A near-ground hovering test system for unmanned helicopter systems

Abstract

This application provides a near-ground hovering test system for an unmanned helicopter system, comprising: a hovering tether platform subsystem, including a ground tether platform and a tether rope; a real-time video monitoring subsystem, used to assist the UAV pilot in real-time monitoring of the tether rope's tension, and to intuitively determine whether the UAV helicopter's near-ground hovering altitude and attitude exceed the limits based on the tether rope's status; a real-time vibration monitoring subsystem, used by test personnel to monitor vibration level data at key locations during the test; and a physical protection subsystem, used to provide physical protection for test personnel. The near-ground hovering test of the unmanned helicopter system completed in this application transforms altitude and attitude limit monitoring into tether rope status monitoring, reducing the difficulty of monitoring implementation and improving the intuitiveness of monitoring, thereby reducing the workload of the UAV pilot and improving the efficiency of adjusting flight control system parameters.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of flight test technology, and in particular relates to a near-ground hovering test system for an unmanned helicopter system. Background Technology

[0002] The design, manufacturing, and flight testing technologies of manned helicopters are extremely mature. After completing the ground procedures (ground tests), flight tests can generally be carried out directly. During the flight tests, various indicators are checked and verified to ensure that they meet the design requirements.

[0003] Compared to manned helicopters, the design and manufacturing technology of unmanned helicopter systems is relatively lacking, and the flight test technology of unmanned helicopter systems is even more lacking. The lack of flight test technology is not only reflected in the difference in the piloting method (control method), but also in the difference in the flight control system.

[0004] Therefore, before conducting flight tests, unmanned helicopter systems need to undergo near-ground hovering tests to complete the initial adjustment of flight control system parameters and the initial training of UAV pilots' control capabilities. However, no specific testing system is provided to achieve the acquisition, recording, real-time monitoring of vibration parameters and video signals, and to ensure the safety of property and life. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a near-ground hovering test system for an unmanned helicopter system, the test system comprising:

[0006] The hovering tethered platform subsystem includes a ground tethered platform and tethering ropes; wherein the ground tethered platform is used to provide a test site, and the tethering ropes are used to limit the hovering altitude and attitude of the unmanned helicopter near the ground;

[0007] The video real-time monitoring subsystem is used to assist drone pilots in monitoring whether the tether rope is taut in real time, and to intuitively judge whether the hovering height and attitude of the unmanned helicopter near the ground exceed the limits by the status of the tether rope;

[0008] The vibration real-time monitoring subsystem is used by test personnel to monitor vibration level data at key locations during the test.

[0009] The physical protection subsystem is used to provide physical protection for test personnel.

[0010] Preferably, the ground mooring platform includes a mooring pit and a mooring ring disposed within the mooring pit;

[0011] One end of the tethering rope is connected to the unmanned helicopter, and the other end of the tethering rope is connected to the tethering ring.

[0012] Preferably, the unmanned helicopter is parked in the center of the ground mooring platform, and the mooring pits are located directly in front of, behind, to the left of, to the right of, to the left front of, to the left rear of, to the right front of, and to the right rear of the unmanned helicopter's parking position; wherein, two mooring pits are symmetrically arranged along the axis at each location.

[0013] Preferably, the mooring rope comprises high-strength webbing;

[0014] The high-strength webbing has closed spring hooks at both ends, and its length is adjustable.

[0015] Preferably, the real-time video monitoring subsystem includes a camera, a host, a display, and cables;

[0016] The cameras are positioned on the sides and rear of the unmanned helicopter, and are capable of capturing a full view of the unmanned helicopter, including its rotors.

[0017] Preferably, the real-time vibration monitoring subsystem includes an overload sensor, a data acquisition recorder, a network switch, and a computer;

[0018] The overload sensors are installed on the cockpit floor, passenger cabin floor, main gearbox housing, main gearbox mounting platform, and tail of the unmanned helicopter; the data acquisition recorder and network switch are installed on the passenger cabin floor.

[0019] Preferably, the physical protection subsystem includes a piece of bulletproof glass and a fixing device for fixing the bulletproof glass.

[0020] Preferably, the fixing device can be adjusted so that the bulletproof glass is perpendicular to the ground; wherein the bulletproof glass is placed between the drone pilot and the drone helicopter.

