WO2024005248A1

WO2024005248A1 - Duct with improved crosswind stability and tail-sitter type unmanned aerial vehicle using same

Info

Publication number: WO2024005248A1
Application number: PCT/KR2022/009654
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김건홍
Original assignee: 주식회사 니나노컴퍼니
Priority date: 2022-07-01
Filing date: 2022-07-05
Publication date: 2024-01-04
Also published as: KR102549149B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a duct with improved crosswind stability, in which when crosswinds occur, deterioration in operating characteristics by the separation of airflow is minimized and, more specifically, to a duct mounted to surround a propeller in order to improve the efficiency of the propeller that generates thrust for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the duct comprising: a duct body which is formed to have a ring shape having a larger upper inner diameter than a lower inner diameter and in which a propeller is rotatably provided; and a separation control member of which a portion protrudes to the outside of the duct body by rotation, wherein the separation control member includes an arc-shaped curved portion, a pair of extension pieces extending adjacent to each other at the lower portion of the curved portion, and a rotation member which is provided inside the duct body and is rotatably coupled to at least one of the pair of extension pieces to rotate the curved portion so that the curved portion protrudes to the outside of the duct body or becomes integral with the upper shape of the duct body.

Description

Duct with improved crosswind stability and tailsitter type unmanned aerial vehicle using it

The present invention relates to a duct with improved crosswind stability in which deterioration of operating characteristics due to separation of airflow when a crosswind occurs is minimized.

A ducted propeller consists of a propeller to generate thrust and a duct surrounding it. Ducted propellers have the advantage of being able to generate additional thrust through the duct entrance at a standstill or at low speeds and improving propulsion efficiency by reducing vortices at the tip of the propeller.

Additionally, since the propeller is surrounded by a duct, the blades of the propeller are not exposed to the side, making it safer.

In addition, among the noise generated from propellers, the noise generated at the tip of the propeller accounts for the largest proportion, and the duct surrounding this helps reduce the noise generated at the tip of the propeller.

However, when a crosswind blows against a ducted propeller, separation occurs at the duct entrance, which causes various problems such as loss of thrust, increased moment, and increased vibration.

Furthermore, in the case of an unmanned aircraft capable of carrying cargo where the conventional ducted propeller described above is applied, the center of gravity of the cargo is fixed, so in the case of an unmanned aircraft capable of vertical and horizontal flight, the center of gravity There is a disadvantage that problems arise with the stability of flight.

In order to solve the conventional problems, the present invention provides a duct with improved crosswind stability that minimizes the deterioration of operating characteristics due to separation of airflow when a crosswind occurs, and a duct in which the center of gravity of cargo stored in an unmanned aerial vehicle using the duct can be changed depending on the direction of flight. The purpose is to provide a tailsitter type unmanned aerial vehicle.

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problem, the variable duct with improved crosswind stability according to the present invention is a duct installed to surround the propeller 120 to improve the efficiency of the propeller 120 that generates thrust of the unmanned aerial vehicle, The duct is formed in the shape of a ring with an upper inner diameter larger than the lower inner diameter, and includes a duct body 10 inside which the propeller 120 is rotatably provided, and a portion outside the duct body 10. It includes a peeling control member 20 that protrudes by rotation, and the peeling control member 20 includes an arc-shaped curved portion 21, as long as it extends adjacent to each other at the bottom of the curved portion 21. A pair of extension pieces 23 are provided inside the duct body 10 and are rotatably coupled to at least one of the pair of extension pieces 23 so that the curved portion 21 forms the duct body 10. It is characterized by including a rotating member 30 that protrudes outward or rotates so as to be integrated with the upper shape of the duct body 10.

In addition, the duct body 10 is tilted downward by 2° to 10° in the outer direction of the fuselage 110 based on an arbitrary reference axis (L1) of the propeller 120 rotatably coupled to the motor 121. It is desirable to install it so that it has an inclination.

In addition, the rotating member 30 includes a front actuator 31 installed inside the duct body 10 so as to be rotatably coupled to any one of the pair of extension pieces 23, and the front actuator 31. ) It is preferable to include a rear actuator 32 installed inside the duct body 10 so as to be rotatably coupled to the other extension piece 23 that is not coupled to the duct body 10.

In addition, the duct body 10 has a volume of one side cross-section 11 connected to the fuselage 110 based on the cross-section from the top to the bottom, which is 70% to 80% more than the volume of the other side cross-section 13. It is formed small so that a height difference (H) occurs between the top of the one side cross-section (11) and the top of the other side cross-section (13), and the height difference (H) is 7% compared to the inner diameter size of the inlet side of the duct body (10). It is desirable to have a height difference (H) of 9% to 9%.

