RU2827131C1 - Hybrid airborne aerial surveillance system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: aerial surveillance.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a hybrid airborne aerial surveillance system. For this purpose, in a hybrid airborne aerial surveillance system, containing equipment for creating neutral buoyancy and consisting of a multicopter and a balloon attached to it in the form of a rigid hemisphere from a gas-impermeable material with a solar battery placed on the surface and a gas etching valve, comprising a platform on which a cylinder with a valve filled with a compressed lifting gas, a video camera of an all-round view, global navigation system units, communication and control systems, storage battery, additionally, the balloon contains on the platform a wind-driven power plant (WDPP) of two wind wheels with opposite twist of blades, connected to the electric generator for its rotation in counter-rotor mode, wind-driven power plant electric generator and solar batteries arranged on wind-driven power plant side stabilizers are connected through voltage converters to aerostat accumulator battery.

EFFECT: increased time spent in the air of the aerial surveillance system in the mode of long-term autonomous flight and its return to the base.

3 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can be used for operation both in a stationary tethered mode with autonomous on-board power supply for remote visual observation and long-distance radio transmission, and in the mode of an autonomous hovering device in a hybrid kit with a standard multicopter.

According to the classification of the international association for unmanned aerial vehicles UVS International, the proposed UAV belongs to tactical high-altitude vehicles with long flight duration.

For example, “Design of an aerological radiosonde” is well known [1].

The design contains a housing, meteorological sensors, a radio telemetry unit with an antenna system and a power source, with the radiosonde housing having a round shape, the sensors are secured with protective canopies and a windscreen, and the housing is made of radio-transparent material with a halyard for securing the pilot balloon.

The main disadvantage of such aerological devices (weather balloons) is the limited service life of power sources (batteries or accumulators), which imposes conditions on the time they remain at altitude and the supply of electricity to onboard equipment.

Also known is the “Unmanned Tethered Aircraft Complex” [2], which contains a power cable, a tethered power station, a UAV with a payload and an engine connected to coaxially oppositely directed propellers, and an aerodynamic stabilizer.

The disadvantage of this device is the inability to operate in automatic mode, since power is supplied from the ground complex. Protection against lateral drift of the structure under the influence of wind and an attempt to maintain the vertical position of the power cable is provided by an aerodynamic stabilizer connected to the UAV by a rigid connection to which the ring of the power cable is attached.

A “Hybrid quadcopter” is known [3], containing a sealed shell filled with light gas, nacelles with on-board equipment, a battery, containers with variable-thrust propeller aircraft engines, and the shell is made in the form of a biconvex lens resting on a telescopic column with embedded links that move freely in its body, and there are two automatic valves for supplying and releasing light gas, and the propeller aircraft engines are capable of operating in reverse mode.

This invention is aimed at improving the streamlining of the horizontally folded surface of the apparatus.

In this device, a gas-filled shell is used to create neutral buoyancy for the apparatus, and the thrust of propeller engines is used to move the entire structure in the air.

The disadvantage of this "Hybrid Quadcopter" is its limited flight time. To increase its time in the air, a large-capacity battery and a calculated supply of aviation fuel for aircraft engines are required.

The closest technical solution (prototype) is the "Aeromobile aerial surveillance system" [4], which contains a multicopter and a tethered aerostat made of gas-impermeable material, which is located in the central part of the multicopter and fixed with stoppers in the folded state. The upper part of the aerostat has a rigid hemisphere with a solar battery and a bleed valve. The aerostat has a cylinder with a valve filled with compressed lifting gas, a platform with a circular-view video camera, and the multicopter contains blocks of the global navigation system, communication and control systems, and a battery. In the lower part of the multicopter, there is an electric winch for installing and returning the aerostat, and its cable is used as a radio antenna.

This device is used for long-term aerial observation and combines the positive features of both a multicopter and an aerostat. The multicopter delivers the aerostat to the destination and releases the aerostat from its central part, which is filled with light gas and can remain in the air for a long time. Then the gas is released and the shell is returned to the central part of the multicopter by an electric winch.

Another disadvantage of this device is its limited time in the air, since the battery capacity is limited, and the solar panels located on the limited surface of the hemisphere do not work at night and in dense cloud conditions, so they have little effect on recharging the batteries.

In addition, this device is extremely difficult to implement in practice, consumes a significant share of electricity to operate its own electric winch and cannot be used as an aerostat operating for a long time in autonomous mode with power supply only from batteries.

