WO2007043908A1

WO2007043908A1 - Method for forming regional wireless information transmission networks and a teleswitching air-borne platform for carrying out said method

Info

Publication number: WO2007043908A1
Application number: PCT/RU2005/000656
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vladimir Mironovich Vishnevsky; Aleksandr Pavlovich Mezentsev; Boris Nikolaevich Tereshenko; Vladimir Mikhailovich Achildiev; Oleg Aleksandrovich Mezentsev
Original assignee: Vladimir Mironovich Vishnevsky
Priority date: 2005-10-14
Filing date: 2005-12-22
Publication date: 2007-04-19
Also published as: DE112005003554T5; RU2287910C1

Abstract

The invention relates to radio and communication engineering, in particular to methods and air-borne platforms used for forming wireless line-of- sight information transmission networks in a given geographical region and also for video monitoring. The inventive method consists in placing air-borne teleswithing platforms at specified altitudes and in stabilising the locations thereof at said points. The lifting force for each platform is produced by means of the vertical component of the thrust vector of a remotely and/or an autonomously manned aircraft, wherein said aircraft and platform are held at the specified point of a regional network of a geographical region by the connection thereof to a specified surface point by means of a flexible link which is also used in the form of an electric power supply channel for producing the aircraft thrust vector. The platform location is stabilised by means of the aircraft inertial navigation. The inventive air-borne teleswitching platform is characterised in that a lifting force producing unit is embodied in the form of a fuselage provided with an instrument module coupled with a propelling device which is embodied in the form of a nacelle comprising an electric motor provided with a reduction gear and a trust propeller arranged therein, wherein the fuselage is connected to a cable-rope by means of a two-axis gimbal assembly and the second cable-rope end is fasten in such a way that cable-rope is enabled to modify the length thereof at the specified point of a geographical region and is connected to the power supply source at this point.

Description

The method of forming regional wireless networks for the transmission of information and telecommunication aerial platform for its implementation

The proposed inventions relate to the field of radio engineering and communications, in particular to methods and aerial platforms used to form wireless networks for transmitting information along a line of sight in a given geographical area and, in addition, can be used for video surveillance systems.

Currently, wireless broadband networks are practically beyond competition in terms of deployment speed, mobility, price and the breadth of possible applications, in many cases representing the only economically viable solution.

For geographical areas in which a large territory is combined with a low population density, broadband wireless solutions are of particular importance, since they allow the creation of a telecommunication infrastructure in vast territories economically and quickly. This is especially important for informatization of remote and rural regions and solving one of the most important problems of information security - the problem of information inequality)) regions.

In recent years, intensive development of broadband wireless regional networks using air platforms has been carried out. The use of air platforms provides telecommunication coverage of large geographical regions. Along with the creation of regional data, voice and video information networks, high-altitude platforms can be used for video surveillance within a radius of 70-80 km (for example, in border areas or for observation traffic flows), forest fire detection, environmental monitoring using sensor networks, geological and geophysical surveys, radiological monitoring, etc.

Helium airships located at an altitude of 20-22 km, platforms such as a flying wing, airplanes and helicopters are considered as such high-altitude platforms. With the long-term use of such high-altitude platforms, they turn out to be very expensive, both during development, construction and launch, and during operation.

A omnidirectional high-altitude antenna is known, which is a single-wire transmission line, one end of which is loaded on a matched load and is mounted on a balloon, and the other end is connected to the transceiver and, using an anchor, is attached to the ground, which allows to increase the communication range (RF patent Na 2099827, H 01 Q 1/28, 1994).

Known balloon antenna in the form of a metal container with radial conductors attached to its body, made in the form of a loop. In the aforementioned antenna stabilization of the state occurs when using no less than four special files (RF patent Ns 2097880, H 01 Q 1/28, 1995).