In addition, the inner surface of the duct body 10 includes at least one rotating plate 17 that can change the inner diameter of the outlet side of the duct body 10 by rotation, and the rotating plate 17 has an upper portion adjacent to the duct. It is preferably rotatably coupled to the body 10 and rotated by a micro actuator 17a provided inside the duct body 10.

In addition, at least one outer surface of the upper outer surface of the duct body 10 or the outer surface of the curved portion 21 includes a pair of micropins 19 that form a module and protrude in the outer direction of the duct to have symmetrical inclination angles. It is desirable to do so.

Meanwhile, in order to solve the above-described technical problem, an unmanned aerial vehicle using a variable duct with improved crosswind stability according to the present invention includes a fuselage 110 formed with at least one wing, and thrust for flying the fuselage 110 by rotation. In the tailsitter type unmanned aerial vehicle including a propeller 120 that provides and a duct formed to surround the propeller 120 to improve the efficiency of the propeller 120, the fuselage 110 is a box (BOX) ) An insertion groove 121 is formed into which the container 119 of the shape is rotatably inserted, and the duct is formed in the shape of a ring in which the upper inner diameter is larger than the lower inner diameter, and the propeller 120 is inside the duct. ) includes a duct body 10 rotatably provided and a peeling control member 20 whose portion protrudes outside the duct body 10 by rotation, and the peeling control member 20 has an arc shape. A curved portion 21 in the shape, a pair of extension pieces 23 adjacent to each other extending from the lower part of the curved portion 21, and a pair of extension pieces 23 provided inside the duct body 10. It includes a rotating member 30 that is rotatably coupled to at least one of the rotating members 30 so that the curved portion 21 protrudes outward from the duct body 10 or becomes integrated with the upper shape of the duct body 10. Another characteristic is that

According to the present invention, unlike the conventional duct, the duct according to the present invention improves thrust efficiency by generating additional thrust due to the inflow flowing into the duct in addition to the thrust of the propeller through the peeling control member provided at the top. This has the effect of improving stability due to crosswinds.

In addition, differently from the prior art, the unmanned aircraft using the duct according to the present invention has a structure that lowers the center of gravity of the container when in vertical flight and rotates within the fuselage so that the center of gravity of the container faces forward when in horizontal flight. This has the effect of securing stability for vertical and horizontal flight.

1 and 2 are diagrams showing the slope between a duct with improved crosswind stability and a propeller according to the present invention.

Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams showing the operational relationship of the peeling control member for the duct with improved crosswind stability according to the present invention.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing the internal coupling relationship between the duct and the peeling control member in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is another embodiment of a peeling control member for a duct with improved crosswind stability according to the present invention.

Figure 7 is an operational relationship diagram of the peeling control member with respect to Figure 6.

Figure 8 shows another embodiment of a duct with improved crosswind stability according to the present invention.

Figures 9 and 10 are diagrams showing the operational relationship of the rotating plate with respect to Figure 8.

Figure 11 is another embodiment of a duct with improved crosswind stability according to the present invention.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing a tailsitter type unmanned aerial vehicle using a duct with improved crosswind stability according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a view showing a container in a vertical flight state relative to FIG. 6.

FIG. 14 is a view showing the container after rotation in horizontal flight with respect to FIG. 7.

Hereinafter, various embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. The embodiments described herein may be modified in various ways. Specific embodiments may be depicted in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, the specific embodiments disclosed in the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate understanding of the various embodiments. Therefore, the technical idea is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the attached drawings, and it should be understood that all equivalents or substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the invention are included.

Terms containing ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but these components are not limited by the above-mentioned terms. The above-mentioned terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

In this specification, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but that other components may exist in between. It should be. On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component is “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

In addition, when describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof is abbreviated or omitted.

Hereinafter, a duct with improved crosswind stability according to the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as a 'duct') will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the duct 1 according to the present invention largely includes a duct body 10 and a peeling control member 20.

In more detail, the duct body 10 is installed on the fuselage 110 to surround the outer surface of the propeller 120, which is rotatably installed by the motor 121, as shown. This is a configuration to improve the efficiency of thrust for flight.

For this purpose, the duct 1 is formed using a material such as synthetic resin to have the overall shape of a ring to enable rotation of the propeller 120 provided inside, preferably with the inner diameter of the upper portion being smaller than the inner diameter of the lower portion. It is formed to be large to prevent loss of thrust caused by the rotational force of the propeller 120.

