Hybrid Electric UAV System

Abstract

The present invention provides an oil-electric hybrid UAV system, comprising: an engine unit, a power generation unit, a voltage conversion unit, a backup battery unit, a power unit, a load unit and an image transmission unit; the engine unit is used to obtain mechanical energy through fuel; the power generation unit obtains part of the mechanical energy of the engine unit and converts it into electrical energy; the voltage conversion unit connects the power generation unit, the backup battery unit and the power unit, and the voltage conversion unit is used to convert the voltage generated by the power generation unit into a stable voltage; the backup battery unit is used to store electrical energy; the power unit converts the electrical energy into mechanical energy when the fuel is insufficient and uses the mechanical energy to provide power for the UAV; the load unit is electrically connected to the voltage conversion unit, and the load unit is used to obtain image information; the image transmission unit is used to transmit the image information back to the ground. The oil-electric hybrid UAV system of the present invention has the advantages of long endurance, strong load-bearing capacity and safe use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle imaging, and in particular to an oil-electric hybrid power unmanned aerial vehicle system. Background Art

[0002] Unmanned aircraft, referred to as "drones", are unmanned aircraft controlled by radio remote control equipment and self-contained program control devices. Drones can also be operated completely or intermittently autonomously by on-board computers. Compared with manned aircraft, drones are often more suitable for dangerous tasks. Drones can be divided into military and civilian applications according to their application areas. In the military, drones are divided into reconnaissance aircraft and target aircraft. In the civilian application, drones combined with industry applications are the real rigid demand for drones. At present, the application of drones in aerial photography, agriculture, plant protection, micro selfies, express transportation, disaster relief, wildlife observation, infectious disease monitoring, surveying and mapping, news reporting, power inspection, disaster relief, film and television shooting, creating romance, etc. has greatly expanded the use of drones themselves. Electric drones in the prior art are affected by the capacity of the backup battery unit and have problems such as short battery life and small load. When applied to aerial photography, since the aerial photography equipment also needs to be powered by the backup battery unit, the battery life of the drone will be further shortened. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention provides an oil-electric hybrid power UAV system, which is used to solve the problems of short flight time and small load capacity of electric UAVs in the prior art.

[0004] The present invention provides an oil-electric hybrid power unmanned aerial vehicle system, comprising: an engine unit, a power generation unit, a voltage conversion unit, a backup battery unit, a power unit, a load unit and an image transmission unit; the engine unit is used to obtain mechanical energy through fuel; the power generation unit obtains part of the mechanical energy of the engine unit and converts it into electrical energy; the voltage conversion unit is connected to the power generation unit, the backup battery unit and the power unit, and the voltage conversion unit is used to convert the voltage generated by the power generation unit into a stable voltage; the backup battery unit is used to store electrical energy; the power unit converts the electrical energy into mechanical energy when the fuel is insufficient and uses the mechanical energy to provide power for the unmanned aerial vehicle; the load unit is electrically connected to the voltage conversion unit, and the load unit is used to obtain image information; the image transmission unit is used to transmit the image information back to the ground.

[0005] According to a hybrid electric drone system provided by the present invention, the power unit includes a propeller, a motor and an electric speed controller, the propeller is respectively connected to the engine unit and the motor by transmission, and the electric speed controller is connected to the voltage conversion unit and the motor.

[0006] According to a hybrid electric drone system provided by the present invention, the engine unit includes a piston engine or a rotor engine.

[0007] According to a hybrid electric drone system provided by the present invention, the load unit includes a camera and / or a laser radar.

[0008] According to a hybrid electric drone system provided by the present invention, the hybrid electric drone system further includes a shell and a power-off protection device, wherein the power-off protection device is arranged on the shell and is used to form an anti-fall support when the backup battery is low on power.

[0009] According to a hybrid electric drone system provided by the present invention, the power-off protection device includes a support plate and a control component, the support plate is rotatably connected to the outer shell, the support plate has a first state of being attached to the outer wall of the outer shell and a second state of forming an angle with the outer wall of the outer shell, and the control component is used to control the support plate to switch between the first state and the second state.

[0010] According to a hybrid electric drone system provided by the present invention, the control component includes an elastic reset member and a positioning member, the elastic reset member is connected to the support plate, and applies an elastic force to the support plate to switch from the first state to the second state, the positioning member is electrically connected to the backup battery unit, and the positioning member is used to fix the support plate in the first state when the backup battery unit is fully charged.

[0011] According to a hybrid electric drone system provided by the present invention, the positioning member is an electromagnet, the supporting plate is an elastic iron plate, and when the backup battery unit has sufficient power, the positioning member adsorbs and fixes the supporting plate in the first state.

