Passive tilting wing unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, in particular to a passive tilting wing unmanned aerial vehicle which comprises a vehicle body, wings, a locking mechanism, a vertical empennage, a thrust power assembly, a posture regulation and control power assembly and a controller, and the thrust power assembly, the posture regulation and control power assembly and the locking mechanism are all electrically connected with the controller. The locking mechanism is responsible for locking angles of the wings in a vertical take-off and landing state and a cruising flight state, the thrust power assembly is arranged on the wings, the wings are rotationally connected with the fuselage, and the thrust power assembly is responsible for generating lift force for vertical take-off and landing and thrust force for cruising flight. The device can also be used for providing underwater thrust during water surface navigation; the passive tilting wing unmanned aerial vehicle can solve the technical problems that an existing tilting wing aircraft is heavy in tilting mechanism, poor in loading capacity, complex in aerodynamic characteristic in the tilting process, large in robustness control difficulty, poor in stability and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and more specifically to a passive tilt-wing UAV. Background Technology

[0002] Existing tilt-wing aircraft experience changes in flight speed, inertia, and center of gravity as the wings tilt, resulting in complex unsteady aerodynamic coupling disturbances during the tilting process, making robust control of the tilt transition challenging. Furthermore, the tilting mechanisms of tilt-wing aircraft are complex and bulky, significantly reducing payload capacity and introducing potential malfunctions such as power loss, abrupt aerodynamic changes, and control surface and tilting mechanism jamming during tilting.

[0003] Among the publicly disclosed technologies, numerous tilt-wing aircraft designs have been proposed. For example, patent CN106516080A discloses an aerodynamic layout and a method for detecting whether the tilt-wing aircraft and its wing are loose. This patent uses a tilt-wing layout with staggered front and rear power units. However, the aircraft layout does not consider the role of control surfaces, resulting in relatively poor attitude adjustment after tilting to a fixed-wing mode. Patent CN205440867U discloses a tilt-wing aircraft with a tandem quadrilateral power unit layout. However, the front and rear power units cause the rear power unit to be located in the wake influence area of ​​the front power unit, reducing its efficiency. Its dual vertical control surface arrangement lacks a vertical stabilizer, resulting in poor lateral stability. The tilt-wing and fuselage tilt directly at the wing root, with no transition section between the wing and fuselage, causing airflow interference between them. Patent CN107600403B also discloses a trapezoidal layout tandem tilt-wing aircraft and tilt mechanism, which adopts a tandem wing layout, trapezoidal power system arrangement, multi-control surfaces and differential combination control of electric power system, but the power unit is too small, which cannot meet the requirements of margin control and cannot improve the controllability and safety of fault state. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to solve the technical problems of existing tilt-wing aircraft, such as bulky tilting mechanisms, poor load-bearing capacity, complex aerodynamic characteristics during tilting, mechanism jamming, difficulty in robust control, and poor stability.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes: a fuselage, a wing, a locking mechanism, a vertical tail, a thrust propulsion assembly, an attitude control propulsion assembly, and a controller.

[0006] The thrust power assembly, attitude control power assembly, and locking mechanism are all electrically connected to the controller.

[0007] The fuselage and the wing are rotatably connected. The wing has a first stable state, a second stable state, and a passive tilting state. The locking mechanism is used to lock the wing so that the wing is maintained in the first stable state or the second stable state.

[0008] The thrust power assembly is fixedly mounted on the wing, and the thrust power assembly is used to generate at least two first thrusts.

[0009] When the wing is in a passive tilting configuration, the controller is configured to adjust the tilt angle of the wing by adjusting the magnitude of the at least two first thrusts.

[0010] When the wing is in the first stable state, the at least two first thrusts are also used to propel the fuselage.

[0011] When the wing is in the second stable configuration, the at least two first thrusts are also used to propel the fuselage for vertical takeoff and landing.

[0012] The attitude control power assembly is fixedly disposed at the tail end of the fuselage. The attitude control power assembly is used to provide at least two second thrusts. The controller is configured to adjust the attitude of the fuselage by adjusting the magnitude of the at least two first thrusts and / or at least two second thrusts.

