3840results about "Rotocraft" patented technology

A wind energy plant with a nacelle, a rotor, which features at least one rotor blade adjustable in its blade pitch angle, a central control device for controlling the wind energy plant and a control unit disposed in the rotor for controlling the blade pitch angle of the at least one rotor blade, wherein the central control device and the control unit in the rotor can exchange data with each other via a data link, which comprises at least one first sending and receiving device at the nacelle side and at least one second sending and receiving device at the rotor side, wherein a wireless network connection with a safety-oriented communication protocol is provided between the at least one first sending and receiving device and the at least one second sending and receiving device, and that one monitoring- and communication device at a time is associated to the first and / or the second sending and receiving device, which can monitor the function of the sending and receiving device and initiate a predetermined action in the case of an error.

An aerial vehicle includes a center body, two arm assemblies arranged at the center body, a power device, and a driver mechanism mechanically coupled to the arm assemblies. The power device includes two first and two second rotor power assemblies. Each pair of first and second rotor power assemblies are installed at two ends of an arm assembly. The driver mechanism drives the arm assemblies to move relative to the center body such that distal parts of the two arm assemblies move between first and second height positions. In a direction of a roll axis of the power device, the first rotor power assemblies are closer to an installation site on the center body than the second rotor power assemblies. When the distal parts are at the second height position, spacing between the first rotor power assemblies is larger than spacing between the second rotor power assemblies.

An introduced autonomous aerial vehicle can include multiple cameras for capturing images of a surrounding physical environment that are utilized for motion planning by an autonomous navigation system. In some embodiments, the cameras can be integrated into one or more rotor assemblies that house powered rotors to free up space within the body of the aerial vehicle. In an example embodiment, an aerial vehicle includes multiple upward-facing cameras and multiple downward-facing cameras with overlapping fields of view to enable stereoscopic computer vision in a plurality of directions around the aerial vehicle. Similar camera arrangements can also be implemented in fixed-wing aerial vehicles.

To provide an autonomously flying unmanned aircraft freely landing on and leaving the water and its floats that can realize acoustic positioning by SBL by dispersively arranging a plurality of hydrophones in a limited space of the unmanned aircraft.SOLUTION: Lower portions of six arms 11 extending radially from a fuselage of a water-air combination drone 1 are respectively provided with float parts 14 via connectors 16. The float parts 14 sink under the water surface when the water-air combination drone 1 lands on the water surface to generate buoyancy in the water-air combination drone 1 so that the water-air combination drone 1 stays on the water surface. The float part 14 is composed of a columnar main body part 14a and a cap-like or conical projection part 14b extended downward from the main body part, and a hydrophone 20 is mounted inside the projection part 14b. The hydrophone 20 is fixed at a position and in such a posture that a pressure sensor 20a attached to an end portion of the hydrophone 20 can detect a sound wave in the water when the aerial combination drone 1 / aerial drone 1A lands on the water.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

A blade pitch detection apparatus for an aircraft having a lower rotor hub assembly and an upper rotor hub assembly, the upper rotor hub assembly including a blade pitch adjustment linkage configured to maintain the rotor blades at a first blade pitch while a rotational velocity of the upper rotor hub assembly is below a threshold and to maintain the rotor blades at a second blade pitch while the rotational velocity is above a threshold. The pitch detection apparatus includes a magnet coupled to a component of the blade pitch adjustment linkage and a sensor coupled to a component of the lower rotor hub assembly and configured to generate a signal in the presence of the magnet. Processing circuitry in communication with the sensor can determine whether the plurality of rotor blades are at the first blade pitch or the second blade pitch based on the signals.

Collective control using vertical velocity is provided. A system can include a data processing system comprising one or more processors, coupled with memory. The data processing system can receive, from a sensor, a velocity of an aerial vehicle along a vertical axis of a body of the aerial vehicle. The data processing system can generate a command for collective control of a pitch of blades of a rotor of the aerial vehicle based on a comparison of the velocity with a reference. The data processing system can control, via an actuator, the pitch of the blades of the rotor in accordance with the command.

