An unmanned aerial vehicle cooling flow channel

Abstract

The present application discloses a cooling flow path for a drone, which is used to dissipate heat from a radiator and an intercooler provided in the drone engine, and includes: a first flow path for cooling the radiator and a second flow path for cooling the intercooler. The first flow path is provided outside the fuselage, and the second flow path is provided inside the fuselage. An attachment layer separation channel is provided between the first flow path and the outer wall of the fuselage. The air inlet of the second flow path is provided on both sides of the channel tip of the end of the attachment layer separation channel. With this structure, the air inlet of the first flow path can be suspended, the air flow rate is not affected by the boundary layer, the air intake efficiency is improved, and the channel tip plays a role in guiding the flow, increasing the air intake flow rate of the second flow path. In addition, a fan is provided behind the intercooler. When the temperature of the intercooler is too high, the fan is turned on, and the intercooler is actively cooled by the pumping action. When the temperature of the intercooler is relatively low, the fan is turned off to reduce the air intake flow rate, so as to meet the heat dissipation requirements of the intercooler in different states.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and more specifically, to a cooling flow channel for an unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Currently, in order to increase the flight time of medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles, turbocharged engines are generally used. A turbo engine increases the intake air volume by compressing air, uses the inertia impulse of the exhaust gas discharged from the engine to drive the turbine in the turbine chamber, and the turbine drives the coaxial impeller. The impeller compresses the air sent through the air filter pipe and makes it enter the cylinder under pressure. When the engine speed increases, the exhaust gas discharge speed and the turbine speed also increase synchronously, and the impeller compresses more air into the cylinder. The increase in the pressure and density of the air allows more fuel to be burned. By correspondingly increasing the fuel quantity and adjusting the engine speed, the output power of the engine can be increased. Without increasing the engine displacement, the power and torque of the engine can be greatly improved. Turbocharged engines have high fuel economy, but their high heat dissipation also brings a series of problems to aircraft design.

[0003] In the prior art, the unmanned aerial vehicle adopts an independent cooling method, and two ventilation flow channels are required to cool the intercooler and the radiator respectively. This will greatly increase the resistance, and the flight time factor of the medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle is extremely sensitive to the resistance. The increase in resistance will reduce the flight time. Therefore, the design of the radiator cooling flow channel is extremely important.

[0004] As shown in the attached Figure 1 The cooling flow channel is generally divided into upper and lower parts. The upper flow channel is the intercooler flow channel 02 for cooling the intercooler, and the lower flow channel is the radiator flow channel 01 for cooling the water-cooled radiator. However, when the unmanned aerial vehicle takes off from a stationary state on the ground, the intercooler is prone to overheating, and when the unmanned aerial vehicle is cruising in the air, the intercooler is prone to being overcooled, and there is a problem that the two situations are difficult to balance. In addition, due to the deceleration of the air flow by the boundary layer in the lower radiator flow channel 01, the intake efficiency is not high. Therefore, a larger intake port needs to be opened, which will cause a large overflow loss and a large resistance, seriously affecting the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0005] In summary, how to provide a cooling flow channel for an unmanned aerial vehicle that can efficiently dissipate heat and has low resistance is an urgent problem to be solved by those skilled in the art at present. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a cooling flow channel for an unmanned aerial vehicle, which can improve the intake efficiency and significantly reduce the aerodynamic resistance of the radiator while meeting the heat dissipation requirements.

[0007] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooling flow channel is used to dissipate heat from the engine inside the UAV fuselage. The engine is equipped with a radiator and an intercooler. The UAV cooling flow channel includes: a first flow channel for cooling the radiator, and a second flow channel for cooling the intercooler. The first flow channel is arranged outside the fuselage, and the second flow channel is arranged inside the fuselage. An attachment layer separation channel is provided between the first flow channel and the outer wall of the fuselage. The air inlet of the second flow channel is arranged at the end of the attachment layer separation channel, and the top surface of the air inlet of the first flow channel is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the air inlet of the second flow channel.

[0009] An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooling flow channel, the first flow channel is streamlined with small cross-sections at both ends and a large cross-section in the middle. The first flow channel is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the tail of the fuselage and extends along the length direction of the fuselage. The air outlet of the first flow channel is arranged at the end face of the tail of the fuselage.