[0013] In at least one embodiment of the passive tilt-wing UAV provided in this disclosure, the thrust power assembly includes a first connecting rod, a first rotor thruster, and a second rotor thruster; The first rotor thruster and the second rotor thruster are respectively fixedly mounted at both ends of the first connecting rod; The rotation axis of the first rotor propeller and the rotation axis of the second rotor propeller are both perpendicular to the central axis of the first connecting rod; The first connecting rod passes through the wing, and the central axis of the first connecting rod is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the wing. The first rotor thruster and the second rotor thruster are symmetrically distributed. When the wing is maintained in the first stable state, the rotation axis of the first rotor propeller and the rotation axis of the second rotor propeller are both parallel to the central axis of the fuselage. When the wing is maintained in the second stable configuration, the rotation axis of the first rotor propeller and the rotation axis of the second rotor propeller are both perpendicular to the centerline of the fuselage. In at least one embodiment of the passive tilt-wing UAV provided in this disclosure, the attitude control power assembly includes a second connecting rod, a third rotor thruster, and a fourth rotor thruster; The third and fourth rotor thrusters are fixedly mounted at both ends of the second connecting rod, and the third and fourth rotor thrusters are symmetrically distributed with the vertical tail fin as the center. The rotation axis of the third rotor thruster, the rotation axis of the fourth rotor thruster, and the central axis of the second connecting rod are all perpendicular to the central axis of the fuselage.

[0014] In at least one embodiment of the passive tilt-wing UAV provided in this disclosure, the vertical tail fin includes an upper tail fin and a lower tail fin.

[0015] In at least one embodiment of the passive tilt-wing UAV provided in this disclosure, a pivot is provided at the end of the wing opposite to the fuselage, and the pivot is fixedly connected to the wing; The fuselage has a bearing housing, and the fuselage and wing are rotatably connected via the pivot and the bearing housing.

[0016] In at least one embodiment of the passive tilt-wing UAV provided in this disclosure, the locking mechanism includes a drive mechanism and a locking pin; The locking pin is fixedly connected to the drive mechanism; The rotating shaft is provided with a first insertion hole and a second insertion hole that match the locking pin, and the included angle between the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole is 90°. The driving mechanism is used to drive the locking pin to insert into or remove from the first or second socket. The drive mechanism is located inside the body, and the rotating shaft is inserted into the body.

[0017] In at least one embodiment of the passive tilt-wing UAV provided in this disclosure, the length of the first connecting rod is greater than the length of the second connecting rod.

[0018] In at least one embodiment of the passive tilt-wing UAV provided in this disclosure, the pivot is tubular. The machine body is provided with an assembly hole, which communicates with the inside of the machine body, and the rotating shaft is inserted into the machine body through the assembly hole; The bearing housing is fixedly connected to the machine body, and the inner ring of the bearing housing is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: by equipping the wing with a thrust-powered assembly, passive tilting is used to achieve wing tilting and attitude stability, resulting in a high control margin. Furthermore, passive wing tilting via the thrust-powered assembly also helps maintain fuselage horizontal stability, leading to higher reliability of tilt control and better stability and safety during the tilt transition. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the present invention in vertical takeoff mode.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of a passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the present invention in cruise mode.

[0027] In the picture: 10. Fuselage; 11. Bearing housing; 20. Wing; 21. Shaft; 30. Locking mechanism; 31. Driving mechanism; 40. Vertical tail fin; 41. Upper tail fin; 42. Lower tail fin; 50. Thrust propulsion assembly; 51. First connecting rod; 52. First rotor thruster; 53. Second rotor thruster; 60. Attitude control power unit; 61. Second connecting rod; 62. Third rotor thruster; 63. Fourth rotor thruster; 70. Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments, not all embodiments.

[0029] Example like Figure 1 , 2As shown in Figures 5 and 6, this embodiment provides a passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), including a fuselage 10, a wing 20, a locking mechanism 30, a vertical tail 40, a thrust power assembly 50, an attitude control power assembly 60, and a controller 70.

[0030] In this embodiment, the fuselage 10 is rotatably connected to the wing 20, and the wing 20 has a first stable state, a second stable state, and a passive tilting state. The locking mechanism 30 is used to lock the wing 20 so that the wing 20 is maintained in the first stable state or the second stable state.

