WO2021167555A1

WO2021167555A1 - Antifrost drone

Info

Publication number: WO2021167555A1
Application number: PCT/TR2020/050481
Authority: WO
Inventors: Arda KAYNAR
Original assignee: Cnk Havacilik Sanayi̇ Ve Ti̇caret Li̇mi̇ted Şi̇rketi̇
Priority date: 2020-02-20
Filing date: 2020-06-03
Publication date: 2021-08-26

Abstract

This invention is about the antifrost drone which can be used to make agricultural disinfestation, land mapping, topography, tree shaking, seeding and preventing frost and its' characteristic is having a drone (1) with at least three strong propellers that can make air circulation and tree shaking, a heat sensor (2) located on the drone (1) in a way to measure the air temperature, a humidity sensor (3) located on the drone (1) in a way to measure air humidity, an inversion sensor (11) located on the drone (1) in a way to follow the inversion layer, a hybrid engine (10) located on the drone (1) in a way to provide the power required by drone (1), a power cable (9) connected to drone (1) in a way to provide the power required by drone from the grid or a power unit on the ground without the hybrid engine (10), an automatic cable wraparound device that enables the power cable (9) to fold and unfold due to the ascending of drone (1), a software that generates the drone follow path (6) which is the route the drone will be moving along in automatic flight mode, a camera (4) located on the drone (1) in a way to view the earth surface (Z), fixing leg (5) that enables various systems to be integrated on drone (1), a disinfestation system (12) that can be located on fixing leg (5) in a way to enable the surface of agricultural area (Z) to be disinfected, a seeding system (18) that can be located on fixing leg (5) in a way to enable the surface of agricultural area (Z) to be seeded for cultivation and at least one elevator tower (7) located on surface (Z) at certain distances in a way to enable the replacement of drone battery.

Description

ANTIFROST DRONE Technological Area:

This invention is about the antifrost drone which can be used to make agricultural disinfestation, land mapping, topography, tree shaking, seeding and preventing frost. State of the Art:

Sun heatens the earth during the day. Soil and trees become hotter than the air touching them. And when it's night while cold air comes closer to earth heated air rises and causes a temperature change. In winter seasons there occurs various frosts in agricultural fields especially in citrus, apricot, apple, cherry etc. gardens. Frost and not being able to prevent it causes loss of products on plants and more importantly of the plant itself because of drying due to frost effect.

Different frosts occur under different weather conditions (Advective and radiation frosts). Advective frosts are the cold air currents coming from north and south poles and are temperatures below freezing point. It becomes colder with air movements and makes its' way to gardens. This kind of frost occurs usually in winter where trees are not awake so they're not that much harmful. But they still cause great damages to trees when they occur in early fall or late spring.

The second and most commonly seen frost type is Radiation frost. This frost type occurs as a result of partly cold and dry air accumulating in an area. Even the temperature is high during the day, earth getting cold due to radiation after sunset causes the coldest air in the atmosphere to accumulate near earth and thus trees to frost. In radiation frost, when the air temperature closer to earth gets down below 0°C the air temperature in the inversion layer is constant. Due to the reasons stated above there occurs frosts in agricultural areas. With this frost occuring vast amounts of agricultural products get wasted. Frost causes farmers to have serious material damages. Today there are various systems developed to prevent frost. What's aimed with these systems is a propeller located high above the ground to drive the hot air downstream. These systems are called wind machines. Wind machine (or fan) blows the air nearly horizontally into the hotter air above where there's heat inversion and enables the hotter air above to mix with the colder air nearer to earth. It breaks the micro scaled heat limit layer on plants. These systems needs more workforce. And noise constitutes a big problem.

In the patent application numbered TR201005480 "Donadur - antifrost system" is described. It's about an frost prevention system that distributes the heat energy taken from a powerfull heat source through specially designed and stationary arms into a much more bigger volume (tree etc.) and creates more controllable conditions without damaging tree or the garden.

In the patent application numbered TR201100430 "Wind machine used in agricultural area to prevent frost" is described. This invention is about the anti-frost wind machine used to prevent frost hazard occuring in winter seasons and damaging especially citrus, apricot, apple, cherry etc gardens and its' characteristic is being consisted of an engine turning the energy achieved from the fuel to mechanical energy, a bottom gearbox where the rotational motion generated by the diesel or gasoline engine is transfered to with a clutch, 3 part shaft where the motion from the bottom gearbox is transfered to and can increase the rpm from the engine, a top gearbox where the shaft connected with hangers on steel boom of various sizes transferring the motion, a flap shaft connected with a 6° angle to the top gearbox, flap carriers fixed on flap shaft with pirns and at least two flaps made of nodular cast material and fixed on flap carriers.

