WO2021250793A1 - Flight vehicle, flight vehicle system, flight vehicle control method, and manipulator - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are: a flight vehicle that is capable of coping with foreign objects inside a motor or in the vicinity thereof; a flight vehicle system; a flight vehicle control method; and a manipulator. A motor control unit (200) of this flight vehicle (10) enables the flight vehicle to fly by executing a forward rotary operation that causes a motor (132) for rotating a propeller (130) to rotate in a forward direction. In addition, the motor control unit is provided with a reverse rotation control unit (212) which executes a reverse rotary operation that causes the motor to rotate in a direction reverse to the forward direction when the flight vehicle is not airborne. The manipulator (26) may provide a display pertaining to reverse rotary operation.

Description

Aircraft, air vehicle system, air vehicle control method and manipulator

The present invention relates to an air vehicle, an air vehicle system, a control method of the air vehicle, and an operating device.

Patent Document 1 provides an air vehicle capable of easily controlling movement, rotation, or attitude ([0007]). More specifically, the flying object of Patent Document 1 (claim 1) is connected to a plurality of rotor units each having a propeller and a motor for driving the propeller, and a plurality of rotor units, and has a smaller density than air. It is equipped with a balloon filled with gas. Each of the plurality of rotor units generates an upward thrust when the propeller rotates forward, and generates a downward thrust when the propeller reverses.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/00098889

As described above, Patent Document 1 provides an air vehicle capable of easily controlling movement, rotation, or attitude ([0007]). Further, in each of the plurality of rotor units, the propeller rotates forward by the motor to generate an upward thrust, and the motor reverses the propeller to generate a downward thrust (claim 1). However, Patent Document 1 does not study how to deal with foreign matter inside or around the motor.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and provides an air vehicle, an air vehicle system, a control method of the air vehicle, and an operating machine capable of dealing with foreign substances inside or around the motor. The purpose is.

The flying object according to the present invention is
With a propeller,
The motor that rotates the propeller and
It is provided with a motor control unit that controls the motor.
The motor control unit flies the flying object by executing a forward rotation operation for rotating the motor in the forward direction.
Further, the motor control unit is characterized by including a reverse rotation control unit that executes a reverse rotation operation for rotating the motor in the direction opposite to the forward direction when the flying object is not in flight.

According to the present invention, the motor and the propeller are rotated in the opposite directions when the flying object is not in flight. This makes it possible to generate an air flow in the direction opposite to that during flight in or around the motor to facilitate the release of foreign matter inside or around the motor.

The flying object may include an airflow generating portion that generates an airflow inside the motor. This facilitates the release of foreign matter inside or around the motor during reverse rotation operation.

When the absolute values of the outputs of the motors are equal, the absolute value of the maximum wind power value of the airflow generating portion may be larger during the reverse rotation operation than during the forward rotation operation. This makes it possible to easily release foreign matter inside or around the motor by increasing the airflow inside the motor during the reverse rotation operation.

The airflow generating unit may generate an airflow in the direction opposite to that during the reverse rotation operation during the forward rotation operation. As a result, it is possible to discharge foreign matter or cool the motor by generating an air flow inside the motor even during the forward rotation operation.

The airflow generating portion may be provided on the propeller shaft of the propeller. Alternatively, the airflow generating portion may be provided in the rotor of the motor. This makes it easier to generate airflow inside the motor.

The airflow generating unit may generate an airflow flowing in the direction of the rotation axis of the motor. This facilitates the release of foreign matter inside the motor to the outside.

The airflow generating unit may generate an airflow flowing from the lower side to the upper side of the flying object during the forward rotation operation, and may generate an airflow flowing from the upper side to the lower side of the flying object during the reverse rotation operation. Alternatively, the airflow generating unit may generate an airflow flowing from the upper side to the lower side of the flying object during the forward rotation operation, and may generate an airflow flowing from the lower side to the upper side of the flying object during the reverse rotation operation. ..

The reverse rotation control unit may execute the reverse rotation operation when a command to start takeoff is issued to the flying object. This makes it possible to facilitate the release of foreign matter inside or around the motor before the start of takeoff of the air vehicle.

The reverse rotation control unit may execute the reverse rotation operation after the flying object has landed. This makes it possible to facilitate the release of foreign matter inside or around the motor after the landing of the flying object. The landing is, for example, a state in which at least a part of the legs of the flying object is in contact with the ground, a state in which the legs are in contact with the ground and the aircraft is stationary, or a state in which the legs are in contact with the aircraft and the aircraft is stationary and the propeller rotates forward. Including the state where the operation is stopped.

The flying object may include a reverse rotation operation signal transmitting means for transmitting a signal related to the reverse rotation operation to a user terminal in which the user operates the flying object. Further, the reverse rotation operation signal transmitting means notifies a signal indicating that the reverse rotation operation is being executed, a signal indicating that the reverse rotation operation is scheduled to be executed, or the timing of the reverse rotation operation. The signal may be transmitted to the user terminal. As a result, it becomes possible to display on the user terminal side that the reverse rotation operation is in progress, etc., and it is possible to alert the user to the reverse rotation of the propeller.

The flying object may include a first determination unit that determines whether or not the reverse rotation operation is necessary when the flying object is not in flight. Further, even if the first determination unit determines that the reverse rotation operation is required, the reverse rotation operation is executed, and if the first determination unit does not determine that the reverse rotation operation is required, takeoff is permitted. good. This makes it possible to perform the reverse rotation operation only when necessary during non-flight.

The flying object may include a second determination unit that determines whether or not the reverse rotation operation is necessary when the flying object is in flight. Further, when the second determination unit determines that the reverse rotation operation is required, the aircraft lands and executes the reverse rotation operation, and when the second determination unit does not determine that the reverse rotation operation is required, the flight is performed. You may continue. This makes it possible to perform the reverse rotation operation only when necessary during flight.

The first determination unit or the second determination unit may determine the necessity of the reverse rotation operation again after executing the reverse rotation operation. This makes it possible to handle cases where it is necessary to continue the reverse rotation operation.

The first determination unit or the second determination unit may determine the necessity of the reverse rotation operation as the warm-up operation and the necessity of other warm-up operation. As a result, it is possible to accelerate the warm-up operation by combining the reverse rotation operation and other warm-up operations as the warm-up operation. The other warm-up operation may include at least one of supply of reactive power to the motor, forward rotation of the motor and power supply to an external load.

The motor is arranged on the upstream side of the gap between the coil and the magnet with reference to a stator having a plurality of coils, a rotor having a plurality of magnets, and an air flow inside the motor during the forward rotation operation. It may be provided with a net-like upstream filter. Further, the mesh size of the upstream filter may be smaller than that of the gap, at least in front of the gap. This makes it easier to prevent foreign matter from entering the gap between the stator and rotor during flight of the flying object. In addition, foreign matter captured by the upstream filter during flight of the flying object can be discharged by the airflow caused by the reverse rotation of the propeller during non-flight.

The motor has a downstream opening arranged on the downstream side of the gap between the stator and the rotor with reference to the air flow during the forward rotation operation, and a net-like downstream filter arranged on the downstream opening. And may be provided. Further, the size of the mesh of the downstream filter may be larger than that of the gap or the mesh of the upstream filter at least at the position of the downstream opening. This facilitates the release of relatively small foreign matter that has entered the gap between the stator and the rotor during flight of the flying object to the outside of the motor through the downstream opening. In addition, it becomes easy to prevent a relatively large foreign substance from entering the inside of the motor when the reverse rotation operation during non-flight is executed.

The rotor may be arranged radially outside the stator. Further, the downstream opening may include a notch penetrating the rotor so that the radial inner side of the rotor and the radial outer side of the rotor communicate with each other. This makes it possible to discharge foreign matter that has entered the inside of the motor from the side surface of the motor. Therefore, for example, when the upper side of the motor is closed, it is possible to prevent rainwater or the like from entering the inside of the motor.

The upstream filter and the downstream filter may be arranged substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the motor. As a result, the airflow inside the motor is along the axial direction of the motor, which makes it easier for the airflow to flow. The term "substantially vertical" as used herein means, for example, a range of ± 30 degrees with respect to the rotation axis of the motor.

The stator may include a heat sink that releases the heat generated by the stator. Further, the upstream side filter may be located on the upstream side of the heat sink in addition to the upstream side of the gap, based on the air flow during the forward rotation operation. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the heat sink.

On the upstream side of the heat sink, the mesh size of the upstream filter may be larger than the gap. This makes it possible to smooth the airflow around the heat sink, prevent foreign matter from entering the heat sink, and improve the cooling performance of the stator.

Alternatively, the upstream filter may be arranged so as to avoid the upstream side of the heat sink with reference to the air flow during the forward rotation operation. This prevents the airflow that hits the heat sink from being blocked by the upstream filter, and makes it possible to improve the cooling performance.

The flying object system according to the present invention includes a flying object and a user terminal in which a user operates the flying object.
The flying object is
With a propeller,
The motor that rotates the propeller and
It is equipped with a motor control unit that controls the motor.
The motor control unit flies the flying object by executing a forward rotation operation for rotating the motor in the forward direction.
Further, the motor control unit includes a reverse rotation control unit that executes a reverse rotation operation for rotating the motor in the direction opposite to the forward direction when the flying object is not flying.
The user terminal is characterized by having a monitoring unit that detects or estimates the state of the reverse rotation operation and displays it on the display unit.

According to the present invention, the motor and the propeller are rotated in the opposite directions when the flying object is not in flight. This makes it possible to generate an air flow in the direction opposite to that during flight in or around the motor to facilitate the release of foreign matter inside or around the motor. Further, by displaying the state of the reverse rotation operation on the display unit of the user terminal, it is possible to alert the user to the reverse rotation of the propeller.

The method for controlling an air vehicle according to the present invention is as follows.
With a propeller,
The motor that rotates the propeller and
It is a control method of an air vehicle including a motor control unit for controlling the motor.
The motor control unit flies the flying object by executing a forward rotation operation for rotating the motor in the forward direction.
Further, the motor control unit is characterized in that when the flying object is not in flight, the motor control unit executes a reverse rotation operation for rotating the motor in the direction opposite to the forward direction.

