A large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle integrated dispatch and recovery device and a use method thereof
By using a dual linear motor stator and an integrated UAV catapult recovery adapter mover, combined with a UAV transport robot, the dead weight and space limitations of traditional large fixed-wing UAV take-off and landing systems have been solved. This has enabled efficient and flexible deployment and recovery of UAVs, as well as high-density storage, thereby improving operational efficiency and shipboard carrying capacity.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CHINA SHIP DEV & DESIGN CENT
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-30
AI Technical Summary
Traditional large fixed-wing UAVs' take-off and landing systems result in heavy dead weight, limited internal volume and operational efficiency, especially on ships where the number of units stored is small, transportation efficiency is low, and the system occupies a large amount of equipment size and weight.
By employing a dual linear motor stator and multiple integrated UAV catapult recovery adapter movers, combined with a UAV transport robot, the system enables UAV catapult launch, active docking, and high-density storage. Through a collaborative team, the UAV can be flexibly moved in both horizontal and vertical directions, reducing the need for landing gear structures.
Reduce the dead weight of drones, increase the effective internal volume, improve operational efficiency, enhance the flexibility and deployment and recovery capabilities of drones, and increase the number of drones carried and the efficiency of drone transportation on ships and land airports.
Smart Images

Figure CN117401210B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and recovery equipment technology, specifically to an integrated deployment and recovery device for large fixed-wing UAVs and its usage method. Background Technology
[0002] Traditional airports or ships use wheeled landing gear for taking off and landing large fixed-wing drones. Ships also need to be equipped with catapults and arresting gear, or further require fixed-wing drones to have take-off and landing capabilities. This results in limitations on the dead weight of the drones, the effective internal volume and operational efficiency. In particular, it leads to a small number of drones that can be stored on ships, low transportation efficiency, and the drone deployment and recovery capabilities have reached their limit. The size and weight of the entire system are very costly. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an integrated launch and recovery device and method for large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to address the shortcomings of the prior art. This device can effectively reduce the dead weight of the UAV, increase the effective internal volume, and improve the operational efficiency of the UAV.
[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:
[0005] I. An integrated launch and recovery device for large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
[0006] This invention provides a large-scale fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) integrated launch and recovery device, mainly comprising: a dual linear motor stator 100 and multiple UAV integrated catapult recovery adapter movers 200. The dual linear motor stator 100 is composed of two parallel linear motor stators. The multiple UAV integrated catapult recovery adapter movers 200 are longitudinally mounted on the slide rail of the dual linear motor stator 100 at a preset spacing. The dual linear motor stator 100 receives a controller and drives the multiple UAV integrated catapult recovery adapter movers 200 thereon to move arbitrarily along the slide rail within a safe distance range.
[0007] Furthermore, the drone integrated catapult recovery adapter mover 200 includes a double mover beam 1 mounted on the double linear motor stator 100. A transverse trolley 2 is slidably mounted on the double mover beam 1. A turntable 3 is mounted on the top of the transverse trolley 2. Three three-axis ball joints 4 are evenly arranged circumferentially on the top of the turntable 3.
[0008] Furthermore, the large fixed-wing UAV has an outer three-point docking position and an inner three-point docking position on its belly structure. The inner three-point docking position is adapted to the three three-axis ball joints 4 and to the docking and fastening mechanism on the three-dimensional storage device. The outer three-point docking position is adapted to the lifting mechanism on the UAV transport robot.
[0009] Furthermore, the integrated deployment and recovery device is located in the airport area, the three-dimensional storage device is located in the hangar area, and there are multiple drone transport robots, of which any three drone transport robots form a cooperative group with fixed relative positions. The cooperative group transports the large fixed-wing drone in the airport area, ship deck, and hangar area according to a preset operating trajectory.
[0010] Furthermore, each of the multiple integrated UAV catapult recovery adapter movers 200 is equipped with a liftable deflector plate.
