Emergency floating device for helicopter

Abstract

The invention discloses an emergency floating device for a helicopter. The emergency floating device comprises a buoy assembly, an inflation assembly and a control system used for achieving manual starting and automatic starting after entering water. The control system comprises water immersion sensors with four corners distributed on the front side and the rear side of the machine body, a manual starting switch used for inputting manual starting signals and a control box used for controlling the inflation assembly according to the signals of the water immersion sensors and the manual starting switch. The control box comprises three control panels; the single control panel judges that the current state is a water entry state when receiving the water entry signals of the at least two water entry sensors, and the control box determines that the water entry signals are received when the at least two control panels judge that the current state is the water entry state; entering a water entering automatic starting mode when the manual starting signal is not input and the water entering signal is determined to be received; and when a manual starting signal is input and the at least two control panels receive the manual starting signal, a manual starting mode is started. The device can be manually started and automatically started after entering water, and has high control reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to water emergency life-saving, and in particular to an emergency floating device for a helicopter. Background Art

[0002] With the development of my country's national defense, strategic transformation and economic development, helicopters have been widely used in escort, anti-submarine, transportation, patrol, rescue and other fields. The frequency of helicopters performing water missions is getting higher and higher. The combat environment, especially the sea environment, is becoming more complex and harsh. The demand for water flight safety and water emergency landing and life-saving capabilities is becoming more and more urgent.

[0003] At present, the main problem with the helicopter emergency flotation device developed and installed in China is that it only has a manual start function and cannot start automatically. When the personnel in the control cabin do not start manually due to coma, injury, panic, etc., the emergency flotation device cannot work. If the sensor is directly introduced to determine whether it has entered the water and realize automatic start, it may cause problems such as misjudgment of water landing signals, unstable electronic devices, and discontinuous subsequent life-saving. That is, the current helicopter emergency flotation device does not adopt an automatic start mode, nor can it guarantee safety and reliability in the automatic start mode. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an emergency floating device for a helicopter, which can be started manually and automatically when entering water, has high control reliability, and is convenient for timely search and rescue.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is: A helicopter emergency floating device comprises a buoy assembly distributed on a body, an inflatable assembly for inflating and unfolding the buoy assembly, and a control system for realizing manual start and automatic start after entering water; the control system comprises water immersion sensors distributed at four corners on the front and rear sides of the body and used to detect whether the position is immersed in water, a manual start switch for inputting a manual start signal, and a control box for controlling the inflatable assembly according to the signals of the water immersion sensor and the manual start switch; the control box comprises three control boards; a single control board determines that the current state is in water when receiving water immersion signals from at least two water immersion sensors, and the control box determines that the water immersion signal is received when at least two control boards determine that the current state is in water. water signal; when the manual start signal is not input and it is determined that the water entry signal is received, the water entry automatic start mode is entered: the control box sends an ignition signal to the air source device of the inflatable component and sends a positioning and life-saving signal to the outside; when the manual start signal is input and at least two control panels receive the manual start signal, the manual start mode is entered: first delay for a certain period of time, if it is determined that the water entry signal is received during the delay period, then the ignition signal is sent to the air source device of the inflatable component and the positioning and life-saving signal is sent to the outside, if the water entry signal is not determined during the delay period, then after the delay expires, an ignition signal is sent to the air source device of the inflatable component, and a positioning and life-saving signal is sent to the outside when it is subsequently determined that the water entry signal is received.

[0006] Preferably, if the presence of an external device on the machine body will affect the operation of the buoy assembly, then when entering the automatic start mode and the manual start mode, the control box will send a control signal to the external device abandonment mechanism to abandon the external device in an emergency, and delay ignition when receiving the ignition signal to avoid affecting the operation of the buoy assembly.

[0007] Preferably, the control box has a built-in ignition power supply, the ignition power supply is isolated from the onboard power supply and uses a secondary power supply with a high-capacity capacitor. The gas source device is equipped with a pilot-type large-flow release valve, and the release valve is equipped with an insensitive electric detonator. When the control box sends an ignition signal, the ignition power supply discharges and outputs a pulse current to each semiconductor bridge wire of the insensitive electric detonator. When the current reaches the ignition condition, the semiconductor bridge wire generates high-energy plasma to stimulate the insensitive pyrotechnics to detonate, and generates high-temperature and high-pressure gas to push the pilot valve in the release valve, causing an imbalance in the pressure on both sides of the main valve chamber in the release valve, thereby causing the release valve to open under the action of the internal pressure of the gas source device, and the gas source device quickly inflates the float assembly.

