Unpowered aerial vehicle and sampling system for aerial aerosol sampling detection

Abstract

This invention relates to aerosol collection devices, specifically to an unpowered aircraft and sampling system for airborne aerosol sampling and detection. To address the shortcomings of existing technologies that use rotary-wing UAVs to carry aerosol sampling or measurement devices, where aerosols are difficult to collect due to rapid displacement in scenarios such as explosions, rapid combustion, or when affected by environmental wind speed and direction, this invention provides an unpowered aircraft for airborne aerosol sampling and detection. The aircraft includes a shell, an air inlet at one end of the shell, an air duct inside the shell, a one-way valve, a filter, a flow sensor, a power supply, a flight attitude recording device, and a buffer assembly. The sampling system includes the aforementioned unpowered aircraft and a launching device. The launching device includes a high-pressure gas source, a mounting base, and one or more launching tubes. The aircraft is housed inside the launching tubes and launched via high-pressure gas ejection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to aerosol collection devices, specifically to unpowered aircraft and sampling systems for aerial aerosol sampling and detection. Background Technology

[0002] Aerosols are an important form of air pollutant. Research requires monitoring the concentration, particle size, and composition of airborne aerosols to obtain relevant data and understand their changes. Rotary-wing drones equipped with aerosol sampling or measuring devices can sample and monitor airborne aerosols. Patents with publication numbers CN109323893A, CN112644709A, and CN113447322A disclose low-energy aerosol sampling devices and aircraft carried by rotary-wing drones. However, the flight speed of rotary-wing drones is relatively slow, making them only suitable for general atmospheric aerosol monitoring. In scenarios such as explosions or rapid combustion, the generated aerosols move at high speeds, making it difficult to guarantee the timeliness of detection using rotary-wing drones. In addition, in unstable environments, aerosols are easily affected by ambient wind speed and direction, causing rapid displacement and making them difficult to collect. Existing airborne sampling or measuring devices do not offer a systematic solution.

[0003] To meet the rapidly changing requirements for airborne aerosol sampling and monitoring, an airborne aerosol sampling and detection device with moderate speed and ease of use is needed. Existing technologies (CN 109539876 A, CN 101275817A, and Zheng Jie's 2022 Master's Thesis "Research on Portable Compressed Air Ejection Device") disclose the use of compressed air launchers to launch detection devices into the air, but no technology using unpowered aircraft for airborne aerosol sampling has yet been found. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies that use rotary-wing UAVs to carry aerosol sampling or measurement devices, where aerosols are difficult to collect due to rapid displacement in scenarios such as explosions, rapid combustion, or when affected by environmental wind speed and direction. This invention provides an unpowered aircraft and sampling system for aerial aerosol sampling and detection.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution provided by this invention is as follows:

[0006] A non-powered aircraft for airborne aerosol sampling and detection is characterized by comprising: an outer shell, an air inlet located at one end of the outer shell, and an air duct, a one-way valve, a filter cartridge, a flow sensor, a power supply, a flight attitude recording device, and a buffer assembly located inside the outer shell; a collection chamber connected to the air inlet is located at one end of the inner shell, and a recording chamber is located at the other end; multiple exhaust holes are provided on the outer shell corresponding to the collection chamber; the air inlet, one-way valve, filter cartridge, and flow sensor are coaxially arranged sequentially in the collection chamber, with the air inlet located at the end near the air inlet and its inner diameter gradually changing; the open end of the filter cartridge faces the air inlet, and the exhaust holes are located on the side of the flow sensor away from the air inlet; The one-way valve includes a valve shaft arranged along the diameter of the outer shell and two semi-circular door panels. The straight edges of the two semi-circular door panels are rotatably connected to the valve shaft. When the one-way valve is closed, the two semi-circular door panels unfold around the valve shaft, and their outer circumference is adapted to the inner wall of the outer shell. The side closer to the air intake is limited by the inner wall of the air intake. When the one-way valve is open, the two semi-circular door panels rotate around the valve shaft to the side away from the air intake. The power supply and flight attitude recording device are arranged in the recording cavity. The power supply is used to power the flight attitude recording device and the flow sensor. The flight attitude recording device is used to measure and record the flight attitude data of the aircraft. The buffer assembly is used to buffer the aircraft when it lands.