Known antenna wire for an antenna held upright by an aircraft, comprising a load-carrying cable of synthetic threads and a conductive braid of aluminum conductors laid on the surface of the cable at an angle (RF patent N ^Q 2030039, H 01 Q 1/00, 1991). The specified wire does not have sufficient reliability for prolonged use in wireless data transmission networks.

For all the above analogues, in addition to individual shortcomings, certain common the disadvantages associated with the use of media - balloon. In addition to insufficient functionality, these include:

1. The need to use bulky and relatively expensive berthing devices used to lower and hold the balloon on the ground during storm and lightning warnings.

2. The need to carry out the descent-lifting of the aerostat twice a month in order to pump helium into the aerostat shell.

3. Dependence on helium refueling centers, as helium is lost even when stored in steel cylinders.

4. The need to prepare a large landing area (50x50 m) for lifting and lowering the balloon and the need for a significant number of operating personnel (6-8 people).

5. The shortest service life of the balloon shell is about 2 years.

6. Feeding the balloon on a tethered cable-cable makes it necessary to use a swivel designed to protect the cable from twisting and to provide electrical and optical connections when turning at an arbitrary angle, which degrades and limits the parameters and quality of the optical channel in the cable-cable.

The closest technical solutions from the point of view of ensuring the individual maneuverability of the transceiver network elements are a set of airborne communication platforms and the method of their use for the formation of wireless information transmission networks. The set of drifting platforms includes many individual platforms lighter than air, spaced over a continuous geographical area within a predetermined range of heights, so ubiquitous coverage is provided along the line of sight of a given geographical area. Each of the plurality of platforms comprises a shell for filling with an adjustable volume of low density gas to ensure buoyancy of the platform and a signal transmission device attached to the shell (PCT publication WO 01/01710, H 04 Q 7/20, 2001).

The disadvantages of these technical solutions are the limited range of functionality of the method of forming a network and device of air platforms due to the impossibility of automating the process of orientation and stabilization of the position of the platforms, the complexity of the design and maintenance during their operation, insufficient reliability due to the use of low density gas, lack of continuity and the duration of the use of a separate platform in the regional network.

The technical result of the proposed inventions is the expansion of the functionality of the method of forming a network and device of air platforms by providing the ability to automate orientation and stabilize the position of the platforms, simplifying the design and maintenance during their operation, while increasing the reliability, continuity and duration of the use of regional networks with the proposed platform.

The indicated technical result is achieved in a method for forming regional wireless information transmission networks, including placing airborne telecommunication platforms at predetermined heights by creating a lifting force to hold them at predetermined points of the regional network of a geographical region, and stabilizing the position of the platforms at these points, so that the lifting force for each platform is created using remotely and / or autonomously piloted aircraft apparatus due to the vertical component of its thrust vector, and the retention of this aircraft and platform at a given point in a regional network of a geographical region is carried out by linking them to a given point on the surface of a geographical region by flexible thrust, which is used as a channel for supplying power energy to create an aircraft thrust vector apparatus.

In addition, stabilization of the position of the platform can be achieved through inertial navigation of the aircraft at a given point in the regional network of the geographical region.

The specified technical result for a telecommutation air platform containing a lifting force generating unit and an associated signal receiving and transmitting station in a given geographical region is achieved by the fact that the lifting force forming unit is made in the form of a fuselage with an instrument compartment associated with a screw propeller in the form at least one nacelle in which an electric motor with a gearbox and a traction screw is installed, the fuselage being connected via a biaxial cardan suspension to a cable the second end of which is fixed with the possibility of changing the length of the cable at a given point on the surface of the geographical region and is connected with an electric energy source at this point.

In addition, the instrument compartment may contain an autonomous control system consisting of a microprocessor with a strap-in inertial block connected to its inputs, an altimeter, a magnetometer, a GPS receiver, and to its outputs - elements of control of the electric motors of the screw propeller and changing the direction and magnitude of its thrust vector .

