping for supplying air to the battery is arranged. Equipped with three or more propellers, including the propeller, that generate propulsive force for the aircraft to fly,
2. The flight according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the heat exchanger and the air inlet are arranged on the second direction side of a plane connecting ends of the three or more propellers in the second direction. body. a flight control unit that controls the motor so as to change the orientation of at least one of the wind receiving surface of the heat exchanger and the air intake with respect to at least one of the direction of travel of the airframe and the direction of the wind; 3. An aircraft according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising. 4. The flying object according to claim 3, wherein the flight control unit controls the motor so that the wind receiving surface faces forward with respect to at least one of the traveling direction and the wind direction. further comprising a second motor that changes the inclination of the wind receiving surface with respect to the airframe;
5. The aircraft according to claim 4, wherein the flight control unit controls the second motor so as to further change the tilt of the wind receiving surface according to at least one of the direction of travel of the aircraft and the direction of the wind. . Further comprising a state detection unit that identifies the traveling direction or the wind direction,
6. The flight control unit controls at least one of the motor and the second motor using information on at least one of the traveling direction of the aircraft and the wind direction specified by the state detection unit. described aircraft. 7. The aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising piping for flowing a cooling medium for cooling said fuel cell to said heat exchanger. a first fan that blows air to the heat exchanger;
a second fan that blows air to the air inlet;
furthermore,
3. The flying object according to claim 1, wherein driving of at least one of said first fan and said second fan is changed according to wind speed in said airframe. three or more motors corresponding to the three or more propellers, including the motors, for driving the corresponding propellers;
The three or more motors are fixed to the airframe via a frame,
3. The aircraft according to claim 2, wherein said three or more propellers are installed on said second direction side of said frame. three or more motors corresponding to the three or more propellers, including the motors, for driving the corresponding propellers;
The three or more motors are fixed to the airframe via a frame,
3. The aircraft according to claim 2, wherein said three or more propellers are installed on said first direction side of said frame. 11. The aircraft of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the heat exchanger is the cathode of the fuel cell stack configured to be air cooled. The aircraft according to claim 8, wherein the first fan blows air to a surface of the heat exchanger opposite to the wind receiving surface. 2. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein said air inlet sends air to at least one of an air electrode and a cooling plate of said fuel cell stack. Three or more propellers that generate propulsive force for the airframe to fly, three or more motors that respectively drive the three or more propellers, fuel cells that serve as power sources for the three or more motors, and cooling of the fuel cells a heat exchanger for
in a second direction opposite to the first direction in which wind pressure generated by the rotation of the propeller is generated, and on the second direction side of a plane connecting ends of the three or more propellers in the second direction; A control method for an aircraft, wherein at least a part of at least one of a heat exchanger and an air inlet of a pipe supplying air to the fuel cell is arranged,
An aircraft that controls the three or more motors so as to change the orientation of at least one of the wind receiving surface of the heat exchanger and the air intake with respect to at least one of the direction of travel of the aircraft and the direction of the wind. control method.

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