Novel electric rodless aircraft tractor in traction departure mode

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of aviation ground special equipment, in particular to an electric rodless aircraft tractor suitable for a novel traction departure mode. The tractor comprises a tractor body, a wheel holding lifting mechanism and a vehicle-mounted system. A wheel holding lifting mechanism is arranged in the middle of the vehicle body; the vehicle-mounted system comprises a wireless communication system, an image recognition system, a vehicle control system and an electric driving system which are distributed at all parts of the vehicle; the wheel holding lifting mechanism clamps the nose landing gear through a baffle and holds up the nose landing gear, and the traction function of an airplane is achieved. The wireless communication system is used for transmitting vehicle task information through wireless communication; the image recognition system realizes working condition evaluation through detection; the vehicle control system calculates and generates a traction state control instruction; the electric driving system adjusts the running state of the vehicle through a motor. By introducing an automatic control and motor system, the tractor has the function of autonomously dragging an aircraft to slide and leave a port, the automation and unmanned degree of an airport and the departure safety and efficiency are greatly improved, and good economical efficiency is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of aviation ground special equipment, in particular to an electric rodless aircraft tractor. Background Art

[0002] In the aviation field, aircraft tractors are an important vehicle used in aircraft ground operations. When an aircraft relies solely on its own power to taxi between various areas of an airport, it cannot "reverse", is difficult to operate, and has potential safety hazards. Therefore, an aircraft tractor is needed to connect to form a semi-trailer aircraft towing system.

[0003] During the traditional flight departure process, the aircraft traction system is only powered by a tractor. The tractor pushes the aircraft from the berth to an open area at a speed of 2-10km / h and then leaves (pushes out). The crew then starts the aircraft engine and taxis into the takeoff queue (engine-driven departure taxiing) until the end of the runway waiting for takeoff. This process requires the collaboration of multiple people during the aircraft push-out phase, resulting in low efficiency and prone to accidents such as aircraft damage or even casualties. At the same time, during the aircraft engine-driven departure taxiing phase, the aircraft engine works on the ground for too long, which brings many problems such as foreign objects on the ground damaging the engine, high fuel consumption / emissions, airport noise, and excessive engine depreciation and spare engine costs. The traditional aircraft departure mode has become a key bottleneck restricting the safe, efficient and green development of airport operations. The new flight departure mode - the towing taxiing mode can solve the above problems. The towing taxiing departure mode is that the tractor clamps and lifts the aircraft's front landing gear through the wheel-holding mechanism as an integrated aircraft towing system, and relies solely on the tractor's power to directly complete the efficient transfer from the berth to the take-off runway at a speed of 30-44km / h, shortening the ground use time of the aircraft engine and reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions during the take-off process.

[0004] At present, the traction taxiing departure mode is being piloted, and the supporting aviation ground special equipment is incomplete. In terms of tractors, existing tractors at home and abroad can only complete low-speed (below 10km / h) traction taxiing, and the degree of automation is low. They cannot get rid of the inefficiency caused by multi-department coordination, do not have the function of manual access to the traction control system, and do not have higher safety, economy, environmental protection and efficiency, which seriously restricts the development of civil aviation. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a green tractor that can be applied to the new departure mode. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a new type of electric rodless aircraft tractor in traction departure mode, the tractor receives the aircraft departure task instruction issued by the tower through a wireless communication system, the vehicle control system directly executes the task or calculates the optimal driving route and issues a traction operation instruction to the tractor vehicle control system and the electric drive system; the wheel-holding lifting mechanism constitutes a traction system by holding up and supporting the front landing gear of the aircraft; the motor drive controls the driving condition of the tractor by adjusting the front wheel steering and the rear wheel differential; the image recognition system monitors the working condition feedback through the cameras and laser radar sensors around the vehicle body and adjusts the tractor driving instruction with the vehicle control system, so that the wheel-holding lifting mechanism can accurately hold the wheels and dock, thereby realizing the automatic driving and autonomous operation of the tractor, and achieving the purpose of safe, green and efficient departure of the aircraft.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] The present invention provides a novel electric rodless aircraft tractor in a towing departure mode, comprising a vehicle body, a wheel-holding lifting mechanism and an on-board system; the on-board system comprises a wireless communication system, an image recognition system, a vehicle control system and an electric drive system.