[0008] Preferably, the control box has a built-in self-detection circuit, a filtering circuit, a spike surge circuit and a protection circuit.

[0009] Preferably, the float assembly adopts a four-float configuration, including a front float assembly installed on the left front and right front sides of the lower part of the fuselage, and a rear float assembly installed on the left rear and right rear sides of the lower part of the fuselage. The front float assembly includes a front float, a front float cabin provided on the fuselage, a packaging assembly that uses a fixed force rope to encapsulate the front float in the front float cabin, and a front float skin installed at the opening of the front float cabin through a fixed force clamping seat. The rear float assembly includes a rear float, a rear float cabin provided on the fuselage, a packaging assembly that uses a fixed force rope to encapsulate the rear float in the rear float cabin, and a rear float skin installed at the opening of the rear float cabin through a fixed force clamping seat.

[0010] Preferably, part of the front pontoon hull is located within the external contour of the fuselage and the other part protrudes from the external contour of the fuselage, and the streamlined design of the front pontoon skin is consistent with the streamline of the aerodynamic shape of the fuselage; the rear pontoon hull is completely embedded within the external contour of the fuselage, and the rear pontoon skin is consistent with the streamline of the aerodynamic shape of the fuselage.

[0011] Preferably, the front buoy adopts a saddle-shaped auxiliary bag and a columnar main bag to avoid the emergency exit of the body and inhibit the bag from turning up.

[0012] Preferably, the surface of the rear buoy is paved with multiple layers of flexible flame retardant, fireproof and heat insulating composite fabric.

[0013] Preferably, a plurality of separated cavities are used inside the front pontoon and the rear pontoon.

[0014] Preferably, the air source device of the inflation component has a built-in high-precision pressure sensor, and performs temperature correction, determination and display on the output pressure signal.

[0015] Preferably, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: The device can be started manually and automatically when entering water, and performs logical voting judgments at the nodes for judging the water entry status and determining the receipt of water entry signals, thus avoiding the problems of misjudgment of a few sensors and instability of electronic components. It has high control reliability and can send positioning and life-saving signals to the outside when it determines that a water entry signal has been received, facilitating timely search and rescue. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a plan layout of the helicopter emergency flotation device.

[0017] Figure 2 It is the control schematic diagram of the control system.

[0018] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the packaging assembly using a fixed rope to package the front buoy in the front buoy cabin.

[0019] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the front pontoon skin being installed at the opening of the front pontoon cabin through a fixed force clamping seat.

[0020] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the packaging assembly using a fixed rope to package the rear buoy in the rear buoy cabin.

[0021] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the rear pontoon skin being installed at the opening of the rear pontoon cabin through a fixed force clamping seat.

[0022] In the figure: 1-body; 2-water sensor; 3-cylindrical main bag; 4-saddle-shaped auxiliary bag; 5-high-pressure gas cylinder; 6-manual start switch; 7-front pontoon; 8-control box; 9-rear pontoon; 10-flexible flame-retardant fireproof and heat-insulating composite fabric; 11-packing assembly; 12-fixed rope; 13-front pontoon cabin; 14-front pontoon skin; 15-fixed force clamping seat; 16-rear pontoon cabin; 17-rear pontoon skin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present application is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0024] The present application discloses a helicopter emergency floating device, the main purpose of which is to achieve manual start and automatic start after entering water and ensure high control reliability, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes a float assembly, an inflation assembly and a control system. The float assembly is distributed on the body 1. The inflation assembly is used to inflate and expand the float assembly. The control system is used to realize manual start and automatic start after entering water. The control system includes a water immersion sensor 2, a manual start switch 6 and a control box 8. The water immersion sensor 2 is distributed at the front and rear sides of the body 1 and is used to detect whether the location is flooded. The manual start switch 6 is used to input a manual start signal. The control box 8 is used to control the inflation assembly according to the signals of the water immersion sensor 2 and the manual start switch 6. The control box 8 includes three control panels.