The operating machine according to the present invention operates a flying object including a propeller, a motor for rotating the propeller, and a motor control unit for controlling the motor.
The operating machine is
A flight command input means for inputting a flight command for flying the flight body by executing a forward rotation operation for rotating the motor of the flight body in the forward direction.
A reverse rotation operation signal receiving means for receiving a signal relating to a reverse rotation operation for rotating the motor in the direction opposite to the forward direction when the flying object is not flying.
It is characterized by including a display that displays the reverse rotation operation when the signal related to the reverse rotation operation is received.

According to the present invention, when a signal relating to a reverse rotation operation is received during non-flight of the flying object, a display relating to the reverse rotation operation is performed. As a result, it becomes possible for the operating machine to display that the reverse rotation operation is in progress, and it is possible to alert the user to the reverse rotation of the propeller. The "signal related to the reverse rotation operation" referred to here is, for example, a signal indicating that the reverse rotation operation is being executed, a signal indicating that the reverse rotation operation is scheduled to be executed, or the timing of the reverse rotation operation. Can be a signal to notify.

According to the present invention, it is possible to deal with foreign matter inside or around the motor.

It is an overall block diagram which shows the outline of the farming system including the drone as a flying object which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the farming server which concerns on the said Embodiment simply. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the drone and the user terminal which concerns on the said Embodiment simply. It is an external perspective view of the drone which concerns on the said Embodiment. It is a bottom view of the drone which concerns on the said embodiment. It is a figure which shows briefly the internal structure of the propeller and the motor in the said embodiment. It is a figure which shows the typical air flow when the motor is rotated in the forward direction, and the drone is made to fly normally in the said embodiment. It is a figure which shows the typical air flow when the motor is rotated in the reverse direction, and the reverse rotation operation is performed in the said embodiment. It is a flowchart of the reverse rotation control of the said embodiment. It is a figure which shows briefly the internal structure of the propeller and the motor of the 1st modification. It is a figure which shows the typical air flow when the motor is rotated in the forward direction, and the drone is made to fly normally in the said 1st modification. It is a figure which shows the typical air flow when the motor is rotated in the reverse direction, and the reverse rotation operation is performed in the 1st modification. It is a figure which shows briefly the internal structure of the propeller and the motor of the 2nd modification. It is a figure which shows the typical air flow when the motor is rotated in the forward direction, and the drone is made to fly normally in the said 2nd modification. It is a figure which shows the typical air flow when the motor is rotated in the reverse direction, and the reverse rotation operation is performed in the 2nd modification. It is a figure which shows briefly the internal structure of the propeller and the motor of the 3rd modification. It is a block diagram which simply shows the structure of the drone which concerns on the modification which executes the reverse rotation control (FIG. 18) of the modification. It is a flowchart of the reverse rotation control of a modification.

A. One Embodiment <A-1. Configuration>
[A-1-1. overall structure]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an outline of a farming system 10 including a drone 24 as a flying object according to an embodiment of the present invention. The farming system 10 (hereinafter, also referred to as “system 10”) can diagnose the growth of the crop 802 growing in the field 800 and spray the chemicals on the crop 802. The crop 802 of the present embodiment is rice (paddy rice), but other crops (for example, upland rice, wheat, barley) may be used.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system 10 has a field sensor group 20, a farming server 22, and a user terminal 26 in addition to the drone 24. The field sensor group 20, the drone 24, and the user terminal 26 can communicate wirelessly with each other via the communication network 30 (including the wireless base station 32) and can communicate with the farming server 22. As the wireless communication, communication that does not go through the wireless base station 32 (for example, LTE (LongTermEvolution), WiFi) can be used.

[A-1-2. Field sensor group 20]
The field sensor group 20 is installed in the field 800 as a paddy field, detects various data in the field 800, and provides the farming server 22 and the like. The field sensor group 20 includes, for example, a water temperature sensor, a temperature sensor, a precipitation sensor, an illuminance meter, an anemometer, a barometer, and a hygrometer. The water temperature sensor detects the water temperature of the field 800, which is a paddy field. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the field 800. The precipitation sensor detects the amount of precipitation in the field 800. The illuminometer detects the amount of sunshine in the field 800. The anemometer detects the wind speed of the field 800. The barometer detects the barometric pressure in the field 800. The hygrometer detects the humidity of the field 800. Some of the values of these sensors may be acquired from a weather information providing server or the like (not shown).

[A-1-3. Farming server 22]
(A-1-3-1. Overview)
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram simply showing the configuration of the farming server 22 according to the present embodiment. The farming server 22 performs a growth diagnosis using a growth diagnosis model, and gives a work instruction to the user based on the diagnosis result. The work instructions include the timing of fertilizer application, the type / amount of fertilizer, the timing of spraying pesticides, the type / amount of pesticides, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the farming server 22 has an input / output unit 50, a communication unit 52, a calculation unit 54, and a storage unit 56. The communication unit 52 has a modem or the like (not shown). The communication unit 52 can communicate with the field sensor group 20, the drone 24, the user terminal 26, and the like via the communication network 30.

The arithmetic unit 54 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and operates by executing a program stored in the storage unit 56. Some of the functions executed by the arithmetic unit 54 can also be realized by using a logic IC (Integrated Circuit). The arithmetic unit 54 may also configure a part of the program with hardware (circuit parts). The same applies to the calculation unit 192 of the drone 24 and the calculation unit 234 of the user terminal 26, which will be described later.

The storage unit 56 stores programs and data used by the arithmetic unit 54, and includes a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as “RAM”). As the RAM, a volatile memory such as a register and a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk and a flash memory can be used. Further, the storage unit 56 may have a read-only memory (ROM) in addition to the RAM. The same applies to the storage unit 194 of the drone 24 and the storage unit 236 of the user terminal 26, which will be described later.

(A-1--3-2. Calculation unit 54)
As shown in FIG. 2, the calculation unit 52 includes a growth diagnosis management unit 60, a drone flight management unit 62, and an image processing unit 64. The growth diagnosis management unit 60 performs a growth diagnosis using a growth diagnosis model. The drone flight management unit 62 manages the flight (route, etc.) of the drone 24. The image processing unit 64 processes the image taken by the drone 24 and calculates the growth state value of the crop 802.

(A-1--3-3. Storage unit 56)
The storage unit 56 stores the program and data used by the calculation unit 54 to realize the growth diagnosis management unit 60, the drone flight management unit 62, etc., and also stores the field database 80 (hereinafter referred to as “field DB 80”) and the growth unit 56. It has a diagnostic database 82 (hereinafter referred to as “growth diagnosis DB 82”). The field DB 80 accumulates information (flying field information) for each field 800 necessary for flight management of the drone 24. The flight field information includes, for example, the position information of the field 800.

The growth diagnosis DB 82 accumulates various information (growth diagnosis information) related to the growth diagnosis. The growth diagnosis information includes, for example, a growth diagnosis schedule, past diagnosis results (including types of crops 802 cultivated in the past, yield, waste rice rate), growth diagnosis model (coefficients, parameters including initial values, etc.). , Fertilization state, and photographed data (image of field 800) are included. The fertilizer application state includes the type, amount and application timing of the fertilizer that has already been applied. The fertilizer application state may include the type, amount and application timing of the fertilizer to be applied.

[A-1--4. Drone 24]
(A-1-4-1. Overview)
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram simply showing the configuration of the drone 24 and the user terminal 26 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the drone 24 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the drone 24 according to the present embodiment. The drone 24 of the present embodiment functions as a means for acquiring an image of the field 800 (crop 802) and also as a means for spraying a chemical (including liquid fertilizer) on the crop 802. The drone 24 takes off and landing at the departure and arrival point 810 (FIG. 1).

As shown in FIG. 3, the drone 24 has a drone sensor group 100, a communication unit 102, a flight mechanism 104, a photographing mechanism 106, a spraying mechanism 108, a drone control unit 110, and a battery 112.

(A-1-4-2. Drone sensor group 100)
The drone sensor group 100 includes a quasi-zenith satellite system sensor or a global positioning system sensor (hereinafter referred to as "GPS sensor"), a gyro sensor, a liquid level sensor, a speed meter (none of which is shown), an altitude meter 120, and a rotation. It has a sensor 122, a battery sensor 124, and the like. The quasi-zenith satellite system sensor or GPS sensor outputs the current position information of the drone 24. The gyro sensor detects the angular velocity of the drone 24. The liquid amount sensor detects the amount of liquid in the tank 180 (FIG. 5) of the spraying mechanism 108. The speedometer detects the flight speed of the drone 24.

The altimeter 120 detects altitude H (so-called ground level) as a distance to an object located below the drone 24. The rotation sensor 122 detects the rotation speed Vr of each propeller 130. The battery sensor 124 detects various state values of the battery 112. The state value here includes the temperature of the battery 112 (battery temperature Tbat), the internal resistance value (internal resistance value Rbat), and the like. In other words, the battery sensor 124 includes a plurality of sensors that detect various state values of the battery 112.

(A-1--4-3. Communication unit 102)
The communication unit 102 (FIG. 3) is capable of radio wave communication via the communication network 30 (FIG. 1), and includes, for example, a radio wave communication module. The communication unit 102 can communicate with the field sensor group 20, the farming server 22, the user terminal 26, etc. via the communication network 30 (including the wireless base station 32). The communication unit 102 also functions as a reverse rotation operation signal transmission means for transmitting a reverse rotation timing signal (described later) to the user terminal 26.

(A-1--4-4. Flight mechanism 104)
The flight mechanism 104 is a mechanism for flying the drone 24. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the flight mechanism 104 includes a plurality of propellers 130flu, 130fl, 130flu, 130fl, 130rlu, 130rll, 130rru, 130rrl (hereinafter collectively referred to as “propeller 130”) and a plurality of electric motors. 132fl, 132fl, 132fru, 132fl, 132rlu, 132rll, 132rru, 132rrl (hereinafter collectively referred to as "motor 132") and propeller guards 134fl, 134fr, 134rr, 134rr (hereinafter collectively referred to as "propeller guard 134"). Has.