The present invention provides a system for remote vehicle operation by human pilot and artificial intelligence systems. The system comprises: a vehicle capable of movement, a human operator and control station situated outside of the vehicle in a remote location, a bidirectional wireless communications channel, which transmits commands from the control station to the vehicle and which receives information related to the vehicle's state and its environment from the vehicle, and a human interface device conveying information to the human operator and receiving inputs.

An arm-equipped unmanned aerial vehicle and a control method therefor, the arm-equipped unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a tilting quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle, a mechanical arm, and a control module (7). The tilting quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a fuselage, tilting driving devices and tilting arms, the mechanical arm being mounted below the fuselage, the control module (7) being mounted above the fuselage, and the tilting driving devices being respectively arranged on two sides of the fuselage. Each tilting driving device is in drive connection to a tilting arm, the tilting arms extending from the head of the fuselage to the rear of the fuselage, and the tilting driving devices being used for driving the tilting arms to rotate in a vertical plane. The two ends of each tilting arm are each provided with a rotor mechanism that can be driven to rotate. The mechanical arm, the tilting driving devices and the rotor mechanisms are all connected and driven by the control module (7).

An aerial vehicle configured to fly with a load suspended therefrom includes a lift generator configured to generate lift for flight, a plurality of supports configured to support the load, an attachment to which the supports are attached, and a relay to relay and support the supports between the load and the attachment. One of the attachment and the relay is outward of, in an airframe of the aerial vehicle, an other one of the attachment and the relay in a plan view.

An undercarriage, a middle large rotor and a middle large motor are connected to the lower portion of a fuselage body and sequentially connected to the top of a middle small tower, and the right front portion, the left front portion, the left rear portion and the right rear portion of the fuselage body are correspondingly connected with a right front fuselage arm, a left front fuselage arm, a left rear fuselage arm, a right rear fuselage arm and a power assembly. The connecting line of the rotating centers of the rotors of the four power assemblies is square or rectangular, the rotating directions of the rotors of the power assemblies at the same opposite angles are the same, the rotating directions of the rotors of the power assemblies at different opposite angles are opposite, and the rotating faces of the two rotors opposite to the middle large rotor in rotating direction incline around the axes of the respective arms. The included angle between the rotating surfaces of the two rotors and the horizontal plane is an acute angle beta, the rotating surfaces of the two rotors with the same rotating direction as the middle large rotor incline around respective arm axes, the included angle between the rotating surfaces of the two rotors and the horizontal plane is an acute angle theta, beta is larger than theta, the reaction torque and the horizontal component torque of the rotors jointly drive the aircraft to steer, and the aircraft has the advantages of being long in endurance time, large in load and high in wind resistance. And a universal flight platform is formed.

A vertical take-off or landing (VTOL) aircraft is disclosed that includes a propulsion system comprising at least four tilting propulsion assemblies and two or more lifting propulsion assemblies. Actuation of the tilting mechanisms can convert the aircraft from a hover configuration, in which all propellers produce thrust generally upward to counteract the aircraft's weight, to a forward flight configuration, in which the four or more tilting propellers produce thrust generally in a forward direction parallel to the fuselage to overcome drag in cruise flight and the lifting propellers produce no thrust or a level of thrust generally less than that required in the hover configuration.

An introduced autonomous aerial vehicle can include multiple cameras for capturing images of a surrounding physical environment that are utilized for motion planning by an autonomous navigation system. In some embodiments, the cameras can be integrated into one or more rotor assemblies that house powered rotors to free up space within the body of the aerial vehicle. In an example embodiment, an aerial vehicle includes multiple upward-facing cameras and multiple downward-facing cameras with overlapping fields of view to enable stereoscopic computer vision in a plurality of directions around the aerial vehicle. Similar camera arrangements can also be implemented in fixed-wing aerial vehicles.

A propulsion system, comprising: a motor assembly including a stator and a rotor, a heat exchanger configured to receive air to cool a liquid, and a thermal plate including one or more channels configured to convey the liquid from the heat exchanger to the motor assembly. The heat exchanger is mechanically and fluidically coupled to the thermal plate.

