CN103434661B - Autonomous filling interface - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an autonomous filling interface, wherein a receiving interface is connected with a receiving platform, and an output interface is connected with an output platform; one end of the conical butt joint of the receiving interface is a conical outward-expanding part with an opening, and the other end of the conical butt joint is a conduit; the guide pipe is connected with the filling agent storage device, the receiving interface controller is communicated with the receiving platform computer and controls the sealing switch to drive the sealing to seal the guide pipe, and the filling agent is sealed and stored; the butt joint auxiliary device of output interface installs in output tube head both sides, and the head is through sphere processing, and built-in pressure sensing device shows accurate butt joint when output tube head both sides are all pressed, and at this moment, the hollow circular cylindrical inlayer cover that is located the output tube by inlayer cover driver drive stretches into the receiving interface, forms stable connection. The invention has simple information interaction mode, can reduce the control precision requirement in the butt joint process, has disturbance resistance capability and can realize the automatic filling of fluid between platforms.

Description

An autonomous filling interface

technical field

The invention relates to a filling interface.

Background technique

With the development of various high and new technologies and the successful development of new equipment, new requirements have been put forward for the autonomous operation capabilities of various types of carrier platforms, the most representative of which is the autonomy of UAVs and on-orbit spacecraft supplies. change. Due to the load limitation of unmanned aerial vehicles, the flight time of the aircraft is short and the flight range is limited. The emergence of refueling technology has greatly improved this inherent weakness. By replenishing fuel, the UAV's long-distance maneuverability has been greatly improved, and its flight radius and empty time have been greatly increased. It is of great significance to realize the autonomous refueling of UAVs to improve the flight capabilities of UAVs. On-orbit spacecraft are severely restricted by the loading capacity of consumable materials, among which fluid materials include propellants, refrigerants, power media, and life-saving gases. However, the development cycle of spacecraft is long and costly. How to realize the reuse of resource-exhausted spacecraft is of great significance for improving the effective utilization rate of spacecraft. At the same time, due to the particularity of the space environment, the real-time performance of the remote on-orbit operation of the spacecraft is poor, and the information is delayed, so it is necessary to realize the autonomy of the operation.

The existing filling methods are mainly air filling and ground filling by people in the circuit, and the filling process is monitored and intelligently judged by people in real time. The filling interface is a simple mechanical connection, the interface does not have information generation and feedback capabilities, and is not connected to the information of the control center, so it cannot achieve autonomy. When the interface is connected, no stable connection is formed, the connection stability is low, and the anti-interference ability is weak. For people in the air refueling in the circuit, the information circuit is long when the person is on the ground, and the information security is not easy to guarantee. At the same time, due to the real-time requirements of human monitoring, it is not suitable for remote control, and the application of filling system is limited.

Contents of the invention

In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a filling interface, which has a simple information interaction method, can reduce the control accuracy requirements during the docking process, and has anti-disturbance ability, and can realize the independent filling of fluid between platforms.

The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is: comprising a receiving interface and an output interface; the receiving interface is connected to the receiving platform, and the output interface is connected to the output platform;

The receiving interface includes a conical butt joint, a receiving interface controller, a seal and a sealing switch. One end of the conical butt joint is an open conical outward expansion, and the other end is a conduit; the conduit is connected to the filling agent storage device, and the receiving The interface controller communicates with the computer on the receiving platform and controls the sealing switch, drives the sealing and sealing conduit, and seals the filling agent;

The output interface includes a docking auxiliary device, an output interface controller, an inner sleeve and an inner sleeve driver. The docking auxiliary device is installed on both sides of the head of the output pipe. The situation is converted into a signal and sent to the output interface controller. When both sides of the output tube head are under pressure, it indicates accurate docking. The inner sleeve extends into the receiving interface to form a stable connection.

The beneficial effect of the present invention is that: the filling interface can be applied to autonomous filling of fluid media such as unmanned aerial vehicle refueling, space vehicle on-orbit fluid consumable material filling, and the like. The invention has a simple information interaction mode, can reduce the control accuracy requirement in the docking process, has anti-disturbance ability, and can realize the independent filling of fluid between platforms.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the interface connection;

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of information flow of spacecraft propellant autonomous filling;

Figure 3 is the working flow of the spacecraft propellant autonomous filling interface.