[0011] II. A Method for Using an Integrated Launch and Recovery Device for Large Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
[0012] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a method for using the integrated launch and recovery device for large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles as described above, which mainly includes the following steps:
[0013] S1, the drone dispatch and support process, involves a drone dispatch robot team moving omnidirectionally within airport areas, ship decks, and hangar areas according to a preset operating trajectory to dispatch drones.
[0014] S2, the sequential launch process of drones, through the cooperation of the drone transport robot team and the adapter mover, enables multiple drones to take off in sequence at preset intervals;
[0015] S3, the continuous active recovery process of the UAV, matches the flight path of the UAV with the movement path of the adapter mover, and performs zero-speed difference docking between the UAV and the adapter mover.
[0016] S4, the high-density storage process for drones, involves a drone transport robot team working in conjunction with an automated storage and retrieval system to store drones in the hangar in a pre-set order.
[0017] Furthermore, in step S1, the drone dispatch and support process specifically includes the following steps:
[0018] S11. Based on the self-inspection status and idle status of all drone dispatching robots, select three drone dispatching robots nearby for each drone waiting to be dispatched and protected on the integrated dispatch and recovery device or the three-dimensional warehouse storage device, and fix the relative positions between the three drone dispatching robots to form a collaborative group.
[0019] S12, the three drone transport robots in the collaborative group respectively dock with the three-point docking position on the outer side of the receiving drone's belly, and lift the drone to be transported by the lifting mechanism group to make it separate from the integrated dispatch and recovery device or the three-dimensional storage device to a safe collision avoidance distance.
[0020] S13, the drone dispatching robot collaborative team moves omnidirectionally within the airport area, ship deck, and hangar area according to the preset operating trajectory to carry out drone dispatching;
[0021] S14. After the drone transport robot team transports the drone to the target location, the drone is adjusted by three drone transport robots simultaneously or asynchronously lifting and installing the drone to be transported into the preset installation position.
[0022] Furthermore, in step S2, the sequential launch process of the UAV specifically includes the following steps:
[0023] S21, after the N adapter movers move to the corresponding ejection zero position on the stator of the dual linear motor and come to rest, the N deflector plates rise to the maximum angle, and at the same time, the N UAV transport robots coordinate the group to transport N UAVs and install them on the side of the corresponding adapter movers.
[0024] S22, by synchronously or asynchronously lifting and adjusting the angle of the drone by three drone transport robots in the collaborative group, the inner three-point docking position of the drone's belly is docked with the corresponding adapter mover for installation. After installation, the collaborative group moves laterally away from the plane area where the integrated dispatch and recovery device is located.
[0025] S23, N drones start their engines sequentially from front to back at 20-second intervals and increase their speed to the standby speed; upon receiving the sequential launch command, the drones increase their engine speed to the takeoff speed from front to back at 20-second intervals; simultaneously, after each drone reaches the takeoff speed, the corresponding adapter mover accelerates to the takeoff speed within a preset time and releases, allowing the drones to take off in sequence;
[0026] S24, all adapters of the integrated deployment and recovery device are restored to the ejection zero position, and the deflector plate, drone transport robot and collaborative team are reset at the same time.
[0027] Furthermore, in step S3, the continuous active recovery process of the UAV specifically includes the following steps:
[0028] S31, the UAV descends along the preset recovery route and targets the preset point on the device, and the corresponding adapter mover stops at the stern of the device;
[0029] S32, when the UAV arrives at the docking theoretical section and its speed is within the preset range, the corresponding adapter mover accelerates towards the bow of the device. When the adapter mover and the corresponding UAV meet with zero speed difference in the heading direction, the adapter mover docks with the UAV.
[0030] S33, when the adapter mover successfully docks with the drone, the adapter mover quickly locks the drone within 5ms and brakes with a preset acceleration; when the adapter mover fails to dock with the drone, the drone pulls up and takes off again, while the adapter mover decelerates and moves to the stern of the device to reset.
[0031] Furthermore, in step S4, the high-density storage process of the UAV specifically includes the following steps:
[0032] S41, the empty automated storage unit lowers all the lifting arms to the lowest position; multiple drone transport robot teams move their respective drones in a queue to approach the automated storage unit.