A contra-rotating coaxial rotor assembly relating to aerial, as well as aquatic vehicles, comprising a central member, a first and second rotor assembly disposed thereon with a contra-rotating gear assembly coaxially disposed there between. The contra-rotating gear assembly comprising at least one gear operationally coupled to the first rotor assembly, at least one gear operationally coupled to the second rotor assembly, a collar having at least one protrusion, and at least one cogwheel affixed thereto. Each rotor assembly comprising a bearing, at least one length of mast, a rotor disposed along said length of mast, and a friction-reducer operationally engaged to the contra-rotating gear assembly. The second rotor assembly further comprising at least one power translation cogwheel operationally engaged with at least one power transmission cogwheel, which is itself connected to and driven by the output shaft from the engine.

A rotor system for electrically powered rotorcraft is described, providing the benefits of fast thrust response, depending on rotor inertia. The rotor system includes a rotor hub and two or more rotor blades, and an electric motor driving the rotor hub. The rotor hub includes a mechanism which adapts the collective pitch of the rotor blades in response to the torque applied by the electric motor. When there is significant torque over a threshold, the rotor hub biases the blades to a higher collective pitch, which supports greater thrust, thus avoiding the lag in rotor thrust that would occur through RPM control.

The utility model relates to the field of aircrafts, aims to solve the problem that a control surface of a known aircraft is heavy or inconvenient to disassemble and assemble, and provides an airfoil structure and an aircraft. The airfoil structure comprises an airfoil body, a control surface, a driving assembly and two rotary connecting mechanisms. And the control plane is arranged on one side of the airfoil body. The two rotary connecting mechanisms are arranged in the length direction of the control surface in a spaced mode. And the control surface is rotatably connected to the rear edge of the airfoil body through the two rotary connecting mechanisms. The driving assembly comprises a steering engine and a transmission mechanism. The steering engine is installed on the airfoil body. The transmission mechanism is in transmission connection between the steering engine and the control plane and used for driving the control plane to rotate relative to the airfoil body. The position, connected with the control plane, of the transmission mechanism is located between the two rotary connecting mechanisms. The utility model has the beneficial effects that the control surface is light in weight and convenient to disassemble and assemble.

Apparatus, systems, and methods are contemplated for electric powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Such are craft are engineered to carry safely carry at least 500 pounds (approx. 227 kg) using a few (e.g., 2-4) rotors, generally variable speed rigid (non-articulated) rotors. It is contemplated that one or more rotors generate a significant amount of lift (e.g., 70%) during rotorborne flight (e.g., vertical takeoff, hover, etc), and tilt to provide forward propulsion during wingborne flight. The rotors preferably employ individual blade control, and are battery powered. The vehicle preferably flies in an autopilot or pilotless mode and has a relatively small (e.g., less than 45′ diameter) footprint.

According to the electric direct-driven eVTOL rotor control device, a driving motor is an outer rotor motor, a stator of the driving motor is of a hollow structure, and a steering engine assembly is installed on the lower portion of the stator, upwards penetrates through the stator and is in driving connection with a variable-pitch mechanism assembly, so that the deflection angle of blades of a blade handle assembly is adjustable; the intermediate transmission link is reduced, the energy loss is reduced, the transmission efficiency is improved, and the reliability of the system is improved; the rotor mounting seat cylinder is upwards connected with the propeller hub lower cover and downwards connected with the stator mounting seat through a bearing, so that stable and reliable power transmission between the driving motor rotor and the propeller hub assembly is ensured, and vibration and noise are reduced; the anti-rotation rocker arm is arranged between the lead screw nut and the fixed ring sleeve, so that rotation interference is avoided, and the precision and stability of variable pitch control are improved; and the variable-pitch rocker arm is in running fit with the variable-pitch disc, so that the linear motion of the variable-pitch disc can be accurately converted into the deflection motion of the blades, and the accurate adjustment of the pitch angle of the blades is realized.

