RU2403182C1 - Unmanned aerial system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to aircraft equipment. Unmanned aerial system (UAS) for non-aerodrome deployment contains unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and starting ground station which includes: mobile platform as well as power installation and UAV flight control unit positioned on this platform. UAV is made in the form of two-console wing with propulsors installed on its rockable consoles. The consoles are made capable to turn by 180° relative to wing longitudinal axis around frame for useful load. On the platform of ground starting station, power transmission shaft connected with reducing gear is installed vertically, and starting device is installed using three supports. The starting device contains facilities for transmitting rotation from transmission shaft to UAV as well as facilities for its locking and unlocking at the specified speed of transmission shaft rotation. Starting device supports are made telescopic with independent length adjustment from control unit for preflight correction of unmanned aerial vehicle orientation. The UAS is equipped with UAV preflight automatic static balancing system.

EFFECT: increase in range and duration of action, as well as efficiency of unmanned aerial vehicle.

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Description

The invention relates to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used as part of a mobile unmanned aerial complex (LHC) without an aerodrome base.

Unmanned aerial vehicles are known, for example, the Eagle Eye of the American company Bell (www janes com) type V-22 Osprey with rotary screws that allow the aircraft to take off in a helicopter and then switch to airplane flight mode.

The disadvantage of this type of aircraft is the limitation of the range, altitude and time of its operation due to the use of limited internal energy sources, for example fuel on board, for lifting and flying the aircraft.

Known unmanned aerial system of the company "Israel Aerospace Industries LTD" (WO 2007/141795 A1, B64C 27/20, 12/13/2007 - the closest analogue), including a ground station, a lifting platform, carrying a payload and a mover of four electric fans, providing vertical lifting force and allowing to maintain a given platform height in hover mode without aerodynamic bearing surfaces such as wings. The complex also includes a leash, operatively linking the ground station to the platform, which provides electrical communication between the platform and the ground station.

The use of propulsion by an external source of energy installed on a mobile platform, as well as the inability to make independent movement outside the ground station, limit the functionality of such an unmanned aerial system. In particular, the height of the platform is limited by the length of the leash, which is dictated, inter alia, by the mass of the cable included in it.

The task of the invention is to increase the efficiency of an unmanned aerial vehicle, expand the controlled area, its range and duration of its operation by using an external energy source (installed on a mobile platform) to store kinetic energy and provide a “jump take-off” of an unmanned aerial vehicle to a predetermined height and its transition to airplane mode.

The problem is solved due to the fact that in an unmanned aerial complex containing an unmanned aerial vehicle, including propulsors and a body for a payload, and a launching ground station containing a mobile platform, such as a wheeled one, and a power plant and an unmanned aerial vehicle flight control unit installed on it , according to the invention, the unmanned aerial vehicle is made in the form of a two-console wing, on the consoles of which movers are installed, and the consoles are made with the possibility of their rotation through 180 ° relative to the longitudinal axis of the wing around the body for a payload, for example a spherical one, and on the platform of the launching ground station, a transmission shaft connected to the gearbox is vertically mounted and a launching device, which is installed using three supports and contains means for transmitting rotation from the transmission shaft to the unmanned aerial vehicle, as well as means for fixing and unlocking it relative to the starting device.

In particular, the starting device can be equipped with two brackets rigidly connected to the transmission shaft with grippers interacting with the response power units of the unmanned aerial vehicle and made with the possibility of their fixation and fixing at a given rotation speed of the transmission shaft.

The supports of the launch device are telescopic with independent adjustment of their length from the control unit for pre-flight correction of the spatial orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

The unmanned aircraft complex is also equipped with a pre-flight automatic static balancing system for the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Using a starter to lift an unmanned aerial vehicle by "hopping take-off" (a term used, for example, in relation to a gyroplane), it provides kinetic energy to it from an external power source, which is used to lift it to a given height and to switch to airplane operation . The implementation of an unmanned aerial vehicle in the form of a wing, the console of which together with the propellers on them have the ability to rotate 180 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the wing, provides the unmanned aerial vehicle with various operating modes - from the take-off mode, which ensures its unwinding using the launch ground station, to the airplane mode providing autonomous long flight. Mover can be made with turbojet, with turboprop, as well as with piston or electric engines.

A vertical transmission shaft that transmits rotation from the brackets of the starter device to an unmanned aerial vehicle with fixed jaws allows it to be untwisted to a given rotation speed of the transmission shaft, providing it with a supply of kinetic energy. When unlocking the grippers of the brackets, for example, at a given speed of rotation of the transmission shaft, the unmanned aerial vehicle makes a “jump take-off” to the required estimated height. When spinning an unmanned aerial vehicle on the transmission shaft of the launching ground station, its wing consoles with propulsors are in a position that ensures its rotation. The possibility of automatic pre-flight correction of the starting spatial orientation of an unmanned aerial vehicle, as well as the possibility of automatic pre-flight static balancing of it (remotely from the launch ground station or according to a given program) are aimed at ensuring the accuracy and safety of its take-off.

The flight control unit, located at the launch ground station, provides remote control of the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle, in particular, it provides signals for changing the relative position of the consoles with the propellers, both for operating in airplane mode and in the opposite position for operating in launch mode. The unmanned aircraft complex is equipped with a pre-flight automatic static balancing system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, made, for example, using the well-known system of transported loads.