[0033] S42, multiple drone transport robots in a queue work together to move their respective drones to the lifting arms of the automated storage and retrieval system. At the same time, the lifting arms move the corresponding drones upwards in sequence to complete the drone storage.
[0034] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following main advantages:
[0035] 1. This invention eliminates the need for landing gear and landing gear bay, which reduces dead weight and increases belly space, enabling UAVs to increase fuel capacity and flight capability by more than 35%; it allows UAVs to overcome internal space limitations and double cabin capacity; the absence of landing gear can lower the height of UAVs by 0.5m to 1.5m, overcoming the height limitations of high-density three-dimensional storage in hangars.
[0036] 2. The drone transport robot of the present invention adopts any three cooperative units, which can translate / rotate the drone arbitrarily in the horizontal plane, and can also lift and rotate the drone in the vertical direction and rotate the drone around any horizontal axis, changing the spatial degree of freedom of the drone from planar to three-dimensional, thus improving flexibility. The drone transport robot changes the traditional "drone-deck" two-layer system into a "drone-robot-deck" three-layer system, releasing the rigid constraints of the airframe-landing gear. The cooperative units can flexibly and adaptively gather and disperse according to the task and environment, non-linearly improving the flexibility and efficiency of transport.
[0037] 3. This invention can be used to modify traditional medium and large ships, integrating the catapult device at the bow and the arresting device at the stern, saving deck area. Combined with the hangar's three-dimensional storage, it can significantly increase the number of large fixed-wing UAVs carried on the ship and greatly improve the UAV deployment and recovery capabilities.
[0038] 4. This invention can be used to develop new concept ships for the future, which can carry large vertical and horizontal communication drones and more than 30 large horizontally deployed and recovered UAVs on a 30,000-ton displacement ship, and realize a single ship's thousand-kilometer-level signal and fire self-closed loop.
[0039] 5. This invention can be used to modify land-based airports and land-based UAVs, significantly improving the operational efficiency of UAVs by removing the landing gear and landing gear bay without changing the aviation technology. Attached Figure Description
[0040] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the integrated launch and recovery device for a large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rotor of the integrated catapult recovery adapter for unmanned aerial vehicles in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0042] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the method used in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0043] In the diagram: 100-Dual linear motor stator; 200-UAV integrated catapult recovery adapter mover; 1-Dual mover beam; 2-Horizontal trolley on the beam; 3-Turntable; 4-Three-axis ball joint. Detailed Implementation
[0044] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of this invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.
[0045] It should be noted that, depending on the implementation needs, the various steps / components described in this application can be broken down into more steps / components, or two or more steps / components or parts of the operation of steps / components can be combined into new steps / components to achieve the purpose of this invention.
[0046] Example 1: This example provides an integrated launch and recovery device for a large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), such as... Figures 1-2 As shown, it mainly consists of a dual linear motor stator and N (N can be 1, 2, 3, ... 9 or 10) UAV integrated catapult recovery adapter movers (hereinafter referred to as adapter movers). It has two functions: tandem high-efficiency catapult launch, mover-to-motor active docking, and deceleration recovery of large fixed-wing UAVs with typical takeoff weights of 1T to 35T.
[0047] a. The stator is mainly composed of two parallel linear motor stators, with a length of 100m+N×(25m±1m) and an armature spacing of 10m±1m. It can support N movers under any operating conditions (including no-load, ejection load, recovery impact load, etc.) and can drive and control (sliding pair, control frequency greater than 100Hz, speed control accuracy better than 0.1m / s, position control accuracy better than 1mm) each mover on it to move arbitrarily along it while maintaining a safe distance from each other.
[0048] b. The mover mainly consists of a double mover beam (10m ± 1m long, with the armature spacing of the two linear motors of the stator being the same), a trolley (sliding pair, control frequency greater than 100Hz, speed control accuracy better than 0.1m / s, position control accuracy better than 1mm) that can move laterally on the beam, a turntable (rotary pair, control frequency greater than 100Hz, angular velocity control accuracy within 1rad / s, angle control accuracy within 0.01rad) mounted on the trolley, and three circumferentially evenly arranged three-axis ball joints (each with 3 rotary pairs, control frequency greater than 100Hz, angular velocity control accuracy better than 1rad / s, angle control accuracy better than 0.01rad). The five kinematic pairs ensure that there are five highly precise controlled degrees of freedom from the double mover beam to the end of each three-axis ball joint.
