Automatic delivery device for time domain avionics receiving equipment of unmanned aerial vehicle and its application method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic delivery device for time-domain avionics receiving equipment of an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising a cylindrical transfer beam, a special-shaped structural beam and a load rack. The cylindrical transfer beam comprises a metal frame, a carbon fiber frame, a metal beam, a carbon fiber beam, a carbon fiber skin and a metal skin, which is connected to the main load-bearing frame of the unmanned aerial vehicle fuselage by bolts, serving as a transition between the load rack and the unmanned aerial vehicle fuselage; the special-shaped structural beam is connected to the time-domain avionics receiving equipment by bolts, and is used to fix the time-domain avionics receiving equipment; the load rack is connected to the upper surface of the special-shaped structural beam by bolts, and is connected to the metal skin of the cylindrical transfer beam by a hook, so that the avionics equipment can be automatically unlocked and delivered in an emergency. The present invention also discloses an application method of the automatic delivery device. The present invention can safely mount the time-domain avionics receiving equipment on the unmanned aerial vehicle, effectively reduce the weight of the structure, have strong stability, and can be widely used in the field of airborne electromagnetic exploration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an automatic delivery device for time domain avionics receiving equipment and an application method thereof, and belongs to the field of aviation electromagnetic measurement. Background Art

[0002] Time domain airborne electromagnetic measurement technology, also known as airborne transient electromagnetic method, is an airborne geophysical exploration method that uses airborne coils to emit pulsed electromagnetic waves and measures secondary induced electromagnetic fields through receiving coils. This method has the advantages of fast speed, low cost, and wide detection range. It can be carried out in areas that are difficult for ground personnel and equipment to enter, and is suitable for large-scale surveys; it can be widely used in geological mapping, mineral exploration, hydrogeology, and environmental monitoring.

[0003] At present, time-domain airborne electromagnetic surveys are mainly carried out by manned aircraft. Typical fixed-wing time-domain systems at various stages abroad include INPUT, MARK I, MARK II, MARK IV SKYVAN TRISLANDER, CASA, QUESTEM, SPECTREM, SALTMAP, GEOTEMDEEP, MEGATEM, TEMPEST, MEGATEMII, GEOTEM1000 and other systems. my country developed the first pod-type time-domain helicopter airborne electromagnetic survey system in 2012. However, the time-domain airborne electromagnetic survey system based on manned aircraft is mainly faced with problems such as high risk, high cost, poor flexibility and low operating efficiency.

[0004] UAV aerial geophysical prospecting has the advantages of high efficiency, low cost, low risk, and is not affected by terrain conditions and human factors. It is an effective way to solve the above problems. However, the application of UAVs in the field of airborne electromagnetic exploration still faces many difficulties, one of which is how to realize the mounting of time domain avionics receiving equipment. Traditional manned aircraft often place time domain avionics receiving equipment in the fuselage of the aircraft during aerial geophysical prospecting. However, due to the small size of UAVs, there is not much space for placing payloads in the fuselage. In addition, the time domain avionics receiving equipment needs to be dragged when working, which has a particularly large impact on the flight performance of UAVs. Without reliable design and equipment, UAVs cannot safely mount time domain avionics receiving equipment.

[0005] Therefore, before the UAV performs airborne electromagnetic survey operations, it is very important and necessary to install the time domain avionics receiving equipment on the UAV to ensure its normal operation and to achieve automatic delivery when the time domain avionics receiving equipment fails. At present, there is no successful automatic delivery device for UAV time domain avionics receiving equipment in China. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide an automatic delivery device for a UAV time domain avionics receiving device and an application method thereof.