Detailed ways

The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments, and the present invention includes but not limited to the following embodiments.

The present invention mainly relates to an autonomous filling interface. The purpose of the invention is to achieve Fluid filling between platforms is autonomous. The main principle is to use the tapered receiving port to expand the detection target, reduce the control requirements, and use the shape of the two interfaces to achieve preliminary fixation. The docking aid with a built-in pressure-sensitive identifier and port spherical treatment senses the pressure and generates a corresponding signal. In the case of inaccurate docking, the output rod slides under the action of force along the direction of the rod and the inner wall of the tapered interface to form a precise docking, and the inner sleeve extends into the receiving interface to achieve a stable connection. Use the on-board computer and the input and output interface controller to realize information interaction.

The invention includes two parts: a receiving interface and an output interface, the receiving interface is connected with the receiving platform, and the output interface is connected with the output platform.

The receiving interface is composed of a conical butt joint, a receiving interface controller, a seal and a sealing switch, and communicates with the computer on the receiving platform. The tapered butt joint consists of a tapered flare and a conduit connected thereto. The tapered outer expansion design makes the detection target larger in the preliminary alignment, reduces the control requirements, and the inner wall is smoothed to reduce friction. When the inner wall is subjected to an inward force along the centerline of the cone, this force can be decomposed into a force pointing to the center along the inner wall of the conical receiving port and a force perpendicular to the surface of the inner wall. The force perpendicular to the inner wall is balanced by the reaction force provided by the inner wall. Force along the inner wall moves the object toward the center of the cone. The receiving interface controller, the seal and its switch are located at the end of the catheter and connected with the filling agent storage device. The receiving interface controller is in information communication with the receiving platform computer and the output interface controller. The receiving interface controller can identify the filling preparation completion signal sent by the output interface controller, the filling termination preparation completion signal and the filling termination signal, the filling termination signal sent by the receiving platform computer and control the sealing switch, and at the same time, it can send to the output The controller sends out a signal that the filling preparation is completed, a signal that the filling is terminated, and a signal that the filling agent seal is closed. The seal is used to seal the filling agent and is controlled by the seal switch.

The output interface is composed of a docking auxiliary device, an output interface controller, an inner sleeve and an inner sleeve drive, the output interface is connected with the telescopic hard rod output tube, and communicates with the output platform computer and the receiving interface controller. The docking aid is mounted on the output tube head. The output tube can be moved in small angles. The docking auxiliary device is composed of a spherically processed butt joint, a pressure sensing device, and a signal generation and output chip. The docking aid converts the stress condition into a signal and sends it to the output interface controller. The two interfaces are physically connected and the centerline coincides as the precise docking standard. According to the geometric design of the two interfaces, when the docking auxiliary device is located in the tapered interface, but the precise docking is not formed, the docking auxiliary device is under pressure at a single point, and only when the two centerlines coincide are multiple points are pressed, and the geometric shape is buckled, accurate Docking, the connection is temporarily stable. When the connection is accurate, the inner sleeve extends into the receiving interface to form a stable connection. The output interface controller is connected with the output platform computer, the docking auxiliary device and the receiving interface controller. The output interface controller can identify the pressure signal sent by the docking auxiliary device, judge whether the docking is accurate, and send a signal to the output platform computer when the docking is not precise, and control the extension of the inner sleeve when the docking is accurate, and the preparation for sending and filling is completed The signal is sent to the output interface controller; the filling preparation completion signal sent by the interface controller is received, and the filling agent injection switch is turned on after confirmation; the filling termination signal sent by the receiving interface controller is turned off after confirmation. The injector injection switch sends a filling termination preparation completion signal; receives the sealing closing signal sent by the interface controller, and retracts the inner sleeve after confirmation, and sends the filling termination signal to the output platform computer and the receiving interface controller.