Arrows A in FIGS. 4 to 5 indicate the traveling direction of the drone 24. As shown in FIG. 4, the propeller 130 of the present embodiment is a so-called counter-rotating type, in which two propellers 130 (for example, propellers 130flu and 130fl) are arranged coaxially, and the upper and lower propellers 130 are oriented in opposite directions. Rotate. In this embodiment, there are four sets of counter-rotating propellers 130.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each propeller 130 is arranged on four sides of the main body 70 by arms 138u, 138l, 140lu, 140ll, 140ru, 140rl extending from the main body 70 of the drone 24. That is, the propellers 132flu and 132fl are arranged in the front left, the propellers 132fr and 132fl are arranged in the front right, the propellers 132rlu and 132rll are arranged in the rear left, and the propellers 132rru and 132rrl are arranged in the rear right. Below the axis of rotation of the propeller 130, rod-shaped legs 142fl, 142fr, 142rr, and 142rr (hereinafter collectively referred to as "legs 142") extend.

The motor 132 is a means for rotating the propeller 130, and is provided for each propeller 130. A set of upper and lower propellers 130 (eg, propellers 130flu, 130fl) and their corresponding motors 132 (eg, motors 132flu, 132fl) are coaxial. A set of upper and lower motors 132 rotate in opposite directions. Hereinafter, the pair of the propeller 130 and the motor 132 is also referred to as a propeller unit U. Details of the motor 132 (internal structure, etc.) will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

(A-1-4-5. Imaging mechanism 106)
The photographing mechanism 106 (FIG. 3) is a mechanism for photographing an image of the field 800 or the crop 802, and has a camera 160. The camera 160 of the present embodiment is a multispectral camera, and in particular, acquires an image capable of analyzing the growth state of the crop 802. The photographing mechanism 106 may further include an irradiation unit that irradiates the field 800 with a light beam having a specific wavelength, and may be capable of receiving the reflected light from the field 800 with respect to the light beam. The light rays having a specific wavelength may be, for example, red light (wavelength of about 650 nm) and near-infrared light (wavelength of about 774 nm). By analyzing the reflected light of the light beam, the nitrogen absorption amount of the crop 802 can be estimated, and the growth state of the crop 802 can be analyzed based on the estimated nitrogen absorption amount.

The camera 160 outputs image data related to peripheral images taken around the drone 24. The camera 160 is a video camera that shoots a moving image. Alternatively, the camera 160 may be capable of capturing both moving images and still images, or only still images.

The orientation of the camera 160 (the posture of the camera 160 with respect to the main body 70 of the drone 24) can be adjusted by a camera actuator (not shown). Alternatively, the camera 160 may be fixed in position with respect to the main body 70 of the drone 24.

(A-1-4-6. Spraying mechanism 108)
The spraying mechanism 108 (FIG. 3) is a mechanism for spraying a chemical (including liquid fertilizer). As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the spraying mechanism 108 is collectively referred to as a tank 180, a pump 182, a pipe 184, a flow rate adjusting valve (not shown), and a drug nozzle 186l1, 186l2, 186r1, 186r2 (hereinafter, “nozzle 186”). ).

The tank 180 stores the chemicals (sprayed material) to be sprayed. The pump 182 pushes the medicine in the tank 180 into the pipe 184. The pipe 184 connects the tank 180 and each nozzle 186. Each nozzle 186 is a means (discharge port) for spraying the medicine downward.

(A-1-4-7. Drone control unit 110)
The drone control unit 110 (FIG. 3) controls the entire drone 24, such as flight, photographing, and spraying of a drug. As shown in FIG. 3, the drone control unit 110 includes an input / output unit 190, a calculation unit 192, and a storage unit 194.

The input / output unit 190 inputs / outputs signals to / from each unit of the drone 24. The calculation unit 192 includes a CPU and operates by executing a program stored in the storage unit 194. The storage unit 194 stores the program and data used by the calculation unit 192.

As shown in FIG. 3, the calculation unit 192 includes a flight control unit 200, an imaging control unit 202, and a spray control unit 204. The flight control unit 200 controls the flight of the drone 24 via the flight mechanism 104 (propeller 130, motor 132, etc.). The flight control unit 200 also functions as a motor control unit that controls the motor 132. The flight control unit 200 has a forward rotation control unit 210 and a reverse rotation control unit 212.

The forward rotation control unit 210 flies the drone 24 by executing a forward rotation operation of rotating the propeller 130 and the motor 132 in the forward direction when the drone 24 is in flight. The reverse rotation control unit 212 executes a reverse rotation operation of rotating the propeller 130 and the motor 132 in the reverse direction when the drone 24 is not flying, so that foreign matter (sand, pebbles, leaves, paddy) inside or around the motor 132 is executed. Etc.) are removed.

The shooting control unit 202 controls shooting by the drone 24 via the shooting mechanism 106. The spraying control unit 204 controls the drug spraying by the drone 24 via the spraying mechanism 108.

(A-1-4-8. Battery 112)
The battery 112 supplies electric power to each part of the drone 24. The battery 112 is made of a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery, for example. The electric power from the battery 112 is distributed to each part of the drone 24 by a power supply circuit (converter or the like) (not shown).

[A-1-5. User terminal 26]
The user terminal 26 (FIG. 1) operates or controls the drone 24 by the operation of the user 900 (FIG. 1) as an operator in the field 800, and also receives information (for example, position, drug amount, battery) from the drone 24. It is a portable information terminal (operation device) that displays the remaining amount, camera image, etc. In the present embodiment, the flight state (altitude H, attitude, etc.) of the drone 24 is not remotely controlled by the user terminal 26, but is autonomously controlled by the drone 24. Therefore, when a flight command is transmitted from the user 900 to the drone 24 via the user terminal 26, the drone 24 performs autonomous flight. However, manual operations may be possible during basic operations such as takeoff and return, and in emergencies.

As shown in FIG. 3, the user terminal 26 includes an input / output unit 230 (including a touch panel 240 and the like), a communication unit 232, a calculation unit 234, and a storage unit 236, and is composed of, for example, a general tablet terminal. .. The communication unit 232 functions as a reverse rotation operation signal receiving means for receiving a reverse rotation timing signal (described later) when the drone 24 (flying object) is not in flight. The touch panel 240 functions as a display unit or a display unit, and accepts user input by touch operation. The touch panel 240 functions as a flight command input means for the user to input a flight command to the drone 24. The calculation unit 234 functions as a monitoring unit that detects or estimates the state of the reverse rotation operation of the motor 310 and displays it on the touch panel 240.

Further, the user terminal 26 (touch panel 240) of the present embodiment receives and displays a work instruction or the like from the farming server 22. In addition to the user terminal 26 as the controller of the drone 24, another user terminal used by another user other than the operator (user 900) may be provided. The other user terminal receives and displays flight information of the drone 24 (current flight status, scheduled flight end time, etc.), work instructions for the user 900, growth diagnosis information, etc. from the farming server 22 or the drone 24. It can be a mobile information terminal. Alternatively, the other user terminal may be a terminal used by the user 900 or the like in order to use the growth diagnosis by the farming server 22 in a place other than the field 800 (for example, the company to which the user 900 belongs).

[A-1-6. Propeller 130 and motor 132]
(A-1-6-1. Overview)
FIG. 6 is a diagram simply showing the internal configurations of the propeller 130 and the motor 132 (propeller unit U) in the present embodiment. In FIG. 6, the upper propeller 130 and the motor 132 are the propeller 130u and the motor 132u, and the lower propeller 130 and the motor 132 are the propeller 130l and the motor 132l.

As described above, the motor 132 flies the drone 24 by rotating the propeller 130. The motor 132 in this embodiment is a three-phase AC type. In the present embodiment, the lower motor 132l and the upper motor 132u have different configurations. As the basic configuration of the motor 132, for example, the same configuration as in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-057797 (hereinafter referred to as “JP2019-057797A”) can be used.

FIG. 7 shows a typical air flow when the motors 132u and 132l are rotated in the forward directions D1u and D1l to make the drone 24 fly normally in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, when the drone 24 is normally flown, the upper motor 132u and the lower motor 132l are rotated in opposite directions (forward directions D1u, D1l). Along with this, downward airflows of 600u and 600l are generated near the center of the propellers 130u and 130l. As a result, a low-pressure region is generated above the propellers 130u and 130l, and a high-pressure region is generated below the propellers 130u and 130l, thereby obtaining lift.

Further, as the downward airflows 600u and 600l are generated near the center of the propellers 130u and 130l, the low pressure portion on the root side (including the inside of the motors 132u and 132l) and the tip side of the propellers 130u and 130l. An upward airflow (including airflows 602u and 602l inside the motors 132u and 132l) is generated. The upward airflows 602u and 602l are also promoted by the fans 416u and 416l.

FIG. 8 shows a typical air flow when the motors 132u and 132l are rotated in the reverse directions D2u and D2l in the present embodiment to perform a reverse rotation operation. As shown in FIG. 8, when performing the reverse rotation operation, the upper motor 132u and the lower motor 132l are rotated in opposite directions (reverse directions D2u, D2l). As a result, a low-pressure region is generated below the propellers 130u and 130l, and a high-pressure region is generated above the propellers 130u and 130l. Occurs. Further, downward airflows (including airflows 612u and 612l inside the motors 132u and 132l) are generated on the root side and the tip side of the propellers 130u and 130l. The downward airflows 612u and 612l generated on the root side of the propellers 130u and 130l (near the motors 132u and 132l) are also promoted by the fans 416u and 416l.

(A-1-6--2. Lower motor 132l)
As shown in FIG. 6, the lower motor 132l has a stator 300l and a rotor 400l arranged radially outside the stator 300l. The stator 300l has a stator body 310l, a plurality of coils 312l, a bearing 314l, a stator frame 316l, and an upstream filter 500l. The stator body 310l is a cylindrical member and supports a coil 312l, a bearing 314l, and a stator frame 316l. The stator body 310l also functions as a heat sink that releases the heat generated in the coil 312l.

The coil 312l is fixed to the stator body 310l along the circumferential direction. Each coil 312l is connected to a power source (not shown) in the drone body 70 (FIG. 4) via a power cable (not shown). An ESC (Electric Speed Controller) (not shown) is provided on the power cable. The bearing 314l rotatably supports the rotor shaft 412l of the rotor 400l.