What are mentioned in the utilized model/patent applications said above are antifrost sytems. Frost can not be prevented at desired levels with the said products. Workforce is a lot with these systems. In addition these systems generate loudness. These systems being fixed is preventing to achieve desired performance. As a result there's a need for a new, long-lasting, low-cost technology which can overcome the disadvantages mentioned above and is able to make disinfestation, mapping, generate topography, momentarily measure relative humidity rate, protect agricultural products against frost regardless of slope, significantly increases agricultural productivity, make tree shaking, seeding, be used wired or with hybrid engine, be controlled manually or autonomously, prevent agricultural frosts with its' high performance, have power charging stations, determine hot air layers with the sensors on it, doesn't need frequent overhauls.

Invention Definition:

This invention is about the antifrost drone that can overcome the disadvantages mentioned above and its' characteristic is being a new, long-lasting, low-cost technology which can overcome the disadvantages mentioned above and is able to make disinfestation, mapping, generate topography, momentarily measure relative humidity rate, protect agricultural products against frost regardless of slope, significantly increases agricultural productivity, make tree shaking, seeding, be used wired or with hybrid engine, be controlled manually or autonomously, prevent agricultural frosts with its' high performance, have power charging stations, determine hot air layers with the sensors on it, doesn't need frequent overhauls.

With the sensors on it, the product subject to invention paths the heat layer and enables homogenous distribution of heat. As long as the drone paths the heat layer lights on it will be turned off. When it comes to the cold air lights on it will be turned on.

The product and method subject to invention makes it possible to make agricultural disinfestation. The product subject to invention is able to make mapping and generate topography with the camera it has. The product subject to invention is able to momentarily measure the relative humidity rate. The product subject to invention is able to protect agricultural products against frost regardless of slope. With the structure and design it has the product/method subject to invention significantly increases the agricultural productivity. With the high performance it has the product subject to invention is able to prevent agricultural frost. With the power charging stations of the product subject to invention it's enabled to operate continuously. When power cable or hybrid engine is integrated to the product subject to invention changing battery is no more needed. Due to the drone ascending the power cable on the product subject to invention is unfolding with the help of the power cable wraparound apparatus. Folding and unfolding of the cable happens automatically. The product subject to invention is able determine hot air layer with the sensors on it. With this determination it's enabled for hot air to flow into the cold air layer. The product subject to invention does not require frequent overhauls. The product subject to invention is long-lasting and low-cost. With the product and method subject to invention it's able to determine hot air layer regardless of low parcel. With this determination the hot air inside this hot air layer is blowed into the cold air layer with the strong propellers on the drone. The drone carries out this process in motion by following the determined path. This way frost is significantly prevented.

As the parts consisting the invention are easily fixed onto each other the product is easily installed and as the installation time is short the costs are low too. In addition the invention has a steady structure. Description of Figures:

The invention will be described by referring the figures enclosed, this way the characteristics of the invention will be understood and assessed clearer, but this is not intended to limit the invention with this specific arrangements. Vice versa it’s intended to cover all alternatives, changes and equivalents which can be involved under the area the invention is defined in by the claims enclosed. It must be understood that the shown details are given only for the description of the preferred arrangements of the current invention and presented to provide the most utilisable and clear definition of both the formation of the methods and the rules and conceptual characteristics of the invention. In these figures;

Figure 1 Perspective view of the system. Figure 2 Close view of the system. Figure 3 Side schematic view of the system. Figure 4 Perspective view of the system. Figure 5 Perspective view of the system. Figure 6 Perspective view of the system. Figure 7 Perspective view of the system. Figure 8 Top view of the example drone follow the path generated by system software.

Figure 9 Schematic view of the process steps of implementation method.

The figures that will help out to understand this invention are numbered as specified in the enclosed figure and they’re given below by their names.

Description of References:

1. Drone

2. Heat sensor

3. Humidity sensor

4. Camera

5. Fixing leg

6. Drone follow path

7. Elevator tower

8. Seeding system

9. Power cable

10. Hybrid engine

11. Inversion sensor

12. Disinfestation system 101. Takeoff

102. Determination

103. Advancing

104. Providing

105. Replacement or charging

106. Continuing

D. Low parcel

Y. High parcel

H. Hot air layer

C. Cold air layer

Z. Earth surface

Description of Invention:

