Unmanned aerial vehicle refueling device and refueling method

Abstract

The invention discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle refueling device and method, and the device comprises a positioning device which comprises a gyroscope and a camera, the gyroscope and the camera are disposed at the front part of an unmanned aerial vehicle, and the gyroscope and the camera are in wireless communication with the ground so as to judge the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle; the bulletproof bin is suspended below wings of the unmanned aerial vehicle; the oil storage bag is arranged in the bulletproof bin, and the oil storage bag is provided with an oil outlet; the refueling system is arranged in the bulletproof bin and comprises a refueling hose connected to the oil outlet of the oil storage bag, an electric capstan used for winding the refueling hose and an oil delivery pump used for pumping fuel oil; the refueling hose is unfolded and folded through the electric capstan; in a non-emergency situation, the unmanned aerial vehicle falls on the ground, and refueling is conducted on the refueling equipment through the refueling hose; in an emergency, the unmanned aerial vehicle hovers over the oil receiving equipment, and the electric capstan is used for driving the refueling hose to unfold and fall near the oil receiving equipment to refueling the oil receiving equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of airdrop technology, and in particular to a device and method for refueling an aircraft. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, large aircraft are usually used to transport fuel to a designated location for refueling, which inevitably increases the degree and difficulty of transportation and has poor flexibility. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned technical problems existing in the prior art, an embodiment of the present invention provides a refueling device and a refueling method for a drone.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted in the embodiments of the present invention is:

[0005] A refueling device for an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

[0006] A positioning device, comprising a gyroscope and a camera, wherein the gyroscope and the camera are mounted on the front of the drone, and the gyroscope and the camera communicate wirelessly with the ground to determine the position of the drone;

[0007] The bulletproof pod, which is suspended under the drone's wings;

[0008] An oil storage bag is arranged in the bulletproof compartment, and the oil storage bag has an oil outlet;

[0009] A refueling system is provided in the bulletproof cabin, and comprises a refueling hose connected to the oil outlet of the oil storage bag, an electric winch for winding the refueling hose, and an oil pump for pumping fuel; the refueling hose is unfolded and retracted by the electric winch; wherein:

[0010] In non-emergency situations, the drone is made to land on the ground and refuel the refueling equipment through the refueling hose; in emergency situations, the drone is made to hover above the refueling equipment, and the refueling hose is driven by an electric winch to unfold and land near the refueling equipment to refuel the refueling equipment.

[0011] Preferably, the refueling system and the oil storage bag are separated by a side wall.

[0012] Preferably, the side wall can be opened and closed by being driven by a hydraulic mechanism.

[0013] Preferably, an auxiliary refueling port is provided on the outer wall of the bulletproof compartment, and the auxiliary refueling port is covered with a refueling cap which is opened and closed by hydraulic pressure.

[0014] Preferably, the refueling system further comprises a flow meter for the fuel delivery amount.

[0015] Preferably, the UAV refueling device comprises two, and the two UAV refueling devices are respectively suspended under two wings of the UAV, so that the number of oil storage bags is increased to two.

[0016] Preferably, both sides of the bulletproof compartment have openings, and a refueling port is arranged in the area of ​​the oil storage bag corresponding to the opening, and an oil pipeline connected to the refueling port is reserved in the bulletproof compartment.

[0017] The present invention also discloses a UAV refueling method, comprising the following steps:

[0018] S10: After receiving the ground refueling mission, the UAV plans the flight plan and takes off to perform the mission;

[0019] S20: The drone locates the location of the refueling equipment through the camera and gyroscope, and hovers within 15m above the ground;

[0020] S30:

[0021] In an emergency, the bottom of the UAV bulletproof compartment is opened by remote control, and the electric winch is controlled to drive the refueling hose to fall to the refueling equipment. After the refueling hose is connected to the refueling port of the refueling equipment, the oil pump is remotely controlled to start refueling, and the refueling situation and refueling environment are monitored through the information sent back by the camera and flow meter;

[0022] In non-emergency situations, the drone is remotely controlled to land in the vicinity of the refueling equipment, so that the oil pipeline extends from the opening of the wall of the bulletproof cabin and docks with the refueling port of the refueling equipment. The oil pump is remotely controlled to start refueling, and the refueling situation and environment are monitored through the information sent back by the camera and flow meter;

[0023] S40: After refueling, the oil pump is shut down by remote control, the electric winch is operated to quickly retract the oil pipeline, and the drone is controlled to return;

[0024] S50: After the UAV returns, it lands near the oil tank in the refueling area, connects the refueling hose to the oil tank, controls the oil pump to reverse and refuel the oil storage bag, monitors the refueling flow through the flow meter, and controls the electric winch to retract the oil hose after the refueling is completed, and controls the UAV to take off and continue to perform the mission.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the UAV refueling device and refueling method disclosed in the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0026] 1. The refueling device provided by the present invention provides two refueling modes according to emergency situations or not.