The fill demand signal is sent by the platform computer. Preparatory work is performed by the platform computer control prior to the interface function. The onboard computer of the platform confirms whether there is a need for refueling, and controls the maneuvering of the two platforms or a single platform to make the two platforms approach. The filling agent reserve monitoring device is connected with the platform computer, receives the signal of insufficient filling agent reserve, and generates a filling demand signal. Confirm that the distance between the two platforms is close to the sum of the length of the output rod and the two interfaces under the premise of ensuring safety, and a stable physical connection can be formed, which means the allowable filling distance. After entering the allowable distance, adjust the attitude of the platform so that the receiving port is facing the output port. Use the platform’s airborne detection equipment to guide and control the maneuvering of the platform, so that the docking auxiliary device is located inside the conical receiving port, forming a preliminary connection, which is confirmed by the platform computer. After confirmation, wake up the output and receiving control centers in the two platforms, and stop the direct information exchange between the two platforms, so as to proceed to the next step. During the filling process, the two platform computers control the platform to keep the attitude and position of the platform stable. When not filling, the output and receiving control center is in a dormant state to save energy. The fill complete signal is sent by the platform computer. After the filling is completed, the platform computer controls the two controllers to enter dormancy, and at the same time controls the separation of the two platforms to enter normal operation.

The filling interface can be applied to autonomous filling of fluid media such as aerial refueling of unmanned aerial vehicles and on-orbit fluid consumable material filling of spacecraft. Taking the self-injection of mutual-aid propellant of the on-orbit spacecraft as an example, the output platform and the receiving platform are both on-orbit spacecraft, and the maneuverability is not much different. The output tube is a retractable hard rod, which can be deformed and maneuvered at a small angle.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the interface connection. The interface is mainly composed of two parts, namely the receiving interface and the output interface. The receiving interface includes a receiving interface controller, a seal and a switch of the filler storage device and a tapered interface. The seal is opened after filling preparation is completed, and the seal is closed after filling is completed. The output interface is composed of an output interface controller, a docking auxiliary device, an inner sleeve and an inner sleeve driving device. The docking aid is mounted on the output tube head. The filling agent injection device is located at the end of the output pipe, and its switch is controlled by the output controller. After the initial precise connection is formed, the inner sleeve is pushed out by the driving device.

Figure 2 shows the information flow during the interface docking process. After the initial docking is completed, the onboard computers of the two platforms exchange information through the controller. The onboard computer of the receiving spacecraft is connected with the attitude and orbit control thruster of the spacecraft, the propellant reserve monitoring device and the receiving interface controller. When the propellant is insufficient or the filling amount reaches the reserve requirement, the monitoring device sends a signal to the on-board computer, and the on-board computer determines whether it needs to be added or whether the injection can be stopped. The on-board computer controls the attitude of the spacecraft and the orbit controls the thrusters to enable the two spacecraft to achieve initial docking when refueling is required, and separate the two spacecraft after the refueling is completed. The onboard computer can exchange information with the receiving interface controller. The receiving interface controller is connected with the output interface controller and the sealing switch of the propellant storage tank. The two controllers can realize simple information exchange. The on-board computer in the output spacecraft is connected with the output interface controller, the spacecraft attitude and orbit control thruster and the telescopic hard rod output tube. The on-board computer can control the attitude and orbit of the spacecraft, control the thruster to make the two spacecraft approach and maintain a certain relative position, establish a communication link, control the extension of the output tube, and retract the output tube after the filling is completed. The output interface controller and the on-board computer can exchange information, so that the platform computer controls the maneuvering operation of the spacecraft when sliding from preliminary alignment to precise alignment, realizes precise docking, and separates the two platforms after the refueling is terminated. The output interface controller turns on the propellant injector switch to inject propellant after all filling preparations are completed, and closes the propellant injection switch to stop propellant output after receiving the filling termination signal sent by the receiving control center. The docking auxiliary device is in bidirectional communication with the output control center. The pressure sensing device on the opposite side of the auxiliary device generates a signal and sends it to the output controller. The output controller confirms whether the docking is accurate. If the docking is not accurate, the signal is sent to the onboard computer for corresponding operations. The output controller sends a docking preparation completion signal to the receiving interface controller when it has been accurately docked, and at the same time, the output interface controller controls the extension of the inner sleeve.