The invention has a drone (1) with at least three strong propellers that can make air circulation and tree shaking, a heat sensor (2) located on the drone (1) in a way to measure the air temperature, a humidity sensor (3) located on the drone (1) in a way to measure air humidity, an inversion sensor (11) located on the drone (1) in a way to follow the inversion layer, a hybrid engine (10) located on the drone (1) in a way to provide the power required by drone (1), a power cable (9) connected to drone (1) in a way to provide the power required by drone from the grid or a power unit on the ground without the hybrid engine (10), an automatic cable wraparound device that enables the power cable (9) to fold and unfold due to the ascending of drone (1), a software that generates the drone follow path (6) which is the route the drone will be moving along in automatic flight mode, a camera (4) located on the drone (1) in a way to view the earth surface (Z), fixing leg (5) that enables various systems to be integrated on drone (1), a disinfestation system (12) that can be located on fixing leg (5) in a way to enable the surface of agricultural area (Z) to be disinfected, a seeding system (18) that can be located on fixing leg (5) in a way to enable the surface of agricultural area (Z) to be seeded for cultivation and at least one elevator tower (7) located on surface (Z) at certain distances in a way to enable the replacement of drone battery (Figure-1, Figure- 3, Figure-4, Figure-5, Figure-6, Figure-7, Figure-8). The product subject to invention has the drone (1) with propellers enabling the air in hot air layer (H) to flow into the cold air layer (C) in a way to prevent frost occuring in agricultural area (Figure-3, Figure-4).

The product subject to invention has the drone (1) that enables the air in hot air layer

(H) to flow into the cold air layer (C) by following the drone follow path (6) generated by the software. The product subject to invention has the camera (4) that scans the earth surface (Z) and generates its' topography. The product subject to invention has the drone

(I) with propellers enabling the cultivated products on the agricultural area to be cooled in hot weathers (Figure-2, Figure-3, Figure-5, Figure-8).

The method subject to invention involves the process steps of the drone (1) takeoff (101) from the elevator tower (7) or from the earth surface (Z), determination (102) of hot air layer (H) with the heat sensor (2) on the drone (1), the drone (1) advancing (103) through the hot air layer (H) by following the drone follow path (6), the air in the hot air layer (H) being provided (104) and flowed into the cold air layer (C) by the propellers on the drone (1), as the battery level decreasing the drone (1) landing on the nearest elevator tower (7) on the earth surface (Z) and replacement or charging (105) of battery and the drone (1) continuing (106) operation from where it left after battery charging or replacement (Figure-1, Figure-3, Figure-4, Figure-5, Figure-9).

Detailed Description of Invention:

The invention in basic is consisting of the drone (1), heat sensor (2), humidity sensor (3), camera (4), fixing leg (5), drone follow path (6), elevator tower (7), seeding system (8), power cable (9), hybrid engine (10), inversion sensor (11), disinfestation system (12), takeoff (101), determination (102), advancing (103), providing (104), replacement or charging (105) and continuing (106) (Figure-1, Figure-3, Figure-4, Figure-5, Figure- 6, Figure-7, Figure-8, Figure-9). There are drone (1), heat sensor (2), humidity sensor (3), camera (4) and fixing leg (5) in the product subject to invention. The drone (1) has at least three strong propellers. Heat sensor (2) and humidity sensor (3) are located at the bottom section of the drone (1). The temperature and humidity of the air is determined by the heat sensor (2) and the humidity sensor (3). There's a camera (4) in the product subject to invention located at the bottom section of the drone (1). The topography of the earth surface (Z) is generated by the camera (4). There are fixing leg (5) located at the bottom section of the drone (1). Various systems can be integrated onto the drone (1) with the fixing leg (5) (Figure-1, Figure-3, Figure-5).

There are drone follow path (6) and the elevator tower (7) in the product subject to invention. Drone follow path (6) determines the route the drone (1) will be following. Drone follow path (6) is the path generated by the software. In case its' battery getting low the drone (1) lands on the elevator tower (7) located at certain distances on the earth surface (Z). The drone (1) is able to land on earth surface (Z) without the need for elevator tower (7). The drone landed (1) landed on the elevator tower (7) is descended to surface with the elevator and its' battery is replaced. The drone (1) of which the battery is replaced is ascended to tthe top of the tower with the elevator. The drone (1) ascended to the top of the tower takes off and continues operation from where it left (Figure-1, Figure-3, Figure-5, Figure-8).

There are seeding system (8) and disinfestation system (9) in the product subject to invention. With the seeding system (8) seeds are planted on the area to be cultivated. The seeding system (8) is integrared on the fixing leg (5) on the drone (1) when there will be seeding to be made. With the disinfestation system (9) the area to be disinfestated is disintfected. The disinfestation system (9) is integrared on the fixing leg (5) on the drone (1) when there will be disinfestation to be made (§ekil-5, §ekil-6, §ekil-7).

The drone (1) can be switched to manual mode and fruits on the desired trees are shaked by the help of the propellers on the drone (1). With the help of power cable (9) the drone (1) can stay floating in the air throughout the operation. With the automatic cable wraparound system the power cable (9) is folded and unfolded automatically.