[0008] The wireless communication system is equipped with a transmitting and receiving module and a converter module. The transmitting and receiving module is used to receive the towing instructions for the specific target aircraft and the data on the completion of the launch mission sent by the tower to the tower; the converter module is used to process the mission instructions and send them to the vehicle control system.

[0009] The image recognition system is equipped with a camera module and a lidar sensor. The camera module is installed around the vehicle body. Based on the visual recognition technology of YOLOV8, a three-dimensional coordinate system is generated by processing the collected images to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of the tractor, the three-dimensional coordinates of the front landing gear of the target aircraft and the three-dimensional coordinates of other obstacles in the external environment; the lidar sensor is used to measure the distance between the front landing gear of the target aircraft and other obstacles. The two send their collected data to the vehicle control system for integration.

[0010] The vehicle control system is equipped with a calculation unit module, a trajectory simulation module and an automatic stabilization control module. The calculation module is used to receive the position coordinates of the tractor, the position coordinates of the front landing gear of the aircraft and the position coordinates of other objects in the external environment, and calculate the required movement of the tractor and the movement of the wheel lifting mechanism; the trajectory simulation module is used to generate a simulated motion path of the tractor for position navigation of the tractor; the automatic stabilization control module combines a multi-level lateral instability evaluation index to define the system instability level and perform autonomous stabilization control at the same time.

[0011] The vehicle control system monitors external working conditions through an image acquisition system when the tractor tows the aircraft at high speed and taxis, and gives priority to ensuring the safety of the obstacle and the aircraft when encountering an obstacle. If it is determined that the tractor and the target aircraft will not collide with any obstacle, the current positions of the tractor and the target aircraft are updated to allow the tractor to continue moving along the initial path; if it is determined that the tractor or the target aircraft will collide with any obstacle, the vehicle control system re-plans the tractor's driving route based on the acquired obstacle position to prevent the tractor and the target aircraft from colliding with the obstacle. After the tractor and the target aircraft avoid the obstacle, the vehicle control system re-optimizes the route to allow the tractor and the target aircraft to return to the original route and reach the target position.

[0012] The electric drive system is equipped with a water-cooled motor, which effectively reduces the temperature of the motor through the water cooling system, can provide higher power density and operating stability, and ensure reliable operation of the motor when the tractor accelerates from a standstill to a higher speed.

[0013] The wheel holding lifting mechanism is installed in the middle part of the vehicle body, and the wheel holding lifting mechanism is provided with four structural rods installed on the rear side wall of the middle part of the vehicle body. The four structural rods are all equipped with lifting hydraulic cylinders, and lifting connecting heads are installed on the telescopic ends of the lifting hydraulic cylinders. A lifting frame is installed on the other end of the structural rods, and left and right front fixed plates are provided on the lifting frame. One side wall of the fixed plate is connected to the telescopic end of the push plate hydraulic cylinder. A wheel holding pocket is installed in the middle of the lifting frame, and the upper wall surface of one side of the lifting frame is respectively equipped with the telescopic end of the locking hydraulic cylinder and the telescopic end of the wheel holding hydraulic cylinder. A rear baffle is provided between the other ends of the lifting frame, and two rear fixed plates are provided on the upper wall surface of the rear baffle. One end of the rear baffle is connected to the lifting frame, and the telescopic end of the wheel holding hydraulic cylinder is movably connected to the upper wall surface of one end of the rear baffle.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0015] 1. The present invention integrates an image acquisition system, a vehicle control system and an electric drive system through a vehicle-mounted system, thereby realizing fully automatic wheel clamping, improving the efficiency of the tractor wheel clamping process and the accuracy of docking, and avoiding damage to aircraft tires caused by improper manual operation during wheel clamping. The unmanned operation of the entire process greatly improves the safety of operation.

[0016] 2. The present invention can receive tasks in real time through a wireless communication system, directly obtain or simulate the optimal route for the towing aircraft to leave the port, shorten the total duration of the towing process, reduce the aircraft's stay time on the ground, and improve flight operation efficiency.