Figure 3 shows the workflow of the autonomous propellant filling interface of the spacecraft, which is mainly divided into three parts: the start-up section, the filling section, and the termination section. The specific workflow is as follows:

Autonomous filling start-up segment:

(1) The propellant reserve monitoring device detects the propellant reserve and transmits the information to the onboard computer of the receiving spacecraft to determine whether there is a need for refilling. When the reserve is insufficient, it is considered that there is a need for refilling.

(2) Establish a communication link between the spacecraft of the two parties, and the receiving spacecraft's onboard computer controls the orbital maneuvering thruster to make the receiving spacecraft approach the output spacecraft and adjust the attitude of the two spacecraft, while ensuring that the two spacecraft are moving forward. During the operation, the attitude can be kept stable, and the onboard computer no longer conducts direct information

exchange.

(3) The output spacecraft stretches out the telescopic hard rod output tube. Under the control of the on-board computer of the output spacecraft, the docking auxiliary device at the front end of the output rod is guided by the detection device to be inside the conical interface of the receiving spacecraft.

(4) The pressure sensor in the docking auxiliary device generates a signal, transmits it to the output controller, and then transmits it to the onboard computer of the output spacecraft. The onboard computer controls the maneuvering of the spacecraft so that the output interface slides into the receiving interface to form a precise docking. The output control center controls the inner sleeve to extend into the receiving interface. Send the signal to the receiving control center.

(5) Receive the identification signal from the control center, confirm that the output spacecraft is ready, open the seal of the propellant storage device, and send the signal to the output control center.

(6) Output the identification signal of the control center to confirm that the receiving spacecraft is ready, turn on the switch of the propulsion injection device, and start filling.

Autonomous filling section: the flow rate during filling is controlled by the propellant injection device while the flow direction of the filling agent is restricted by the physical connection, and the propellant reserve is monitored by the propellant reserve monitoring device on the receiver.

Autonomous filling termination segment:

(1) The propellant reserve monitoring device detects the propellant reserve and transmits the information to the onboard computer of the receiving spacecraft to determine whether to stop filling. When the reserve reaches the following value, it is considered that the reserve reaches the standard and the filling is stopped.

(2) The receiving spacecraft transmits the signal to the output spacecraft through the receiving interface controller and the output interface controller, and the output interface controller of the output spacecraft controls to close the switch of the propulsion injection device to generate a signal and transmit it to the receiver.

(3) Receive the identification signal of the interface controller, confirm that the output spacecraft is ready for filling termination, close the seal of the propellant storage device, and send a signal to the output spacecraft.

(4) The output interface controller recognizes the signal, retracts the inner layer sleeve and the telescopic output rod, and sends a signal to the receiving spacecraft. At the same time, the onboard computer of the output spacecraft controls the upper thruster of the output spacecraft to separate the two spacecraft, and adjust the space. The position and attitude of the spacecraft, so that the output spacecraft can run normally according to the original orbit.

(5) Receive the spacecraft identification signal, and the spaceborne calculation controls the thruster to adjust the position and attitude of the receiving spacecraft to make the spacecraft operate normally.

Claims (1)

1. independently annotate an interface, comprise receiving interface and output interface, it is characterized in that: receiving interface is connected with receiving platform, output interface is connected with output stage; Described receiving interface comprises taper butt junction, receiving interface controller, sealing and sealing switch, and taper butt junction one end is the taper expanding part of opening, and the other end is conduit; Conduit with add injecting memory storage and be connected, receiving interface controller and receiving platform compunication also control seal switch, and closes ducts is sealed in driving, seals up for safekeeping and adds injecting; Described output interface comprises butt joint auxiliary device, Output Interface Control device, internal layer cover and internal layer cover actuator, butt joint auxiliary device is installed on delivery pipe head both sides, head is through sphere process, built-in pressure sensitive device, pressurized situation is converted into signal and sends to Output Interface Control device, accurate docking is shown when the equal pressurized in delivery pipe head both sides, now, Output Interface Control device sends signal, the internal layer cover being positioned at the hollow cylindrical of delivery pipe by internal layer cover driver drives stretches into receiving interface, forms stable connection.