[0025] The control principle of the control system is as follows: Figure 2 As shown: When a single control board receives a water immersion signal from at least two water immersion sensors 2, it determines that the current state is water immersion. When at least two control boards determine that the current state is water immersion, the control box 8 determines that a water immersion signal has been received. When no manual start signal is input and it is confirmed that the water entry signal is received, the water entry automatic start mode is entered: the control box 8 sends an ignition signal to the air source device of the inflation component and sends a positioning and rescue signal to the outside; When a manual start signal is input and at least two control panels receive the manual start signal, the manual start mode is entered: first a delay of a certain time (about 3s) is performed. If it is determined that a water entry signal is received during the delay period, an ignition signal is sent to the air source device of the inflatable component and a positioning and life-saving signal is sent to the outside. If it is not determined that a water entry signal is received during the delay period, an ignition signal is sent to the air source device of the inflatable component after the delay expires, and a positioning and life-saving signal is sent to the outside when it is subsequently determined that a water entry signal is received.

[0026] The device can be started manually and automatically when entering water, and performs logical voting judgments at the nodes for judging the water entry status and determining the receipt of water entry signals, thus avoiding the problems of misjudgment of a few sensors and instability of electronic components. It has high control reliability and can send positioning and life-saving signals to the outside when it determines that a water entry signal has been received, facilitating timely search and rescue.

[0027] Among them, the water sensor 2 outputs a digital / analog dual-channel signal based on the principle of photoelectric liquid level detection. The infrared laser source inside it emits a laser beam, which is reflected by the optical head cone and returns to the receiving end inside the water sensor 2. When the water sensor 2 is located in the air medium, the light beam is totally reflected and returns to the receiving end. The photoelectric conversion module of the water sensor 2 processes it into an electrical signal and outputs a digital low-level signal and a certain range of frequency signals (i.e., non-water immersion signals) to the control box 8. When the water sensor 2 is immersed in water, due to changes in the external medium, the refraction of the light beam is enhanced, and the signal intensity reflected back to the receiving end decreases. When the light intensity signal drops to a certain threshold, the output signal of the water sensor 2 jumps after photoelectric conversion, and outputs a digital high-level signal and a certain range of frequency signals (i.e., water immersion signals) to the control box 8.

[0028] If the body 1 has an external attachment that will affect the operation of the buoy assembly, then Figure 2 As shown, when entering the water entry automatic start mode and entering the manual start mode, the control box 8 sends a control signal to the external plug-in abandonment mechanism to abandon the external plug-in in an emergency, and delays the ignition when receiving the ignition signal to avoid affecting the operation of the buoy assembly. Measures such as linkage control with the external plug-in abandonment mechanism and delayed inflation are adopted to ensure that the external plug-in can be removed in time when the buoy assembly is inflated and deployed.

[0029] In this embodiment, the control box 8 has a built-in ignition power supply, which is isolated from the onboard power supply and uses a secondary power supply of a high-capacity capacitor. The gas source device is equipped with a pilot-type large-flow release valve, and the release valve is equipped with an insensitive electric detonator. When the control box 8 sends an ignition signal, the ignition power supply discharges and outputs a pulse current to each semiconductor bridge wire of the insensitive electric detonator. When the current reaches the ignition condition, the semiconductor bridge wire generates high-energy plasma to excite the insensitive pyrotechnics to detonate, and generates high-temperature and high-pressure gas to push the pilot valve in the release valve, causing the pressure on both sides of the main valve chamber in the release valve to be unbalanced, so that the release valve is opened under the action of the internal pressure of the gas source device, and the gas source device quickly inflates the float assembly. The ignition power supply ensures the reliability and stability of the ignition output and the start-up of the inflation, and the pilot-type large-flow release valve driven by the insensitive electric detonator ensures rapid inflation, anti-interference, and safety.

[0030] In this embodiment, the control box 8 has built-in self-detection circuit, filtering circuit, peak surge circuit and protection circuit, achieving a high fault detection rate and isolation rate, and has high anti-electromagnetic interference, anti-static and anti-lightning characteristics.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the manual start switch 6 is located in the control cabin at the front side of the body 1, and the control box 8 is located at the rear side of the body 1. It is convenient for passengers to operate the manual start switch 6, and the space at the rear side of the body 1 is fully utilized to install the control box 8, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the body 1.