[0007] The above object of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0008] An automatic delivery device for time-domain avionics receiving equipment of a UAV, comprising a cylindrical transfer beam, a load rack and a special-shaped structural beam;

[0009] The cylindrical transfer beam is connected to the main load-bearing frame of the UAV fuselage through bolts; the upper surface of the load rack is connected to the cylindrical transfer beam through a hook, the lower surface of the load rack is connected to the upper surface of the special-shaped structural beam through bolts, and the lower surface of the special-shaped structural beam is connected to the time domain avionics receiving equipment;

[0010] When mounted for flight, the time domain avionics receiving equipment is tightened on the lower surface of the special-shaped structural beam. When dropped for survey, the receiver pod of the time domain avionics receiving equipment glides down.

[0011] The special-shaped structural beam is made of metal material and cut as a whole, and includes a first section, a transition section and a second section. The upper surfaces of the first section, the transition section and the second section are flush, and the upper surfaces of the first section, the transition section and the second section have the same width; the second section is a rectangular flat plate, and the upper surface and the lower surface thereof have the same width;

[0012] The cross-section of the main body of the first section along the wingspan direction is trapezoidal, the cross-section of the front end of the main body along the wingspan direction is semicircular, the lower surface of the first section is wider than the upper surface, the thickness of the first section is greater than that of the second section, and the cross-section of the transition section along the wingspan direction is trapezoidal, which is used to connect the first section and the second section.

[0013] The connection method between the lower surface of the special-shaped structural beam and the time domain avionics receiving equipment is as follows:

[0014] The front part of the lower surface of the first section of the special-shaped structural beam is fixedly connected with the electric winch fairing in the time domain avionics receiving equipment by bolts, and a pylon is installed on the lower surface of the second section of the special-shaped structural beam, and the receiver pod in the time domain avionics receiving equipment is placed in the pylon, and the pylon has a longitudinal guide frame; the electric winch is connected to the receiver pod through a towing cable;

[0015] During mounted flight, the electric winch tightens the towing cable to fix the receiver pod in the rack. When deployed for survey, the electric winch releases the towing cable and the receiver pod slides down along the longitudinal guide frame of the rack.

[0016] The cylindrical transfer beam comprises a metal frame, a carbon fiber frame, a metal beam, a carbon fiber beam, a metal skin and a carbon fiber skin;

[0017] The cylindrical transfer beam is divided into a front frame, a rear frame and a body frame, wherein the body frame is a metal frame, and both the front frame and the rear frame are carbon fiber frames. A metal skin is fixed to the outside of the body frame, a carbon fiber skin is fixed to the outside of the carbon fiber frame, a metal beam is installed inside the metal frame, and a carbon fiber beam is installed inside the carbon fiber frame;

[0018] A metal connecting frame is processed on the upper surface of the metal frame, and the metal connecting frame is connected to the main load-bearing frame of the UAV fuselage through bolts.

[0019] The metal skin has a thickness of 5 mm, and the carbon fiber skin adopts a honeycomb sandwich structure with a thickness of 3 mm.

[0020] The carbon fiber skin is directly bonded to the carbon fiber frame by mold adhesive; the metal skin is bonded to the metal frame by mold adhesive, and glue holes are opened on the metal frame and metal beam to increase the connection strength.

[0021] The diameter of the bolts connecting the metal connecting frame and the main load-bearing frame of the UAV fuselage is ≤8mm.

[0022] The upper surface of the load rack is connected to the metal skin of the cylindrical transfer beam through a hook.

[0023] The hook of the load rack is connected to the drone via a power cable and a synchronization cable.

[0024] An application method of an automatic delivery device for a time-domain avionics receiving device of a UAV comprises the following steps:

[0025] (1) The electric winch fairing in the time domain avionics receiving device is installed on the front part of the lower surface of the first section of the special-shaped structural beam by bolts, and the receiver pod in the time domain avionics receiving device is placed in the bracket on the lower surface of the second section of the special-shaped structural beam; the electric winch tightens the towing cable to fix the receiver pod in the bracket;

[0026] (2) The UAV flies to the predetermined working area and sends a release command to the electric winch when it is deployed for investigation. The electric winch releases the towing cable and the receiver pod slides down along the longitudinal guide frame of the pylon.

