UAV Power System and UAV

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a drone power system and a drone. The drone power system includes a plurality of ducts (1) accommodating rotors. The bottom end of each duct is respectively connected to an air flow pipe (2). Each of the air flow pipes includes a main pipeline (21), a first branch (22) for exhausting air, and a second branch (23) extending towards other air flow pipes. The end opening of the first branch faces downward, and a valve (231) that can be opened and closed is provided in the second branch. The plurality of second branches are selectively communicated through the valves. The drone power system further includes a control device for controlling the opening or closing of the valves. In the normal working state, each valve is in a closed state; when any one of the ducts fails, the control device controls each valve to open, so that the air flow generated by the ducts without failure is evenly distributed into each air flow pipe, enabling the drone to maintain a stable attitude until it lands safely, and avoiding the drone from flying unstably and being unable to land safely due to a failure at any one of the rotors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and particularly to an unmanned aerial vehicle power system and an unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicles can be classified into fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles and rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles according to the form of power supply. Among them, for multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles, the lift and attitude of their movement are both realized by the cooperation of multiple rotors. When a failure occurs in one of the rotors, the flight stability will be seriously damaged, posing a safety hazard. Therefore, it is of great significance to design an unmanned aerial vehicle power system that can be emergently regulated in case of failure to keep the attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle stable until it lands safely. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The first object of the present disclosure is to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle power system that can solve the problem that the unmanned aerial vehicle cannot fly stably and land safely due to a failure at any one of the rotors.

[0004] The second object of the present disclosure is to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle including the unmanned aerial vehicle power system provided by the present disclosure.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides an unmanned aerial vehicle power system, including a plurality of ducts accommodating rotors. The bottom end of each duct is respectively connected with an air flow pipe. Each air flow pipe includes a main pipeline, a first branch for exhausting air, and a second branch extending towards other air flow pipes. The end opening of the first branch faces downward, and an openable and closable valve is provided in the second branch. The plurality of second branches are selectively communicated through the valve. The unmanned aerial vehicle power system further includes a control device for controlling the opening or closing of the valve.

[0006] Optionally, the first branch includes a first straight pipe extending horizontally away from the duct and a second straight pipe connected to the end of the first straight pipe in a communicable manner and extending downward.

[0007] Optionally, the second straight pipe extends obliquely downward away from the duct.

[0008] Optionally, a bent pipe is connected between the first straight pipe and the second straight pipe, and the bent pipe is configured to drive the second straight pipe to rotate around the first straight pipe.

[0009] Optionally, the bent pipe includes a first part fixed to the first straight pipe and a second part fixed to the second straight pipe. The first part and the second part are rotatably connected through a universal joint. A driver for controlling the universal joint is provided on the air flow pipe, and the driver is communicably connected to the flight control system of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0010] Optionally, the number of the ducts and the air flow pipes are each four, and they are evenly distributed circumferentially along the drone power system.

[0011] Optionally, the ducts are docked with the air flow pipes, and a sealing ring is provided at the connection.

[0012] Optionally, it further includes a base, and the ducts and the air flow pipes are respectively installed on the base.

[0013] Optionally, the main pipeline vertically penetrates the base, and the ducts are arranged above the main pipeline and fixed to the base through brackets.

[0014] According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a drone, including the drone power system as described above.

[0015] Through the above technical solutions, the drone power system provided by the present disclosure controls the valves through the control device to selectively connect the second branch. When the rotors or other structures in one or more ducts fail and cause poor air flow, the control device controls each valve to open, so that the air flow generated by the rotors in the ducts without failure is evenly distributed into each air flow pipe, keeping the drone's attitude stable until it lands safely, ensuring the stability and safety of the drone's flight.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the subsequent specific implementation section. Description of the Drawings

[0017] The drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following specific implementation, they are used to explain the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation to the present disclosure. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a drone power system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 2 is a bottom view of a drone power system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the disassembled ducts and air flow pipes of a drone power system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Description of the Reference Numerals

[0022] 1 Duct 11 First Flange

[0023] 2 Air Flow Pipe 21 Main Pipeline

[0024] 211 Second Flange 22 First Branch

[0025] 221 First straight pipe 222 Second straight pipe

[0026] 223 elbow 23 second branch

[0027] 231 Valve 3 Driver

[0028] 4 Base 41 Bracket DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The specific implementation of the present disclosure is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific implementation described herein is only used to illustrate and explain the present disclosure, and is not used to limit the present disclosure.