[0032] In addition, in addition to the related problems of automatic start-up upon entering the water, the current helicopter emergency flotation device also has some other shortcomings, such as: in the 5th level sea condition and the specified water landing attitude envelope, the forced landing and floating stability are poor; the rear pontoon 9 is easily damaged by exhaust gas burning after deployment and landing; the installation structure of the front and rear pontoons 9 will affect the aerodynamic shape of the whole machine, and the maintainability is relatively low. In view of the above shortcomings, the present application has also made corresponding improvements: like Figure 1As shown, in the present embodiment, the float assembly adopts a four-float configuration, including a front float 7 assembly installed on the left front and right front sides of the lower part of the fuselage 1, and a rear float 9 assembly installed on the left rear and right rear sides of the lower part of the fuselage 1. The front float 7 assembly includes a front float 7, a front float cabin 13 arranged on the fuselage 1, a packaging assembly 11 for packaging the front float 7 in the front float cabin 13 by means of a fixed force rope 12, and a front float skin 14 installed at the opening of the front float cabin 13 by means of a fixed force clamping seat 15. The rear float 9 assembly includes a rear float 9, a rear float cabin 16 arranged on the fuselage 1, a packaging assembly 11 for packaging the rear float 9 in the rear float cabin 16 by means of a fixed force clamping seat 15, and a rear float skin 17 installed at the opening of the rear float cabin 16 by means of a fixed force clamping seat 15. After the air source device quickly inflates the buoy assembly, the internal pressure of the folded front buoy 7 (rear buoy 9) rises sharply, first breaking the force rope 12 of the package assembly 11, then destroying the force pressing seat 15 to push open the front buoy skin 14 (rear buoy skin 17), and then extending the front buoy cabin 13 (rear buoy cabin 16) and unfolding. During the landing and floating process, the front buoy 7 and the rear buoy 9 generate buoyancy, transmitting the lifting force and the righting force to the fuselage 1, and keeping the fuselage 1 floating stably. By optimizing the design of the force rope 12 and the force pressing seat 15, the throwing trajectory of the front buoy skin 14 (rear buoy skin 17) can be controlled, ensuring the safety of the front buoy 7 (rear buoy 9) in the air. The maximum buoyancy that the four buoys can provide can reach 12 tons.

[0033] A portion of the front pontoon hull 13 is located within the outer contour of the fuselage 1, and another portion protrudes from the outer contour of the fuselage 1. The streamlined design of the front pontoon skin 14 matches the streamline of the aerodynamic shape of the fuselage 1; the rear pontoon hull 16 is completely embedded within the outer contour of the fuselage 1, and the rear pontoon skin 17 matches the streamline of the aerodynamic shape of the fuselage 1, reducing the impact of the emergency floating device on the aerodynamic shape of the entire aircraft. The front pontoon hull 13 (rear pontoon hull 16) and the front pontoon skin 14 (rear pontoon skin 17) are made of high-strength carbon fiber composite materials, have high rigidity, can maintain the original shape under wind load, improve the stability of the system's aerodynamic characteristics, and meet the carrier's requirements for aerodynamic characteristics.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the front buoy 7 adopts a saddle-shaped auxiliary bag 4 and a columnar main bag 3 to avoid the emergency exit of the body 1 and inhibit the bag from flipping over. This arrangement not only meets the requirements of floating stability, but also avoids the problem of interference.

[0035] like Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, multiple layers of flexible flame retardant, fireproof and heat-insulating composite fabric 10 are laid on the surface of the rear pontoon 9. The rear pontoon 9 is in the expansion state and is in the heat flow diffusion range of the engine exhaust of the body 1, and is close to the engine of the body 1. The laid flexible flame retardant, fireproof and heat-insulating composite fabric 10 can improve the ability of the rear pontoon 9 to withstand the ablation of the exhaust heat flow.

[0036] In this embodiment, a plurality of separate cavities are used inside the front buoy 7 and the rear buoy 9. Damage to individual cavities will result in a decrease in the total buoyancy and buoyancy-aiding performance, but will not be completely lost.

[0037] The front pontoon 7 (rear pontoon 9) is made of polyurethane tape, and several aramid tapes distributed in warp and weft are bonded on the surface for reinforcement to ensure high pressure resistance and load-bearing performance. like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the gas source device of the inflation component adopts a high-pressure gas cylinder 5. Two high-pressure gas cylinders 5 are installed on the front side of the body 1 to supply gas to the two front buoys 7 through high-pressure hoses. Two high-pressure gas cylinders 5 are installed on the rear side of the body 1 to supply gas to the two rear buoys 9 through high-pressure hoses. The high-pressure gas cylinders 5 are close to the corresponding buoys, shortening the length of the high-pressure hoses and reducing the weight of the emergency floating device.

[0038] In this embodiment, the air source device of the inflation component is equipped with a high-precision pressure sensor, and the output pressure signal is temperature corrected, determined and displayed, which effectively reduces the workload of maintenance inspection and improves the maintainability of the system.