[0012] According to a hybrid electric drone system provided by the present invention, the elastic reset member is a torsion spring.

[0013] According to a hybrid electric drone system provided by the present invention, a hidden groove is provided on the shell, and the support plate is located in the hidden groove when in the first state.

[0014] The hybrid electric drone system provided by the present invention can use the mechanical energy provided by the engine unit as the flight power, and can ensure that the drone has a long endurance and a strong load-bearing capacity. The power unit provides power by using the electric energy stored in the backup battery unit, further increasing the endurance of the drone. At the same time, the power provided by the power unit can also play a protective role when the fuel is insufficient, preventing the drone from falling suddenly. The load unit and the image transmission unit can use the electric energy of the backup battery unit to obtain images and transmit the images back to the ground, realizing the aerial photography function. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship of the oil-electric hybrid UAV system provided by the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 is a bottom view of the oil-electric hybrid UAV system provided by the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the power-off protection device in the hybrid electric UAV system provided by the present invention.

[0019] Reference numerals:

[0020] 100. Engine unit; 200. Generator unit; 300. Voltage conversion unit;

[0021] 400, backup battery unit; 500, power unit; 600, load unit;

[0022] 700, image transmission unit; 800, power-off protection device; 810, support plate;

[0023] 820, elastic reset member; 830, positioning member; 900, housing;

[0024] 910. Hidden slot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following embodiments of the present invention are described in further detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0026] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0027] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0028] In the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0029] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiment of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0030] Combine the following Figure 1The hybrid UAV system of the present invention includes: an engine unit 100, a power generation unit 200, a voltage conversion unit 300, a backup battery unit 400, a power unit 500, a load unit 600 and an image transmission unit 700; the engine unit 100 is used to obtain mechanical energy through fuel; the power generation unit 200 obtains part of the mechanical energy of the engine unit 100 and converts it into electrical energy; the voltage conversion unit 300 is connected to the power generation unit 200, the backup battery unit 400 and the power unit 500, and the voltage conversion unit 300 is used to convert the voltage generated by the power generation unit 200 into a stable voltage; the backup battery unit 400 is used to store electrical energy; when the fuel is insufficient, the power unit 500 converts the electrical energy in the backup battery unit 400 into mechanical energy and uses the mechanical energy to provide power for the UAV; the load unit 600 is electrically connected to the backup power unit 500, and the load unit 600 is used to obtain image information; the image transmission unit 700 is connected to the load unit 600, and is used to transmit the image information back to the ground.

[0031] The engine unit 100 includes a piston engine or a rotary engine, which generates mechanical motion by burning gasoline or aviation kerosene to provide flight power for the UAV, and at the same time drives the power generation unit 200 to generate electricity to provide electricity for the backup battery unit 400. The backup battery unit 400 can be charged by the power generation unit 200 or by an external power source. Specifically, a wiring socket can be set for the backup battery. When the UAV is not flying, the UAV can be charged by connecting the charging cable to the wiring socket.

[0032] The power unit 500 includes a propeller, a motor and an electric controller. The propeller is connected to the engine unit 100 and the motor respectively. The engine unit 100 or the motor can provide power for the propeller when it is running. There can be multiple propellers, each of which is connected to the engine unit 100 and the motor respectively, and the engine or the motor provides driving force alone; the same propeller can also be connected to the engine unit 100 and the motor at the same time, and the engine unit 100 and the motor provide kinetic energy in rotation. The electric controller is connected to the backup battery and the motor, and can adjust the speed of the motor according to the control signal to achieve control of the motor.

[0033] The load unit 600 includes a camera and / or a laser radar, which can realize aerial photography during the flight of the drone and obtain image information of the surrounding environment. The load unit 600 is connected to the image transmission unit 700 by signal, and the image transmission unit 700 includes a wireless transceiver module, which can wirelessly transmit the image information obtained by the load unit 600 back to the ground.

[0034] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3In one embodiment of the present invention, the hybrid electric drone system further includes a housing 900 and a power failure protection device 800. The housing 900 is a support and protection structure of the drone, and the housing 900 can form a fuselage and a power support portion, wherein a cavity is formed inside the fuselage for installing a backup battery unit 400, a power unit 500, a load unit 600, and a video transmission unit 700, etc. The power support portion can adopt a hollow support rod structure, and a line can be arranged inside the power support portion. The power generation unit 200, the motor, and the propeller can be fixed on the power support portion. The power failure protection device 800 is provided on the lower side of the housing 900 in multiple portions, and is used to form an anti-fall support when the backup battery unit 400 is low in power, thereby preventing the drone from falling from a high altitude and being damaged when the fuel is insufficient and the backup battery unit 400 is exhausted.