[0017] 3. The vehicle control system of the present invention is provided with an automatic stabilization control system. The system has a set of smoothness and stability evaluation indicators and stability criteria for heavy-load and high-speed traction and taxiing stages. By obtaining the real-time operating status of the traction system to give corresponding stability judgments and stabilization strategies, it can effectively reduce the impact of unexpected accidents such as lateral instability and disengagement caused by extreme working conditions coupled with multiple factors such as the status of the traction system of high-speed and heavy-loaded aircraft, airport road conditions, and control inputs.

[0018] 4. The electric drive system of the present invention is equipped with water-cooled motors, which are distributed beside the wheels of the tractor. It has a large starting torque, good starting performance and good acceleration performance to meet the requirements of frequent acceleration and deceleration of the tractor. It is preferred to use a water-cooled motor to dissipate the heat of the motor in time when it is working by using a liquid cooling method, which can effectively alleviate problems such as reduced cruising range. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a novel electric rodless aircraft tractor in a towing departure mode of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a wheel-holding lifting mechanism of an electric rodless aircraft tractor in a novel traction departure mode of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a water-cooled motor in a vehicle-mounted system of a novel electric rodless aircraft tractor in a towing departure mode of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the image acquisition system including the equipment in the vehicle-mounted system of the electric rodless aircraft tractor in the novel traction departure mode of the present invention;

[0023] The accompanying drawings are denoted as follows:

[0024] 1-vehicle body, 2-wheel holding lifting mechanism, 3-vehicle system, 101-body exterior, 102-tire, 201-structural rod, 202-telescopic end of lifting hydraulic cylinder, 203-lifting frame, 204-front fixing plate, 205-wheel holding bag, 206-rear baffle, 207-rear fixing plate, 208-telescopic end of locking hydraulic cylinder, 209-telescopic end of wheel holding hydraulic cylinder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The technical solution of the present invention is further described below, but the scope of protection claimed is not limited to the description.

[0026] Reference Figure 1A novel electric towbarless aircraft tractor in a towing departure mode comprises a vehicle body 1, a wheel-holding lifting mechanism 2 and an on-board system 3 are installed on the vehicle body 1, driving wheels are installed at the four corners of the lower end of the vehicle body 1, water-cooled motors are installed at the rear side of the front driving wheel and the front side of the rear driving wheel, the wheel-holding lifting mechanism 2 is installed in the middle of the middle and rear end of the vehicle body, the hydraulic box is installed in the middle of the vehicle body 1 and adjacent to the wheel-holding lifting mechanism 2, the on-board system 3 comprises a camera module and a laser radar sensor installed around the vehicle body 1, a vehicle control system is installed at the upper middle end of the vehicle body, and a wireless communication system is installed in the middle of the front end of the vehicle body 1. Through the corresponding program pre-set in the vehicle control system, the wireless communication system receives the task command signal issued by the tower and transmits it to the vehicle control system, and the vehicle control system can fully control the operation of various functions on the vehicle body 1 to realize automatic operation.

[0027] A wheel-holding lifting mechanism 2 is installed in the middle of the middle and rear section of the vehicle body 1. The wheel-holding lifting mechanism 2 is provided with four structural rods installed on the rear side wall of the middle part of the vehicle body 1. The four structural rods 201 are all installed with lifting hydraulic cylinders. The telescopic ends 202 of the lifting hydraulic cylinders are all installed with lifting connectors. A lifting frame 203 is installed at the other end of the structural rod 201. The lifting frame 203 is provided with left and right front fixed plates 204. By controlling the synchronous extension and retraction of the telescopic ends 202 of the lifting hydraulic cylinders, the lifting frame can be lifted. One side wall of the fixed plate 204 and the push plate The telescopic end 202 of the hydraulic cylinder is connected, and a wheel holding bag 205 is installed in the middle of the lifting frame 203. The upper wall surface of one side of the lifting frame 203 is respectively installed with a locking hydraulic cylinder telescopic end 208 and a telescopic end 209 of the wheel holding hydraulic cylinder. A rear baffle 206 is provided between the other ends of the lifting frame 203, and two rear fixed plates 207 are provided on the upper wall surface of the rear baffle 206. One end of the rear baffle 206 is connected to the lifting frame 203, and the telescopic end 207 of the wheel holding hydraulic cylinder is movably connected to the upper wall surface of one end of the rear baffle 206.

