Vertical take-off and landing ultra-long endurance hybrid power unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

Compared with a conventional long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, the vertical take-off and landing ultra-long-endurance hybrid power unmanned aerial vehicle has the advantages that a fuel tail thrust engine and electric vertical take-off and landing four-rotor scheme is adopted, vertical take-off and landing flight can be carried out in a small site, the requirement for the flight site is greatly reduced, and the adaptive capacity is improved; the lift-drag ratio is improved through excellent aerodynamic configuration optimization design; the efficient energy management system can monitor flight power consumption in real time, and the energy utilization rate is increased; quick release buckles, electrical system interfaces and the like of all components are reasonably designed and effectively integrated; and a high-performance composite material is adopted, and the structural weight is greatly reduced, so that the flight endurance time (24 hours or above) of the unmanned aerial vehicle during ultra-long endurance is realized, and the operation efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicle is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a vertical take-off and landing ultra-long flight time hybrid power unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Existing electric vertical take-off and landing drones have a short flight time of less than an hour and carry a small payload. Hybrid and fuel-powered drones generally have a flight time of no more than 12 hours. Furthermore, most existing long-flight drones use a rolling takeoff method, which requires a dedicated runway with high requirements for runway width, length, and surrounding environment, hindering portability and flexible deployment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a hybrid-powered UAV with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and ultra-long flight time. Compared with conventional long-flight UAVs, the hybrid-powered UAV adopts a fuel tail-thrust engine + electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) quad-rotor solution, which can perform vertical take-off and landing in smaller areas, greatly reducing the requirements for the flight site and improving adaptability. The lift-to-drag ratio is improved through the optimized design of the excellent aerodynamic shape. The efficient energy management system can monitor the flight power consumption in real time and improve energy utilization. The quick-release buckles and electrical system interfaces of various components are reasonably designed and effectively integrated. The use of high-performance composite materials greatly reduces the structural weight, thereby achieving an ultra-long flight endurance of the UAV (more than 24 hours) and improving the operating efficiency of the UAV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] Figure 1 1 is a perspective view of a vertical take-off and landing ultra-long flight time hybrid UAV according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0005] Figure 2 1 is a front view of a vertical take-off and landing ultra-long flight time hybrid UAV according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0006] Figure 3 1 is a side view of a vertical take-off and landing ultra-long flight time hybrid UAV according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0007] Figure 4 1 is a top view of a vertical take-off and landing ultra-long flight time hybrid UAV according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] The embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0009] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, the ultra-long flight time hybrid UAV with vertical take-off and landing according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: wings 01, fuselage 02, horizontal tail 03, vertical tail 04, tail support tube 05, rotor 06, rotor support arm 07, landing gear 08, tail thrust engine propeller 09, and rudder (10).

[0010] The specific workflow of the present invention is as follows:

[0011] After the drone is installed, it is placed on the take-off and landing site. The four sets of rotors (06) of the drone begin to rotate to generate an upward pulling force, which is then transmitted to the wings (01) and fuselage (02) through the rotor arms (07), driving the entire drone to leave the ground and move upward, achieving vertical take-off.

[0012] After reaching the specified height, the propeller (09) of the tail thrust engine starts to rotate, generating forward thrust, pushing the UAV forward to the specified speed. During this process, the rotation speed of the rotor (06) gradually decreases and eventually stops. The aerodynamic control surfaces of the horizontal tail (03), vertical tail (04) and wing (01) control the attitude of the UAV, thus completing the transition from vertical takeoff to cruising level flight.

[0013] The drone carries out various inspection and reconnaissance tasks in the cruising and level flight state;

[0014] After the drone receives the return command, the propeller (09) of the tail pusher engine gradually reduces its rotation speed. After the drone's flight speed drops to a certain value, the rotor (06) starts to rotate, providing the upward pulling force required by the drone. At this time, the propeller (09) of the tail pusher engine completely stops, completing the state transition from cruise level flight to vertical landing.

[0015] The four sets of rotors (06) of the drone rotate to generate an upward pulling force, which is transmitted to the wings (01) and the fuselage (02) through the rotor arms (07), driving the entire drone to gradually and slowly land on the ground, achieving vertical landing.

[0016] This project's drone utilizes a conventional wing + normal tail configuration, resulting in a relatively large wing aspect ratio and excellent lift-to-drag characteristics. The normal tail configuration is the most conventional, providing excellent longitudinal and directional control stability. Its structure is simple and reliable, making manufacturing and assembly relatively straightforward, thus reducing costs. It utilizes a fuel-powered tail-thrust engine and a dedicated speed reducer system to drive a high-performance carbon fiber propeller, providing forward thrust.

[0017] The UAV in this project adopts a quad-rotor vertical take-off and landing layout, with four sets of rotors providing vertical lift for take-off and landing, which is simple and reliable; the rotors are driven by electric motors, consuming energy from the power batteries inside the fuselage; the fuel engine is equipped with an onboard generator system, which can charge onboard equipment, mission payloads and rotor power batteries, thereby improving flight endurance and system reliability.

[0018] (1) 4+1 hybrid vertical take-off and landing layout

[0019] The drone according to the present invention adopts a 4+1 hybrid vertical take-off and landing layout, and uses four sets of electric rotors (06) to provide vertical lift for take-off and landing, which is simple and reliable; the rotors (06) are driven by an electric motor and consume energy from a power battery inside the fuselage; a fuel tail thrust engine propeller (09) is used, and a special speed reducer system is designed to drive the high-performance carbon fiber propeller to provide forward pulling force.