[0021] This application has the following technical effects:

[0022] The near-ground hovering test of the unmanned helicopter system completed in this application transforms altitude and attitude limitation monitoring into tethered rope status monitoring, reducing the difficulty of monitoring implementation and improving the intuitiveness of monitoring. This, in turn, reduces the workload of the UAV pilot and improves the efficiency of adjusting flight control system parameters. Simultaneously, real-time video monitoring provides better assistance based on the UAV pilot's line-of-sight observation, while vibration monitoring and physical protection methods provide better protection for the property safety of the unmanned helicopter system and the lives of the UAV pilot and other test personnel. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 A near-ground hovering test system architecture diagram of an unmanned helicopter system provided in this application embodiment;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a ground tethered platform provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a test site for a near-ground hovering test system for an unmanned helicopter system, provided as an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0026] It should be noted that a test system is designed for near-ground hovering tests of unmanned helicopter systems. This system can collect, record, and monitor necessary vibration parameters and video signals of the unmanned helicopter in real time during the initial adjustment of flight control system parameters and the initial training of UAV pilots' control capabilities. It also provides safety assurance measures such as real-time monitoring and physical protection for UAV pilots and other test personnel.

[0027] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-3 The present application will be further described in detail with reference to specific embodiments:

[0028] To facilitate the acquisition and recording of vibration parameters of unmanned helicopters during near-ground hovering tests of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, and to provide safety assurance measures such as real-time monitoring and physical protection for UAV pilots and other test personnel, a test system was designed. This system comprises four subsystems: a hovering tethered platform subsystem, a real-time video monitoring subsystem, a real-time vibration monitoring subsystem, and a physical protection subsystem. The system architecture diagram is attached. Figure 1 .

[0029] In this embodiment, the hovering tethered platform subsystem includes one ground tethered platform and six tethered ropes, which are used to provide a test site and limit the hovering height and attitude of the unmanned helicopter near the ground by adjusting the length of the tethered ropes to ensure test safety.

[0030] The ground tethering platform is a self-developed product, designed according to the dimensions of the unmanned helicopter. For example, in a near-ground hovering test of a certain type of unmanned helicopter system, the ground tethering platform used was a circular cement platform with a diameter of 20m. The unmanned helicopter was placed in the center of the platform. There were 16 pre-reserved tethering pits (pre-embedded tethering rings) above the platform, located directly in front, directly behind, directly to the left, directly to the right, directly to the left front, directly to the left rear, directly to the right front, directly to the right rear, directly to the right front, directly to the left rear, directly to the right rear, directly to the right rear. Two pre-reserved pits were symmetrically arranged along the axis at each location (two tethering methods, one-point tethering and two-point tethering, were reserved according to different strength requirements). A schematic diagram of the hovering tethering platform is attached. Figure 2 The tether rope is selected and used according to actual needs. For example, a high-strength webbing rope (with closed spring hooks at both ends and an adjustable length of 4m) is used. The length of the tether rope is calculated based on the hovering altitude and attitude limitations of the unmanned helicopter near the ground.

[0031] In this embodiment, the real-time video monitoring subsystem includes three cameras, one host computer, one display, and three cables. It assists the drone pilot in real-time monitoring of the tether tension, allowing for a direct assessment of whether the drone's near-ground hovering altitude and attitude exceed limits (tether tension indicates exceeding limits). The cameras, host computer, display, and cables are all commercially available products, selected according to actual needs.

[0032] In this embodiment, the real-time vibration monitoring subsystem includes five overload sensors, five cables, one data acquisition recorder, one network switch, and one portable tablet computer. It is used by test personnel to monitor vibration level data at key locations during the test, primarily to determine if there is a trend towards ground resonance and to take immediate action when such a trend occurs. The overload sensors, data acquisition recorder, network switch, and portable tablet computer are all commercially available products, selected according to actual needs.

[0033] In this embodiment, the physical protection subsystem includes a bulletproof glass panel and a fixing device, used to provide physical protection for test personnel such as drone pilots. The bulletproof glass panel is square with a side length of not less than 2.5m; the fixing device is a self-developed product, with its structure and materials selected according to actual needs, used to hold the bulletproof glass panel and adjust its orientation.

[0034] The near-ground hovering test of the unmanned helicopter system completed by this invention transforms altitude and attitude limitation monitoring into tethered rope status monitoring, reducing the difficulty of monitoring implementation and improving the intuitiveness of monitoring. This, in turn, reduces the workload of the UAV pilot and improves the efficiency of adjusting flight control system parameters. Simultaneously, real-time video monitoring provides better assistance based on the UAV pilot's line-of-sight observation, while vibration monitoring and physical protection provide better protection for the property safety of the unmanned helicopter system and the lives of the UAV pilot and other test personnel. Therefore, this invention better ensures the conduct and completion of near-ground hovering tests of unmanned helicopter systems in terms of both testing efficiency and safety.