One side of the duct (1) has a structure that is fixedly connected to the fuselage (110), and as shown, the other side of the propeller (120) provided inside is approximately 3° to 10° relative to an arbitrary reference axis (L1). The duct central axis L2 is installed in the fuselage 110 so that it is tilted downward.

Through this, it has the advantage of uniformly maintaining the inflow of the crosswind (C/WCross Wind) flowing into the other side of the duct (1), and the inflow of this crosswind has the effect of improving thrust.

Meanwhile, the duct central axis (L2) in the present invention is formed to have an inclination of about 2° to 5° compared to the reference axis (L1) of the propeller 120, as shown in FIG. 2 in another embodiment. It is also possible, and in this case, the cross-sectional volume between one side cross-section 11 and the other side cross-section 13 can be varied so that the inflow of crosswinds can be maintained uniformly in the direction in which the duct 1 is tilted.

That is, the volume of the other side section 13 is formed to be 70% to 80% smaller than the volume of the one side section 11 connected to the fuselage 110 based on the cross section from the top to the bottom, so that the uppermost end of the one side section 11 It is formed to have a height difference (H) between the uppermost end of the other side cross section 13.

Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the inclination of the duct 1 is not tilted up to 10°, but as in the second embodiment, the duct 1 is tilted at a maximum of 5° with one end surface 11 and the other side. The height difference H between the cross sections 13 is maintained to compensate for the crosswind inflow in the first embodiment.

At this time, it is desirable that the height difference (H) be about 7% to 9% compared to the inner diameter of the duct (1) (for example, the inner diameter of the inlet side where crosswind flows in).

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the duct 1 in the present invention may further include at least one of a rotating plate 17 or a micropin 19 in addition to the above-described configuration. .

Here, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, at least one rotating plate 17 is rotatably hinged along the inner surface of the duct body 10, and the driving force required for rotation is provided by the duct body 10. The power required for rotation is transmitted by a micro actuator (17a) separately provided inside.

At this time, the rotating plate 17 has a structure that can rotate inside the duct body 10 so as to change the inner diameter of the outlet side, which has a narrow inner diameter compared to the inlet side of the duct body 10, and the rotation angle is It is desirable to have a rotation angle of 5° to 10°.

Through this, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 stops or flies vertically, the inner diameter of the exit side of the duct 1 is temporarily narrowed, resulting in a reduction rate (about 10%) of the cross-sectional area, thereby increasing the improvement of thrust.

In addition, the rotating member 17 may be formed on the inner surface of the duct body 10 regardless of the presence of the peeling control member 20, which will be described later, and this also applies to the micropin 19, which will be described later.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the micropins 19 form a single module in a pair on the upper peripheral surface of the duct body 10 or the outer surface of the curved portion 21 constituting the peeling control member 20 to be described later. At least one module is formed to protrude outward from the duct 1 to generate a vortex in the inflow flowing into the duct body 10.

At this time, each micropin 19 is formed to protrude in the form of a plate having a triangular or trapezoidal shape to have an inclination angle of about 8° to 10°, and the micropins 19, a pair of which forms a module, are each symmetrical to each other. It is preferable that it protrudes to have an angle.

And, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the peeling control member 20 is located in the duct 1 having an arc shape and generates an airflow (A/ C: It is a configuration for controlling the separation state of air current and includes a curved portion 21, an extension piece 23, and a rotating member 30.

Prior to explanation, at least one peeling control member 20 may be provided depending on the size of the outer diameter of the duct 1, and in order to clearly convey the gist of the peeling control member 20, one peeling control member 20 is provided below. The explanation will be given as an example in which the member 20 is installed on the upper part of the duct 1.

At this time, when a plurality of peeling control members 20 are formed along the circumferential surface of one duct body 10, a joint 25 fixedly installed in a strip shape is further provided between each peeling control member 20. It is desirable that compensation is provided by closing the cut portion inside the duct body 10 after the peeling control member 20 rotates (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

For example, as shown, the curved portion 21 is formed to have the same arc shape as the upper part of the duct 1, and has the same shape as the upper part of the duct 1 at normal times (before rotating outward of the duct). It is arranged to have a shape that protrudes outward from the duct 1 after rotation to facilitate the introduction of crosswinds.

At this time, the rotation for the curved portion 21 to protrude out of the duct 1 is applied only in the vertical flight state, and in the horizontal flight state, it is preferable to operate in a folded state so as to be integrated with the duct 1.