[0027] (3) After falling to the predetermined position, the time domain avionics receiving equipment starts to work. After the work is completed, the UAV sends a recovery command to the electric winch. The electric winch winds the recovery towing cable and the receiver pod returns to the rack along the longitudinal guide frame of the rack. After recovery, the electric winch tightens the towing cable to fix the receiver pod in the rack.

[0028] During the release or recovery process, if the electric winch fails or the receiver pod is accidentally dragged, the UAV sends an unlocking command to the hook on the upper surface of the payload rack. After receiving the unlocking command, the hook cuts off the connection with the cylindrical transfer beam, allowing the payload rack, special-shaped structural beam and time domain avionics receiving equipment to be released together.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0030] (1) The device can mount the time domain avionics receiving device on the UAV, realize the automatic deployment of the time domain avionics receiving device, and ensure the smooth completion of the airborne electromagnetic survey operation.

[0031] (2) The cylindrical transfer beam adopts a hybrid structure of metal materials and carbon fiber composite materials. The metal material can meet the installation strength requirements, and the carbon fiber material can effectively reduce the weight of the structure. The five bolts with a diameter of no more than 8 mm arranged at the front and rear of the cylindrical transfer beam can effectively reduce the impact on the strength of the main load-bearing frame of the UAV fuselage.

[0032] (3) The special-shaped structural beam is made of metal material and has good structural stability. It can also provide installation locations for the electric winch and receiver pod bracket in the time domain avionics receiving equipment.

[0033] (4) The maximum load capacity of the payload rack is 250 kg, which can meet the mounting requirements of different types of time domain avionics receiving equipment. The hook of the payload rack has a command unlocking function, which can be connected and disconnected with the cylindrical transfer beam through commands to achieve automatic release in emergency situations and ensure the safety of UAV flight. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automatic delivery device for the UAV time domain avionics receiving equipment.

[0035] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cylindrical transfer beam structure.

[0036] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the load rack structure.

[0037] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of a special-shaped structural beam, where (a) is a schematic diagram of the upper surface of the special-shaped structural beam, and (b) is a schematic diagram of the lower surface of the special-shaped structural beam. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The technical solution of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] The present invention can install the time domain avionics receiving device on the UAV. When the electric winch in the time domain avionics receiving device fails or the receiver pod is accidentally towed, the device can release the time domain avionics receiving device as a whole according to instructions to ensure the flight safety of the UAV.

[0040] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the automatic delivery device of the UAV time domain avionics receiving equipment is shown in the figure. The structure includes a cylindrical transfer beam 1, a special-shaped structural beam 3 and a load rack 2. The cylindrical transfer beam 1 serves as a transition between the load rack 2 and the UAV fuselage, further protecting the main load-bearing structure of the UAV fuselage; the load rack 2 is used to realize the automatic delivery of the avionics equipment; the special-shaped structural beam 3 provides an installation position for the electric winch and the receiver pod rack.

[0041] Specifically, the cylindrical transfer beam 1 is connected to the main load-bearing frame of the UAV fuselage by bolts, serving as a transition between the load pylon and the UAV fuselage; the upper surface of the load pylon 2 is connected to the cylindrical transfer beam 1 by a hook, and the lower surface of the load pylon 2 is connected to the upper surface of the special-shaped structural beam 3 by bolts. The lower surface of the first section of the special-shaped structural beam 3 is fixedly connected to the electric winch fairing in the time domain avionics receiving device by bolts, and the lower surface of the second section is installed with a pylon, and the receiver pod in the time domain avionics receiving device is placed in the pylon. The pylon has a longitudinal guide frame. The electric winch is connected to the receiver pod by a towing cable.

[0042] During mounted flight, the electric winch fixes the receiver pod in the rack by tightening the towing cable. When deployed for survey, the electric winch releases the towing cable and the receiver pod slides down along the longitudinal guide frame of the rack.