[0027] 2. The refueling method using the refueling device provided by the present invention is flexible.

[0028] This summary of various implementations or examples of the technology described in this disclosure is not a comprehensive disclosure of the entire scope or all features of the disclosed technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, the same reference numerals may describe similar parts in different views. The same reference numerals with letter suffixes or different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar parts. The accompanying drawings generally illustrate various embodiments by way of example and not limitation, and together with the specification and claims, are used to illustrate the embodiments of the invention. When appropriate, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts. Such embodiments are illustrative and are not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive embodiments of the present apparatus or method.

[0030] Figure 1 A status diagram of a refueling device carried by a drone provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a bulletproof compartment provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance structure of the bulletproof magazine provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Reference numerals:

[0034] 10-bulletproof compartment; 11-lifting ear; 20-oil storage bag; 21-oil outlet; 22-fueling port; 30-fueling system; 31-fueling hose; 32-fuel pump; 33-electric winch; 34-opening; 40-positioning device; 100-UAV; 101-wing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the present invention should be understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which the present invention belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar words used in the present invention do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. "Include" or "comprise" and similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. "Connect" or "connected" and similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0036] In order to keep the following description of the embodiments of the present invention clear and concise, detailed descriptions of well-known functions and well-known components are omitted.

[0037] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention discloses a refueling device for a drone 100 , which includes: a positioning device 40 , a bulletproof compartment 10 , an oil storage bag 20 , and a refueling system 30 .

[0038] The positioning device 40 includes a gyroscope and a camera, which are installed at the front of the UAV 100. The positioning device 40 is used to communicate with ground and air personnel to determine the position of the UAV 100 relative to the refueling equipment.

[0039] The bulletproof cabin 10 is suspended under the wing 101 of the drone 100 through the hanging ears 11. The oil storage bag 20 and the refueling system 30 made of high-strength woven composite materials are installed in the bulletproof cabin 10, and the oil storage bag 20 and the refueling system 30 are separated by the side wall. Preferably, the side wall is set to an openable structure, and the side wall is driven to open and close by a hydraulic device to facilitate the maintenance of the oil storage bag 20.

[0040] The refueling system 30 includes: a fuel pump 32, a refueling hose 31, an electric winch 33 and a flow meter. The refueling hose 31 passes through the partition and is connected to the oil outlet 21 on the side of the oil storage bag 20. The refueling hose 31 is coiled on the electric winch 33, so that the electric winch 33 drives the heating hose to expand and retract. The fuel pump 32 is connected to the inner end of the refueling hose 31 to pump fuel through the refueling hose 31. The flow meter is used to monitor the amount of fuel pumped. Preferably, the outer wall of the bulletproof compartment 10 is provided with a secondary refueling port, and the secondary refueling port is covered with a refueling cover that is opened and closed by hydraulic pressure. Both sides of the bulletproof compartment 10 have openings 34, and the area of ​​the oil storage bag 20 corresponding to the opening 34 is arranged with a refueling port 22, and a refueling pipe connected to the refueling port is reserved in the bulletproof compartment 10.

[0041] Preferably, the drone refueling device includes two, and the two drone refueling devices are respectively suspended under the two wings 101 of the drone 100, so that the number of oil storage bags 20 is increased to two, so as to increase the amount of oil replenishment for a single flight mission.

[0042] In non-emergency situations, the drone 100 is landed on the ground and refuels the refueling equipment through the refueling hose 31; in emergency situations, the drone 100 is hovered above the refueling equipment, and the electric winch 33 is used to drive the refueling hose 31 to unfold and land near the refueling equipment to refuel the refueling equipment.

[0043] The present invention also discloses a refueling method for a drone 100, comprising the following steps:

[0044] S10: After receiving the ground refueling mission, the UAV 100 plans a flight plan and then takes off to perform the mission;

[0045] S20: The UAV 100 locates the position of the refueling equipment by using a camera and a gyroscope, and hovers within 15 m above the ground;

[0046] S30:

[0047] In an emergency, the bottom of the bulletproof compartment 10 of the drone 100 is opened by remote control, and the electric winch 33 is controlled to drive the refueling hose 31 to fall to the refueling equipment. After the refueling hose 31 is connected to the refueling port of the refueling equipment, the oil pump 32 is remotely controlled to start refueling, and the refueling situation and refueling environment are monitored through the information sent back by the camera and the flow meter;

[0048] In non-emergency situations, the drone 100 is remotely controlled to land in the vicinity of the refueling equipment, so that the oil pipe extends from the opening 34 of the wall of the bulletproof cabin 10 and docks with the refueling port of the refueling equipment, and the oil pump 32 is remotely controlled to start refueling, and the refueling situation and refueling environment are monitored through the information sent back by the camera and the flow meter;

[0049] S40: After refueling is completed, the oil pump 32 is turned off by remote control, the electric winch 33 is operated to quickly retract the oil pipe, and the drone 100 is controlled to return;

[0050] S50: After the UAV 100 returns, it lands near the oil tank in the refueling area, connects the refueling hose 31 to the oil tank, controls the oil pump 32 to reverse and refuel the oil storage bag 20, and monitors the refueling flow through the flow meter. After the refueling is completed, the electric winch 33 is controlled to retract the oil hose, and the UAV 100 is controlled to take off and continue to perform the mission.