The invention belongs to the technical field of aircraft design, and particularly relates to an integrated tilting power system integrated with hydrogen fuel cell motor electric control and an aircraft. Comprising a tilting mechanism connected with a machine body; the integrated motor and controller is fixedly connected with the tilting mechanism and located at the end, close to the upstream of the incoming flow, of the tilting mechanism; the tilting rotor wing is mounted at one end, close to the incoming flow upstream, of the integrated motor and controller; the hydrogen fuel cell is fixedly connected with the tilting mechanism and is positioned at one end, close to the downstream of the incoming flow, of the tilting mechanism; the nacelle shell wraps the tilting mechanism, the integrated motor, the controller and the hydrogen fuel cell; the nacelle outer heat dissipation fins wrap the nacelle in the circumferential direction; and the tilting mechanism, the integrated motor and controller and the liquid cooling radiating pipeline of the hydrogen fuel cell exchange heat with the radiating fins outside the nacelle.

A hybrid system for drones and other modes of transport. A combustion engine provides range and / or lifting capacity for drones while electric motors / generators provide both control and maneuverability. One or more combustion engines, in conjunction with one or more electric motors / generators form a propulsion system whereby each is connected to and drives its own driving pinion in one or more planetary gear sets, and provide continuously variable transmission for driving propellers or driveshafts. The combustion engine may be connected directly to one of the planetary gear's driving pinions, or can drive one of the planetary gear's driving pinions. If the propellers are only driven by either a combustion engine, or an electric motor / generator, the other engine / motor will be kept at rest by a braking device for a combustion engine or a braking device for an electric motor / generator.

Apparatus, systems, and methods are contemplated for electric powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Such are craft are engineered to carry safely carry at least 500 pounds (approx. 227 kg) using a few (e.g., 2-4) rotors, generally variable speed rigid (non-articulated) rotors. It is contemplated that one or more rotors generate a significant amount of lift (e.g., 70%) during rotorborne flight (e.g., vertical takeoff, hover, etc), and tilt to provide forward propulsion during wingborne flight. The rotors preferably employ individual blade control, and are battery powered. The vehicle preferably flies in an autopilot or pilotless mode and has a relatively small (e.g., less than 45′ diameter) footprint.

An electrical propulsion system comprises an inverter, an electrical motor assembly, an assembly, and a rotor position sensor. The inverter comprises a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA). The electrical motor assembly comprises a stator and a rotor. The assembly is configured to rotate a propeller and comprises a moving component and a stationary component. The rotor position sensor comprises at least one sensor coupled to the PCBA, and a magnet located on the moving component. The at least one sensor is configured to detect a magnetic field of the magnet through the stationary component.

An aircraft, such as a rotorcraft, may have at least one area designated to house at least one fuel cell and at least one aircraft structure that may translate, during a drop impact of the aircraft, into the area designated to house the fuel cell. At least one shaped fuel cell may be provided and deployed therein, in accordance with the present systems and methods. Each respective shaped fuel cell may define at least one respective through-voids defined through the respective shaped fuel cell, and / or at least one respective edge cavity defined along an edge of the shaped fuel cell, wherein the respective through-void and / or the respective edge cavity correspond to the respective aircraft structure that may translate, during the drop impact of the aircraft, into the area of the aircraft designated to house the respective fuel cell to receive and accommodate the respective structure during the drop impact.

A rotorcraft with at least one main rotor and a fuselage, comprising: a tail boom connected to the fuselage, the tail boom extending from the fuselage toward a duct-type portion; a shroud provided at the duct-type portion and forming a transverse duct; at least one ducted tail rotor rotatably arranged in the transverse duct, wherein the at least one ducted tail rotor comprises a plurality of rotor blades mounted to a rotatable rotor hub; and a stator with a gearbox fairing mounted to the shroud for supporting the rotatable rotor hub in the transverse duct, wherein the stator comprises at least one rotatable stator blade connecting the gearbox fairing to the shroud.