[0035] In other embodiments of this application, the solutions provided by this application are as follows:

[0036] 1. Implementation method of the hovering and mooring platform subsystem:

[0037] Specifically, three tether rings were installed at locations on both the left and right sides of the unmanned helicopter fuselage. The tether rings on the left side were numbered FJ1, FJ2, and FJ3, and the tether rings on the right side were numbered FJ4, FJ5, and FJ6. The specific locations of the fuselage tether rings are shown in the appendix. Figure 3Number the mooring pit directly in front of the ground mooring platform to the left as DM01. Number the remaining mooring pits sequentially in a counter-clockwise direction as DM02, DM03, DM04, DM05, DM06, DM07, DM08, DM09, DM10, DM11, DM12, DM13, DM14, DM15, and DM16. See the attached document for the specific locations of the ground mooring pits. Figure 3 .

[0038] The unmanned helicopter is connected to the ground tethering platform using tethering ropes. The specific connection methods are as follows: FJ1 connects to DM02, FJ2 connects to DM04, FJ3 connects to DM06, FJ4 connects to DM11, FJ5 connects to DM13, and FJ6 connects to DM15. See the appendix for details. Figure 3 The length of the tether rope was determined according to the hovering height and hovering attitude limits of the unmanned helicopter required for the test.

[0039] 2. Implementation method of the real-time video monitoring subsystem:

[0040] The system includes cameras positioned to the left, rear, and right of the unmanned helicopter, with their positions adjusted to capture a full view of the helicopter, including its rotors. A main unit and monitor are placed directly behind the helicopter at the pilot's position, allowing the pilot to easily and clearly view the helicopter's image on the monitor. The cameras and main unit are connected via network cables, with the main unit powered by 220V AC and the cameras powered by the network cable. The main unit and monitor are connected via a high-definition HDMI cable, allowing the monitor to simultaneously and synchronously display the images from the left, rear, and right of the helicopter in separate zones (or single zones).

[0041] After the hovering tether platform subsystem is set up, the UAV pilot visually determines whether the UAV helicopter is within the hovering altitude and attitude limits required for the test by observing the state of the tether rope (whether it is taut). When the tether rope is observed to be taut, the UAV pilot immediately controls the UAV helicopter to land, shuts down the engine, readjusts the position of the UAV helicopter, and then continues the test.

[0042] 3. Implementation method of the real-time vibration monitoring subsystem:

[0043] Overload sensors are installed on the cockpit floor, passenger cabin floor, main gearbox housing, main gearbox mounting platform, and tail of the unmanned helicopter. Installation methods vary depending on the location, using either adhesive or bolts. A data acquisition recorder and network switch are installed on the passenger cabin floor, powered by the helicopter's 28V DC power supply. A portable tablet is placed in the pilot's area. The overload sensors, data acquisition recorder, and network switch are connected by cables, and real-time wireless transmission between the data acquisition recorder and the portable tablet is achieved through the network switch.

[0044] During the test, the onboard data acquisition recorder stored vibration data and wirelessly transmitted the vibration data to an external portable tablet computer in real time. The tablet computer could display and store the vibration data in real time. The UAV pilot or test personnel could judge whether there was a risk of ground resonance by observing whether the time-domain waveform of the vibration data showed a divergence trend. When the time-domain waveform of the vibration data showed a divergence trend, emergency measures were immediately taken: the UAV helicopter was controlled to land and the engine was shut down.

[0045] 4. Implementation method of the physical protection subsystem:

[0046] In order to maximize the clarity of observation within the line of sight, UAV pilots generally carry portable remote control devices and leave the ground control station to conduct test operations in an outdoor exposed environment when controlling the take-off and landing of unmanned helicopters. At this time, the physical protection subsystem is used to provide physical protection for UAV pilots and other test personnel.

[0047] The bulletproof glass is clamped to a fixing device and adjusted so that it is perpendicular to the ground. A physical protection device is placed between the drone pilot and the drone helicopter, ensuring that the drone pilot and other test personnel, the main unit and display of the real-time video monitoring subsystem, and the portable tablet of the vibration monitoring subsystem are all within its protection range, preventing physical injury from loss of control of the drone helicopter, structural damage (especially the rotor) causing it to fly off.

[0048] 5. Example of a near-ground hovering test of a certain type of unmanned helicopter system:

[0049] In a near-ground hovering test of a certain type of unmanned helicopter system, the test system of this invention was used to complete the initial adjustment of the flight control system parameters and the initial training of the UAV pilot's control capabilities. It also enabled the acquisition, recording, and real-time monitoring of vibration parameters and video signals, ensuring the property safety of the unmanned helicopter system and the life safety of the UAV pilot and other test personnel, and providing strong support for the smooth conduct of subsequent flight tests.