[0007] Furthermore, the one-way valve also includes a limiting crossbar. The limiting crossbar and the valve shaft are located in the same axial section. When the one-way valve is opened, the limiting crossbar is used to limit the two semi-circular door panels. The distance between the limiting crossbar and the valve shaft is defined as L, and the radius of the semi-circular door panel is r. Then 0.5r < L < r.

[0008] Furthermore, it also includes a guide cone disposed on the side of the exhaust port away from the air inlet. The guide cone has a conical structure with a bottom diameter that matches the inner diameter of the outer casing and the conical surface facing the air inlet.

[0009] Furthermore, the axial cross-section of the inner wall of the air intake is streamlined, and the inner diameter of the air intake first decreases and then increases from the air inlet inward.

[0010] Furthermore, the flight attitude recording device is a gyroscope assembly;

[0011] The buffer assembly is a parachute assembly; the parachute assembly is located at the other end of the outer shell and includes a control device, a blasting device and a parachute. The control device has a preset time program to control the blasting device to work, and the blasting opens the rear cover of the parachute assembly and pulls the parachute open.

[0012] The power source is also used to power the control device for the parachute assembly;

[0013] A tail fin is provided circumferentially at the other end of the outer shell.

[0014] Furthermore, the aircraft has a diameter of 50mm, a length of 300mm, a weight of 500g, and exhaust ports with a diameter of 5-20mm and a spacing of 2-3 times the diameter of the ports.

[0015] Meanwhile, a sampling system for airborne aerosol sampling and detection is also provided, which is special in that it includes the aforementioned unpowered aircraft and launching device for airborne aerosol sampling and detection; the launching device includes a high-pressure gas source, a mounting base, and one or more launching tubes, the launching tubes are mounted on the mounting base, and the tail is connected to the high-pressure gas source; the aircraft is located inside the launching tube and a sealing device is provided between the aircraft and the launching tube, the sealing device is used to ensure the launching gas pressure, and the sealing device includes two spliced ​​semi-cylindrical structures, which automatically separate and fall off after moving with the aircraft to the outside of the launching tube.

[0016] Furthermore, the launching device includes multiple launching tubes, which are arranged in parallel or have a deflection angle relative to each other;

[0017] A protractor is provided on the side of the launch tube to adjust the pitch angle of the launch tube.

[0018] Furthermore, it also includes a protective device, which includes a fixed protective plate and a detachable protective plate. The fixed protective plate is fixed on the mounting base and has through holes corresponding to the outlet of each launch tube. The detachable protective plate is set on the fixed protective plate and is used to protect the outlet of the launch tube when the sampling system is not in use.

[0019] An electromagnetic valve is installed between the launch tube and the high-pressure gas source.

[0020] Furthermore, the launch tube is configured as a 3×3 launch tube array, with the deflection angle between the outer launch tube and the central launch tube being 5–10°; the launch pressure is 0.6 MPa, and the range is 100 m.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0022] 1. The aircraft of the present invention is mainly used to collect fast-moving aerosols. The inner diameter of the air intake of the aircraft gradually changes, which ensures the stability of the airflow velocity entering the aircraft during high-speed flight and rapidly changing airflow, avoids turbulence, and avoids affecting the quality of collected aerosols. At the same time, the gradually changing inner diameter can also serve as the front limit of a one-way valve.

[0023] 2. The aircraft of the present invention is equipped with a parachute assembly and other buffer components to reduce the aircraft's ground contact speed, reduce the impact on sample and data storage devices, and improve the probability of sample and data recovery.

[0024] 3. The aircraft of the present invention is equipped with a guide cone to reduce the airflow resistance and make the air intake of the air intake smoother.

[0025] 4. The launching device of the present invention uses a high-pressure gas source to launch to a designated area, enabling the aircraft to sample using flight power without additional power consumption. It has a simple structure, low power consumption, and only requires a micro battery for power supply. The flight speed and distance are controlled by adjusting the launch gas pressure. After the high-pressure gas source is launched, the aircraft runs at a high speed, which can adapt to the sampling of fast-moving aerosols. The aircraft speed in the sampling system has good controllability and can collect airborne aerosols in the order of seconds.