A rotor (17, 17') is described, comprising a motor element (16) with an output shaft (18) rotatable around a first axis (C) and controllable with an acceleration (a); a hub (19, 19') connected to the output shaft (18); two blades (25) rotatable around a first axis (C); two connection members (21, 21') connected to the blades (25) and operable for adjusting the angles of attack (α, β, γ; α, β) of the blades (25); a controlling element (20, 20') connected to the connection members (21, 21') and rotatable around a first axis (C); and constraining means (23) adapted to constrain the hub (19, 19') and the controlling element (20, 20'); the constraining means (23, 23') keep the controlling element and the hub (20, 19; 20', 19') angularly integral with one another around the first axis (C) and in a first / second relative position with respect to one another, when the absolute value of the acceleration (a) is smaller / greater than a threshold value (Ta), so that the angles of attack (α, β, γ; α, β) assume first values; the constraining means (23, 23') allow the relative rotation between the controlling element and the hub (20, 19; 20', 19') between the first and second positions when the absolute value of the acceleration (a) reaches the threshold value (Ta).

The invention relates to a paddle clamp device which comprises a paddle clamp provided with a pin shaft bin; the two paddle bodies are respectively connected with the paddle clamp, so that the two paddle bodies are symmetrically arranged along the first axis; a torsion angle is formed from the blade tip to the root of the blade body; the fixed seat is provided with a pin shaft hole; the connecting pin shaft penetrates through the pin shaft bin and the pin shaft hole, so that the paddle clamp is rotationally connected with the fixed seat; and the axis of the connecting pin shaft is crossed with the first axis, so that the torsion angle is increased when the paddle body deflects downwards. The blade body can be driven to be automatically corrected in the direction opposite to the deflection direction, the flapping degree is reduced, and the stability in the flight process is improved.

The invention relates to the technical field of multi-rotor aircrafts, in particular to a blade protection cover detection method, device and equipment and a medium. The method comprises the steps that if it is determined that a multi-rotor aircraft is in a stable hovering state based on the detected moving speed, the detected accelerated speed and the detected angular speed; if yes, acquiring the detected climbing speed and the blade rotating speed of the multi-rotor aircraft; the nominal weight of the multi-rotor aircraft is obtained, and the theoretical climbing acceleration is obtained according to the blade rotating speed and the nominal weight; obtaining a theoretical climbing speed and a disturbance climbing acceleration according to the detected climbing speed and the theoretical climbing acceleration; and determining whether the model of the multi-rotor aircraft is matched with the model of a blade protection cover mounted on the multi-rotor aircraft according to the theoretical climbing speed and the disturbance climbing acceleration. According to the scheme, whether the model of the multi-rotor aircraft is matched with the model of the blade protection cover installed on the multi-rotor aircraft or not can be determined, an operator can be conveniently reminded to replace the unmatched blade protection cover in time, and the user experience is improved.

A method for simulating an autorotation phase of a simulated rotorcraft. This method comprises a training phase carried out with a training rotorcraft comprising a single training combustion engine for rotating a training lift rotor. The training phase comprises assigning of a stored training value to a regulation limit, by a regulator, and regulation of the training combustion engine, by the regulator, keeping the torque parameter of the training rotorcraft less than or equal to the regulation limit, the training value being less than a nominal value, so that the training combustion engine produces a power equal to a reference power produced by a simulated electric motor.

The invention provides a friction force identification method for a trailing edge flap driving mechanism with a bearing, and the method comprises the steps: applying a series of improved triangular waves with different speeds to a driver, carrying out the closed-loop control, carrying out the zero-phase digital filtering of a collected flap angle signal, and suppressing the interference of random noise to the signal, adjusting a buffeting phenomenon of a derivation step length inhibition speed to obtain a flap angular speed, then intercepting a constant-speed ascending section and a constant-speed descending section, then assigning a series of angular speeds, carrying out friction model identification on a relation between friction force and the speed, and then identifying a relation between parameters obtained by identification and a flap angle; finally, the friction force about the flap angle and the flap angular velocity in the flap driving mechanism is obtained.