The objective of the proposed invention is to significantly increase the time that an air surveillance system can remain in the air in a long-term autonomous flight mode and return to base.

The technical problem that the present invention solves is the creation of an object with an autonomous on-board power plant by expanding the arsenal of technical means used, in particular: the use of an electric generator on the aerostat connected to a wind power plant (WPP), which ensures constant charging of the aerostat's batteries and a power unit equipped with traction electric motors with propellers.

The technical result consists in the fact that in a hybrid aeromobile aerial surveillance system consisting of a multicopter and a balloon tethered to it in the form of a rigid hemisphere made of gas-impermeable material with a solar battery and a bleed valve applied, containing a platform on which a cylinder with a valve filled with compressed lifting gas, a circular viewing video camera, global navigation system units, communication and control systems, a storage battery are placed, in addition, the balloon contains on the platform a wind power plant (WPP) of two wind wheels with oppositely twisting blades connected to an electric generator for rotating it in a counter-rotor mode, an electric generator of the WPP and solar batteries placed on the side stabilizers of the WPP, connected through converters to the storage battery of the balloon, wherein a power unit is used as a multicopter, the body of which is fixed to the balloon platform through a hollow rigid rod with a bearing support for cables, the body of the power unit contains also an electromagnetic clutch for the electric drive of the boom, two power electric motors with propellers rotating in opposite directions, a storage battery connected to the storage battery of the balloon, and other necessary equipment connected by cables between the balloon and the power unit through a hollow boom.

The technical result also consists in the fact that in the hybrid aeromobile air surveillance system the lateral stabilizers of the wind turbine are made in the form of a confuser, and the rigid hemisphere made of gas-impermeable material has the profile of an aircraft wing.

The technical result also consists in the fact that in the hybrid aeromobile air surveillance system the body of the power unit is open on both sides for free access of air to the propellers of the traction electric motors, and the body is closed at the front with a teardrop-shaped cover to isolate the body from the external pressure of the oncoming air flows.

The drawings show the "Hybrid Aeromobile Air Surveillance System", where Fig. 1 shows a side view in section of the aerostat with a power unit, and Fig. 2 shows view A-A in Fig. 1 from the end part of the power unit. The aerostat of the aerial observation system comprises a platform 1 on which a wind turbine consisting of two wind wheels 2 and 3 is placed, the blades of which have opposite twist, and their axes are connected respectively to the rotor and to the stator of the electric generator 4, fixed on bearings in a cage 5, the wind turbine is equipped with side wind stabilizers 6, which act as a tail unit, the platform is fixed at the top by means of balancing rods 7 to a rigid hemisphere 8 made of gas-impermeable material, having an aircraft wing profile, at the bottom of the platform it is attached through a bearing support 9 to a hollow rigid rod 10, the other end of which is connected to the body of the power unit 11, and solar flexible (film) panels 12 are placed on the rigid hemisphere, on the side stabilizers of the wind turbine and on the body of the power unit, a bleed valve 13 is on the hemisphere, on the platform there is a cylinder with a valve filled with compressed light gas, a video camera 14 for all-round viewing - from below the platform, various radio-electronic equipment 15, an on-board computer, etc. are evenly distributed over the platform, and the housing of the power unit contains an electromagnetic clutch 16 of the rod electric drive, secured from below the platform, and its control movable part, for example, like a stepper motor drive, is connected to the rod of the power unit housing, two power traction electric motors 17 with pushing propellers 18 rotating in opposite directions, a video camera and additional necessary equipment, including: global navigation system units, communication and control systems, a battery with voltage converters, etc.

The exchange of control commands between the aerostat and the power unit is carried out via cables 19, passing between them in the opening 20 of the hollow rod. The body of the power unit is open on both sides for free access of air to the propellers (shown in the drawing by a dotted arrow), and is closed at the front by a teardrop-shaped cover 21. To stabilize the position of the aerostat and the power unit in the vertical plane and to prevent twisting of the cables, it is possible to use an anti-twist device of the type used in wind power plants (not shown in the drawing).

The proposed device operates as follows. The UAV is delivered to the observation area. After the UAV is installed in the equipped place, the operator issues a command, similar to the prototype, to remotely turn on the valve on the cylinder with light gas to supply the latter to the rigid hemisphere 8. The rigid hemisphere 8 filled with light gas lifts the UAV to a specified height for long-term video surveillance or radio transmission to significant adjacent territories.