[0026] 5. The launching device of the present invention can be configured to use an array of launching tubes with a certain angle deflection between them, allowing multiple aircraft to launch simultaneously. This not only acquires redundant samples but also improves adaptability to environmental wind speed and increases the sampling success rate. Moreover, the device has a simple structure and is easy to operate. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the aircraft in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a one-way valve in an embodiment of the present invention; a is the closed state of the one-way valve, and b is the open state of the one-way valve;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the sampling system in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the launching tube in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the protective device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0033] 1-Aircraft, 11-Air intake, 12-One-way valve, 13-Filter cartridge, 14-Flow sensor, 15-Exhaust port, 16-Guide cone, 17-Battery, 18-Gyroscope assembly, 19-Parachute assembly, 110-Tail fin, 111-Valve shaft, 112-Limit crossbar, 2-Launch tube, 31-Sealing device, 32-Solenoid valve; 41-Fixed bracket, 42-Support rod, 43-Angle gauge, 44-High-pressure air source, 51-Fixed protective plate, 52-Removable protective plate. Detailed Implementation

[0034] This invention relates to an unpowered aircraft for airborne aerosol sampling and detection, such as... Figure 1As shown, it includes a cylindrical outer shell, an air inlet at one end of the outer shell, an air intake duct 11, a one-way valve 12, a filter cartridge 13, a flow sensor 14, a guide cone 16, a power supply, a gyroscope assembly 18, and a buffer assembly. A tail fin 110 is provided circumferentially at the other end of the outer shell away from the air inlet. In this embodiment, the buffer assembly is a parachute assembly 19.

[0035] One end of the air intake duct 11 is connected to the air intake port, such as Figure 2 As shown, the inner wall of the intake duct 11 has a streamlined cross-section along the axial direction. Its inner diameter decreases and then increases from the air inlet inwards, forming a gradual structure to ensure stable gas flow in the intake duct 11 and avoid turbulence. The one-way valve 12 is located at the end of the intake duct 11 away from the air inlet, and includes a valve shaft 111 along the outer diameter, a limiting crossbar 112, and two semi-circular door plates. The limiting crossbar 112 and the valve shaft 111 are located in the same axial section. The straight edges of the two semi-circular door plates are rotatably connected to the valve shaft 111. When door 12 is closed, the two semi-circular door panels unfold around the valve shaft 111, and their outer circumference is adapted to the inner wall of the outer shell. The side near the air intake 11 is front-limited by the gradient structure of the air intake 11. When the one-way valve 12 is opened, the limiting crossbar 112 is used to limit the two semi-circular door panels from the rear, so as to prevent the two semi-circular door panels from being unstable and difficult to close after they are close together. The distance between the limiting crossbar 112 and the valve shaft 111 is defined as L, and the radius of the semi-circular door panel is r. Then 0.5r < L < r, preferably L = 0.8r.

[0036] The filter cartridge 13 is located on the other side of the one-way valve 12, with its open end facing the air inlet. Near the other end of the filter cartridge 13, a flow sensor 14 and a guide cone 16 are sequentially arranged. The guide cone 16 has a conical structure with a bottom diameter matching the inner diameter of the outer casing, and its conical surface faces the air inlet. Multiple exhaust holes 15 are evenly distributed circumferentially on the outer casing between the flow sensor 14 and the guide cone 16. The guide cone 16 promotes airflow from the exhaust holes 15 and divides the interior of the outer casing into a collection chamber and a recording chamber. The air inlet 11, one-way valve 12, filter cartridge 13, and flow sensor 14 are also present. Sensor 14 is coaxially disposed in the collection cavity; power supply, gyroscope assembly 18 and parachute assembly 19 are disposed in the recording cavity. Gyroscope assembly 18 is used to record and store flight attitude data; parachute assembly 19 is disposed at the other end of the outer shell and includes a control device, a blasting device and a parachute. The control device has a preset time program to control the blasting device to work, and the blasting opens the rear cover of parachute assembly 19 and pulls the parachute open. The preset time program is usually triggered after the aircraft 1 samples; power supply is used to power the control device of gyroscope assembly 18, flow sensor 14 and parachute assembly 19.

[0037] The sampling system for airborne aerosol sampling and detection of the present invention includes the aforementioned aircraft 1 and a launching device. The launching device includes a high-pressure air source 44, a mounting base, and one or more launching tubes 2. The high-pressure air source 44 is located below the mounting base. Each launching tube 2 is mounted on the mounting base via a fixed bracket 41 and a support rod 42, with its tail connected to the high-pressure air source 44. The opening and closing of the high-pressure air source 44 is controlled by a solenoid valve 32, and compressed air is introduced to achieve catapult launch. An angle gauge 43 is correspondingly installed on the side of the launching tube 2 to adjust the pitch angle of the launching tube 2. When multiple launching tubes 2 are provided, they can be arranged in parallel or with a certain deflection angle between them, for launching multiple parallel aircraft 1 or multiple aircraft 1 with slightly different angles. The aircraft 1 is installed inside the launch tube 2 and a sealing device 31 is installed between it and the launch tube 2 to ensure that the launch air pressure meets the requirements. The sealing device 31 includes two spliced ​​semi-cylindrical structures. After the aircraft 1 moves to the outside of the launch tube 2, the two semi-cylindrical structures automatically separate and fall off. Therefore, the sealing device 31 is made of lightweight material and has a smooth outer wall, which reduces the launch resistance of the aircraft 1.