[0049] c. During catapult launch, the UAV and the mover first dock to form a UAV-motor hybrid (the docking position can be arbitrarily selected on the stator according to the fastest transport speed of the UAV), and then move together to the catapult launch zero position, without requiring that the UAV and the mover dock only be performed at the launch zero position; after all N UAV-motor hybrids are in place at the launch zero position, the deflector rises and the UAV engine is ignited; the UAV-motor catapult launch and the deflector descend in groups, with each group proceeding rapidly from bow to stern in sequence; the maximum energy level of a single catapult launch is not less than 10,000 ton-meters.
[0050] d. During recovery, the mover actively engages the approaching unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) via a six-axis linkage.
[0051] e. The drone-moving element reaches takeoff speed at the end of the catapult stroke, and the three three-axis ball joints release the drone simultaneously within 5ms±1ms.
[0052] Example 2: This example provides an integrated launch and recovery device for a large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising the following solutions:
[0053] 1. The typical takeoff weight of a large, gearless fixed-wing UAV is 1T to 35T. The fuselage structure is designed with two sets of three-point docking positions, one inside and one outside. The outer set of three-point docking positions docks with and is secured to three UAV transport robots, while the inner set of three-point docking positions docks with and is secured to the integrated deployment and recovery device 100 or the three-dimensional storage device.
[0054] 2. The drone transport robot uses steering wheels or McClum wheels to enable omnidirectional movement. Any three drone transport robots can form a coordinated group with a fixed relative position. The coordinated group docks with and is secured to the large landing gearless drone through a three-point docking position on the underside of the drone. The loaded drone moves omnidirectionally on planes such as airports, ship decks, and hangars according to the transport command trajectory. The coordinated group lifts and lowers the drone vertically and rotates it around any horizontal axis through the synchronous and asynchronous lifting of the three drone transport robots.
[0055] 3. The integrated deployment and recovery device 100 is equipped with N adapter movers 200 for docking UAVs and a catapult takeoff zero position, with a width of about 9 to 12m and a length of about 100m + N × 15m.
[0056] 4. When launching UAVs in sequence, each adapter mover 200 is docked and secured to a single large UAV without landing gear through a three-point docking position inside the fuselage, enabling the UAV to be rapidly accelerated from zero speed to takeoff speed within 90m and released quickly; N adapter movers each carry N UAVs and launch them sequentially from front to back from their corresponding launch zero positions at intervals not exceeding 30 seconds.
[0057] 5. During continuous active recovery of UAVs, the adapter mover 200 actively tracks the three-point docking position inside the fuselage of the aircraft based on the trajectory information provided by the UAV's close approach cooperative flight at the stern. Within the permissible length range, it achieves docking and rapid locking with the UAV with zero heading speed difference. After successful locking, it brakes and decelerates the UAV to a low speed within a straight distance of 75m, and then moves to the bow and stops. If docking and locking cannot be achieved within the permissible length range, a go-around command is sent to the UAV, and the UAV goes around and re-enters the close approach cooperative flight trajectory. N adapter movers can sequentially recover N UAVs to stop at the bow at intervals of not less than 30 seconds.
[0058] 6. The automated storage and retrieval system is installed on the hangar structure and mainly consists of multiple sets of lifting arm docking and fastening mechanisms. Each set of lifting arm docking and fastening mechanisms can dock with a three-point docking position inside the hangar and fasten and constrain a drone. The drone can be moved vertically within the hangar, and the automated storage and retrieval of drones can be achieved by adapting to the total height of the hangar and the height of drones without landing gear.