[0050] In a near-ground hovering test of a certain type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, the UAV helicopter was placed in the center of a ground tethering platform. The tethering ring on the UAV helicopter fuselage was connected to the tethering pit on the ground tethering platform via tethering ropes. Cameras were placed at appropriate positions to the left, rear, and right of the UAV helicopter. The UAV pilot's outdoor working position was directly behind the UAV helicopter. A physical protection subsystem was set up between the two. The ground control station vehicle was located to the right rear of the UAV helicopter and directly to the right of the UAV pilot. A 220V AC power supply was located near the ground control station vehicle. One feasible implementation method is as follows:

[0051] (1) The hovering tethering platform subsystem is implemented in the same way as in this invention. The tethering rope uses an 8t high-strength tethering device and 50mm wide high-strength webbing (with closed spring hooks at both ends and an adjustable length of 4m) produced by DOLECO, a wholly-owned German company in China. The length of the tethering rope is determined according to the hovering height and attitude limitations of this type of unmanned helicopter system. The hovering height limitation is 0.5m, which is the lower limit of the rough landing of this type of unmanned helicopter. The hovering attitude limitation is the fuselage attitude angle under normal hovering conditions of this type of unmanned helicopter.

[0052] (2) In the video real-time monitoring subsystem, the camera used is the DS-2CD3T46 network camera manufactured by Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd., the host is the 7808N-K1 / C monitoring host manufactured by Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd., and the monitor is the T2014A widescreen LCD monitor manufactured by Lenovo (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

[0053] (3) In the vibration real-time monitoring subsystem, the overload sensor is the HY-09J three-dimensional overload sensor produced by Beijing Aerospace Measurement and Control Co., Ltd., the data acquisition recorder is the KAM-500 data acquisition recorder produced by ACRA Company of Ireland, the network switch is the TP-LINK XDR1950 network switch produced by Shenzhen Pulian Technology Co., Ltd., and the portable tablet computer is the Panasonic portable tablet computer produced by Panasonic Corporation of Japan.

[0054] (4) In the physical protection subsystem, the bulletproof glass is a certain type of bulletproof glass, which is square in shape and about 2.5m on each side. The fixing device is square in appearance, and each side is secured with a pressing strip and bolts and nuts. The bottom two sides are supported by triangular structures. Each triangular structure uses two pulleys with self-locking structure to facilitate the rapid movement and arrangement of the physical protection subsystem.

Claims

1. A near-ground hovering test system for an unmanned helicopter system, characterized in that, The testing system includes: The hovering tethered platform subsystem includes a ground tethered platform and tethering ropes. The ground tethered platform provides a test site. After the hovering tethered platform subsystem is set up, the UAV pilot can visually determine whether the UAV helicopter is within the required hovering altitude and attitude limits by observing the status of the tethering ropes. The tethering ropes include high-strength webbing with closed spring hooks at both ends, and the length of the high-strength webbing is adjustable. The video real-time monitoring subsystem is used to assist drone pilots in monitoring whether the tether rope is taut in real time, and to intuitively judge whether the hovering height and attitude of the unmanned helicopter near the ground exceed the limits by the status of the tether rope; The vibration real-time monitoring subsystem is used by test personnel to monitor vibration level data at key locations during the test. The physical protection subsystem is used to provide physical protection for test personnel.

2. The testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ground mooring platform includes a mooring pit and a mooring ring disposed within the mooring pit; One end of the tethering rope is connected to the unmanned helicopter, and the other end of the tethering rope is connected to the tethering ring.

3. The testing system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The unmanned helicopter is parked in the center of the ground mooring platform. The mooring pits are located directly in front of, behind, to the left of, to the right of, to the left front of, to the left rear of, to the right front of, and to the right rear of the unmanned helicopter's parking position. Two mooring pits are symmetrically arranged along the axis at each location.

4. The testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The real-time video monitoring subsystem includes a camera, a host, a monitor, and cables; The cameras are positioned on the sides and rear of the unmanned helicopter, and are capable of capturing a full view of the unmanned helicopter, including its rotors.

5. The testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vibration real-time monitoring subsystem includes an overload sensor, a data acquisition recorder, a network switch, and a computer; The overload sensors are installed on the cockpit floor, passenger cabin floor, main gearbox housing, main gearbox mounting platform, and tail of the unmanned helicopter; the data acquisition recorder and network switch are installed on the passenger cabin floor.

6. The testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The physical protection subsystem includes a piece of bulletproof glass and a fixing device for securing the bulletproof glass.

7. The testing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The fixing device can be adjusted so that the bulletproof glass is perpendicular to the ground; wherein the bulletproof glass is placed between the drone pilot and the drone helicopter.

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