[0038] The sampling system also includes a protective device, which is set at the outlet of the launch tube 2. The protective device includes a fixed protective plate 51 and a detachable protective plate 52. The fixed protective plate 51 is fixed on the mounting base and has through holes corresponding to the outlet of each launch tube 2. The detachable protective plate 52 is set on the fixed protective plate 51 and is used to protect the outlet of the launch tube 2 when the sampling system is not in use to avoid accidents. When the sampling system is in use, the detachable protective plate 52 is controlled to fall off. The detachable protective plate 52 can be a baffle corresponding to multiple through holes, or multiple baffles corresponding to multiple through holes respectively.

[0039] In this embodiment, the aircraft 1 has a diameter of 50mm and a length of 300mm. The filter cartridge 13 can be a polypropylene fiber filter cartridge 13 or a quartz fiber filter cartridge 13, with a diameter of approximately 30mm and a length of 90mm, the dimensions of which are adapted to the corresponding inner diameter of the outer shell. The flow sensor 14 is a thermal flow sensor 14. Multiple exhaust holes 15 are evenly arranged around the circumference of the outer shell, with a hole diameter of 10mm and a spacing of 20mm between adjacent exhaust holes 15, arranged around the circumference of the outer shell twice. The other end of the aircraft 1 integrates a battery 17, a gyroscope assembly 18, and a parachute assembly 19. The parachute assembly 19 is opened by an electrically controlled explosive parachute, and the deployed diameter of the parachute assembly 19 is 0.5-1m. The launching device is equipped with a 3×3 array of launch tubes 2. The aircraft 1 weighs approximately 500g, the launch pressure is 0.6MPa, the range without parachute is 100m, and the deflection angle between the outer launch tubes 2 and the central launch tube 2 is 5-10°, preferably 5°. The detachable protective plate 52 is magnetically fixed to the side of the fixed protective plate 51 away from the launching tube 2, such as... Figure 4As shown, three longitudinal baffles are set, corresponding to the three columns of the launch tube array 2, and are used to control their detachment.

[0040] After the aircraft 1 is launched, the one-way valve 12 opens under the action of airflow, and the collection of aerosols can begin. Since this invention is used for the collection of high-concentration aerosols, the small amount of aerosols collected in the atmosphere before reaching the designated area can be ignored in terms of the result. During the landing process, the air inlet faces downward and the one-way valve 12 closes under the action of gravity.

[0041] In this embodiment, considering the size of the aircraft 1 and the different range requirements, as well as the shell strength and airflow of the exhaust port 15, the diameter of the exhaust port 15 can be 5-20mm, the adjacent spacing is 2-3 times the diameter, and it can be arranged 2-3 times around the circumference of the shell to avoid reducing the structural strength of the aircraft 1 due to excessively large diameter, too many exhaust ports 15, or too small spacing. In other embodiments of the present invention, the diameter, length, weight, launch pressure, and diameter of the exhaust port 15 of the aircraft 1 can all be adjusted according to the required range, and the number and arrangement of the launch tubes 2 can also be adjusted according to the collection area.