[0059] 7. Three drone transport robots work together to dock at the three-point docking position on the outer side of the fuselage; the adapter mover of the integrated deployment and recovery device or the cantilever docking and fastening mechanism of the three-dimensional storage device dock at the three-point docking position inside the fuselage; the three drone transport robots can lift the drones off the integrated deployment and recovery device or the three-dimensional storage device in a synchronous manner, or place the drones on the integrated deployment and recovery device or the three-dimensional storage device in a synchronous manner.
[0060] On airports or ships equipped with this invention, it can be used for the transportation and support of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with landing gear, sequential launch, continuous active recovery, and high-density storage of 1T to 35T. It also has certain expansion capabilities. This device is not limited to the above-mentioned uses, and similar uses are protected by this patent.
[0061] Example 3: Based on the same inventive concept, this example also provides a method for using the integrated launch and recovery device for large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as described above, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the main steps include the following:
[0062] S1, Drone dispatch and support process
[0063] With the optimization goals of overall transportation efficiency and filling and attachment support efficiency of the entire airport or ship's unmanned fixed-wing UAVs, the transportation and support process of large UAVs and their deployment, recovery and transportation tethering systems mainly includes the following steps: grouping UAV transportation robots, docking, securing and lifting UAVs, transporting UAVs, filling and attaching support.
[0064] 1) Based on the self-inspection status and idle status of all drone transport robots, select three drone transport robots nearby for each drone to be transported and protected on the integrated dispatch and recovery device or the three-dimensional warehouse storage device. Optimize the global path planning and quickly move the robots omnidirectionally to the three-point docking position under the drone's belly. Then solidify the relative positions between the three drone transport robots to form a collaborative team.
[0065] 2) The three drone transport robots in the collaborative group dock with the three-point docking position on the outer side of the drone's fuselage, and then tighten the constraints; the integrated deployment and recovery device or the three-dimensional storage device releases the constraints on the three-point docking position on the inner side of the drone's fuselage; the drone transport robot collaborative group lifts the drone to make it detach from the integrated deployment and recovery device or the three-dimensional storage device, to a safe collision avoidance distance.
[0066] 3) The drone dispatching robot team maintains the relative positional relationship between each other. Through coordinated movement and rotation, the drone is separated from the integrated dispatch and recovery device or the three-dimensional storage device in the horizontal projection plane and moved to a safe collision avoidance distance. Then, the drone is dispatched by moving omnidirectionally in the plane of airport, deck, hangar and other areas according to the globally optimized dispatching route.
[0067] 4) The drone dispatching robot collaborative team dispatches drones to the support position to remove planar motion constraints, optimizes the efficiency of drone filling and attachment support operations, and enables the drones to rise and fall vertically and rotate around any horizontal axis through the synchronous / asynchronous lifting of three drone dispatching robots.
[0068] S2, UAV sequential ejection process
[0069] Based on mission requirements, with the optimization objective of emergency or continuous deployment efficiency of UAVs on the entire airport or ship, the process of launching large UAVs and their deployment, recovery, and tethering systems in sequence includes the following steps: positioning of the integrated deployment and recovery device, tethering and securing of N UAVs, sequential launch, and resetting of the integrated deployment and recovery device.
[0070] 1) The launch stroke of the integrated launch and recovery device is completely cleared, and N adapter movers move to the corresponding launch zero position and stand still; N deflector plates are raised to the maximum angle; N transport robots are coordinated by a team to transport N drones to the side of the launch zero position.
[0071] 2) A collaborative team of N drone transport robots lifts N drones and moves them laterally along the N adapter movers to the docking position. They then fine-tune the three-point docking position inside the drone's fuselage with the adapter movers through omnidirectional movement until they are aligned. The drone transport robot team then lowers the drones to dock with and secure them to the adapter movers. Each drone transport robot releases the securing constraint from the three-point docking position inside its fuselage, lowers the docking mechanism to below the safe collision avoidance distance, and moves laterally away from the integrated deployment and recovery device's planar area.