The stator frame 316l has a hub 320l located at the center, a plurality of spokes 322l extending radially from the hub 320l, and a ring-shaped portion 324l connecting to each spoke 322l on the outside in the radial direction. An opening 326l is formed between the spokes 322l. The opening 326l opens in the axial direction of the motor 132l.

The upstream filter 500l is arranged in the opening 326l on the bottom surface side (opposite side of the propeller 130l) of the motor 132l to prevent foreign matter from entering the motor 132l. In other words, the upstream filter 500l is arranged below (upstream side) the gap d between the coil 312l of the stator 300l and the permanent magnet 414l of the rotor 400l and the stator body 310l.

The upstream filter 500l is a mesh (mesh member). More specifically, the upstream filter 500l is a metal mesh manufactured of punching metal, and the mesh shape is a hexagonal shape, but other filters may be used. The mesh size of the upstream filter 500l is smaller than the gap d between the coil 312l and the permanent magnet 414l.

The rotor 400l of the lower motor 132l has a rotor frame 410l, a rotor shaft 412l, a plurality of permanent magnets 414l, a downstream filter 502l, and a fan 416l. The rotor frame 410l is a cylindrical member having an opening on one side, and has a top surface portion 420l, a side surface portion 422l, and an opening portion 424l.

The top surface portion 420l has a hub 430l connected to the rotor shaft 412l, a plurality of spokes 432l extending radially from the hub 430l, and a ring-shaped portion 434l connecting to each spoke 432l on the outer side in the radial direction. An opening 436l is formed between the spokes 432l. The opening 436l opens in the axial direction of the motor 132l.

The rotor shaft 412 l is rotatably supported by the bearing 314 l of the stator 300 l, and is connected to the rotor frame 410 l and the propeller shaft 440 l. The permanent magnet 414l is arranged along the inside of the side surface portion 422l and faces the coil 312l of the stator 300l. The permanent magnet 414l is based on a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but is slightly curved along the inner surface of the side surface portion 422l. An annular back yoke 4c of JP2019-057797A ([0020] of JP2019-057797A, FIG. 2) may be provided around the permanent magnet 414l.

The downstream filter 502l is arranged at a position corresponding to the opening 436l of the rotor frame 410l to prevent foreign matter from entering the motor 132l. The downstream filter 502l is a metal mesh made of punching metal, and the mesh shape is a hexagonal shape, but other filters may be used. The mesh size of the downstream filter 502l is larger than the gap d between the coil 312l and the permanent magnet 414l.

As shown in FIG. 6, the fan 416l is formed on the rotor shaft 412l. When the lower motor 132l is rotated in the forward direction, the fan 416l generates an air flow 602l in the lower motor 132l from the lower side to the upper side (in other words, flowing in the direction of the rotor shaft 412l of the lower motor 132l). (See FIG. 7). Further, when the lower motor 132l is rotated in the reverse direction, the fan 416l generates an airflow 612l from the upper side to the lower side in the lower motor 132l (see FIG. 8). When the absolute value of the output of the motor 132l is equal, the absolute value of the maximum wind power value of the fan 416l is larger during the reverse rotation operation than during the forward rotation operation.

(A-1-6-3. Upper motor 132u)
As shown in FIG. 6, the upper motor 132u has a stator 300u and a rotor 400u. Among the components of the upper motor 132u, the same components as those of the lower motor 132l are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The stator 300u has a stator body 310u, a plurality of coils 312u, a bearing 314u, a stator frame 316u, and a downstream filter 502u. The stator frame 316u has a hub 320u, a plurality of spokes 322u, and a ring-shaped portion 324u, and an opening 326u is formed between the spokes 322u. The downstream filter 502u is arranged at the opening 326u.

The rotor 400u of the upper motor 132u has a rotor frame 410u, a rotor shaft 412u, a plurality of permanent magnets 414u, an upstream filter 500u, and a fan 416u. The rotor frame 410u has a top surface portion 420u, a side surface portion 422u, and an opening portion 424u. The top surface portion 420l has a hub 430u, a plurality of spokes 432u, and a ring-shaped portion 434u. An opening 436u is formed between the spokes 432u. The upstream filter 500u is arranged at the opening 436u.

As shown in FIG. 7, the directions of the airflows 600u and 600l are the same in both the upper propeller unit (propeller 130u and motor 132u) and the lower propeller unit (propeller 130l and motor 132l). Therefore, it should be noted that the stator 300l of the lower motor 132l is provided with the upstream filter 500l, whereas the stator 300u of the upper motor 132u is provided with the downstream filter 502u. Similarly, it should be noted that the rotor 400l of the lower motor 132l is provided with the downstream filter 502l, whereas the rotor 400u of the upper motor 132u is provided with the upstream filter 500u.

Similar to the upstream filter 500l of the lower motor 132l, the upstream filter 500u of the upper motor 132u has a mesh size smaller than the gap d between the coil 312u and the permanent magnet 414u. Similar to the downstream filter 502l of the lower motor 132l, the downstream filter 502u of the upper motor 132u has a mesh size larger than the gap d.

In addition, during forward rotation (FIG. 7) and reverse rotation (FIG. 8) of the motors 132u and 132l, the direction of the airflows 602u and 612u generated by the fan 416u of the upper motor 132u is such that the fan 416l of the lower motor 132l It is the same as the direction of the generated airflows 602l and 612l.

<A-2. Control of this embodiment>
[A-2-1. Overview]
In the farming server 22 of this embodiment, growth diagnosis control and flight management control are performed. The growth diagnosis control is a control for performing a growth diagnosis using a growth diagnosis model. The growth diagnosis referred to here includes, for example, an estimated value (estimated yield) of the yield for each field 800. Further, in the growth diagnosis control, work instructions regarding water management, fertilization, chemical spraying, etc. of the field 800 as a paddy field are also given. The work instruction is displayed on, for example, the touch panel 240 of the user terminal 26. In the growth diagnosis model, the yield of crop 802 (paddy rice), the red light absorption rate, the number of paddy, the effective light receiving area ratio, the amount of accumulated starch in the paddy, and the protein content in the paddy can be calculated.

Flight management control is a control that manages the flight of the drone 24. In the flight management control, the flight timing, flight path, target speed, target altitude, shooting method of the shooting mechanism 106, spraying method of the spraying mechanism 108, etc. of the drone 24 are set based on the work instructions in the growth diagnosis control. ..

In the drone 24 of the present embodiment, flight control, imaging control, and drug spraying control are performed. The flight control is a control for flying the drone 24 in the field 800 for photographing, spraying chemicals, and the like. In flight control, the flight control unit 200 controls the flight mechanism 104 based on a command from the farming server 22. In this embodiment, reverse rotation control is performed as part of flight control. The reverse rotation control is a control in which the propeller 130 and the motor 132 are rotated in the reverse direction in order to discharge foreign matter. The details of the reverse rotation control will be described later with reference to FIG.

The shooting control is a control in which an image of the field 800 (or crop 802) is acquired by the camera 160 of the drone 24 and transmitted to the farming server 22. In the photographing control, the photographing control unit 202 controls the photographing mechanism 106 based on the command from the farming server 22. The field image transmitted to the farming server 22 is image-processed and used for growth diagnosis. The chemical spraying control is a control for spraying a chemical (including liquid fertilizer) using the drone 24. In the chemical spraying control, the spraying control unit 204 controls the spraying mechanism 108 based on the command from the farming server 22.

[A-2-2. Reverse rotation control]
As described above, the reverse rotation control is a control for rotating the propeller 130 and the motor 132 in the reverse direction in order to discharge foreign matter, and is a part of the flight control. By rotating the propeller 130 and the motor 132 in the reverse direction, an air flow opposite to that during normal flight is generated (FIG. 8). In the present embodiment, since the fans 416u and 416l for reverse rotation control are provided inside the motors 132u and 132l (FIG. 6), relatively strong airflows 612u and 612l can be generated inside the motors 132u and 132l. can.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the reverse rotation control of the present embodiment. The reverse rotation control of the present embodiment is basically mainly executed by the drone control unit 110 (FIG. 3) of the drone 24. It should be noted that some of the reverse rotation controls shown in FIG. 9 may overlap with other controls in flight control.

In step S11, the drone control unit 110 (flight control unit 200) determines whether or not the takeoff command has been received. The takeoff command is input by the user 900 operating the user terminal 26. When the takeoff command is received (S11: true), in step S12, the drone control unit 110 (reverse rotation control unit 212) executes the pre-takeoff reverse rotation process.

The pre-takeoff reverse rotation process is a process of reverse-rotating the propellers 130u and 130l and the motors 132u and 132l before the drone 24 takes off. The time for reverse rotation of the propellers 130u and 130l and the motors 132u and 132l is, for example, 2 to 10 seconds. Further, the output at the time of reverse rotation is, for example, in the range of 15 to 50% at the time of forward rotation. In the reverse rotation process before takeoff, the drone 24 transmits a reverse rotation timing signal notifying that the reverse rotation is in progress (or the timing of the reverse rotation operation) to the user terminal 26. The user terminal 26 that has received the reverse rotation timing signal displays on the touch panel 240 that the reverse rotation is in progress. As a result, the user can recognize that the drone 24 is in the reverse rotation process.

In step S13, the drone control unit 110 performs a normal flight. Normal flight here includes takeoff and landing movements.

In step S14, the drone control unit 110 determines whether or not the drone 24 has landed. The determination is made based on, for example, the altitude H detected by the altimeter 120 or the rotation speed Vr of the propeller 130 detected by the rotation sensor 122. The landing referred to here is, for example, a state in which a part of the leg 142 (FIG. 4) is in contact with the ground, a state in which the leg 142 is in contact with the ground and the aircraft of the drone 24 is stationary, or a state in which the leg 142 is in contact with the ground. Any state in which the machine of the drone 24 is stationary and the forward rotation operation of the propeller 130 is stopped may be used. If not landing (S14: false), the drone control unit 110 continues the normal flight of the drone 24. When landing (S14: true), the process proceeds to step S15.