There are power cable (9) and hybrid engine (10) in the product subject to invention. The hybrid engine (10) can be both electrical and gasoline. The hybrid engine (10) is integrated at the bottom section of the drone (1). The hybrid engine (10) is providing the power required for the drone (1). The power cable (9) is connected to the bottom section of the drone (1). This way the drone (1) is connected to an uniterrupted power source without the hybrid engine (10). The other end of the power cable (9) is connected to the grid or a power source located on the earth surface (Z). There's inversion sensor (11) in the product subject to invention. The inversion sensor (11) is located at the bottom section of the drone (1). The inversion sensor (11) senses the temperature inversion occuring in the air and sends this to the software. There are lights on the product subject to invention. These lights are turned off along the heat layer. And they are turned on in the cold air layer (Figure-5, Figure-6, Figure-7).

With the sensors on the product subject to invention, the hot air layer (H) attitude caused by low parcels (D) and high parcels (Y) is determined. The drone (1) ascends and descends according to the determined data and it's provided for the hot air in the hot air layer (H) to be flowed into the cold air layer (C) (Figure-1, Figure-3, Figure-5).

In the method subject to invention first the drone (1) takes off (101) from the elevator tower (7) or the earth surface (Z). The taken off drone (1) with the heat sensor (2) on it determines (102) the hot air layer (H). The drone (1) advances (103) through the hot air layer (H) following the drone follow path (6). The air in the hot air layer (H) is provided (104) and flowed into the cold air layer (C) with the propellers on the drone (1). As the battery level goes down the drone (1) lands on the nearest elevator tower (7) on earth surface (Z) or on the earth surface (Z) itself and batteries are replaced or charged (105). After battery replacement or charging the drone (1) continues (106) the operation from where it left (Figure-1, Figure-3, Figure-5, Figure-9).

Claims

CLAIMS 1- The invention is about the antifrost drone and its' characteristic is having; - a drone (1) with at least three strong propellers that can make air circulation and tree shaking, - a heat sensor (2) located on the drone (1) in a way to measure the air temperature, - a humidity sensor (3) located on the drone (1) in a way to measure air humidity, - an inversion sensor (11) located on the drone (1) in a way to follow the inversion layer, - a hybrid engine (10) located on the drone (1) in a way to provide the power required by drone (1), - a power cable (9) connected to drone (1) in a way to provide the power required by drone from the grid or a power unit on the ground without the hybrid engine (10), - an automatic cable wraparound device that enables the power cable (9) to fold and unfold due to the ascending of drone (1), - a software that generates the drone follow path (6) which is the route the drone (1) will be moving along in automatic flight mode, - a camera (4) located on the drone (1) in a way to view the earth surface (Z),- fixing leg (5) that enables various systems to be integrated on drone (1),- a disinfestation system (12) that can be located on fixing leg (5) in a way to enable the surface of agricultural area (Z) to be disinfected, - a seeding system (18) that can be located on fixing leg (5) in a way to enable the surface of agricultural area (Z) to be seeded for cultivation and- at least one elevator tower (7) located on surface (Z) at certain distances in a way to enable the replacement of drone battery. 2- What's mentioned in Claim 1 is the antifrost drone and its' characteristic is having the drone (1) involving the propellers that enables the air in the hot air layer (H) to be provided and flowed into the cold air layer (C). 3- What's mentioned in Claim 1 is the antifrost drone and its' characteristic is having the drone (1) that enables the the air in the hot air layer (H) tobe provided and flowed into the cold air layer (C) by following the drone follow path (6) dtermined by the software. 4- What's mentioned in Claim 1 is the antifrost drone and its' characteristic is having the camera (4) that scans the earth surface (Z) and generates its' topography. 5- What's mentioned in Claim 1 is the antifrost drone and its' characteristic is having the drone (1) involving the propellers that enables the cultivated products on the agricultural area to be cooled in hot weathers. 6- The invention is about the antifrost drone and its' characteristic is involving the process steps of; - the drone (1) takeoff (101) from the elevator tower (7) or from the earth surface (Z), - determination (102) of hot air layer (H) with the heat sensor (2) on the drone

(1),

- the drone (1) advancing (103) through the hot air layer (H) by following the drone follow path (6),

- the air in the hot air layer (H) being provided (104) and flowed into the cold air layer (C) by the propellers on the drone (1),

- as the battery level decreasing the drone (1) landing on the nearest elevator tower (7) on the earth surface (Z) and replacement or charging (105) of battery,

- and the drone (1) continuing (106) operation from where it left after battery charging or replacement.