[0039] The embodiments described above are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. The detailed description of the embodiments of the present application is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for protection, but merely represents the selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A helicopter emergency flotation device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a buoy assembly distributed on the machine body, an inflatable assembly for inflating and unfolding the buoy assembly, and a control system for realizing manual start and automatic start after entering water; the control system comprises water immersion sensors distributed at four corners on the front and rear sides of the machine body and used to detect whether the position is immersed in water, a manual start switch for inputting a manual start signal, and a control box for controlling the inflatable assembly according to the signals of the water immersion sensor and the manual start switch; the control box comprises three control boards; a single control board determines that the current state is in water when receiving water immersion signals from at least two water immersion sensors, and the control box determines that the water immersion signal is received when at least two control boards determine that the current state is in water; no water immersion signals are input When a manual start signal is input and it is determined that the water entry signal has been received, the water entry automatic start mode is entered: the control box sends an ignition signal to the air source device of the inflatable component and sends a positioning and life-saving signal to the outside; when a manual start signal is input and at least two control panels receive the manual start signal, the manual start mode is entered: first a certain delay time is set, and if it is determined that the water entry signal has been received during the delay period, an ignition signal is sent to the air source device of the inflatable component and a positioning and life-saving signal is sent to the outside; if it is not determined that the water entry signal has been received during the delay period, an ignition signal is sent to the air source device of the inflatable component after the delay expires, and a positioning and life-saving signal is sent to the outside when it is subsequently determined that the water entry signal has been received.

2. The helicopter emergency flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: If there is an external plug-in on the machine body that will affect the operation of the buoy assembly, the control box will send a control signal to the external plug-in abandonment mechanism when entering the automatic start mode and the manual start mode to abandon the external plug-in in an emergency, and delay ignition when receiving the ignition signal to avoid affecting the operation of the buoy assembly.

3. The helicopter emergency flotation device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control box has a built-in ignition power supply, which is isolated from the onboard power supply and uses a secondary power supply with a high-capacity capacitor. The gas source device is equipped with a pilot-type large-flow release valve, and the release valve is equipped with an insensitive electric detonator. When the control box sends an ignition signal, the ignition power supply discharges and outputs a pulse current to each semiconductor bridge wire of the insensitive electric detonator. When the current reaches the ignition condition, the semiconductor bridge wire generates high-energy plasma to stimulate the insensitive pyrotechnics to detonate, and generates high-temperature and high-pressure gas to push the pilot valve in the release valve, causing an imbalance in the pressure on both sides of the main valve chamber in the release valve, thereby causing the release valve to open under the action of the internal pressure of the gas source device, and the gas source device quickly inflates the float assembly.

4. The helicopter emergency flotation device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control box has built-in self-detection circuit, filtering circuit, peak surge circuit and protection circuit.

5. The helicopter emergency flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The float assembly adopts a four-float configuration, including a front float assembly installed on the left front and right front sides of the lower part of the fuselage, and a rear float assembly installed on the left rear and right rear sides of the lower part of the fuselage. The front float assembly includes a front float, a front float cabin arranged on the fuselage, a packaging assembly that uses a fixed force rope to encapsulate the front float in the front float cabin, and a front float skin installed at the opening of the front float cabin through a fixed force clamping seat. The rear float assembly includes a rear float, a rear float cabin arranged on the fuselage, a packaging assembly that uses a fixed force rope to encapsulate the rear float in the rear float cabin, and a rear float skin installed at the opening of the rear float cabin through a fixed force clamping seat.

6. The helicopter emergency flotation device according to claim 5, characterized in that: Part of the front pontoon hull is located inside the external contour of the fuselage, and the other part protrudes from the external contour of the fuselage. The streamlined design of the front pontoon skin is consistent with the streamline of the fuselage's aerodynamic shape; the rear pontoon hull is completely embedded in the external contour of the fuselage, and the rear pontoon skin is consistent with the streamline of the fuselage's aerodynamic shape.

7. The helicopter emergency flotation device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The front float adopts a saddle-shaped auxiliary bladder and a cylindrical main bladder to avoid the emergency exit of the fuselage and prevent the bladder from flipping up.

8. The helicopter emergency flotation device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The surface of the rear buoy is covered with multiple layers of flexible flame-retardant, fire-proof and heat-insulating composite fabric.

9. The helicopter emergency flotation device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The interior of the front pontoon and the rear pontoon adopts a plurality of separated cavities.

10. The helicopter emergency flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air source device of the inflation component has a built-in high-precision pressure sensor, and the output pressure signal is temperature corrected, judged and displayed.

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