In addition, the strapdown inertial block may contain micromechanical gyroscopes and accelerometers oriented with their axes in the direction of three mutually orthogonal coordinate axes. In addition, a station for receiving and transmitting signals in a given geographic region can be made in the form of a base station of a wireless broadband access system and placed in the instrument compartment, which also contains a battery, voltage converters, and secondary power sources.

In addition, the instrument compartment may include a surveillance camera.

In addition, the cable cable can be made coaxial with a carrier rod sequentially located from the center to the periphery, a kivlar carrier layer, an information fiber-optical layer, an insulation layer and a layer of external climatic and mechanical protection, while in the insulation layer along the entire length of the cable the cable has at least two electrically insulated conductive conductors for supplying electrical energy from the surface of the geographic region to the electric motors of the lifting force generating unit.

In addition, at least two nacelles with electric motors installed in them with gearboxes and traction screws can be placed on opposite sides of the middle part of the fuselage and connected with it via corresponding radial rods.

In addition, at least one deflector can be attached to the peripheral ends of the rods to protect the rotor blades.

In addition, the peripheral ends of the rods can be equipped with flashing beacons.

The invention is illustrated by drawings.

Figure 1 - shows a General diagram illustrating the invention; figure 2 - presents a structural diagram of a platform with a single-screw propulsion;

in FIG. 3 - presents a structural diagram of a screw propulsion platform with four screws;

4 is a top view of a structural diagram made in accordance with FIG. 3;

in FIG. 5 - a block diagram of an autonomous platform aircraft control system is presented;

in FIG. 6 - shows a block diagram of a strapdown inertial block;

in FIG. 7 - presents a structural diagram of the cable - cable.

Telecommunication air platform 1 (Fig. 1) contains a node for forming a lifting force (aircraft) 2, a station 38 for receiving and transmitting signals in a given geographical region, serving information consumers 39a, 39b, 39c, 39d, 39e, 39f, connected to this node d in this region, including Internet service providers. The node forming the lifting force 2 is made in the form of a fuselage 3 (figure 2) with the instrument compartment 4 and is connected with a screw mover 5 in the form of at least one nacelle 6, in which an electric motor 7 with a gearbox and a traction screw 8 is installed. Fuselage connected via a biaxial gimbal 9 with a cable 10, the second end of which is fixed with the possibility of changing the length of the cable, for example, on a cable reel 11 at a given point on the surface of a geographical region and is connected to an electric energy source 12 at this point .

An autonomous control system 13, consisting of a microprocessor 14 and connected to its inputs, is located in the instrument compartment strapdown inertial block 15, altimeter 16, magnetometer 17, GPS receiver 18, as well as elements connected to the microprocessor outputs 19 for controlling the electric motors of the screw propeller and changing the direction and magnitude of its thrust vector. These elements 19 can be of different designs, for example, in the form of steering machines 37 for turning the axes of rotation of electric motors and screws, when installed in a gondola or fuselage on a cardan suspension, or frequency converters of electric motors and screws controlled by a microprocessor.

The strapdown inertial block 15 contains micromechanical gyroscopes 20 and accelerometers 21 oriented with their sensitivity axes in the direction of three mutually orthogonal coordinate axes.

A station 38 for receiving and transmitting signals in a given geographical region is made in the form of a base station of a wireless broadband access system 22 and is located in the instrument compartment, which also contains a battery 23, voltage converters 25, secondary power sources 26. The instrument compartment also contains a surveillance camera 27. In addition to the main function of video surveillance of the visually accessible area of the region, a visual monitoring mode is provided for the surveillance camera the state of the traction and load-bearing elements of the suspension of the air platform.

The cable cable 10 is made coaxial with the support rod 28 sequentially located from the center to the periphery, the kivlar carrier layer 29, the information fiber-optic layer 30, the insulation layer 31 and the layer of external climatic and mechanical protection 32. In the insulation layer along the entire length of the cable at least two electrically insulated conductive conductors 33 for supplying electrical energy with the surface of the geographical region to the electric motors of the lifting force forming unit.