[0010] An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooling flow channel, the end of the attachment layer separation channel is a separation channel wedge, and the separation channel wedge is located between the top surface of the first flow channel and the bottom surface of the fuselage.

[0011] An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooling flow channel, the number of air inlets of the second flow channel is two, and the two air inlets are respectively arranged on both side surfaces of the separation channel wedge.

[0012] An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooling flow channel, there is an angle between the end face of the air inlet of the second flow channel and the end face of the air inlet of the first flow channel.

[0013] An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooling flow channel, the air outlet of the second flow channel is fixedly connected to the intercooler.

[0014] An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooling flow channel, a fan is provided between the intercooler and the engine.

[0015] An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooling flow channel, the fan is fixedly connected to the end face of the intercooler and is arranged along the extending direction of the first flow channel.

[0016] An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooling flow channel, the processing method of the second flow channel is additive manufacturing.

[0017] An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooling flow channel, the radiator is arranged at the middle part of the first flow channel, and there is an included angle between the setting direction of the radiator and the cross-section of the first flow channel.

[0018] The drone cooling flow channel provided by the present application includes: a first flow channel for cooling the radiator, and a second flow channel for cooling the intercooler. An attached layer separation channel is provided between the air inlet of the first flow channel and the fuselage, so that the air inlet of the first flow channel can be suspended, and the air flow rate is not affected by the attached layer, improving the air intake efficiency. The air inlet of the second flow channel utilizes the attached layer separation channel, and an air inlet of the second flow channel is opened on each side of the attached layer separation channel. The intersection of the two air inlets forms a separation channel wedge, which plays a role in guiding the flow and increasing the air intake flow. The second flow channel is arranged inside the fuselage. Finally, the second flow channel and the first flow channel converge into one flow channel, which can effectively reduce the resistance and improve the flight performance of the aircraft. In addition, a fan is provided behind the intercooler. When the temperature of the intercooler is too high during the ground start-up of the drone, the fan is turned on, and the intercooler is actively cooled through the air extraction effect. When the drone is cruising at high altitude and the ambient temperature is relatively low, the intercooler may be overcooled, and the fan can be turned off to reduce the air intake flow, meeting the heat dissipation requirements of the intercooler in different states. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only the embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the provided drawings without creative efforts.

[0020] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cooling flow channel provided by the prior art;

[0021] Figure 2 Structural diagram of the cooling flow channel provided by the present invention;

[0022] Wherein:

[0023] 01 - radiator flow channel, 02 - intercooler flow channel

[0024] 1 - fuselage, 11 - engine, 12 - radiator, 13 - intercooler,

[0025] 2 - first flow channel, 21 - air inlet of the first flow channel, 22 - air outlet of the first flow channel, 3 - second flow channel, 31 - air inlet of the second flow channel, 4 - attached layer separation channel, 41 - separation channel wedge, 5, fan. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0027] In order to enable those skilled in the art of this technology to better understand the solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] The cooling flow channel of the unmanned aerial vehicle provided in the embodiment of the present application can be referred to the attached drawings of the specification Figure 2 , which is used to dissipate heat from the engine 11 in the fuselage 1 of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The engine 11 is provided with a radiator 12 and an intercooler 13, and includes: a first flow channel 2 for cooling the radiator 12, and a second flow channel 3 for cooling the intercooler 13. The first flow channel 2 is arranged outside the fuselage 1, and the second flow channel 3 is arranged inside the fuselage 1. There is an attached layer separation channel 4 between the first flow channel 2 and the outer wall of the fuselage 1. The air inlet 31 of the second flow channel is arranged at the end of the attached layer separation channel 4, and the top surface of the air inlet 21 of the first flow channel is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the air inlet of the second flow channel 3.

[0029] It should be noted that the cooling flow channel of the unmanned aerial vehicle using a turbocharged engine 11 includes a first flow channel 2 communicating with the radiator 12 and a second flow channel 3 connected to the intercooler 13. The radiator 12 of the unmanned aerial vehicle is usually a water-cooled radiator 12. The heat dissipation of the water-cooled radiator 12 of the turbocharged engine 11 is much greater than that of the intercooler 13. Therefore, when designing the flow channel for the water-cooled radiator 12, an attached layer separation channel 4 is arranged between the first flow channel 2 and the outer wall of the fuselage 1. In this way, there is a certain distance between the air inlet 21 of the first flow channel and the fuselage 1, aiming to make the air inlet 21 of the first flow channel suspended, so that the air flow rate is not affected by the boundary layer and the intake efficiency can be improved.