[0028] The working process of the present invention is as follows:

[0029] In the present invention, an electric towbarless tractor in a novel traction mode is composed of a vehicle body 1, a wheel-holding and lifting mechanism 2, and an on-board system 3, wherein the vehicle body 1 realizes the function of movement, the wheel-holding and lifting mechanism realizes clamping and lifting the front landing gear, and the on-board system realizes the functions of image monitoring, wireless communication, vehicle body movement, lifting of the front landing gear by the wheel-holding and lifting mechanism, planning of the moving path, and control of lateral stabilization required for control.

[0030] The electric rodless tractor of the present invention operates autonomously by receiving task instructions sent by the control tower, monitors the working conditions through the image acquisition system, and autonomously controls the vehicle body to travel to the front of the front landing gear of the target aircraft. At this time, the rear baffle 206 and the fixed plate 207 are arranged horizontally. When the front tire of the aircraft enters between the two fixed plates 206, the vehicle control system controls the tractor through the information fed back by the image acquisition system so that the wheel-holding lifting mechanism can accurately clamp and lift the front landing gear; after the wheel-holding lifting mechanism lifts the front landing gear, the tractor drags the aircraft to the specified position, automatically starts the wheel release mode, lowers the front landing gear, resets the wheel-holding lifting mechanism, and the tractor withdraws.

[0031] The above description is only a preferred specific implementation manner of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can make equivalent replacements or changes according to the technical scheme and inventive concept of the present invention within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, which should be covered by the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A novel electric rodless aircraft tractor in a towing departure mode, comprising a vehicle body (1), characterized in that: The vehicle body (1) is equipped with a vehicle-mounted system (3), the vehicle body (1) is equipped with a wheel-holding lifting mechanism (2), the wheel-holding lifting mechanism (2) is provided with four structural rods installed on the rear side wall of the middle part of the vehicle body (1), the four structural rods (201) are all equipped with lifting hydraulic cylinders, the telescopic ends (202) of the lifting hydraulic cylinders are all equipped with lifting connectors, the other end of the structural rod (201) is equipped with a lifting frame (203), the lifting frame (203) is provided with left and right front fixing plates (204), the lifting frame (203) is provided with a lifting frame (203) and a ...1) and a lifting frame (203) is provided with a lifting frame (201) and a lifting frame (203) is provided with a lifting frame (203) and a lifting frame (203) is provided with a lifting A wheel holding bag (205) is installed in the middle, and the upper wall surface of one side of the lifting frame (203) is respectively installed with a locking hydraulic cylinder telescopic end (208) and a wheel holding hydraulic cylinder telescopic end (209), and the other end of the lifting frame (203) is provided with a rear baffle (206), and the upper wall surface of the rear baffle (206) is provided with two rear fixed plates (207), one end of the rear baffle (206) is connected to the lifting frame (203), and the telescopic end (207) of the wheel holding hydraulic cylinder is movably connected to the upper wall surface of one end of the rear baffle (206).

2. The novel electric rodless aircraft tractor in the towing departure mode according to claim 1 is characterized by: The vehicle-mounted system (3) comprises camera modules and laser radar sensors installed around the vehicle body (1), a vehicle control system installed at the upper middle end of the vehicle body (1), and a wireless communication system installed at the middle front end of the vehicle body (1).

3. The novel electric rodless aircraft tractor in the towing departure mode according to claim 1 is characterized by: The vehicle-mounted system (3) establishes smoothness and stability evaluation indicators and stability criteria for the heavy-load, high-speed traction and taxiing stages, solves the lateral stability control problem of the high-speed and heavy-load traction system of civil aircraft, and ensures the safety of the traction and taxiing process.

4. The novel electric towbarless aircraft tractor in towing departure mode according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The image acquisition system in the vehicle-mounted system (3) optimizes the docking of the wheel-holding mechanism based on the visual recognition technology of YOLO V8, thereby achieving high-precision recognition.

5. The novel electric towbarless aircraft tractor in towing departure mode according to claim 1 is characterized by: Driving wheels are installed at the four corners of the lower end of the vehicle body (1), water-cooled motors are installed on the rear side of the front driving wheel and the front side of the rear driving wheel, and a hydraulic box is installed in the middle of the vehicle body (1) and adjacent to the wheel-holding lifting mechanism (2).

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