In step S15, the drone control unit 110 (reverse rotation control unit 212) performs reverse rotation processing after landing. The post-landing reverse rotation process is a process of reverse-rotating the propellers 130u and 130l and the motors 132u and 132l after the drone 24 has landed. The time for reverse rotation of the propellers 130u and 130l and the motors 132u and 132l is, for example, 2 to 10 seconds. Further, the output at the time of reverse rotation is, for example, in the range of 15 to 50% at the time of forward rotation. In the reverse rotation process after landing, the drone 24 transmits a reverse rotation timing signal notifying that the reverse rotation is in progress (or the timing of the reverse rotation operation) to the user terminal 26. The user terminal 26 that has received the reverse rotation timing signal displays on the touch panel 240 (display unit) that the reverse rotation is in progress. As a result, the user can recognize that the drone 24 is in the reverse rotation process.

In FIG. 9, an example in which both the pre-takeoff reverse rotation process (S12) and the post-landing reverse rotation process (S12) are performed is shown, but the reverse rotation process should be performed at least either before takeoff or after landing. Therefore, it becomes possible to discharge the foreign matter adhering to the motors 132u, 132l and the like.

<A-3. Effect of this embodiment>
According to the present embodiment, the motors 132u and 132l and the propellers 130u and 130l are rotated in the opposite directions when the drone 24 (aircraft) is not in flight (S12 and S15 in FIGS. 8 and 9). This makes it possible to generate airflows 612u, 612l in the direction opposite to those during flight in or around the motors 132u, 132l, and to facilitate the release of foreign matter inside or around the motors 132u, 132l. ..

In the present embodiment, the drone 24 (flying object) includes fans 416u and 416l (airflow generating part) that generate airflows 612u and 612l inside the motors 132u and 132l (FIG. 6). This makes it possible to easily release foreign matter inside or around the motors 132u and 132l during the reverse rotation operation.

In the present embodiment, when the absolute values of the outputs of the motors 132u and 132l are equal, the absolute value of the maximum wind power value of the fans 416u and 416l (air flow generator) is larger during the reverse rotation operation than during the forward rotation operation. .. As a result, by increasing the airflow 612u and 612l inside the motors 132u and 132l during the reverse rotation operation, it becomes possible to facilitate the release of foreign matter inside or around the motors 132u and 132l.

In the present embodiment, the fans 416u and 416l (airflow generating part) generate airflows 602u and 602l in the opposite directions to those in the reverse rotation operation during the forward rotation operation (FIG. 7). As a result, it is possible to discharge foreign matter or cool the motors 132u and 132l by generating airflows 602u and 602l inside the motors 132u and 132l even during the forward rotation operation.

In the present embodiment, the fans 416u and 416l (airflow generating part) are provided in the rotors 400u and 400l of the motors 132u and 132l (FIG. 6). This facilitates the generation of airflows 612u and 612l in the motors 132u and 132l.

In the present embodiment, the fans 416u, 416l (airflow generating unit) generate airflows 602u, 602l, 612u, 612l flowing in the direction of the rotation axis of the motors 132u, 132l (FIGS. 7 and 8). This facilitates the release of foreign matter inside or around the motors 132u and 132l to the outside.

In the present embodiment, the fans 416u and 416l (airflow generating part) generate airflows 602u and 602l flowing from the lower side to the upper side of the drone 24 (aircraft body) during the forward rotation operation (FIG. 7). Further, the fans 416u and 416l generate airflows 612u and 612l flowing from the upper side to the lower side of the drone 24 during the reverse rotation operation (FIG. 8). As a result, during the reverse rotation operation, the airflows 612u and 612l in the opposite directions to those during the forward rotation operation are generated, so that foreign matter inside or around the motors 132u and 132l can be easily discharged to the outside.

In the present embodiment, the reverse rotation control unit 212 executes the reverse rotation operation when a command to start takeoff is issued to the drone 24 (aircraft) (S11: true in FIG. 9). This makes it possible to facilitate the release of foreign matter inside or around the motors 132u and 132l before the start of takeoff of the drone 24.

In the present embodiment, the reverse rotation control unit 212 executes the reverse rotation operation after the drone 24 (aircraft) has landed (S14: true in FIG. 9) (S15). This makes it possible to facilitate the release of foreign matter inside or around the motors 132u and 132l after the drone 24 has landed.

In the present embodiment, the reverse rotation control unit 212 transmits a reverse rotation timing signal notifying the timing of the reverse rotation operation to the user terminal 26 in which the user operates the drone 24 (flying object) (S12, S15 in FIG. 9). ). As a result, it becomes possible for the user terminal 26 to display that the reverse rotation operation is in progress, and it is possible to alert the user to the reverse rotation of the propeller 130.

In the present embodiment, the motors 132u and 132l are arranged on the upstream side of the gap d between the coils 312u and 312l and the permanent magnets 414u and 414l with reference to the airflows 602u and 602l inside the motors 132u and 132l during the forward rotation operation. The net-like upstream filters 500l and 500u are provided (FIGS. 6 and 7). Further, the mesh size of the upstream filters 500l and 500u is smaller than that of the gap d in front of the gap d. This makes it easier to prevent foreign matter from entering the gap d during flight of the drone 24 (flying object). Further, the foreign matter captured by the upstream filters 500l and 500u during the flight of the drone 24 can be discharged by the airflows 612u and 612l due to the reverse rotation of the propeller 130 during non-flight.

In the present embodiment, the motors 132u and 132l are arranged on the downstream side of the gap d between the coils 312u and 312l and the permanent magnets 414u and 414l with reference to the airflows 602u and 602l inside the motors 132u and 132l during the forward rotation operation. It is provided with the opened openings 326u and 436l (downstream side openings) and the reticulated downstream side filters 502u and 502l arranged in the openings 326u and 436l (FIG. 6). Further, at the positions of the openings 326u and 436l, the mesh size of the downstream filters 502u and 502l is larger than the gap d. As a result, relatively small foreign matter that has entered the gap d during the flight of the drone 24 (flying object) can be easily discharged to the outside of the motors 132u and 132l through the openings 326u and 436l. Further, it becomes easy to prevent a relatively large foreign matter from entering the inside of the motors 132u and 132l when the reverse rotation operation during non-flight is executed.

In the present embodiment, the upstream filters 500u and 500l and the downstream filters 502u and 502l are arranged substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the motors 132u and 132l (FIG. 6). As a result, the airflows 602u, 602l, 612u, and 612l inside the motors 132u and 132l are along the axial direction of the motors 132u and 132l, so that the airflows 602u, 602l, 612u and 612l can easily flow.

In the present embodiment, the stator 300l of the lower motor 132l includes a stator body 310l (heat sink) that releases heat generated by the stator 300l (FIG. 6). With reference to the airflows 602u and 602l during the forward rotation operation, the upstream filter 500l is located on the upstream side of the stator body 310l in addition to the upstream side of the gap d (FIG. 6). This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the stator frame 316l.

B. Modifications The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and it goes without saying that various configurations can be adopted based on the contents described in the present specification. For example, the following configuration can be adopted.

<B-1. Farming system 10>
The farming system 10 of the above embodiment had components as shown in FIG. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, from the viewpoint of discharging foreign matter inside or around the motors 132u and 132l. For example, the farming system 10 may have only the drone 24 and the user terminal 26. In that case, the operation of the drone 24 during flight may be controlled by the user terminal 26.

<B-2. Drone 24>
In the above embodiment, the drone 24 imaged the crop 802 and sprayed the drug (FIG. 1). However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, from the viewpoint of discharging foreign matter inside or around the motors 132u and 132l. For example, the drone 24 may be one that performs only one of imaging of crop 802 and spraying of a drug. Alternatively, the drone 24 may be used for other purposes (for example, aerial photography other than growth diagnosis).

In the drone 24 of the above embodiment, the propeller units U (propellers 130u and 130l and motors 132u and 132l) are arranged so that the propellers 130u and 130l face each other (FIGS. 4 to 6). However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, from the viewpoint of discharging foreign matter inside or around the motors 132u and 132l. For example, the propeller unit U may be arranged so that the bottom surfaces of the motors 132u and 132l (stator frames 316u and 316l) face each other. Alternatively, a method other than the counter-rotating method may be used. For example, the drone 24 may have only the combination of the lower propeller 130l and the motor 132l or only the combination of the upper propeller 130u and the motor 132u.

<B-3. Propeller unit U (propeller 130 and motor 132)>
In the above embodiment, the propeller unit U (propeller 130 and motor 132) has the configuration shown in FIG. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, from the viewpoint of discharging foreign matter inside or around the motors 132u and 132l.

[B-3-1. First modification]
FIG. 10 is a diagram simply showing the internal configurations of the propellers 130au and 130al and the motors 132au and 132al (propeller unit Ua) of the first modification. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a typical air flow when the drones 24 are normally flown by rotating the motors 132au and 132al in the forward directions D1u and D1l in the first modification. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a typical air flow when the motor 132 is rotated in the reverse directions D2u and D2l to perform the reverse rotation operation in the first modification. The lower motor 132al has a stator 300al and a rotor 400al, and the upper motor 132au has a stator 300au and a rotor 400au. The same reference numerals are given to the same components as in the above embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted (the same applies to the second and third modifications described later).

Similar to the propellers 130u and 130l of the above embodiment, the propellers 130au and 130al of the first modification generate downward airflows 620u and 620l during normal flight (normal rotation) (FIG. 11). Further, the propellers 130au and 130al generate upward airflows 630u and 630l during the reverse rotation process (during reverse rotation) (FIG. 12).

In the above embodiment, upward airflows 602u and 602l are generated inside the motors 132u and 132l with the forward rotation of the propellers 130u and 130l (rotation of the forward directions D1u and D1l) (FIG. 7). On the other hand, in the first modification, downward airflows 622u and 622l are generated inside the motors 132au and 132al along with the forward rotation of the propellers 130au and 130al (rotation of the forward directions D1u and D1l) (FIG. 11).

This is because the lengths of the propellers 130au and 130al are relatively short, so that downward airflows 620u and 620l generated by the propellers 130au and 130al are also generated inside the motors 132au and 132al. In addition, in the first modification, the fans 416au and 416al are configured to generate airflows 622u and 622l downward when the motors 132au and 132al are rotating in the forward direction.

Similarly, in the above embodiment, downward airflows 612u and 612l are generated inside the motors 132u and 132l with the reverse rotation of the propellers 130u and 130l (rotation of the reverse directions D2u and D2l) (FIG. 8). On the other hand, in the first modification, upward airflows 632u and 632l are generated inside the motors 132au and 132al along with the reverse rotation of the propellers 130au and 130al (rotation of the reverse directions D2u and D2l) (FIG. 12).