[0072] 3) N drones start their engines sequentially from front to back at 20-second intervals and increase their speed to standby. Upon receiving the sequential ejection command, the drones increase their engine speed to takeoff speed from front to back at 20-second intervals. From front to back, after each drone reaches its takeoff speed, the adapter mover accelerates to takeoff speed within a few seconds and releases quickly. The drones take off, and each deflector descends to the horizontal 0-degree position sequentially within 10 seconds. The N adapter movers decelerate sequentially until they stop at the bow of the integrated launch and recovery device. The ejection interval between the N drones is no more than 30 seconds.
[0073] 4) All adapters of the integrated deployment and recovery device are restored to the ejection zero position, and the deflector plate, the drone transport robot team and the drone are put back in place.
[0074] S3, Continuous Active Recovery Process of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
[0075] With the goal of improving the safety and success rate of recovering large fixed-wing UAVs without landing gear using an integrated deployment and recovery device, the process of continuously and actively recovering large UAVs and their deployment, recovery and transportation systems mainly includes steps such as UAV approach and active docking with the device, fastening and braking, and transportation and resetting.
[0076] 1) The 25m section (10m-35m bow) of the integrated deployment and recovery device is the theoretical docking section between the UAV and the device. The UAV approaches the device at a 2° angle, aiming at the 10m bow point, and the adapter mover stops at the stern. When the UAV reaches the 20m docking theoretical section, its relative speed to the device is approximately 150km / h-230km / h, and the adapter mover accelerates bowwards. When the UAV reaches the docking theoretical section, the adapter mover meets the UAV in its heading direction with zero speed difference from the UAV's heading. Due to the effects of random loads such as deck wind and other factors, the docking theoretical section will be affected. Due to factors such as time delay in the human-machine control system, the UAV may exhibit deviations such as eccentricity (generally not exceeding ±4.2m), yaw angle (generally not exceeding ±3°), pitch angle (generally not exceeding ±1°), and roll angle (generally not exceeding ±1°) during approach. The mechanism on the adapter mover corrects these deviations through six-axis linkage, actively docking with the UAV's three-point docking position within a 25m long theoretical docking section with zero horizontal speed difference. If docking is successful, the UAV will enter a locking and braking state; if docking fails, the UAV will pull up and take off again, and the adapter mover will decelerate and move to the stern of the device to reset.
[0077] 2) After the adapter moves onto the drone, it quickly locks the drone within 5ms, and then brakes with an average acceleration of about 3.1g on the integrated deployment and recovery device. Within a braking distance of no more than 68m, the speed is reduced to below 36km / h, and the drone continues to move towards the bow and stops. The peak overload during the entire process is reduced to below 3.5g.
[0078] 3) When the recovery mission is initiated, the telemetry and control system commands the drone transport robots to the bow position of the integrated deployment and recovery device to stand by; once each adapter mover carrying the docked and locked drone stops at the bow, the three drone transport robots move to the bottom of the drone to coordinate with the team to move the drone away.
[0079] S4, High-Density Storage Process for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
[0080] The process of high-density storage of large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their deployment, recovery, and transportation systems using a three-dimensional storage device mainly includes steps such as docking and three-dimensional storage of UAVs, and releasing UAVs from the storage device.
[0081] 1) The empty automated storage unit lowers all its lifting arms to their lowest positions; multiple drone transport robot teams move their respective drones, queuing up to approach the automated storage unit; the drone transport robot team at the front of the queue moves its drone above the lifting arm and makes minor horizontal adjustments until the three-point docking position inside the drone's belly is horizontally aligned with the docking device on the lifting arm; the lifting arm moves upward to dock and locks the three-point docking position inside the drone's belly, the drone transport robot team releases the lock and disbands, the lifting arm continues to move upward to its highest position, and the three disbanded drone transport robots withdraw; the subsequent drone transport robot teams and the next drone move to the lifting arm position and repeat the operation until all the lifting arms are vertically aligned and moored to achieve automated storage of the drones.
[0082] 2) Multiple drones are stored on the multiple lifting arms of the automated storage and retrieval system. The drones are released from the bottom up. Each lifting arm carries the drone to be released into position. The monitoring and control system arranges for three drone transport robots to move omnidirectionally to the three-point docking position under the drone for fine adjustment and alignment. The lifting arm lowers the drone to the drone transport robot and locks the drone. The lifting arm releases the drone and continues to descend to the lowest position. The three drone transport robots form a collaborative team to move the drones according to the transport route.