[0043] Figure 2 The cylindrical transfer beam is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cylindrical transfer beam. The weight of the cylindrical transfer beam is 40kg. It adopts a hybrid structure of metal materials and carbon fiber composite materials. The metal material can meet the installation strength requirements, and the carbon fiber material can effectively reduce the weight of the structure. The cylindrical transfer beam includes: a metal frame 1-1, a carbon fiber frame 1-2, a metal skin 1-3 and a carbon fiber skin 1-4, a metal beam 1-5, and a carbon fiber beam 1-6. The cylindrical transfer beam 1 is divided into a front frame, a rear frame and a body frame, wherein the body frame is a metal frame 1-1, and the metal frame 1-1 is connected to the main load-bearing frame of the UAV fuselage by bolts. The front frame and the rear frame are both carbon fiber frames 1-2, and the metal skin 1-3 is fixed on the outside of the body frame, and the carbon fiber skin 1-4 is fixed on the outside of the carbon fiber frame 1-2. A metal beam 1-5 is installed inside the metal frame 1-1, and a carbon fiber beam 1-6 is installed inside the carbon fiber frame 1-2.

[0044] The length of the cylindrical transfer beam is 1180mm, the diameter of the body frame is 100mm, and the maximum depth of the cylinder is 100mm. The front and rear of the cylindrical transfer beam metal frame 1-1 are processed with a metal connecting frame 1-7, each of which is arranged with 5 bolt holes for connecting with the main load-bearing frame of the UAV fuselage through bolts. The diameter of a single bolt is ≤8mm, which reduces the impact on the strength of the main load-bearing frame of the UAV fuselage.

[0045] The thickness of the metal skin 1-3 is 5 mm, and the carbon fiber skin 1-4 adopts a honeycomb sandwich structure with a thickness of 3 mm. Figure 3 The diagram is a schematic diagram of the load rack structure. The load rack weighs 25kg, including hooks and bolts, and has a maximum load capacity of 250kg. The hook of the load rack is connected to the drone through a power cable and a synchronization cable. The load rack is inverted and connected to the metal skin of the cylindrical transfer beam through the hook, and connected to the upper surface of the special-shaped structural beam through 4 bolts. The hook has a command unlocking function, and the drone can unlock the connection between the hook and the cylindrical transfer beam through a command.

[0046] Figure 4 The diagram is a schematic diagram of the structure of the special-shaped structural beam. The special-shaped structural beam weighs 40kg and is made of metal material by integral cutting. It includes a first section, a transition section and a second section. The total length of the special-shaped structural beam is 1915mm. The upper surfaces of the first section, the transition section and the second section are flush, and the upper surface widths of the first section, the transition section and the second section are equal; the main body of the first section is a trapezoidal flat plate structure (i.e., the cross section along the wingspan direction is a trapezoid), the upper surface width of the first section is 75mm, the lower surface width of the first section is 185mm, the thickness of the first section is 300mm, and the front end of the trapezoidal flat plate structure is a semicircular plate structure; the transition section is a trapezoidal structure (i.e., the cross section along the wingspan direction is a trapezoid), and the transition section is used to transition the lower surface of the first section and the lower surface of the second section. The width of the connection between the trapezoidal structure and the lower surface of the first section is 185mm, and the width of the connection between the trapezoidal structure and the lower surface of the second section is 75mm; the second section is a rectangular flat plate, the width of the upper and lower surfaces of the rectangular flat plate are both 75mm, and the thickness of the rectangular flat plate is 125mm; the width of the lower surface of the first section is greater than the width of the upper surface, the width of the lower surface of the first section is greater than the width of the lower surface of the second section, the upper surface of the first section and the upper surface of the second section are on the same plane, and the thickness of the first section is greater than the thickness of the second section. There are 4 bolt holes arranged on the upper surface of the first section for connection with the load rack; 3 bolt holes are arranged at the front of the lower surface of the first section for connection with the electric winch in the time domain avionics receiving equipment; 4 bolt holes are arranged on the lower surface of the second section for connection with the receiver pod rack in the time domain avionics receiving equipment. Figure 4 (a) is a schematic diagram of the upper surface of the special-shaped structural beam, and (b) is a schematic diagram of the lower surface of the special-shaped structural beam.