The profile of the hemisphere aircraft wing increases the lifting force of the hemisphere 8 under the action of the wind. The time of stay at the altitude of the UAV is not limited, since its battery is provided with a constant recharge from the electric generator 4 of the wind turbine, operating in the counter-rotor connection. For this, the axis of the rotor of the generator 4 is connected to the wind wheel 3, and the axis of the stator of the generator with the wind wheel 2, which has the opposite twist of the blades. This allows, without using a multiplier, to double the speed of the electric generator 4, fixed in the cage 5 on bearings, and to balance the structure relative to its vertical position, to reduce the effect of lateral drift of the structure, since in the presence of one wind wheel, the structure would have large angular movements. The through rectilinear air flow created by the successively connected wind wheels creates additional stability in space.

The wind flow V, which is always present at high altitudes, is directed to wind wheels 3 and 2 (Fig. 1) with the help of stabilizers 6, fixed on the side levers of platform 1. Four balancing rods 7, with one end fixed on the ends of the platform and the side levers, and with the other ends connected to the fastening of the rigid hemisphere 8, make it possible to eliminate the swinging of the structure and stabilize its horizontal position. The direction of the wind flow V is constantly fixed by stabilizers 6, which act as the tail unit of the wind turbine. The wind flow, having worked on wind wheel 3, bypasses the nodes of the balloon structure and hits wind wheel 2, which is in the shadow of the apparatus and receives less wind power, therefore, in order to increase the wind, it is envisaged to make the stabilizers not parallel, but at an angle like wind-capturing confusers, or to balance the structure, it is supposed to increase the diameter of wind wheel 2.

On site 1, various electronic equipment 15 is located, receiving power from a battery, which is constantly recharged through voltage converters from the wind turbine generator 4.

Depending on the purpose, the equipment 15 includes radio transmitting devices for transmitting digital and analog signals, communication and control systems, including gas bleed and supply valves, voltage converters from an electric generator and solar panels, etc. (not shown in the drawing), and the video camera 14 can be mounted either below the platform 1 or below the body of the power unit 11, for example, using a cardan.

In the free flight mode, the operator or the program regulates the volume of light gas in the rigid hemisphere 8 so that its lifting force balances or slightly exceeds the total weight of the apparatus with the attached power unit 11 and the UAV has neutral or positive buoyancy with the electric motors 17 not working. This is explained by the fact that when the UAV moves with the electric motors working, the rigid hemisphere 8, which has an aircraft wing profile, will create additional thrust. The power supply battery of the power unit is connected to the generator 4 of the wind turbine in the aerostat and ensures its continuous operation for an indefinitely long time, which can only be determined by the service life of the equipment or wind turbine.

Further, with the electric motors 17 turned on, due to the thrust of the pushing propellers 18, the UAV, according to a given program, automatically moves in space to a given observation area using the coordinates of the global navigation system GPS/GLONASS or at the command of the operator from the central command console.

The front part 21 of the housing of the power unit 11 has a teardrop-shaped profile, therefore the oncoming air flow bypasses the housing from above and below, without exerting a strong braking effect, and the air entering the sides (shown by the dotted line) is forcefully pushed out by the propellers 18. The power of the generators 17, and therefore the speed of the UAV in the horizontal direction, is determined remotely by the operator or according to a given program embedded in the on-board computer.

Rotation of screws 18 in opposite directions creates two counter-rotating interacting air flows, and due to their close parallel placement, the effect of "hydraulic engagement" arises, increasing their total power. According to data [6] from the book: Volshanik V.V., Orekhov G.V. Low-pressure hydraulic engines. Monograph. - M. 2009, 392 p., on p. 179 it is indicated: "... the power of each of these rotors, operating in "hydraulic engagement", increases by 45 percent." Undoubtedly, the additional power for air flows will be less, but this effect has a right to exist.

Fig. 1 shows the position of the UAV when its units: the aerostat and the power unit are directed towards the wind with the wind turbine operating. Depending on the wind situation, the side stabilizers 6 will always turn the aerostat towards the wind direction, creating conditions for the continuous operation of the wind turbine and its generation of electric power. When selecting the direction of movement, at the command of the operator or according to a given program, control signals are sent to the clutch 16 of the electric drive of the rod 10, turning the body 11 in the desired direction. With the electric motors 17 operating, the movement of the UAV will be carried out in the given direction. Thus, it is possible to form any flight trajectory in the horizontal and vertical planes, including stratospheric flights.