In the case of a screw propulsion device with more than one traction screw, the nacelles, with electric motors with gears and traction screws installed in them, are placed on opposite sides of the middle part of the fuselage and connected to it by means of corresponding radial rods 34. Attached to the peripheral ends of the rods at least one deflector 35 for protecting the rotor blades and flashing lights 36.

The operation of the telecommunication aerial platform is as follows.

The lifting force is created by a propeller driven by an electric motor, the power for which is electricity coming through the conductors of the cable from the surface of a geographic region or a battery. To create a horizontal component of the thrust of the screw, an electric motor mounted in a gimbal is tilted in the desired direction using two steering machines 37.

Platform control (lifting mode) can be carried out both from a special remote control and using a portable personal computer. Flight mission, includes coordinates: altitude and heading angle of the platform, is set on the ground by the operator using the keyboard of a portable personal computer or remote control. After that, platform management is entrusted to an autonomous control system consisting of a strapdown inertial unit, an altimeter, a magnetometer, a GPS receiver and a microprocessor.

Platform take-off is carried out automatically, from a special slipway or from the ground. Having made a climb, the platform stabilizes relative to the horizon and course with predetermined accuracy and is held in this position during its operation. The stabilization of the telecommunications aerial platform during operation is automatic.

The autonomous control system has three stabilization channels: heading, roll and pitch. Micromechanical vibration gyros, linear acceleration micromechanical accelerometers were used as angular velocity meters. A micromechanical barometric altimeter (altimeter) was used as a height sensor. To improve the accuracy of stabilization along the channel of the course, a three-component magnetometer is used.

Control laws are formed using a microprocessor and allow stabilization of heading, roll and pitch (stabilization of angles relative to the center of mass) and coordinated turns on the course.

Compensation of the platform drift due to wind (stabilization of the center of mass) is carried out using the receiver of the global navigation system (GPS receiver) and accelerometers.

The automated control system monitors the current platform parameters, supply voltage, temperature, pressure, etc. In addition, the control system includes a diagnostic unit (not shown), which allows to ensure the platform’s operability in case of failure of any two traction engines.

In the event of a cable cable break, an automatic emergency landing mode of the platform using the energy of the onboard battery is provided.

One of the main advantages of the proposed technical solution is the ability to use well-developed technology for the transfer of electrical energy and information flows using kivlar cable. The presence of copper wires in the cable ensures reliable power supply of the platform electric motors and their operation for a long time without lowering the platform to the ground (at least one year); the optical fiber in the cable allows you to transfer large amounts of information from board to ground and from ground to board with high speed (100 Mbit / s).

In addition, these platforms can provide video surveillance functions and a number of other functions that have been described previously.

To meet the operational requirements for aerial telecommutation communication systems, it is necessary to choose a rational scheme for building a telecommunication platform that has the best overall dimensions.

The presence of high-speed and torque electric motors that differ in the nature of the rotor movement, the type of energy source, as well as the sequence of their location in the kinematic scheme determines the variety of design and layout schemes that can provide specified technological requirements.

A preliminary study of the types of aircraft shows that the most advantageous currently is a vector design with more than 3 screws.

Single-screw, twin-screw coaxial, twin-screw longitudinal, three-screw, four-screw and six-screw aircraft construction schemes were considered to identify advantages _. and the disadvantages of each design, taking into account the requirements for the platform. The six-screw circuit allows for the operation of a telecommunications rotorcraft platform with any two supporting engines. Therefore, on the basis of reliability considerations, for further development it is necessary to choose a scheme for constructing a telecommunication air platform with six screws.

The six-screw automatic telecommunications platform significantly improves handling, maneuverability and payload. It consists of a fuselage, which includes an instrument compartment housing connected to six engine nacelles. The gondolas are equipped with electric motors with gears and screws. Flashing beacons are also located on the periphery of the nacelles. A battery compartment, voltage converters and secondary power sources, a base station of a wireless broadband access system, a surveillance camera and an automatic control system for a telecommunication air platform are installed in the instrument compartment housing. The platform is connected to the cable cable via a biaxial gimbal.