[0051] In addition, although exemplary embodiments have been described in the present invention, the scope includes any and all embodiments based on the present invention with equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., various embodiments intersecting schemes), adaptations or changes. The elements in the claims will be interpreted broadly based on the language adopted in the claims, and are not limited to the examples described in this specification or during the implementation of this application, and their examples will be interpreted as non-exclusive. Therefore, this specification and examples are intended to be considered as examples only, and the true scope and spirit are indicated by the following claims and the full scope of their equivalents.

[0052] The above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. For example, the above examples (or one or more of them) can be used in combination with each other. For example, a person of ordinary skill in the art can use other embodiments when reading the above description. In addition, in the above-mentioned specific embodiments, various features can be grouped together to simplify the present invention. This should not be interpreted as an intention that a disclosed feature that is not required to be protected is necessary for any claim. On the contrary, the subject matter of the present invention may be less than all the features of a specific disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are incorporated into the specific embodiments as examples or embodiments, wherein each claim is independently used as a separate embodiment, and it is considered that these embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or arrangements. The scope of the present invention should be determined with reference to the attached claims and the full scope of equivalent forms granted by these claims.

[0053] The above embodiments are only exemplary embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to the present invention within the essence and protection scope of the present invention, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions shall also be deemed to fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refueling device for an unmanned aerial vehicle, characterized in that: include: A positioning device, comprising a gyroscope and a camera, wherein the gyroscope and the camera are mounted on the front of the drone, and the gyroscope and the camera communicate wirelessly with the ground to determine the position of the drone; The bulletproof pod, which is suspended under the drone's wings; An oil storage bag is arranged in the bulletproof compartment, and the oil storage bag has an oil outlet; A refueling system is provided in the bulletproof cabin, and comprises a refueling hose connected to the oil outlet of the oil storage bag, an electric winch for winding the refueling hose, and an oil pump for pumping fuel; the refueling hose is unfolded and retracted by the electric winch; wherein: In non-emergency situations, the drone is made to land on the ground and refuel the refueling equipment through the refueling hose; in emergency situations, the drone is made to hover above the refueling equipment, and the refueling hose is driven by an electric winch to unfold and land near the refueling equipment to refuel the refueling equipment.

2. The UAV refueling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refueling system and the oil storage bag are separated by a side wall.

3. The UAV refueling device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The side wall can be opened and closed by being driven by a hydraulic mechanism.

4. The UAV refueling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An auxiliary refueling port is provided on the outer wall of the bulletproof compartment, and the auxiliary refueling port is covered with a refueling cap which is opened and closed by hydraulic pressure.

5. The UAV refueling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refueling system also includes a flow meter for the fuel delivery amount.

6. The UAV refueling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The UAV refueling device includes two UAV refueling devices, and the two UAV refueling devices are respectively suspended under the two wings of the UAV, so that the number of oil storage bags is increased to two.

7. The UAV refueling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both sides of the bulletproof compartment are provided with openings, and a refueling port is arranged in the area of ​​the oil storage bag corresponding to the opening, and an oil pipeline connected to the refueling port is reserved in the bulletproof compartment.

8. A method for refueling a drone, characterized in that: The steps include: S10: After receiving the ground refueling mission, the UAV plans the flight plan and takes off to perform the mission; S20: The drone locates the location of the refueling equipment through the camera and gyroscope, and hovers within 15m above the ground; S30： In an emergency, the bottom of the UAV bulletproof compartment is opened by remote control, and the electric winch is controlled to drive the refueling hose to fall to the refueling equipment. After the refueling hose is connected to the refueling port of the refueling equipment, the oil pump is remotely controlled to start refueling, and the refueling situation and refueling environment are monitored through the information sent back by the camera and flow meter; In non-emergency situations, the drone is remotely controlled to land in the vicinity of the refueling equipment, so that the oil pipeline extends from the opening of the wall of the bulletproof cabin and docks with the refueling port of the refueling equipment. The oil pump is remotely controlled to start refueling, and the refueling situation and environment are monitored through the information sent back by the camera and flow meter; S40: After refueling, the oil pump is shut down by remote control, the electric winch is operated to quickly retract the oil pipeline, and the drone is controlled to return; S50: After the UAV returns, it lands near the oil tank in the refueling area, connects the refueling hose to the oil tank, controls the oil pump to reverse and refuel the oil storage bag, monitors the refueling flow through the flow meter, and controls the electric winch to retract the oil hose after the refueling is completed, and controls the UAV to take off and continue to perform the mission.

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