For this purpose, the curved portion 21 is formed into a '∩' shape with an open bottom, and the rotation angle of the curved portion 21 reciprocates within about 40° to 45°.

In addition, as shown, the extension pieces 23 are formed as a pair extending downward from the bottom of the curved portion 21 adjacent to each other, and one of the extension pieces 23 rotates with the front actuator 31. One is rotatably coupled with the rear actuator 32.

In addition, the rotating member 30 is rotatably coupled to a pair of extension pieces 23 within the other end surface 13 constituting the duct 1 to form a curved portion connected to the pair of extension pieces 23. The configuration for enabling reciprocating rotation of (21) includes a front actuator 31 and a rear actuator 32, and the driving means 38 used for the rotation member 30 refers to a micro actuator. .

As shown, the front actuator 31 includes a first rotation axis 33 and first connection links 35 formed on both sides of the first rotation axis 33, and the front actuator 31 is connected to a duct ( 1) It is rotatably installed on the lower surface of the guide plate 15, which extends inside to have a predetermined inclination.

At this time, the guide plate 15 is configured to block the extension piece 23, which is rotatably coupled to the front actuator 31, from forming a cavity on the inner surface of the duct 1 when it rotates. 23) It is possible to move by touching the lower end, and if necessary, it is also desirable to use the extension piece 23 made of a material with elastic force.

For this purpose, the first rotation shaft 33 having a predetermined length is rotatably inserted through the jaw portion formed on the guide plate 15 at its central portion in the longitudinal direction, and a pair of first rotation shafts 33 provided on both sides of the first rotation shaft 33. 1 Connection link 35 is rotatably coupled to the extension piece 23.

As shown, the rear actuator 32 is formed on the inner surface of the duct 1 symmetrically to the front actuator 31 described above, and includes a second rotation axis 34, a second connection link 36, and a driving means 38. ) includes.

The second rotating shaft 34 having a predetermined length is inserted rotatably through the driving means 38 fixed to the inner surface of the duct 1 in the longitudinal direction, and is rotatable with the lower end of the extension piece 23 on both sides. A second connecting link 36 is provided.

At this time, the driving means 38 is used to rotate the second rotation axis 34 by receiving the necessary power from a control unit (not shown) provided inside the fuselage 110 to control the unmanned air vehicle 100, which will be described later. It is desirable to provide power.

In addition, the second connection link 36 penetrates the slit S formed on the outer surface of the duct body 10 during the rotation process to prevent interference with the rotation of the peeling control member 20.

Therefore, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is flying vertically (including when it lands vertically) and the necessary power is applied to the driving means 38 through the control of the control unit, the driving means 38 rotates the second rotation axis 34. One of the pair of extension pieces 23 connected to the pair of second connecting links 36 is rotated by the rear actuator 32, and the rotational force is applied to the curved portion 21 as well as the front. Another extension piece 23 rotatably connected to the sub actuator 31 has power to rotate so as to protrude outward from the duct 1.

In this way, when the peeling control member 20 is rotated to protrude to the outside of the duct 1, the crosswind easily has an inflow flow into the inside of the duct 1, as shown, and this inflow The flow not only prevents thrust loss due to crosswinds, but also realizes the effect of increasing thrust for flying the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 with the rotation of the propeller 120.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the unmanned air vehicle 100 in the present invention utilizing the configuration and structure of the duct 1 described above has a fuselage (100) having a pair of main wings 113 on both sides. 110) and a propeller 120.

For example, as shown, the fuselage 110 is formed with an insertion groove 121 in which an open and closeable container 119 containing cargo is rotatably stored, and at least one duct 1 is provided on both sides. is formed.

Based on the drawing, a pair of vertical tail blades 115 are formed adjacent to each other at the lower part of the fuselage 110 to enable flying in an air current during vertical flight by thrust, and the pair of vertical tail blades A horizontal tail blade 117 having a length in the horizontal direction is formed between (115).

Here, the container 119 stored in the insertion groove 121 is rotated so that the center of gravity of the container 119 moves forward when the unmanned air vehicle 100 switches from vertical flight to horizontal flight. Ensure stability.

At this time, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is in a vertical flight state, that is, before the container 119 rotates, the center of gravity of the container 119 is maintained as low as possible to improve stability in vertical flight. It is desirable to do so.

In addition, the propeller 120 is installed inside each duct 1 above so that it can be combined with the motor 121, and the motor 121 rotates through the necessary power applied from the control unit to generate the thrust necessary for flight. Rotate the propeller 120 as much as possible.