[0030] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the directional words used, such as "upper and lower", are generally defined when the drone power system provided by the present disclosure is operating normally, and "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside of the corresponding component contours. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. used in the present disclosure are intended to distinguish one element from another and do not have order or importance. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0031] refer to Figures 1 to 3 This specific embodiment provides a UAV power system, which generates thrust by rotating the rotor through the engine to provide power for the UAV. The UAV power system includes a plurality of ducts 1 containing rotors, which form a channel for the airflow generated by the rotors, and can generate greater thrust than a single rotor, and has a certain protective effect on the rotors. Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the bottom end of each duct 1 is connected to an airflow pipe 2, each airflow pipe 2 includes a main pipe 21 connected to the duct 1, a first branch 22 for exhaust, and a second branch 23 extending toward other airflow pipes 2. Among them, the end of the first branch 22 opens downward, that is, the thrust gas discharged from the end of the first branch 22 flows downward, which helps to control the hovering or lifting action of the drone. It should be noted here that the end of the first branch 22 opens downward in its general direction and does not require a vertical setting, that is, it can be at a certain angle to the vertical plane. A valve 231 that can be opened and closed is provided in the second branch 23, and multiple second branches 23 are selectively connected through the valve 231. The drone power system also includes a control device for controlling the opening or closing of the valve 231 and a flight control system for controlling the flight attitude, and the control device and the flight control system are communicatively connected.

[0032] With the above arrangement, multiple second branches 23 can be selectively connected through valves 231. Under normal operating conditions, each valve 231 is in a closed state. When the rotors or other structures in one or more ducts 1 fail, resulting in poor air flow, the control device controls each valve 231 to open, enabling the thrust air flow generated by the rotors in the ducts 1 without failures to be evenly distributed in each air duct 2, so that the attitude of the drone remains stable until it lands safely, increasing the flight stability and safety of the drone under normal operating conditions.

[0033] In addition, the present disclosure embodiment does not limit the configuration manner of the valve 231 and the second branch 23. According to one embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, a valve 231 is respectively provided on each second branch 23; according to another embodiment, a multi-way valve can also be provided at the position where multiple second branches 23 converge, and the number of valves 231 and the orientation of the second branches 23 can be adaptively adjusted according to the number of second branches 23.

[0034] As Figure 1 、 Figure 3 shown, the first branch 22 may include a first straight pipe 221 extending horizontally away from the duct 1 at the duct 1 and a second straight pipe 222 communicatively connected to the end of the first straight pipe 221. The air flow enters the air duct 2 from the duct 1 and is ejected at the end of the second straight pipe 222 of the air duct 2. The second straight pipe 222 is arranged at a position far from the center of gravity of the drone power system, enhancing the flight stability of the drone under normal operating conditions.

[0035] Furthermore, as Figure 1 、 Figure 3 shown, the second straight pipe 222 may be configured to extend obliquely downward in a direction away from the duct 1, which can prevent the air flow from spraying towards the center position of the drone, thus ensuring the flight stability of the drone.

[0036] In addition, as Figure 1 shown, a bent pipe 223 may be connected between the first straight pipe 221 and the second straight pipe 222, and the bent pipe 223 is configured to drive the second straight pipe 222 to rotate around the first straight pipe 222. A driver 3 for driving the second straight pipe 222 to rotate may also be provided on the air duct 2, and the driver 3 is communicatively connected to the above flight control system. In this way, by adjusting the angle of the second branch pipe 222, the jet direction can be adjusted, and the attitude of the aircraft can be better and stably controlled. However, it should be noted here that the second straight pipe 222 does not rotate at any angle in any direction, but always ensures that its exhaust direction is generally downward.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the elbow pipe 223 may include a first portion fixed to the first straight pipe 221 and a second portion fixed to the second straight pipe 222. The first portion and the second portion are rotatably connected by a universal joint. The driver 3 is used to control the universal joint to adjust the rotation direction and angle of the second straight pipe 222, so as to control the jet direction, and better control the aircraft attitude stably.

[0038] According to another embodiment, the elbow pipe 223 may be rotatably connected to one of the first straight pipe 221 and the second straight pipe 222 and fixedly connected to the other. For example, a universal joint may be provided between the elbow pipe 223 and the first straight pipe 221 or the second straight pipe 222, and the relative rotation of the first straight pipe 221 and the second straight pipe 222 is achieved by controlling the universal joint through the driver 3.