[0083] Furthermore, all parts of this application that are not described in detail are the same as or implemented using existing technology.
[0084] In summary:
[0085] 1. This invention eliminates the need for landing gear and landing gear bay, which reduces dead weight and increases belly space, enabling UAVs to increase fuel capacity and flight capability by more than 35%; it allows UAVs to overcome internal space limitations and double cabin capacity; the absence of landing gear can lower the height of UAVs by 0.5m to 1.5m, overcoming the height limitations of high-density three-dimensional storage in hangars.
[0086] 2. The drone transport robot of the present invention adopts any three cooperative units, which can translate / rotate the drone arbitrarily in the horizontal plane, and can also lift and rotate the drone in the vertical direction and rotate the drone around any horizontal axis, changing the spatial degree of freedom of the drone from planar to three-dimensional, thus improving flexibility. The drone transport robot changes the traditional "drone-deck" two-layer system into a "drone-robot-deck" three-layer system, releasing the rigid constraints of the airframe-landing gear. The cooperative units can flexibly and adaptively gather and disperse according to the task and environment, non-linearly improving the flexibility and efficiency of transport.
[0087] 3. This invention can be used to modify traditional medium and large ships, integrating the catapult device at the bow and the arresting device at the stern, saving deck area. Combined with the hangar's three-dimensional storage, it can significantly increase the number of large fixed-wing UAVs carried on the ship and greatly improve the UAV deployment and recovery capabilities.
[0088] 4. This invention can be used to develop new concept ships for the future, which can carry large vertical and horizontal communication drones and more than 30 large horizontally deployed and recovered UAVs on a 30,000-ton displacement ship, and realize a single ship's thousand-kilometer-level signal and fire self-closed loop.
[0089] 5. This invention can be used to modify land-based airports and land-based UAVs, significantly improving the operational efficiency of UAVs by removing the landing gear and landing gear bay without changing the aviation technology.
[0090] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method for using an integrated launch and recovery device for a large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), characterized in that: The large fixed-wing UAV integrated launch and recovery device includes a dual linear motor stator (100) and multiple UAV integrated catapult recovery adapter movers (200). The dual linear motor stator (100) is composed of two parallel linear motor stators. The multiple UAV integrated catapult recovery adapter movers (200) are installed longitudinally on the slide rail of the dual linear motor stator (100) at a preset interval. The dual linear motor stator (100) receives a controller and drives the multiple UAV integrated catapult recovery adapter movers (200) on it to move arbitrarily along the slide rail within a safe distance range. The UAV integrated catapult recovery adapter mover (200) includes a double mover beam (1) mounted on the double linear motor stator (100), a beam traverse trolley (2) is slidably mounted on the double mover beam (1) along the lateral direction, a turntable (3) is mounted on the top of the beam traverse trolley (2), and three three-axis ball joints (4) are evenly arranged on the top of the turntable (3) along the circumference. The large fixed-wing UAV has an outer three-point docking position and an inner three-point docking position on its belly structure. The inner three-point docking position is adapted to the three three-axis ball joints (4) and is adapted to the docking and fastening mechanism on the three-dimensional storage device. The outer three-point docking position is adapted to the lifting mechanism on the UAV transport robot. The integrated deployment and recovery device is located in the airport area, the three-dimensional storage device is located in the hangar area, and there are multiple drone transport robots. Any three drone transport robots form a cooperative group with fixed relative positions. The cooperative group transports the large fixed-wing drones in the airport area, ship deck, and hangar area according to a preset operating trajectory. The method of use includes the following steps: S1, the drone dispatch and support process, involves a drone dispatch robot team moving omnidirectionally within airport areas, ship decks, and hangar areas according to a preset operating trajectory to dispatch drones. S2, the sequential launch process of drones, through the cooperation of the drone transport robot team and the adapter mover, enables multiple drones to take off in sequence at preset intervals; S3, the continuous active recovery process of the UAV, matches the flight path of the UAV with the movement path of the adapter mover, and performs zero-speed difference docking between the UAV and the adapter mover. S4, the high-density storage process for drones, involves a drone transport robot team working in conjunction with an automated storage and retrieval system to store drones in the hangar in a pre-set order.