This is because the lengths of the propellers 130au and 130al are relatively short, so that the upward airflows 630u and 630l generated by the propellers 130au and 130al are also generated inside the motors 132au and 132al. In addition, in the first modification, the fans 416au and 416al are configured to generate airflows 622u and 622l upward when the motors 132au and 132al are rotating in the opposite directions.

As described above, in the first modification, the direction of the airflow is opposite to that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the positions of the upstream filter 500al and the downstream filter 502al in the lower motor 132al of the first modification are opposite to those of the upstream filter 500l and the downstream filter 502l in the lower motor 132l of the above embodiment. Similarly, the positions of the upstream filter 500au and the downstream filter 502al in the upper motor 132au of the first modification are opposite to those of the upstream filter 500u and the downstream filter 502u in the upper motor 132u of the above embodiment.

According to the propeller unit Ua of the first modification, the following effects can be obtained in addition to or in place of the effects of the above embodiment.

In the first modification, the fans 416au and 416al generate airflows 622u and 622l that flow from the upper side to the lower side of the drone 24 (aircraft) during the forward rotation operation (FIG. 11). Further, the fans 416au and 416al generate airflows 632u and 632l flowing in the direction of the rotation axis of the motor 132 flowing from the lower side to the upper side of the drone 24 during the reverse rotation operation (FIG. 12). As a result, during the reverse rotation operation, an air flow in the opposite direction to that during the forward rotation operation is generated, so that foreign matter inside or around the motors 132au and 132al can be easily discharged to the outside.

[B-3-2. Second variant]
FIG. 13 is a diagram simply showing the internal configurations of the propellers 130bu and 130bl and the motors 132bu and 132bl (propeller unit Ub) of the second modification. FIG. 14 shows a typical air flow when the motors 132bu and 132bl are rotated in the forward directions D1u and D1l to make the drone 24 fly normally in the second modification. FIG. 15 shows a typical air flow when the motors 132bu and 132bl are rotated in the reverse directions D2u and D2l to perform the reverse rotation operation in the second modification. The lower motor 132bl has a stator 300bl and a rotor 400bl, and the upper motor 132bu has a stator 300bu and a rotor 400bu.

Similar to the propellers 130u and 130l of the above embodiment, the propellers 130bu and 130bl of the second modification generate downward airflows 640u and 640l during normal flight (normal rotation) (FIG. 14). Further, the propellers 130bu and 130bl generate an upward airflow of 650u and 650l during the reverse rotation process (during reverse rotation) (FIG. 15).

In the lower motor 132l of the above embodiment, the downstream filter 502l is provided on the top surface side of the lower motor 132l (top surface portion 420l of the rotor frame 410l) (FIG. 6). On the other hand, in the lower motor 132bl of the second modification, the downstream filter 502bl is provided on the side surface side of the lower motor 132bl (side surface portion 422bl of the rotor frame 410bl) (FIG. 13). In other words, in the second modification, the opening 436l of the top surface portion 420bl of the rotor frame 410bl is not provided, and another opening 438bl is provided in the side surface portion 422bl. The downstream opening 438bl is a notch that penetrates the rotor 400bl so that the radial inside of the rotor 400bl and the radial outside of the rotor 400bl communicate with each other. No opening is provided in the top surface portion 420bl.

Similarly, in the upper motor 132u of the above embodiment, the downstream filter 502u is provided on the bottom surface side (stator frame 316u) of the upper motor 132u (FIG. 6). On the other hand, in the upper motor 132bu of the second modification, the downstream filter 502bu is provided on the side surface side of the upper motor 132bu (side surface portion 422bu of the rotor frame 410bu) (FIG. 13). In other words, in the second modification, the stator 300bu is not provided with the opening 326u, while the side surface portion 422bu of the rotor frame 410bu is provided with the opening 438bu. The downstream opening 436bu is a notch penetrating the rotor 400bu so that the radial inside of the rotor 400bu and the radial outside of the rotor 400bu communicate with each other. No opening is provided in the stator frame 316bu on the upper motor 132bu side.

The size of the openings 438bu and 438bl is larger than the gap d between the coils 312u and 312l and the permanent magnets 414u and 414l. Further, the openings 438bu and 438bl penetrate the side surface portions 422bu and 422bl in the radial direction of the rotors 400bu and 400bl.

In the above embodiment, upward airflows 602u and 602l are generated inside the motors 132u and 132l with the forward rotation of the propellers 130u and 130l (rotation of the forward directions D1u and D1l) (FIG. 7). On the other hand, in the second modification, airflows 642u and 624l are generated inside the motors 132bu and 132bl with the forward rotation of the propellers 130bu and 130bl (rotation of the forward directions D1u and D1l) (FIG. 14). The airflows 642u and 624l move upward and then outward in the radial direction.

In the second modification, the top surface portion 420bl and the stator frame 316bu of the rotor frame 410bl are closed and there is no opening, and the opening portions 438bu and 438bl are formed in the side surface portions 422bu and 422bl of the rotor frames 410bu and 410bl. Because it is.

Similarly, in the above embodiment, downward airflows 612u and 612l are generated inside the motors 132u and 132l with the reverse rotation of the propellers 130u and 130l (rotation of the reverse directions D2u and D2l) (FIG. 8). On the other hand, in the second modification, airflows 652u and 652l are generated inside the motors 132bu and 132bl with the reverse rotation of the propellers 130bu and 130bl (rotation of the reverse directions D2u and D2l) (FIG. 15). The airflows 652u and 652l move inward in the radial direction and then move downward.

According to the propeller unit Ub of the second modification, the following effects can be obtained in addition to or in place of the effects of the above embodiment.

In the propeller unit Ub of the second modification, the rotors 400bu and 400bl are arranged radially outside the stators 300bu and 300bl (FIG. 13). The downstream opening 438bu, 438bl is a notch penetrating the rotor 400bu, 400bl so that the radial inside of the rotor 400bu, 400bl and the radial outside of the rotor 400bu, 400bl communicate with each other (FIG. 13). As a result, foreign matter that has entered the motors 132bu and 132bl can be discharged from the side surfaces of the motors 132bu and 132bl. Therefore, it is possible to prevent rainwater or the like from entering the motors 132bu and 132bl.

[B-3-3. Third variant]
FIG. 16 is a diagram simply showing the internal configurations of the propellers 130cu and 130cl and the motors 132cu and 132cl (propeller unit Uc) of the third modification. The lower motor 132cl has a stator 300cl and a rotor 400cl, and the upper motor 132cu has a stator 300cu and a rotor 400cu. In the propeller unit U (propellers 130u and 130l and motors 132u and 132l) of the above embodiment, the fans 416u and 416l are provided on the rotor shafts 412u and 421l and arranged in the motors 132u and 132l (FIG. 6). On the other hand, in the propeller unit Uc of the third modification, the fans 416cu and 416cl are provided on the propeller shafts 440u and 440l and are arranged outside the motors 132cu and 132cl (FIG. 16).

The direction of the airflow generated by the propellers 130cu and 130cl of the third modification during normal flight (normal rotation) and reverse rotation processing (reverse rotation) is the same as that of the above embodiment (FIGS. 7 and 8). Therefore, the illustration is omitted.

Further, in the propeller unit U of the above embodiment, the upstream filter 500l of the lower motor 132l and the downstream filter 502u of the upper motor 132u cover the stator bodies 310l and 310u (FIG. 6). On the other hand, in the propeller unit Uc of the third modification, the upstream filter 500cl of the lower motor 132cl and the downstream filter 502cu of the upper motor 132cu are provided in the opening 326cl and 326cu of the stator frame 316cl and 316cu. The stator bodies 310l and 310u (heat sinks) are avoided (FIG. 16). As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the airflow that hits the stator body 310l from being blocked by the upstream filter 500cl, and to improve the cooling performance.

[B-3-4. others]
The rotors 400u and 400l of the above embodiment are arranged outside the stators 300u and 300l (FIG. 6). However, for example, from the viewpoint of performing reverse rotation operation during non-flight, the rotors 400u and 400l may be arranged inside the stators 300u and 300l. The same applies to the propeller units Ua, Ub, and Uc of the first to third modifications.

In the above embodiment, the upstream filter 500l covers both the gap d between the coil 312l and the permanent magnet 414l and the stator body 310l (FIG. 6). Then, the size of the mesh of the upstream filter 500l was made smaller than the gap d in both the gap d and the lower part of the stator body 310. However, for example, from the viewpoint of preventing foreign matter from entering the gap d, the mesh size of the upstream filter 500l below the stator body 310l may be larger than the gap d. This makes it possible to smooth the airflows 602l and 612l around the stator frame 316l, prevent foreign matter from entering the stator frame 316l, and improve the cooling performance of the stator 300l. The same applies to the propeller units Ua, Ub, and Uc of the first to third modifications.

In the propeller unit U of the above embodiment, upstream filters 500l and 500u and downstream filters 502l and 502l are provided (FIG. 6). However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, from the viewpoint of performing a reverse rotation operation during non-flight. For example, one or both of the upstream filters 500l and 500u and the downstream filters 502l and 502l may be omitted. The same applies to the propeller units Ua, Ub, and Uc of the first to third modifications.

In the propeller unit U of the above embodiment, fans 416u and 416l are provided (FIG. 6). However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, from the viewpoint of performing a reverse rotation operation during non-flight. For example, one or both of the fans 416u and 416l may be omitted. The same applies to the propeller units Ua, Ub, and Uc of the first to third modifications.

In the above embodiment, the motors 132u and 132l are applied to the drone 24 (FIGS. 4 and 5). However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, from the viewpoint of providing the upstream filters 500l and 500u or the downstream filters 502l and 502l in the motors 132u and 132l. For example, the motors 132u and 132l may be used for other purposes. The same applies to the motors 132au, 132al, 132bu, 132bl, 132cu, 132cl of the first to third modifications.