[0030] In the attached drawings of the specification Figure 2Taking the direction as an example, the first flow channel 2 is arranged on the bottom surface outside the fuselage 1, and the second flow channel 3 is arranged inside the fuselage 1. The end face of the boundary layer separation channel 4 above the air inlet 21 of the first flow channel is provided with the air inlet 31 of the second flow channel. The air inlets 21 of the first flow channel and 31 of the second flow channel are arranged at similar positions. After the cooling air flow in the second flow channel 3 passes through the intercooler 13, it flows out of the fuselage 1 from the gap between the upper wall plate of the first flow channel 2 and the engine 11. At the tail of the fuselage 1, the first flow channel 2 and the second flow channel 3 converge into one flow channel, and the air flow flows out from the air outlet at the same position, so that the integrated design of the intercooler 13 and the radiator 12 can be realized. The first flow channel 2 is fixed on the lower surface of the tail cover of the fuselage 1 and bears the force through the fuselage 1. The second flow channel 3 is also lapped on the connecting frame of the engine 11 and bears the force through the fuselage 1. In this way, the first flow channel 2 and the second flow channel 3 can be reliably and stably fixed on the fuselage 1.

[0031] The first flow channel 2 is streamlined with small cross-sections at both ends and a large cross-section in the middle. The first flow channel 2 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface at the tail of the fuselage 1 and extends along the length direction of the fuselage 1. The air outlet 22 of the first flow channel 2 is arranged at the end face of the tail of the fuselage 1. The streamlined first flow channel 2 can reduce air resistance, increase air intake efficiency, and optimize the cooling effect.

[0032] The end of the boundary layer separation channel 4 is a separation channel wedge 41, and the separation channel wedge 41 is located between the top surface of the first flow channel 2 and the bottom surface of the fuselage 1. Taking the direction in the attached Figure 2 as an example, the end of the boundary layer separation channel 4 is located above the air inlet 21 of the first flow channel. In order to reduce air resistance, the end of the boundary layer separation channel 4 is set in the shape of narrow at the front and wide at the back. A line is formed at the very front of the boundary layer separation channel 4, which is called the separation channel wedge 41. The separation channel wedge 41 plays a role in guiding the flow and increasing the air intake flow rate.

[0033] The air inlet 31 of the second flow channel utilizes the boundary layer separation channel 4 above the first flow channel 2 and is arranged at the end of the boundary layer separation channel 4. The number of the air inlets 31 of the second flow channel is two, and the two air inlets 31 of the second flow channel are respectively arranged on both side surfaces of the separation channel wedge 41. In this way, the air flow intakes from the air inlets in two different directions, which can improve the air intake efficiency. There is an angle between the end face of the air inlet 31 of the second flow channel and the end face of the air inlet 21 of the first flow channel. The angle of the air inlet 31 of the second flow channel can be set according to the established flow channel and radiator simulation model to minimize the resistance to achieve the optimal air intake efficiency.

[0034] The air outlet of the second flow channel 3 is fixedly connected to the intercooler 13. The inlet of the second flow channel 3 is the two side surfaces of the separation channel wedge 41, and the outlet of the second flow channel 3 is directly connected to the intercooler 13. The cooling air flow flowing in from the air inlet can directly reach the intercooler 13 along the second flow channel 3, reducing the air flow loss and improving the cooling efficiency.

[0035] A fan 5 is provided between the intercooler 13 and the engine 11. The fan 5 is fixedly connected to the end face of the intercooler 13 and is arranged along the extending direction of the first flow channel 2. The intercooler 13 is arranged between the outlet of the second flow channel 3 and the fan 5. The fan 5 is arranged to face the end face of the intercooler 13. The air extraction effect when the fan 5 is turned on can accelerate the air intake volume of the second flow channel 3. In order to meet the different heat dissipation requirements of the drone when starting on the ground and during high-altitude cruising, it is proposed to add a fan 5 behind the intercooler 13. When the temperature of the intercooler 13 is too high when the drone starts on the ground, the fan 5 is turned on, and the intercooler 13 is actively cooled through the air extraction effect; when the drone is cruising at high altitude and the external ambient temperature is relatively low, the intercooler 13 may be overcooled, then the fan 5 can be turned off, thereby reducing the intake air flow rate to achieve the heat dissipation requirements for different states.