As described above, differently from the prior art, the duct 1 according to the present invention is controlled by the inflow flowing into the duct 1 in addition to the thrust of the propeller 120 through the peeling control member 20 provided at the top. By generating additional thrust, thrust efficiency can be improved, and further, stability due to crosswinds can be improved.

In addition, differently from the prior art, the unmanned air vehicle 100 using the duct 1 according to the present invention lowers the center of gravity of the container 119 when in vertical flight and lowers the weight of the container 119 when in horizontal flight. This has the effect of ensuring stability for vertical and horizontal flight by satisfying the rotating structure within the fuselage 110 so that the center of gravity faces forward.

As described above, the present invention has been described with specific details such as specific components and limited embodiments and drawings, but this is only provided to facilitate a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. , those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from this description.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and the scope of the patent claims described later as well as all things that are equivalent or equivalent to the scope of this patent claim shall fall within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. .

Claims

In the duct installed to surround the propeller 120 to improve the efficiency of the propeller 120 that generates thrust of the unmanned aerial vehicle,

The duct is

A duct body (10) formed in the shape of a ring where the upper inner diameter is larger than the lower inner diameter and the propeller (120) is rotatably provided therein; and

It includes a peeling control member (20), a portion of which protrudes to the outside of the duct body (10) by rotation,

The peeling control member 20 includes an arc-shaped curved portion 21, a pair of extension pieces 23 adjacent to each other extending from the lower portion of the curved portion 21, and an inside of the duct body 10. It is provided and rotatably coupled to at least one of the pair of extension pieces 23 so that the curved portion 21 protrudes outward from the duct body 10 or is integrated with the upper shape of the duct body 10. A variable duct with improved crosswind stability, characterized in that it includes a rotating member (30) that rotates.
According to paragraph 1,

The duct body 10 is

The propeller 120, which is rotatably coupled to the motor 121, is installed to have a downward inclination of 2° to 10° in the outer direction of the fuselage 110 with respect to an arbitrary reference axis (L1). Variable duct with improved crosswind stability.
According to paragraph 1,

The rotating member 30 is

A front actuator (31) installed inside the duct body (10) to be rotatably coupled to one of the pair of extension pieces (23); and

A rear actuator (32) installed inside the duct body (10) to rotatably couple with another extension piece (23) that is not coupled to the front actuator (31). Variable duct with improved crosswind stability.
According to paragraph 1,

The duct body 10 is

Based on the cross section from the top to the bottom, the volume of one side cross section 11 connected to the fuselage 110 is formed to be 70% to 80% smaller than the volume of the other side cross section 13, so that the one side cross section 11 A height difference (H) is generated between the uppermost end and the uppermost end of the other side cross-section (13), and the height difference (H) is 7% to 9% compared to the inner diameter size of the entrance side of the duct body (10). A variable duct with improved crosswind stability, characterized in that it has.
According to paragraph 1,

The inner surface of the duct body 10 includes at least one rotating plate 17 that can change the inner diameter of the outlet side of the duct body 10 by rotation,

The upper part of the rotary plate 17 is rotatably coupled to the duct body 10, and is rotatable by a micro actuator 17a provided inside the duct body 10. This improved variable duct.
According to paragraph 1,

On at least one outer surface of the upper outer surface of the duct body 10 or the outer surface of the curved portion 21, a pair of micropins 19 are formed as a module and are formed to protrude in the outer direction of the duct to have symmetrical inclination angles. A variable duct with improved crosswind stability.
A fuselage 110 formed with at least one wing, a propeller 120 that provides thrust for flying the fuselage 110 by rotation, and a propeller 120 formed to surround the propeller 120 to increase the efficiency of the propeller 120. In a tailsitter type unmanned aerial vehicle including a duct for improvement,

The fuselage 110 is formed with an insertion groove 121 into which a box-shaped container 119 is rotatably inserted,

The duct is formed in the shape of a ring with an upper inner diameter larger than the lower inner diameter, and includes a duct body 10 inside which the propeller 120 is rotatably provided, and a portion outside the duct body 10. It includes a peeling control member 20 that protrudes by rotation,

The peeling control member 20 includes an arc-shaped curved portion 21, a pair of extension pieces 23 adjacent to each other extending from the lower portion of the curved portion 21, and an inside of the duct body 10. It is provided and rotatably coupled to at least one of the pair of extension pieces 23 so that the curved portion 21 protrudes outward from the duct body 10 or is integrated with the upper shape of the duct body 10. A tailsitter-type unmanned aerial vehicle using a duct with improved crosswind stability, characterized in that it includes a rotating member (30) that rotates so that it can be rotated.