The invention is illustrated by drawings, which depict:

Figure 1 - unmanned aerial system with an unmanned aerial vehicle (with turboprop engines) at the starting position of the wing consoles;

Figure 2 - unmanned aerial system with an unmanned aerial vehicle (with turbojet engines) at the starting position of the wing consoles;

Figure 3 - unmanned aerial vehicle with the position of the wing consoles corresponding to the airplane mode of flight;

Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of the various stages of the output of an unmanned aerial vehicle to airplane mode of flight,

An unmanned aerial system consists of an unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and a launch ground station 2 (Fig. 1), which serves to provide a “jump take-off” of an unmanned aerial vehicle and remote control of its flight.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is made in the form of a two-console wing, on the consoles 3 and 4 of which movers 5 and 6 are respectively installed. Movers 5 and 6 can be made, for example, in the form of turboshaft engines with screws 7 and 8 with a variable blade angle. In addition, they can have stabilizing surfaces 9 and rudders and 10 for controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle 1 (Figs. 1 and 2).

The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 has a payload housing 11 made, for example, of a spherical shape to reduce drag at launch. The payload housing 11 is designed to accommodate autonomous on-board power sources, fuel for engines, as well as various equipment for receiving, controlling and transmitting various information to the ground.

Consoles 3 and 4 are made profiled along the entire length to create lift during horizontal UAV flight, and also have the ability to rotate 180 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the wing.

Launch ground station 2 is made in the form of a platform 12 mounted on a vehicle, for example, automobile, railway or water. On the platform 12, a flight control unit 13 of an unmanned aerial vehicle, an energy unit 14, as well as a gearbox 15 with a vertical transmission shaft 16 and a starting device 17, which is installed using three telescopic supports 18, are installed.

The starting device 17 is equipped with several brackets 19 rigidly connected to the transmission shaft 16 with grips at the ends (not shown) that interact with the reciprocal power units of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 to transmit rotation from the transmission shaft 16. The grips are made quick-acting, with the possibility of their fixation and instant release relative to the starting device 17 at a given speed of rotation of the transmission shaft 15 and are connected with the control unit 13.

Telescopic supports 18 are made with independent adjustment of their length from the control unit 13 for pre-flight correction of the spatial orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1.

The unmanned aircraft complex is equipped with a pre-flight automatic static balancing system for unmanned aerial vehicle 1, which can be performed, for example, due to an internal system for changing its centering, for example, by pumping fuel or changing the position of the payload in the hull 11.

An unmanned aircraft complex launches an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 1 as follows. Launch ground station 2 arrives at the launch site and deploys its platform 12. UAVs are installed on the launch device 17, connected to the transmission shaft 16, and the power units of UAV fastening are connected to the grips on the brackets 19 of the launch device 17. Then UAV 1 is brought into the starting position ( position A in FIG. 4), in which the wing consoles 3 and 4 with the movers 5, 6 are rotated relative to each other by 180 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the wing. After that, using the control unit, the starting spatial position of the UAV is automatically corrected by independently adjusting the length of the telescopic supports 18 for an accurate and safe start. In addition, conduct pre-flight automatic static balancing of UAVs.

Then, the UAV is unrolled using the transmission shaft 16 of the gearbox 15 of the ground power unit 14 of the launching ground station 2. When the specified design revolutions of the transmission shaft 16 are reached, the UAV flight control unit 13 sends a command to unlock the bracket gripping units 19. The kinetic energy accumulated by the UAV is converted to lifting force and allows it to carry out a "jump take-off" to the calculated height (position A-D of figure 4). The flight control unit 13 at the time of separation (positions A and B of FIG. 4) changes the pitch of the wing consoles 3, 4, giving the wing the properties of a rotor.

In the process of exhausting the kinetic energy of the UAV, the control unit 13 performs a transition mode with a “mutual” turn of the wing consoles 3, 4 to their position corresponding to the UAV flight “by plane” (positions V-G of FIG. 4).

At the beginning of the fall of the UAV (from position D of FIG. 4), movers 5, 6 are turned on, and the UAV goes into airplane flight mode (position D of FIG. 4) due to on-board energy sources. UAV performs autonomous flight according to the program of flight control unit 13 in airplane mode.

Execution of the launch using the effect of "hopping take-off" can significantly save on-board energy sources, which increases the duration of the UAV, the range and effectiveness of its action.

Claims (4)

1. An unmanned aerial system comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle, including propulsion and a payload housing, and a launching ground station, comprising: a mobile platform, for example a wheeled platform, and a power plant and an unmanned aerial vehicle flight control unit, characterized in that the unmanned aerial vehicle is made in the form of a two-console wing, on the consoles of which movers are installed, and the consoles are made with the possibility of their rotation through 180 ° relative to the the wing axis around the body for a payload, for example a spherical one, and a transmission shaft connected to the gearbox and a launch device, which is installed using three bearings and contains means for transmitting rotation from the transmission shaft to the unmanned aerial vehicle, are mounted vertically on the launch platform of the ground station , as well as means for fixing and unlocking it relative to the starting device. 2. The unmanned aerial system according to claim 1, characterized in that the launch device is equipped with brackets rigidly connected to the transmission shaft with grippers, interacting with the response power units of the unmanned aerial vehicle and made with the possibility of their fixing and fixing at a given rotation speed of the transmission shaft. 3. The unmanned aircraft complex according to claim 1, characterized in that the supports of the launch device are telescopic with independent adjustment of their length from the control unit for pre-flight correction of the spatial orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle. 4. The unmanned aerial system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with a pre-flight automatic static balancing system for an unmanned aerial vehicle.

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