Propeller UAVs have a limited lift height due to rarefied air. The proposed device eliminates this drawback. To do this, at the command of the operator from the central control panel, a valve is turned on, supplying gas from a cylinder with compressed gas located on the platform 1 to the rigid hemisphere 8. The increased lifting capacity of the hemisphere 8 lifts the entire structure together with the fixed power unit 11 to the required height, and the operating electric motors 17 with propellers 18 will move the UAV in the horizontal plane to the required distances.

The air in the upper layers of the atmosphere has a layered structure of winds blowing in different directions. Receiving information from sensors about the strength and direction of wind movement, the operator moves the UAV by height by feeding or releasing gas in the rigid hemisphere 8 of the aerostat, choosing for the power unit 11 the most favorable mode of movement for the UAV in the horizontal plane.

When the wind flow in the observation zone suddenly increases, the rigid hemisphere 8, which has an aircraft wing profile, performs a vertical maneuver and raises the UAV to a certain height, thereby reducing the swinging of the apparatus and allowing the operator to reduce the effects of lateral drift from the wind.

The presence of an autopilot with position sensors and a navigation receiver on board the equipment allows monitoring the stability of the UAV hovering at a given point in space in terms of altitude and direction.

Upon completion of the enemy surveillance tasks, the operator, moving the UAV vertically, determines the direction of tailwinds, or takes it to the zone of minimal winds to return the device back to the operator's base using power unit 11.

The most well-known multicopters [5] with autonomous on-board power supply, for example, patent US10315528 B1 have a limited time in the air, which is a compromise between the mass of batteries or the mass of fuel for aircraft engines. Most of these devices have a flight time measured in hours.

The use of the proposed UAV allows not only to organize the broadcasting of radio transmissions to the enemy over significant distances, using its autonomous on-board electric generator to power the equipment, but also to organize a hidden surveillance system, practically at an unlimited distance on foreign territory, as well as the return of the UAV to its base.

The time that the proposed hybrid aeromobile system can remain in the air is practically unlimited, and its reliability will be determined by the operating time of the wind power generator and the electronic equipment used.

Sources of information

1. Bogov V.T. Design of an aerological radiosonde. Russian Federation Patent No. 2265261. IPC H01Q 1/08.

2. Levchuk M.S., Levchuk S.A., Voskresensky S.V. Unmanned tethered aircraft complex. Russian Federation Patent No. 2683133. IPC B64C 39/03; G05D 1/02.

3. Gubanov A. V. Hybrid quadcopter. Russian Federation Patent No. 2702462. IPC B64C 27/08; B64B 1/34.

4. Kozlov V.N., Dashchenko A.Yu. et al. Aeromobile aerial surveillance system. Russian Federation Patent No. 2782479. IPC No. B64C 39/02; B64B 1/62.

5. Patent US 10315528 B1, application 2020/0278700 A1.

6. Volshanik V.V., Orekhov G.V. Low-pressure hydraulic motors. Monograph - M. 2009, 392 pages, p. 179.

Claims (3)

1. A hybrid aeromobile aerial surveillance system containing equipment for creating neutral buoyancy and consisting of a multicopter and a tethered aerostat in the form of a rigid hemisphere made of gas-impermeable material with a solar battery and a gas bleed valve placed on the surface, containing a platform on which a cylinder with a valve filled with compressed lifting gas, a circular-view video camera, global navigation system units, communication and control systems, and a storage battery are placed, characterized in that the aerostat additionally contains on the platform a wind power plant (WPP) of two wind wheels with oppositely twisting blades connected to an electric generator for rotating it in a counter-rotor mode, the WPP electric generator and solar batteries placed on the side stabilizers of the WPP are connected through voltage converters to the storage battery of the aerostat, and for moving the system in space, the power unit, the body of which through a hollow rigid rod for cables with The bearing support is fixed to the platform of the aerostat, the body of the power unit also contains an electromagnetic clutch of the electric drive of the rod, two power electric motors with propellers rotating in opposite directions, its own battery connected to the electric generator of the wind turbine on the aerostat and electronic equipment receiving power from the batteries, connected by cables between the aerostat and the power unit through a hollow rod. 2. A hybrid aeromobile aerial surveillance system according to item 1, characterized in that the lateral stabilizers of the wind turbine are made in the form of a confuser, and the rigid hemisphere made of gas-impermeable material has the profile of an airplane wing. 3. A hybrid airborne aerial surveillance system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing of the power unit is open on both sides for free access of air to the propellers of the traction electric motors, and the housing is closed at the front with a teardrop-shaped cover to isolate the housing from the external pressure of the oncoming air flows.