[0031] Specifically, the thrust power assembly 50, the attitude control power assembly 60, and the locking mechanism 30 are all electrically connected to the controller 70.

[0032] In this embodiment, the thrust power assembly 50 is fixedly mounted on the wing 20, and the thrust power assembly 50 is used to generate two first thrusts.

[0033] Specifically, when the wing 20 is in a passive tilting state, the controller 70 is configured to adjust the tilt angle of the wing 20 by adjusting the magnitude of the two first thrusts.

[0034] Specifically, when the wing 20 is in the first stable state, the two first thrusts are also used to propel the fuselage 10, so the first stable state is the cruise mode.

[0035] Specifically, when the wing 20 is in the second stable state, the two first thrusts are also used to propel the fuselage 10 to take off and land vertically, so the second stable state serves as the vertical take-off mode.

[0036] In this embodiment, the attitude control power assembly 60 is fixedly disposed at the tail end of the fuselage 10. The attitude control power assembly 60 is used to provide two second thrusts. The controller 70 is configured to adjust the attitude of the fuselage 10 by adjusting the magnitude of the two first thrusts and the two second thrusts.

[0037] The structure of the thrust propulsion assembly will be further disclosed below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, the thrust power assembly 50 includes a first connecting rod 51, a first rotor thruster 52, and a second rotor thruster 53.

[0039] Specifically, the first rotor thruster 52 and the second rotor thruster 53 are fixedly disposed at both ends of the first connecting rod 51. The rotation axis of the first rotor thruster 52 and the rotation axis of the second rotor thruster 53 are both perpendicular to the central axis of the first connecting rod 51.

[0040] Specifically, the first connecting rod 51 passes through the wing 20 and is fixedly connected to the wing 20. The central axis of the first connecting rod 51 is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the wing 20. The first rotor thruster 52 and the second rotor thruster 53 are symmetrically distributed.

[0041] When the wing 20 is maintained in the first stable state, the rotation axis of the first rotor thruster 52 and the rotation axis of the second rotor thruster 53 are both parallel to the central axis of the fuselage 10.

[0042] When the wing 20 is maintained in the second stable configuration, the rotation axis of the first rotor thruster 52 and the rotation axis of the second rotor thruster 53 are both perpendicular to the centerline of the fuselage 10.

[0043] In operation, the four rotor thrusters of the thrust power assembly 50 are arranged in four spatial positions: up, down, left, and right. During flight, all four rotor thrusters operate, and by controlling the rotational speed of the rotor thrusters, different thrusts are generated, thus producing pitch control torque.

[0044] The structure of the attitude control power component will be further disclosed below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] like Figure 4 As shown, the attitude control power assembly 60 includes a second connecting rod 61, a third rotor thruster 62, and a fourth rotor thruster 63.

[0046] Specifically, the third rotor thruster 62 and the fourth rotor thruster 63 are fixedly installed at both ends of the second connecting rod 61, and the third rotor thruster 62 and the fourth rotor thruster 63 are symmetrically distributed with the vertical tail fin 40 as the center.

[0047] Specifically, the rotation axis of the third rotor thruster 62, the rotation axis of the fourth rotor thruster 63, and the central axis of the second connecting rod 61 are all perpendicular to the central axis of the fuselage 10.

[0048] Specifically, the length of the first connecting rod 51 is greater than the length of the second connecting rod 61.

[0049] In use, the third rotor thruster 62 and the fourth rotor thruster 63 are used to control attitude, and can generate yaw torque and roll torque, as well as control pitch attitude stabilization, etc.

[0050] In vertical takeoff mode, the wings and fuselage are movable, and the attitude is completely controlled by the differential speed of the six rotor thrusters.

[0051] The structure of the vertical tail fin will be further disclosed below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] like Figure 4As shown, the vertical tail fin 40 includes an upper tail fin 41 and a lower tail fin 42.

[0053] The connection structure between the wing and the fuselage will be further disclosed below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, a pivot 21 is provided at the end of the wing 20 opposite to the fuselage 10, and the pivot 21 is fixedly connected to the wing 20. The fuselage 10 has a bearing seat 11, and the fuselage 10 and the wing 20 are rotatably connected through the pivot 21 and the bearing seat 11.