[0047] The present invention can enable the time domain avionics receiving equipment to be safely mounted on a UAV, effectively reduce the weight of the structure, have strong stability, and can be widely used in the field of aerial electromagnetic exploration.

[0048] The application method of the automatic delivery device of the UAV time domain avionics receiving device of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0049] (1) The electric winch fairing in the time domain avionics receiving device is installed on the front part of the lower surface of the first section of the special-shaped structural beam 3 by bolts, and the receiver pod in the time domain avionics receiving device is placed in the rear bracket of the lower surface of the second section of the special-shaped structural beam 3; the electric winch winds and tightens the towing cable to fix the receiver pod in the bracket;

[0050] (2) The UAV flies to the predetermined working area and sends a release command to the electric winch when it is deployed for investigation. The electric winch releases the towing cable and the receiver pod slides down along the longitudinal guide frame of the pylon.

[0051] (3) After falling to the predetermined position, the time domain avionics receiving equipment starts to work. After the work is completed, the UAV sends a recovery command to the electric winch. The electric winch winds the recovery towing cable and the receiver pod returns to the rack along the longitudinal guide frame of the rack. After recovery, the electric winch tightens the towing cable to fix the receiver pod in the rack.

[0052] During the release or recovery process, if the electric winch fails or the receiver pod is accidentally towed, the UAV sends an unlocking command to the hook on the upper surface of the load rack 2. After receiving the unlocking command, the hook cuts off the connection with the cylindrical transfer beam 1, thereby achieving the launch of the load rack 2, the special-shaped structural beam 3 and the time domain avionics receiving equipment together.

[0053] The above data of the present invention is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the implementation methods of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is impossible to list all implementation methods here. Any obvious changes or modifications derived from the technical solution of the present invention are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic delivery device for time-domain avionics receiving equipment of a UAV, characterized by: It comprises a cylindrical transfer beam (1), a load hanger (2) and a special-shaped structural beam (3); The cylindrical transfer beam (1) is connected to the main load-bearing frame of the UAV fuselage through bolts; the upper surface of the load hanger (2) is connected to the cylindrical transfer beam (1) through a hook, the lower surface of the load hanger (2) is connected to the upper surface of the special-shaped structural beam (3) through bolts, and the lower surface of the special-shaped structural beam (3) is connected to the time domain avionics receiving equipment; The special-shaped structural beam is made of metal material and cut as a whole, and includes a first section, a transition section and a second section. The upper surfaces of the first section, the transition section and the second section are flush, and the upper surfaces of the first section, the transition section and the second section have the same width; the second section is a rectangular flat plate, and the upper surface and the lower surface thereof have the same width; The cross section of the main body of the first section along the wingspan direction is a trapezoid, the cross section of the front end of the main body along the wingspan direction is a semicircular, the lower surface of the first section is wider than the upper surface, the thickness of the first section is greater than that of the second section, and the cross section of the transition section along the wingspan direction is a trapezoid, which is used to connect the first section and the second section; The connection method between the lower surface of the special-shaped structural beam (3) and the time domain avionics receiving equipment is as follows: The front part of the lower surface of the first section of the special-shaped structural beam (3) is fixedly connected to the electric winch fairing in the time domain avionics receiving device by bolts, and a rack is installed on the lower surface of the second section of the special-shaped structural beam (3), and the receiver pod in the time domain avionics receiving device is placed in the rack, and the rack has a longitudinal guide frame; the electric winch is connected to the receiver pod by a towing cable; During the mounted flight, the electric winch tightens the towing cable to fix the receiver pod in the rack. During the deployment survey, the electric winch releases the towing cable and the receiver pod slides down along the longitudinal guide frame of the rack. During the release or recovery process, if the electric winch fails or the receiver pod is accidentally dragged, the UAV sends an unlocking command to the hook on the upper surface of the load rack (2). After receiving the unlocking command, the hook cuts off the connection with the cylindrical transfer beam (1), so that the load rack (2), the special-shaped structural beam (3) and the time domain avionics receiving equipment are released together.