[0039] According to another embodiment, the elbow pipe 223 may also be a flexible pipe, and both ends of the flexible pipe are respectively fixed to the first straight pipe 221 and the second straight pipe 222. In this case, the driver 3 may directly drive the first straight pipe 221 or the second straight pipe 222. For example, the driver 3 may include a telescopic member connected between the first straight pipe 221 and the second straight pipe 222, and the rotation of the second straight pipe 222 relative to the first straight pipe 221 can be controlled by the movement of the telescopic member.

[0040] To improve the stability of the power system, as Figures 1 to 3 shown, the number of the ducts 1 and the air flow pipes 2 may be four respectively, and they are evenly distributed along the circumference of the UAV power system, that is, they have a turning angle of 90° in sequence. It should be noted that the number and distribution of the ducts 1 and the air flow pipes 2 can be adjusted accordingly according to the actual situation. In each implementation mode, the ducts 1 and the air flow pipes 2 are evenly arranged to ensure the stable attitude of the UAV.

[0041] To prevent air leakage, the ducts 1 and the air flow pipes 2 are butted and a sealing ring is provided at the connection. The sealing ring can be selected as a sealing gasket. With such a setting, gas leakage is avoided and the work efficiency is improved. Specifically, referring to Figure 3 , the duct 1 may include a pipe body and a first flange 11, the main pipeline 21 may include a pipe body and a second flange 211 at the end. The first flange 11 and the second flange 211 are in surface contact, and the sealing ring is clamped between the first flange 11 and the second flange 211.

[0042] In an exemplary implementation mode of the present disclosure, the UAV power system further includes a base 4, and the ducts 1 and the air flow pipes 2 are respectively installed on the base 4, that is, the ducts 1 and the air flow pipes 2 can be integrated into a whole. Specifically, according to some embodiments, as Figure 3 shown, the main pipeline 21 vertically penetrates the base 4, and the duct 1 is arranged above the main pipeline 21 and fixed to the base 4 through a bracket 41. Referring to Figure 1 andFigure 3 In this embodiment, mounting lugs are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the duct 1. The bracket 41 is configured as a strip, with one end fixed to the base 4 and the other end detachably mounted on the lugs by means of bolt connection or the like.

[0043] On the other hand, the present disclosure also provides a drone, including the drone power system as described above. The advantages of the drone and the above drone power system over the prior art are the same and will not be elaborated here.

[0044] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0045] In addition, it should be noted that, in the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments, they can be combined in any appropriate manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present disclosure will not separately describe various possible combination methods.

[0046] Furthermore, any combination can be made between various different embodiments of the present disclosure as long as it does not violate the idea of the present disclosure, and it should also be regarded as the content disclosed by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A drone power system, characterized in that, It includes a plurality of ducts (1) accommodating rotors. An air flow pipe (2) is respectively connected to the bottom end of each duct (1). The duct (1) is docked with the air flow pipe (2), and a sealing ring is provided at the connection. Each air flow pipe (2) includes a main pipeline (21), a first branch (22) for exhausting air, and a second branch (23) extending towards other air flow pipes (2). The end of the first branch (22) opens downward. The first branch (22) includes a first straight pipe (221) extending horizontally away from the duct (1) and a second straight pipe (222) connected to the end of the first straight pipe (221) in a communicable manner and extending downward. The second straight pipe (222) extends obliquely downward away from the duct (1). A bent pipe (223) is connected between the first straight pipe (221) and the second straight pipe (222). The bent pipe (223) is configured to drive the second straight pipe (222) to rotate around the first straight pipe (221). A valve (231) that can be opened and closed is provided in the second branch (23). The plurality of second branches (23) are selectively communicated through the valve (231). The unmanned aerial vehicle power system further includes a control device for controlling the opening or closing of the valve (231).

2. The drone power system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bent pipe (223) includes a first part fixed to the first straight pipe (221) and a second part fixed to the second straight pipe (222). The first part and the second part are rotatably connected through a universal joint. A driver (3) for controlling the universal joint is provided on the air flow pipe (2). The driver (3) is communicably connected to the flight control system of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The drone power system according to claim 1, wherein The number of the ducts (1) and the air flow pipes (2) is four respectively, and they are evenly distributed along the circumference of the unmanned aerial vehicle power system.

4. The drone power system according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, It further includes a base (4). The ducts (1) and the air flow pipes (2) are respectively installed on the base (4).

5. The drone power system according to claim 4, wherein The main pipeline (21) vertically penetrates the base (4). The duct (1) is arranged above the main pipeline (21) and is fixed to the base (4) through a bracket (41).

6. A drone, characterized in that, It includes the unmanned aerial vehicle power system according to any one of claims 1-5.

Images