[0055] Specifically, the rotating shaft 21 is a tubular design.

[0056] Specifically, the body 10 has an assembly hole (not shown) that communicates with the interior of the body 10. The bearing housing 11 is fixedly disposed inside the body 10. The rotating shaft 21 is inserted into the body 10 through the assembly hole and is fixedly connected to the inner ring of the bearing housing.

[0057] The structure of the locking mechanism will be further disclosed below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0058] like Figure 2 As shown, the locking mechanism 30 includes a drive mechanism 31 and a locking pin.

[0059] Specifically, the locking pin is fixedly connected to the drive mechanism 31.

[0060] Specifically, the rotating shaft 21 is provided with a first socket (not shown) and a second socket (not shown) that are paired with the locking pin, and the included angle between the first socket and the second socket is 90°.

[0061] Specifically, the drive mechanism 31 is used to drive the locking pin to insert into / remove from the first socket (not shown) or the second socket (not shown). When the locking pin is inserted into the first socket (not shown) or the second socket (not shown), the wing 20 is in a stable state. When the locking pin is not in the first socket (not shown) or the second socket (not shown), the wing 20 is in a passive tilting state.

[0062] Specifically, the drive mechanism 31 is fixedly disposed inside the body 10.

[0063] For example, the drive mechanism 31 is an electric telescopic rod.

[0064] The overall aerodynamic design of the passive tilt-wing UAV will be disclosed below.

[0065] For the overall aerodynamic design of this invention, based on the design specifications: takeoff mass of 2-4 kg, cruising speed of 12-18 m / s, payload greater than 1 kg, and operational capabilities including water and air transport and ocean transport. Based on the aerodynamic analysis during cruise, the required lift area for the aircraft during cruise is: ; Based on overall design experience, after selecting the basic airfoil, we have the following equation: , ; Therefore, the required area of ​​the lifting surface is 0.288m². 2 ≤Sw≤0.324m 2 Taking all factors into consideration, the overall dimensions of the wing are shown in the table below: Then, based on the force situation during vertical lift, the dynamic system parameters are analyzed. The thrust equals the gravity, and the sum of the torques of the thrust about the center of mass is zero. The minimum thrust required for power unit selection is calculated based on the same model. ; For the avionics power system design of the present invention, two sets of thrust power components 50 are provided; located on both sides of the fuselage respectively. Each thrust power component 50 consists of two sets of power units, one for the upper surface of the wing and one for the lower surface of the wing, which are responsible for generating lift for vertical take-off and landing and thrust for cruise flight; the power unit on the lower surface of the wing can also be used to provide underwater thrust when sailing on the water.

[0066] The attitude control power assembly 60 is installed at the rear of the fuselage, replacing the function of the conventional horizontal tail. This attitude control power assembly can provide vertical takeoff lift, balance the forces on the fuselage during tilt transition and cruise flight, control the fuselage attitude stability, and improve the stability and safety of the tilt process.

[0067] Each rotor propeller consists of a propeller, a waterproof motor, and a waterproof electronic speed controller. The propeller and waterproof motor are mounted on the motor disk mounting surface, while the electronic speed controller is installed inside the wing. The three-phase power from the motor is connected to the electronic speed controller inside the wing through a wiring channel inside the arm. The power supply and signal lines of the electronic speed controller are then transmitted to the fuselage through a rotating shaft, forming a sealed circuit transmission path with good waterproof performance.

[0068] The waterproof three-phase motor of the attitude control power unit is connected to an electronic speed controller installed inside the fuselage. Both the thrust power unit and the attitude control power unit are connected to the same power distribution board and are powered by batteries, with signal lines connected to the corresponding ports on the controller output.

[0069] During vertical takeoff, the wing is in a second stable state with the leading edge pointing upward. Both the thrust power assembly and the attitude control power assembly are responsible for generating lift, thus achieving vertical takeoff.

[0070] When switching from vertical takeoff and landing to tilt transition, the locking mechanism releases the wing from its locked state. Through vector differential control, the motors on both sides of the wing surface are controlled to form a thrust difference, generating additional torque to achieve wing tilt. The attitude control power unit is responsible for controlling the fuselage attitude stability. When the wing tilts to the cruise wing angle of attack, the locking mechanism locks the wing, keeping the wing in the first stable state and completing the wing mode transition. At this time, the thrust power unit is responsible for providing cruise thrust, and the attitude control power unit is responsible for controlling the overall aircraft attitude.