[0036] The second flow channel 3 is processed by additive manufacturing. Since the flow channel profile of the second flow channel 3 is relatively complex, a manufacturing method such as 3D printing can be used. Of course, as long as the processing requirements of the second flow channel 3 are met, other manufacturing methods can also be used, which are not limited in this article.

[0037] The radiator 12 is arranged in the middle part of the first flow channel 2, and there is an included angle between the arrangement direction of the radiator 12 and the cross-section of the first flow channel 2. The radiator 12 is installed inside the first flow channel 2, and the installation angle of the radiator 12 is specifically set according to the shape of the first flow channel 2 to achieve the optimal heat dissipation effect.

[0038] In the design process of the drone cooling flow channel provided by this application, in the design process of the first flow channel 2, fluid calculation and simulation means are fully utilized to calculate the different areas of the inlet of the water-cooled radiator 12, obtain the flow rate and the corresponding inlet area that meet the heat dissipation requirements, and based on this inlet area, optimize the design of the profile of the first flow channel 2, the installation angle of the radiator 12, and the outlet area of the first flow channel 2, etc., to achieve the best heat dissipation flow channel design. In the design process of the second flow channel 3, according to the heat dissipation flow rate requirement of the intercooler 13, the precise design of the inlet area and the inlet angle is obtained through fluid calculation means, while increasing the flow rate and reducing the aerodynamic resistance of the flow channel.

[0039] It should be noted that in this specification, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity from another entity, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities.

[0040] The above has introduced in detail the cooling flow channel of the drone provided in this application. Specific examples are used in this article to elaborate on the principle and implementation manner of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and its core idea of this application. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the principle of this application, several improvements and modifications can be made to this application, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A UAV cooling channel for dissipating heat from an engine (11) inside a UAV fuselage (1), wherein the engine (11) is provided with a radiator (12) and an intercooler (13). Characterized in that: The UAV cooling channel includes: a first channel (2) for cooling the radiator (12), and a second channel (3) for cooling the intercooler (13). The first channel (2) is arranged outside the fuselage (1), and the second channel (3) is arranged inside the fuselage (1). An attachment layer separation channel (4) is provided between the first channel (2) and the outer wall of the fuselage (1). The air inlet (31) of the second channel (3) is arranged at the end of the attachment layer separation channel (4), and the top surface of the air inlet (21) of the first channel (2) is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the air inlet (31) of the second channel (3).

2. The UAV cooling channel according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The first channel (2) is streamlined with small cross-sections at both ends and a large cross-section in the middle. The first channel (2) is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the tail of the fuselage (1) and extends along the length direction of the fuselage (1). The air outlet (22) of the first channel (2) is arranged at the end face of the tail of the fuselage (1).

3. The UAV cooling channel according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The end of the attachment layer separation channel (4) is a separation channel wedge (41), and the separation channel wedge (41) is located between the top surface of the first channel (2) and the bottom surface of the fuselage (1).

4. The UAV cooling channel according to claim 3, Characterized in that: The number of air inlets (31) of the second channel is two, and the two air inlets (31) of the second channel are respectively arranged on both side surfaces of the separation channel wedge (41).

5. The UAV cooling channel according to claim 3, Characterized in that: There is an angle between the end face of the air inlet (31) of the second channel and the end face of the air inlet (21) of the first channel.

6. The UAV cooling channel according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The air outlet of the second channel (3) is fixedly connected to the intercooler (13).

7. The UAV cooling channel according to claim 1, Characterized in that: A fan (5) is provided between the intercooler (13) and the engine (11).

8. The UAV cooling channel according to claim 7, Characterized in that: The fan (5) is fixedly connected to the end face of the intercooler (13) and is arranged along the extending direction of the first channel (2).

9. The UAV cooling channel according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The processing method of the second channel (3) is additive manufacturing.

10. The UAV cooling channel according to claim 2, Characterized in that: The radiator (12) is arranged at the middle part of the first channel (2), and there is an included angle between the setting direction of the radiator (12) and the cross-section of the first channel (2).

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