<B-4. Reverse rotation control>
In the reverse rotation control of the above embodiment, the touch panel 240 (display unit) of the user terminal 26 is displayed to indicate that the reverse rotation operation is in progress (S12, S15 in FIG. 9). However, for example, from the viewpoint of notifying the user 600 of the reverse rotation operation, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the speaker (not shown) of the user terminal 26 may output voice to the effect that the reverse rotation operation is in progress. Alternatively, from the viewpoint of performing the reverse rotation operation during non-flight, it is possible to omit the notification during the reverse rotation operation on the user terminal 26.

In the reverse rotation control of the above embodiment, the reverse rotation process before takeoff and the reverse rotation process after landing were performed (FIG. 9). However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, from the viewpoint of performing a reverse rotation operation during non-flight. For example, only one of the reverse rotation process before takeoff and the reverse rotation process after landing may be performed.

In the above embodiment, the flight control unit 200 of the drone 24 performed reverse rotation control (FIGS. 3 and 9). However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, from the viewpoint of performing a reverse rotation operation during non-flight. For example, the main body of the reverse rotation control may be the farming server 22.

In the above embodiment, when the takeoff command is received (S11: true in FIG. 9), the reverse rotation process before landing is performed (S12). In other words, when the takeoff command was received, the reverse rotation process before landing was always performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, from the viewpoint of performing a reverse rotation operation before landing during non-flight.

FIG. 17 is a configuration diagram simply showing the configuration of the drone 24a according to the modified example, which executes the reverse rotation control (FIG. 18) of the modified example. Among the drone 24a and other components, the same components as those in the above embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 17, the drone control unit 110a of the drone 24a has an input / output unit 190, a calculation unit 192a, and a storage unit 194. The calculation unit 192a includes a flight control unit 200a, an imaging control unit 202, and a spray control unit 204. The flight control unit 200a includes a forward rotation control unit 210 and a reverse rotation control unit 212a. The reverse rotation control unit 212a includes a first determination unit 220 that determines the necessity of the reverse rotation operation when the drone 24a is not flying, and a second determination unit 222 that determines the necessity of the reverse rotation operation when the drone 24a is in flight. Have.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of the reverse rotation control of the modified example. In step S21, the drone control unit 110a (flight control unit 200a) determines whether or not the takeoff command has been received. The determination is performed in the same manner as in step S11 of FIG. When the takeoff command is received (S21: true), the process proceeds to step S22.

In step S22, the drone control unit 110a (first determination unit 220) determines whether or not the temperature of the battery 112 (battery temperature Tbat) is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold THt1. In other words, the drone control unit 110a (first determination unit 220) determines whether or not pre-takeoff warm-up operation is necessary. The battery temperature Tbat may be either a measured value or an estimated value. Further, the first temperature threshold THt1 is a threshold for determining whether the battery 112 is sufficiently warmed up.

The necessity of warm-up operation before takeoff may be determined by using the internal resistance value Rbat [Ω] of the battery 112 instead of or in addition to the battery temperature Tbat. The internal resistance value Rbat can be measured by passing a test current having a predetermined waveform through the battery 112. If the internal resistance value Rbat is equal to or less than the first resistance threshold value, it is determined that the pre-takeoff warm-up operation is unnecessary.

If the battery temperature Tbat is not equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold THt1 (S22: false), warm-up operation before takeoff is required, so the process proceeds to step S23.

In step S23, the drone control unit 110a (flight control unit 200a) executes pre-takeoff warm-up operation. The pre-takeoff warm-up operation includes a pre-takeoff reverse rotation process (S12 in FIG. 9). As described above, the pre-takeoff reverse rotation process is a process of reverse-rotating the propeller 130 and the motors 132u and 132l before the drone 24 takes off.

Further, the pre-takeoff warm-up operation may include a warm-up process (other warm-up process) other than the pre-takeoff reverse rotation process. As such another warm-up process, a process of rotating some of the motors 132u and 132l in the reverse direction while causing the remaining motors 132u and 132l to rotate forward can be used. Alternatively, as another warm-up process, a process of supplying invalid power to the remaining motors 132u and 132l while rotating some of the motors 132u and 132l in the reverse direction (a process of supplying power but not rotating the remaining motors 132u and 132l). Processing) may be used. Alternatively, a process of supplying electric power to an external load (not shown) such as a heater may be used while rotating all or part of the motors 132u and 132l in the reverse direction.

Note that, for example, focusing on the viewpoint of performing warm-up operation before takeoff, it is possible to perform the other warm-up process described above without the reverse rotation process before takeoff. In that case, all or part of the motors 132u and 132l may be rotated forward as long as the drone 24 does not take off. Alternatively, reactive power may be supplied to all or part of the motors 132u and 132l.

However, when the motors 132u and 132l are rotated forward, it is necessary to suppress the rotation speed [rpm] so that the drone 24 does not take off. On the other hand, when the motors 132u and 132l are rotated in the reverse direction, the lift force is generated downward, so that the drone 24 does not take off and it is not necessary to suppress the rotation speed in relation to the lift force. Therefore, when the motors 132u and 132l are rotated in the reverse direction, the warm-up speed can be increased or the warm-up operation time can be shortened. Further, when only the reverse rotation operation is used, an additional load can be eliminated.

Further, for example, when the reverse rotation operation accelerates the deterioration of the propeller 130 or the motor 132 as compared with the forward rotation operation, the reverse rotation operation of the motor 132 is performed according to the deviation ΔT1 between the first temperature threshold THt1 and the battery temperature Tbat. It is also possible to use forward motion properly. Specifically, when the deviation ΔT1 is larger than the deviation threshold THΔt1, it is assumed that it takes a longer time for the battery temperature Tbat to reach the first temperature threshold THt1. In such a case, the motor 132 is rotated in the reverse direction to increase the warm-up speed. On the other hand, when the deviation ΔT1 is smaller than the deviation threshold THΔt1, it is assumed that it takes a shorter time for the battery temperature Tbat to reach the first temperature threshold THt1. In such a case, deterioration of the propeller 130 or the motor 132 may be suppressed while the motor 132 is rotated forward to reduce the warm-up speed.

After performing the pre-takeoff warm-up operation (S23 in FIG. 18) for a predetermined period, the process returns to step S22. Therefore, the pre-takeoff warm-up operation is repeated until the battery temperature Tbat reaches the first temperature threshold THt1. Instead of repeating steps S22 and S23 until the battery temperature Tbat reaches the first temperature threshold THt1, the execution period (timer) of the pre-takeoff warm-up operation according to the deviation ΔT1 between the first temperature threshold THt1 and the battery temperature Tbat. ) Is set, and the warm-up operation before takeoff can be continued until the execution period elapses. In such a case, the process immediately proceeds to step S24 after one step S23.

When the battery temperature Tbat is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold THt1 (S22: true), the pre-takeoff warm-up operation is unnecessary or completed, so the process proceeds to step S24, and the drone control unit 110 performs normal flight.

In step S25, the drone control unit 110a (second determination unit 222) determines whether or not the battery temperature Tbat is equal to or higher than the second temperature threshold THt2. In other words, the drone control unit 110a (second determination unit 222) determines whether or not warm-up operation during flight is necessary. The second temperature threshold THt2 is a threshold for determining whether the battery 112 is sufficiently warmed up, and may be set to a value lower than the first temperature threshold THt1 in consideration of the hysteresis characteristic.

Similar to the determination of the necessity of the warm-up operation before takeoff, the necessity of the warm-up operation during flight may be determined by using the internal resistance value Rbat of the battery 112 instead of or in addition to the battery temperature Tbat. However, when a test current having a predetermined waveform is passed through the battery 112 to measure the internal resistance value Rbat during flight, it is necessary to superimpose the test current while supplying the power (or current) required for flight. If the internal resistance value Rbat is equal to or less than the second resistance threshold value, it is determined that the warm-up operation during flight is unnecessary.

If the battery temperature Tbat is not equal to or higher than the second temperature threshold THt2 (S25: false), warm-up operation during flight is required, so the process proceeds to step S26. In step S26, the drone control unit 110a interrupts the flight of the drone 24a and makes a temporary landing. Then, in step S27, the drone control unit 110a executes a warm-up operation during flight. The warm-up operation during flight can be performed in the same manner as the warm-up operation before takeoff (S23).

In the following step S28, the drone control unit 110a (second determination unit 222) determines whether or not the battery temperature Tbat is equal to or higher than the third temperature threshold THt3. In other words, the drone control unit 110a (second determination unit 222) determines whether or not to continue the warm-up operation during flight. The third temperature threshold THt3 is a threshold for determining whether the battery 112 is sufficiently warmed up, and may be set to a value higher than the second temperature threshold THt2 in consideration of the hysteresis characteristic.

Similar to the necessity determination in steps S22 and S25, the necessity determination in step S28 may use the internal resistance value Rbat of the battery 112 instead of or in addition to the battery temperature Tbat. If the internal resistance value Rbat is equal to or less than the third resistance threshold value, it is determined that the warm-up operation during flight is completed.

If the battery temperature Tbat is not equal to or higher than the third temperature threshold THt3 (S28: false), the process returns to step S27 in order to continue the warm-up operation during flight. When the battery temperature Tbat is equal to or higher than the third temperature threshold THt3 (S28: true), the warm-up operation during flight is completed, and the process proceeds to step S29. Similar to the pre-takeoff warm-up operation (S23), the execution period (timer) of the in-flight warm-up operation is set according to the deviation ΔT2 between the second temperature threshold THt2 and the battery temperature Tbat, and during flight until the execution period elapses. Warm-up operation may be continued. In such a case, after one step S27, the process immediately proceeds to step S29 without going through step S28.

In step S29, the drone control unit 110a resumes flight from the temporary landing point and returns to step S24.

In step S25, when the battery temperature Tbat is equal to or higher than the second temperature threshold THt2 (S25: true), the warm-up operation during flight is unnecessary or completed, so the process proceeds to step S30. Steps S30 and S31 are the same as steps S14 and S15 in FIG.

According to the modified examples of FIGS. 17 and 18, the drone 24a (flying object) includes a first determination unit 220 for determining the necessity of reverse rotation operation when the drone 24a is not in flight (FIG. 17). Further, when the first determination unit 220 determines that the reverse rotation operation is required (S22: false in FIG. 18), the reverse rotation operation is executed (S23), and the first determination unit 220 does not determine that the reverse rotation operation is required. In case (S22: true), takeoff is permitted. This makes it possible to perform the reverse rotation operation only when necessary during non-flight.