[0071] When the aircraft is sailing on the water, the wing maintains a first stable state. When the wing is floating on the water, the propeller on the lower surface of the wing is responsible for underwater propulsion. The attitude control power component can control the aircraft's buoyancy and heading, thereby realizing cross-medium operation.

[0072] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, the scope of protection of this invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be conceived without inventive effort should be covered within the scope of protection of this invention. Unless expressly stated otherwise, no element, action or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or necessary.

Claims

1. A passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle, characterized in that, include: Fuselage, wings, locking mechanism, vertical tail, thrust propulsion assembly, attitude control propulsion assembly and controller; The thrust power assembly, attitude control power assembly, and locking mechanism are all electrically connected to the controller; The fuselage and the wing are rotatably connected. The wing has a first stable state, a second stable state and a passive tilting state. The locking mechanism is used to lock the wing so that the wing is maintained in the first stable state or the second stable state. The thrust power assembly is fixedly mounted on the wing, and the thrust power assembly is used to generate at least two first thrusts; When the wing is in a passive tilting configuration, the controller is configured to adjust the tilt angle of the wing by adjusting the magnitude of the at least two first thrusts; When the wing is in the first stable state, the at least two first thrusts are also used to propel the fuselage. When the wing is in the second stable state, the at least two first thrusts are also used to propel the fuselage for vertical take-off and landing. The attitude control power assembly is fixedly disposed at the tail end of the fuselage. The attitude control power assembly is used to provide at least two second thrusts. The controller is configured to adjust the attitude of the fuselage by adjusting the magnitude of the at least two first thrusts and / or at least two second thrusts.

2. The passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thrust power assembly includes a first connecting rod, a first rotor thruster, and a second rotor thruster; The first rotor thruster and the second rotor thruster are respectively fixedly mounted at both ends of the first connecting rod; The rotation axis of the first rotor propeller and the rotation axis of the second rotor propeller are both perpendicular to the central axis of the first connecting rod; The first connecting rod passes through the wing, and the central axis of the first connecting rod is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the wing. The first rotor thruster and the second rotor thruster are symmetrically distributed. When the wing is maintained in the first stable state, the rotation axis of the first rotor propeller and the rotation axis of the second rotor propeller are both parallel to the central axis of the fuselage. When the wing is maintained in the second stable configuration, the rotation axes of the first rotor propeller and the second rotor propeller are both perpendicular to the fuselage centerline.

3. A passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The attitude control power assembly includes a second connecting rod, a third rotor thruster, and a fourth rotor thruster; The third and fourth rotor thrusters are fixedly mounted at both ends of the second connecting rod, and the third and fourth rotor thrusters are symmetrically distributed with the vertical tail fin as the center. The rotation axis of the third rotor thruster, the rotation axis of the fourth rotor thruster, and the central axis of the second connecting rod are all perpendicular to the central axis of the fuselage.

4. A passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical tail fin includes an upper tail fin and a lower tail fin.

5. A passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, A pivot is provided at one end of the wing opposite the fuselage, and the pivot is fixedly connected to the wing; The fuselage has a bearing housing, and the fuselage and wing are rotatably connected via the pivot and the bearing housing.

6. A passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking mechanism includes a drive mechanism and a locking pin; The locking pin is fixedly connected to the drive mechanism; The rotating shaft is provided with a first insertion hole and a second insertion hole that match the locking pin, and the included angle between the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole is 90°. The driving mechanism is used to drive the locking pin to insert into or remove from the first or second socket. The drive mechanism is located inside the body, and the rotating shaft is inserted into the body.

7. A passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The length of the first connecting rod is greater than the length of the second connecting rod.

8. A passive tilt-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that, The rotating shaft is tubular in shape; The machine body is provided with an assembly hole, which communicates with the inside of the machine body, and the rotating shaft is inserted into the machine body through the assembly hole; The bearing housing is fixedly connected to the machine body, and the inner ring of the bearing housing is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft.

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