Claims

1. A non-powered aircraft for airborne aerosol sampling and detection, characterized in that: It includes an outer shell, an air inlet located at one end of the outer shell, an air intake duct (11) located inside the outer shell, a one-way valve (12), a filter cartridge (13), a flow sensor (14), a power supply, a flight attitude recording device, and a buffer assembly; a collection chamber connected to the air inlet is provided at one end of the inner shell, and a recording chamber is provided at the other end, and multiple exhaust holes (15) are opened on the outer shell corresponding to the collection chamber. The air intake (11), one-way valve (12), filter cartridge (13), and flow sensor (14) are coaxially arranged in the collection chamber. The air intake (11) is located at one end near the air inlet and its inner diameter gradually changes. The open end of the filter cartridge (13) faces the air inlet, and the exhaust port (15) is located on the side of the flow sensor (14) away from the air inlet. The one-way valve (12) includes a valve shaft (111) arranged along the diameter of the outer shell and two semi-circular door panels. The straight edges of the two semi-circular door panels are rotatably connected to the valve shaft (111). When the one-way valve (12) is closed, the two semi-circular door panels unfold around the valve shaft (111), and their outer circumference is adapted to the inner wall of the outer shell. The side closer to the air intake (11) is limited by the inner wall of the air intake (11). When the one-way valve (12) is opened, the two semi-circular door panels rotate around the valve shaft (111) to the side away from the air intake (11). The power supply and flight attitude recording device are set in the recording cavity. The power supply is used to power the flight attitude recording device and the flow sensor (14). The flight attitude recording device is used to measure and record the flight attitude data of the aircraft (1). The buffer component is used to buffer the aircraft (1) when it lands. It also includes a guide cone (16) located on the side of the exhaust port (15) away from the air inlet. The guide cone (16) is a cone-shaped structure with a bottom diameter that matches the inner diameter of the outer shell and the cone surface facing the air inlet.

2. The unpowered aircraft for airborne aerosol sampling and detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The one-way valve (12) also includes a limiting crossbar (112). The limiting crossbar (112) and the valve shaft (111) are located in the same axial section. When the one-way valve (12) is opened, the limiting crossbar (112) is used to limit the two semi-circular door panels. The distance between the limiting crossbar (112) and the valve shaft (111) is defined as L, and the radius of the semi-circular door panel is r. Then 0.5r < L < r.

3. The unpowered aircraft for airborne aerosol sampling and detection according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner wall of the air intake (11) has a streamlined cross-section along the axial direction, and the inner diameter of the air intake (11) first decreases and then increases from the air inlet inward.

4. The unpowered aircraft for airborne aerosol sampling and detection according to claim 3, characterized in that: The flight attitude recording device is a gyroscope assembly (18); The buffer assembly is a parachute assembly (19); the parachute assembly (19) is located at the other end of the outer shell and includes a control device, a blasting device and a parachute. The control device has a preset time program to control the blasting device to work, and the rear cover of the parachute assembly (19) is opened by blasting and the parachute is pulled open. The power source is also used to power the control device of the parachute assembly (19); The other end of the outer shell is provided with a tail fin (110) along the circumferential direction.

5. The unpowered aircraft for airborne aerosol sampling and detection according to claim 4, characterized in that: The aircraft (1) has a diameter of 50mm, a length of 300mm, and a weight of 500g. The exhaust port (15) has a diameter of 5-20mm and a spacing of 2-3 times the diameter of the port.

6. A sampling system for airborne aerosol sampling and detection, characterized in that: Includes an unpowered aircraft (1) for airborne aerosol sampling and detection and a launching device as described in any one of claims 1-5; The launching device includes a high-pressure gas source (44), a mounting base, and one or more launching tubes (2). The launching tubes (2) are mounted on the mounting base and their tails are connected to the high-pressure gas source (44). The aircraft (1) is located inside the launch tube (2) and a sealing device (31) is provided between it and the launch tube (2). The sealing device (31) is used to ensure the launch air pressure. The sealing device (31) includes two spliced ​​semi-cylindrical structures. After the aircraft (1) moves to the outside of the launch tube (2), the two semi-cylindrical structures automatically separate and fall off.

7. The sampling system for airborne aerosol sampling and detection according to claim 6, characterized in that: The launching device includes multiple launching tubes (2), which are arranged in parallel or have a deflection angle relative to each other; An angle gauge (43) is provided on the side of the launch tube (2) to adjust the pitch angle of the launch tube (2).

8. A sampling system for airborne aerosol sampling and detection according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: It also includes a protective device, which includes a fixed protective plate (51) and a detachable protective plate (52). The fixed protective plate (51) is fixed on the mounting base and has through holes corresponding to the outlet of each launch tube (2). The detachable protective plate (52) is set on the fixed protective plate (51) and is used to protect the outlet of the launch tube (2) when the sampling system is not in use. A solenoid valve (32) is provided between the launch tube (2) and the high-pressure gas source (44).

9. A sampling system for airborne aerosol sampling and detection according to claim 7, characterized in that: The launching tube (2) is configured as a 3×3 launching tube (2) array, with the deflection angle between the outer launching tube (2) and the central launching tube (2) being 5~10°; the launching pressure is 0.6MPa and the range is 100m.

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