With the required thrust of the group of screws 500 n, the total mass of the engines is Mq = IO kg, respectively, and the power consumption is 5 kW.

The device’s construction uses DC motors developed by the aviation industry based on SmCo magnets that have characteristics that meet the specified requirements for the operation of a telecommunication air platform.

The proposed method for the formation of regional wireless networks for the transmission of information suggests the possibility of using not only electrical, but also other types of sources power supply to ensure the creation of the vertical component of the thrust vector of the telecommunication air platform.

Thus, the technical result of the proposed inventions is provided, which consists in expanding the functionality of the method of forming a network and arranging air platforms by providing the ability to automate orientation and stabilize the position of platforms, simplifying the design and maintenance during their operation, while increasing the reliability, continuity and duration of using regional networks with the proposed platform.

Claims

Claim.

1. A method of forming regional wireless information transmission networks, including placing airborne telecommunication platforms at predetermined heights by creating a lifting force to hold them at predetermined points of the regional network of a geographical region, and stabilizing the position of the platforms at these points, characterized in that the lifting force for each platform create using a remotely and / or autonomously piloted aircraft due to the vertical component of its thrust vector, and the retention of this aircraft the apparatus and platform at a given point in the regional network of a geographic region are carried out by linking them to a given point on the surface of a geographic region by flexible traction, which is used as a channel for supplying power to the aircraft to create an aircraft traction vector.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the stabilization of the position of the platform is ensured by inertial navigation of the aircraft at a given point in the regional network of the geographical region.

3. Telecommunication aerial platform containing a node for forming a lifting force and an associated station for receiving and transmitting signals in a given geographic region, characterized in that the node for forming a lifting force is made in the form of a fuselage with an instrument compartment associated with a screw propeller in the form of at least at least one nacelle, in which an electric motor with a gearbox and a traction screw is installed, while the fuselage is connected by means of a biaxial cardan suspension with a cable rope, the second end of which is fixed van with the ability to change the length of the cable at a given point on the surface geographic region and is connected to a source of electrical energy at this point.

4. The platform according to claim 3, characterized in that the instrument compartment contains an autonomous control system consisting of a microprocessor with a strapdown inertial Fruit connected to its inputs ,,, ..... an altimeter, ... a magnetometer, a GPS receiver, and to its outputs - by the control elements of the electric motors of the screw propulsion and changing the direction and magnitude of its thrust vector.

5. The platform according to claim 4, characterized in that the strapdown inertial block contains micromechanical gyroscopes and accelerometers oriented with their axes of sensitivity in the direction of three mutually orthogonal coordinate axes.

6. The platform according to claim 3, characterized in that the station for receiving and transmitting signals in a given geographic region is made in the form of a base station of a wireless broadband access system and is located in the instrument compartment, which also contains a battery, voltage converters, and secondary power sources.

7. The platform according to p. 3, characterized in that the instrument compartment contains a surveillance camera.

8. The platform according to p. 3, characterized in that the cable is coaxial with a support rod, a kivlar carrier layer, an information fiber-optic layer, an insulation layer and a layer of external climatic and mechanical protection, sequentially arranged from the center to the periphery, while at least two electrically insulated conductive conductors are placed on the insulating layer along the entire length of the cable cable to supply electrical energy from the surface of the geographical region to the motors of the lift forming unit th power.

9. The platform according to p. 3, characterized in that at least two nacelles with electric motors installed in them with gearboxes and traction screws are placed on different sides from the middle part of the fuselage and are connected with it via corresponding radial rods.

10. The platform according to claim 9, characterized in that at least one deflector is attached to the peripheral ends of the rods to protect the rotor blades.

11. The platform according to claim 9, characterized in that the peripheral ends of the rods are equipped with flashing beacons.