Further, according to the modified examples of FIGS. 17 and 18, the drone 24a (flying object) includes a second determination unit 222 that determines whether or not the reverse rotation operation is necessary during the flight of the drone 24a (FIG. 17). Further, when the second determination unit 222 determines that the reverse rotation operation is required (S25: false in FIG. 18), it lands (S26) and executes the reverse rotation operation (S27). Further, when the second determination unit 222 does not determine that the reverse rotation operation is required (S25: true), the flight is continued (S24). This makes it possible to perform the reverse rotation operation only when necessary during flight.

According to the modified examples of FIGS. 17 and 18, the first determination unit 220 determines the necessity of the reverse rotation operation again after executing the reverse rotation operation (S23 in FIG. 18) (S22). Similarly, the second determination unit 222 determines the necessity of the reverse rotation operation again after executing the reverse rotation operation (S27 in FIG. 18) (S28). These make it possible to cope with the case where it is necessary to continue the reverse rotation operation.

According to the modified examples of FIGS. 17 and 18, the first determination unit 220 determines the necessity of the reverse rotation operation as the warm-up operation and the necessity of other warm-up operation (S22 in FIG. 18). Similarly, the second determination unit 222 determines the necessity of the reverse rotation operation as the warm-up operation and the necessity of other warm-up operation (S25 in FIG. 18). As a result, it is possible to accelerate the warm-up operation by combining the reverse rotation operation and other warm-up operations as the warm-up operation.

In the flow of FIG. 18, both the pre-landing warm-up operation (S23) and the in-flight warm-up operation (S27) are possible, but it is also possible to perform only one of them.

In the above embodiment, reverse rotation control was performed (Fig. 9). However, if attention is paid to, for example, the upstream side filters 500l and 500u or the downstream side filters 502l and 502l, the present invention is not limited to this, and the reverse rotation control may be omitted.

10 ... Farming system (flying body system)
24, 24a ... Drone (flying object) 26 ... User terminal (manipulator)
102 ... Drone communication unit (reverse rotation operation signal transmission means)
130 ... Propeller 132 ... Motor 200, 200a ... Flight control unit (motor control unit)
212, 212a ... Reverse rotation control unit 220 ... First determination unit 222 ... Second determination unit
230 ... Input / output unit of user terminal (flight command input means)
232 ... Communication unit of user terminal (reverse rotation operation signal receiving means)
234 ... Calculation unit (monitoring unit) of the user terminal
240 ... Touch panel (display unit, display unit)
300 ... Stator 310 ... Stator frame (heat sink)
312 ... Coil 326u ... Opening (downstream opening)
400 ... Rotor 414 ... Permanent magnet (magnet)
416 ... Fan (air flow generator) 436l ... Opening (downstream opening)
438bu, 438bl ... Notch (downstream opening)
440 ... Propeller shaft (rotating shaft)
500 ... Upstream filter 502 ... Downstream filter 602, 612, 622, 632, 642, 652 ... Airflow d ... Gap

Claims (27)

1. With a propeller,
   The motor that rotates the propeller and
   An air vehicle including a motor control unit that controls the motor.
   The motor control unit flies the flying object by executing a forward rotation operation for rotating the motor in the forward direction.
   Further, the motor control unit includes a reverse rotation control unit that executes a reverse rotation operation for rotating the motor in the direction opposite to the forward direction when the flight body is not in flight.
2. In the flying object according to claim 1,
   The flying object is characterized in that the airflow generating portion for generating an airflow is provided inside the motor.
3. In the aircraft according to claim 2,
   When the absolute values of the outputs of the motors are equal, the absolute value of the maximum wind power value of the airflow generating portion is larger during the reverse rotation operation than during the forward rotation operation.
4. In the flying object according to claim 2 or 3.
   The airflow generating unit is a flying object characterized in that during the forward rotation operation, an airflow in the direction opposite to that during the reverse rotation operation is generated.
5. In the flying object according to any one of claims 2 to 4.
   The airflow generating portion is a flying object characterized in that it is provided on the propeller shaft of the propeller.
6. In the flying object according to any one of claims 2 to 4.
   The airflow generating portion is a flying object provided in the rotor of the motor.
7. In the flying object according to any one of claims 2 to 6.
   The airflow generating unit is a flying object characterized in that an airflow flowing in the direction of the rotation axis of the motor is generated.
8. In the flying object according to any one of claims 2 to 7.
   The airflow generating unit is characterized in that an airflow flowing from the lower side to the upper side of the flying object is generated during the forward rotation operation, and an airflow flowing from the upper side to the lower side of the flying object is generated during the reverse rotation operation. Aircraft.
9. In the flying object according to any one of claims 2 to 7.
   The fan is characterized in that it generates an air flow flowing from the upper side to the lower side of the flying object during the forward rotation operation, and generates an air flow flowing from the lower side to the upper side of the flying object during the reverse rotation operation. ..
10. In the flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
    The reverse rotation control unit is a flying object characterized in that the reverse rotation operation is executed when a command to start takeoff is issued to the flying object.
11. In the flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
    The reverse rotation control unit is a flying object characterized in that the reverse rotation operation is executed after the flying object has landed.
12. In the flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
    The flying object comprises a reverse rotation operation signal transmitting means for transmitting a signal relating to the reverse rotation operation to a user terminal in which the user operates the flying object.
    The reverse rotation operation signal transmitting means transmits a signal indicating that the reverse rotation operation is being executed, a signal indicating that the reverse rotation operation is scheduled to be executed, or a signal notifying the timing of the reverse rotation operation. An air vehicle characterized by transmitting to the user terminal.
13. In the flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
    The flying object includes a first determination unit that determines whether or not the reverse rotation operation is necessary when the flying object is not in flight.
    The feature is that the reverse rotation operation is executed when the first determination unit determines that the reverse rotation operation is required, and takeoff is permitted when the first determination unit does not determine that the reverse rotation operation is required. Flying object to do.
14. In the flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 13.
    The flying object includes a second determination unit that determines whether or not the reverse rotation operation is necessary when the flying object is in flight.
    When the second determination unit determines that the reverse rotation operation is required, the aircraft lands and executes the reverse rotation operation, and when the second determination unit does not determine that the reverse rotation operation is required, the flight is continued. An air vehicle characterized by that.
15. In the flying object according to claim 13 or 14.
    The first determination unit or the second determination unit is a flying object characterized in that after the reverse rotation operation is executed, the necessity of the reverse rotation operation is determined again.
16. In the flying object according to any one of claims 13 to 15,
    The first determination unit or the second determination unit is an air vehicle that determines the necessity of the reverse rotation operation as a warm-up operation and the necessity of other warm-up operation.
17. In the aircraft according to claim 16,
    The other warm-up operation is characterized by comprising at least one of supply of reactive power to the motor, forward rotation of the motor and power supply to an external load.
18. In the flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 17.
    The motor is
    A stator with multiple coils and
    With a rotor with multiple magnets,
    A net-like upstream filter arranged on the upstream side of the gap between the coil and the magnet is provided with reference to the air flow inside the motor during the forward rotation operation.
    An air vehicle characterized in that the mesh size of the upstream filter is smaller than that of the gap, at least in front of the gap.
19. In the aircraft according to claim 18,
    The motor is
    With respect to the airflow during the forward rotation operation, the downstream opening arranged on the downstream side of the gap between the stator and the rotor, and the opening on the downstream side.
    It is provided with a net-like downstream filter arranged in the downstream opening.
    An air vehicle characterized in that the size of the mesh of the downstream filter is larger than the gap or the mesh of the upstream filter at least at the position of the downstream opening.
20. In the aircraft according to claim 19,
    The rotor is arranged radially outside the stator.
    The downstream opening comprises a notch that penetrates the rotor so that the radially inner side of the rotor and the radial outer side of the rotor communicate with each other.
21. In the flying object according to claim 19 or 20
    An air vehicle characterized in that the upstream filter and the downstream filter are arranged substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the motor.
22. In the flying object according to any one of claims 18 to 21,
    The stator comprises a heat sink that dissipates the heat generated by the stator.
    A flying object characterized in that the upstream filter is located not only on the upstream side of the gap but also on the upstream side of the heat sink with reference to the air flow during the forward rotation operation.
23. In the aircraft according to claim 22,
    An air vehicle characterized in that the mesh size of the upstream filter on the upstream side of the heat sink is larger than the gap.
24. In the flying object according to any one of claims 18 to 23,
    The stator comprises a heat sink that dissipates the heat generated by the stator.
    An air vehicle characterized in that the upstream filter is arranged so as to avoid the upstream side of the heat sink with reference to the air flow during the forward rotation operation.
25. An air vehicle system including an air vehicle and a user terminal for which a user operates the air vehicle.
    The flying object is
    With a propeller,
    The motor that rotates the propeller and
    It is equipped with a motor control unit that controls the motor.
    The motor control unit flies the flying object by executing a forward rotation operation for rotating the motor in the forward direction.
    Further, the motor control unit includes a reverse rotation control unit that executes a reverse rotation operation for rotating the motor in the direction opposite to the forward direction when the flying object is not flying.
    The user terminal is a flying object system comprising a monitoring unit that detects or estimates the state of the reverse rotation operation and displays it on the display unit.
26. With a propeller,
    The motor that rotates the propeller and
    It is a control method of an air vehicle including a motor control unit for controlling the motor.
    The motor control unit flies the flying object by executing a forward rotation operation for rotating the motor in the forward direction.
    Further, the motor control unit is a method for controlling an air vehicle, which comprises executing a reverse rotation operation of rotating the motor in the direction opposite to the forward direction when the air vehicle is not in flight.
27. An operating machine for operating a flying object including a propeller, a motor for rotating the propeller, and a motor control unit for controlling the motor.
    The operating machine is
    A flight command input means for inputting a flight command for flying the flight body by executing a forward rotation operation for rotating the motor of the flight body in the forward direction.
    A reverse rotation operation signal receiving means for receiving a signal relating to a reverse rotation operation for rotating the motor in the direction opposite to the forward direction when the flying object is not flying.
    An operating machine including a display that displays the reverse rotation operation when a signal related to the reverse rotation operation is received.

Images