2. The automatic delivery device for time-domain avionics receiving equipment of a UAV according to claim 1 is characterized by: The cylindrical transfer beam (1) comprises a metal frame (1-1), a carbon fiber frame (1-2), a metal beam (1-5), a carbon fiber beam (1-6), a metal skin (1-3) and a carbon fiber skin (1-4); The cylindrical transfer beam (1) is divided into a front frame, a rear frame and a body frame, wherein the body frame is a metal frame (1-1), the front frame and the rear frame are both carbon fiber frames (1-2), a metal skin (1-3) is fixed to the outside of the body frame, a carbon fiber skin (1-4) is fixed to the outside of the carbon fiber frame (1-2), a metal beam (1-5) is installed inside the metal frame (1-1), and a carbon fiber beam (1-6) is installed inside the carbon fiber frame (1-2); A metal connecting frame (1-7) is processed on the upper surface of the metal frame (1-1), and the metal connecting frame (1-7) is connected to the main load-bearing frame of the drone fuselage through bolts.

3. The automatic delivery device for time-domain avionics receiving equipment of a UAV according to claim 2 is characterized by: The metal skin (1-3) has a thickness of 5 mm, and the carbon fiber skin (1-4) adopts a honeycomb sandwich structure with a thickness of 3 mm.

4. The automatic delivery device for time-domain avionics receiving equipment of a UAV according to claim 3 is characterized by: The carbon fiber skin is directly bonded to the carbon fiber frame by mold adhesive; the metal skin is bonded to the metal frame by mold adhesive, and glue holes are opened on the metal frame and metal beam to increase the connection strength.

5. The automatic delivery device for time-domain avionics receiving equipment of a UAV according to claim 2 is characterized by: The diameter of the bolts connecting the metal connecting frame (1-7) and the main load-bearing frame of the UAV fuselage is ≤8mm.

6. The automatic delivery device for time-domain avionics receiving equipment of a UAV according to claim 2 is characterized by: The upper surface of the load hanger (2) is connected to the metal skin (1-3) of the cylindrical transfer beam (1) via a hook.

7. The automatic delivery device for time-domain avionics receiving equipment of a UAV according to claim 1 is characterized by: The hook of the load rack is connected to the drone via a power cable and a synchronization cable.

8. The application method of the automatic delivery device for the time domain avionics receiving equipment of a UAV according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is characterized in that The steps include: (1) The electric winch fairing in the time domain avionics receiving device is installed on the front part of the lower surface of the first section of the special-shaped structural beam (3) by bolts, and the receiver pod in the time domain avionics receiving device is placed in the bracket on the lower surface of the second section of the special-shaped structural beam (3); the electric winch tightens the towing cable to fix the receiver pod in the bracket; (2) The UAV flies to the predetermined working area and sends a release command to the electric winch when it is deployed for investigation. The electric winch releases the towing cable and the receiver pod slides down along the longitudinal guide frame of the pylon. (3) After falling to the predetermined position, the time domain avionics receiving equipment starts to work. After the work is completed, the UAV sends a recovery command to the electric winch. The electric winch winds the recovery towing cable and the receiver pod returns to the rack along the longitudinal guide frame of the rack. After recovery, the electric winch tightens the towing cable to fix the receiver pod in the rack.

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