2. The method of using the integrated launch and recovery device for a large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the multiple integrated UAV catapult recovery adapter movers (200) is equipped with a liftable deflector plate.
3. The method of using the integrated launch and recovery device for a large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that... In step S1, the drone dispatch and support process specifically includes the following steps: S11. Based on the self-inspection status and idle status of all drone dispatching robots, select three drone dispatching robots nearby for each drone waiting to be dispatched and protected on the integrated dispatch and recovery device or the three-dimensional warehouse storage device, and fix the relative positions between the three drone dispatching robots to form a collaborative group. S12, the three drone transport robots in the collaborative group respectively dock with the three-point docking position on the outer side of the receiving drone's belly, and lift the drone to be transported by the lifting mechanism group to make it separate from the integrated dispatch and recovery device or the three-dimensional storage device to a safe collision avoidance distance. S13, the drone dispatching robot collaborative team moves omnidirectionally within the airport area, ship deck, and hangar area according to the preset operating trajectory to carry out drone dispatching; S14. After the drone transport robot team transports the drone to the target location, the drone is adjusted by three drone transport robots simultaneously or asynchronously lifting and installing the drone to be transported into the preset installation position.
4. The method of using the integrated launch and recovery device for a large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that... In step S2, the sequential launch process of the UAV specifically includes the following steps: S21, after the N adapter movers move to the corresponding ejection zero position on the stator of the dual linear motor and come to rest, the N deflector plates rise to the maximum angle, and at the same time, the N UAV transport robots coordinate the group to transport N UAVs and install them on the side of the corresponding adapter movers. S22, by synchronously or asynchronously lifting and adjusting the angle of the drone by three drone transport robots in the collaborative group, the inner three-point docking position of the drone fuselage is docked with the corresponding adapter mover for installation. After installation, the collaborative group moves laterally away from the plane area where the integrated dispatch and recovery device is located. S23, N drones start their engines sequentially from front to back at 20-second intervals and increase their speed to the standby speed; upon receiving the sequential launch command, the drones increase their engine speed to the takeoff speed from front to back at 20-second intervals; simultaneously, after each drone reaches the takeoff speed, the corresponding adapter mover accelerates to the takeoff speed within a preset time and releases, allowing the drones to take off in sequence; S24, all adapters of the integrated deployment and recovery device are restored to the ejection zero position, and the deflector plate, drone transport robot and collaborative team are reset at the same time.
5. The method of using the integrated launch and recovery device for a large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that... In step S3, the continuous active recovery process of the UAV specifically includes the following steps: S31, the UAV descends along the preset recovery route and targets the preset point on the device, and the corresponding adapter mover stops at the stern of the device; S32, when the UAV arrives at the docking theoretical section and its speed is within the preset range, the corresponding adapter mover accelerates towards the bow of the device. When the adapter mover and the corresponding UAV meet with zero speed difference in the heading direction, the adapter mover docks with the UAV. S33, when the adapter mover successfully docks with the drone, the adapter mover quickly locks the drone within 5ms and brakes with a preset acceleration; When the adapter mover fails to dock with the UAV, the UAV pulls up and takes off again, while the adapter mover decelerates and moves to the stern of the device to reset.
6. The method of using the integrated launch and recovery device for a large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that... In step S4, the high-density storage process of the UAV specifically includes the following steps: S41, the empty automated storage unit lowers all the lifting arms to the lowest position; multiple drone transport robot teams move their respective drones in a queue to approach the automated storage unit. S42, multiple drone transport robots in a queue work together to move their respective drones to the lifting arms of the automated storage and retrieval system. At the same time, the lifting arms move the corresponding drones upwards in sequence to complete the drone storage.