[0035] Optionally, the power-off protection device 800 includes a support plate 810 and a control component, wherein the support plate 810 is rotatably connected to the housing 900, and the rotation axis of the support plate 810 is perpendicular to the length direction of the support plate 810. The support plate 810 has a first state in which it is attached to the outer wall of the housing 900 and a second state in which it forms an angle with the outer wall of the housing 900. In the first state, the support plate 810 does not play a supporting role, and its attachment to the housing 900 does not cause flight resistance, while increasing the aesthetics of the drone. In the second state, the support plate 810 is opened, and can form a support when the drone lands, and reduce the impact on the drone through elastic deformation. The control component is used to control the support plate 810 to switch between the first state and the second state.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control assembly includes an elastic reset member 820 and a positioning member 830. The elastic reset member 820 can be a torsion spring, and the elastic reset member 820 is connected to the support plate 810 and is specifically arranged at the rotation axis position of the support plate 810, and can apply an elastic force to the support plate 810 to switch from the first state to the second state, and the positioning member 830 is electrically connected to the backup battery unit 400, and the positioning member 830 is used to fix the support plate 810 in the first state when the backup battery unit 400 is fully charged. Thus, when the positioning member 830 does not restrict the support plate 810, the support plate 810 automatically switches to the second state under the elastic action of the elastic reset member 820. It should be noted that, because the drone is affected by the center of gravity when it falls, its lower side is always at the bottom, so the support plate 810 arranged on the lower side of the housing 900 can be protected when it is in the second state.

[0037] Furthermore, the positioning member 830 is an electromagnet, and the support plate 810 is an elastic iron plate. When the backup battery unit 400 is fully charged, it can provide electrical energy to the electromagnet, and the electromagnet acts on the support plate 810, so that the support plate 810 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic reset member 820 and maintains the first state. When the backup battery unit 400 is insufficiently charged, the electromagnet cannot provide sufficient suction for the support plate 810, and the support plate 810 can be switched to the second state under the action of the elastic reset member 820. The first state is maintained by electromagnetic suction, and the support plate 810 is switched to the second state by elastic force, so that it can respond quickly when the power supply is insufficient, and achieve a better anti-breakage effect.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, a hidden groove 910 is provided on the housing 900, and the support plate 810 is located in the hidden groove 910 in the first state, which can ensure the surface flatness of the drone and improve the aesthetics.

[0039] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hybrid electric drone system, characterized in that: include: An engine unit, a power generation unit, a voltage conversion unit, a backup battery unit, a power unit, a load unit and an image transmission unit; the engine unit is used to obtain mechanical energy through fuel; The power generation unit obtains part of the mechanical energy of the engine unit and converts it into electrical energy; the voltage conversion unit is connected to the power generation unit, the backup battery unit and the power unit, and the voltage conversion unit is used to convert the voltage generated by the power generation unit into a stable voltage; the backup battery unit is used to store electrical energy; the power unit converts electrical energy into mechanical energy when the fuel is insufficient and uses the mechanical energy to provide power for the drone; the load unit is electrically connected to the voltage conversion unit, and the load unit is used to obtain image information; the image transmission unit is used to transmit the image information back to the ground; The power unit includes a propeller, a motor and an electric regulator, wherein the propeller is respectively connected to the engine unit and the motor by transmission, and the electric regulator is connected to the voltage conversion unit and the motor; The load cell includes a camera and / or a laser radar; The hybrid electric drone system further comprises a housing and a power-off protection device, wherein the power-off protection device is arranged on the housing and is used to form an anti-fall support when the backup battery unit is low on power; The power-off protection device comprises a support plate and a control component, wherein the support plate is rotatably connected to the housing, the support plate has a first state in which the support plate is attached to the outer wall of the housing and a second state in which the support plate forms an angle with the outer wall of the housing, and the control component is used to control the support plate to switch between the first state and the second state; The control component includes an elastic reset member and a positioning member, the elastic reset member is connected to the support plate, and applies an elastic force to the support plate to switch from the first state to the second state, the positioning member is electrically connected to the backup battery unit, and the positioning member is used to fix the support plate in the first state when the backup battery unit is fully charged.

2. The hybrid electric drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The engine unit includes a piston engine or a rotary engine.

3. The hybrid electric drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning member is an electromagnet, and the supporting plate is an elastic iron plate. When the backup battery unit has sufficient power, the positioning member absorbs and fixes the supporting plate in the first state.

4. The hybrid electric drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic reset element is a torsion spring.

5. The hybrid electric drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing is provided with a hidden groove, and the support plate is located in the hidden groove in the first state.

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