[0020] If any failure occurs during the drone's cruising phase, it can automatically switch to vertical take-off and landing mode and perform autonomous emergency landing, improving overall reliability and safety.

[0021] (2) Efficient energy utilization

[0022] The aircraft is equipped with a dedicated energy management system, which is responsible for the overall energy management of the tail thrust fuel engine, generator module, onboard power battery, and the entire aircraft's electricity consumption, ensuring the power safety of key components such as flight control. During the horizontal cruise phase, the fuel engine power generation module can power the entire aircraft, greatly improving the flight time and system reliability.

[0023] (3) Aerodynamic shape optimization design

[0024] The UAV of the present invention has been fully and rationally optimized in its aerodynamic shape, which can effectively reduce the air resistance during cruising flight and increase the lift-to-drag ratio to above 15. The specific approaches are as follows:

[0025] The fuselage (02) adopts a streamlined design with low flight resistance. The nose is blunt to ensure sufficient internal space of the fuselage, and the tail converges according to the streamlined contour, which can effectively reduce the pressure difference resistance of the fuselage.

[0026] The wing (01) adopts a large aspect ratio, an S-shaped leading edge, and a fusion design between the wing root and the fuselage to reduce the interference resistance between components; it converges at the wing tip to effectively reduce the induced drag of the wing; the wing trailing edge is straight, which is convenient for the installation and rotation of the rudder.

[0027] The horizontal tail (03) rudder surface adopts a non-linking rod design, and there is no exposed structural part on the outside of the wing surface, ensuring the integrity and smoothness of the upper and lower wing surfaces. The leading edge of the rudder is embedded in the wing surface to ensure smooth airflow and reduce aerodynamic resistance.

[0028] (4) High reliability and easy maintenance structural design

[0029] The wing (01) is designed as an integrally formed structure. The wing (01) and the fuselage (02) are connected up and down, and are fastened with 4 bolts. The local skin and structure are thickened and strengthened.

[0030] The tail support tube (05) and the vertical tail (04) are integrally formed, and the number of frames and ribs is reduced internally, thereby improving structural efficiency and reducing structural weight. In addition, the tip of the rudder (10) extends forward to the leading edge of the vertical tail, forming an aerodynamic compensation structure, thereby reducing the rudder hinge torque and load. A rudder is arranged at the rear of the vertical tail and is jointly controlled by two steering gears, thereby improving system reliability and redundancy.

[0031] The horizontal tail (03) adopts a fully dynamic horizontal tail design, with the rotating shaft set at the front position of the root rib, which effectively reduces the hinge torque of the horizontal tail; the rotating shaft adopts high-performance wrapped carbon fiber thin-walled pipe, which has a significant weight reduction effect; the horizontal tail control servo controls the rotating shaft through the rocker arm, driving the left and right horizontal tails to rotate; the servo is installed at the rear of the rear fuselage, and there are no electrical components, control mechanisms and cables on the horizontal tail, which effectively reduces the weight of the system and improves the longitudinal control stability of the whole machine.

[0032] Advantages and / or beneficial effects of the present invention include:

[0033] 1) The 4+1 hybrid vertical take-off and landing layout uses four sets of electric rotors (06) to provide vertical lift for take-off and landing, which is simple and reliable. The rotors (06) are driven by electric motors, consuming energy from the power battery inside the fuselage. The propellers (09) are powered by a fuel-powered tail thruster engine and a dedicated speed reducer system is designed to drive the high-performance carbon fiber propellers to provide forward thrust. If any failure occurs during the UAV's cruising phase, it can automatically switch to vertical take-off and landing mode and perform an autonomous emergency landing, improving overall reliability and safety.

[0034] 2) It can take off and land in a small area of ​​6m*8m, greatly improving the adaptability of take-off and landing sites, without the need for a dedicated runway;

[0035] 3) A dedicated energy management system is installed on board to manage the overall energy consumption of the tail thrust fuel engine, generator module, onboard power battery, and the entire aircraft, ensuring the power supply safety of key components such as the flight control system. During the horizontal cruise phase, the fuel engine generator module can power the entire aircraft, significantly improving flight endurance and system reliability.

[0036] 4) The excellent aerodynamic shape optimization design of the UAV reduces air resistance during flight, improves the lift-to-drag ratio, and thus increases flight time, exceeding 24 hours;

[0037] 5) The lightweight and highly efficient overall aircraft structure design ensures structural strength and rigidity while effectively reducing weight; redundant backup of movable parts enhances reliability; and the extensive use of co-cured composite components significantly reduces the number of overall aircraft structural components, thus reducing the difficulty of field operation and maintenance.

Claims

1. A vertical take-off and landing ultra-long flight time hybrid UAV, characterized by include: Wing (01), fuselage (02), horizontal tail (03), vertical tail (04), tail support tube (05), four sets of rotors (06), rotor arms (07), landing gear (08), tail thruster engine propeller (09), rudder (10), in: The four sets of rotors (06) rotate to generate an upward pulling force, which is then transmitted to the wings (01) and fuselage (02) via the rotor arms (07); The tail thrust engine propeller (09) is used to generate forward thrust to propel the UAV forward; The rotor (06) is driven by an electric motor, consuming energy from the power battery inside the fuselage; The tail thruster propeller (09) is driven by a fuel engine and has a dedicated speed reducer system. The ultra-long-flight hybrid UAV further includes an energy management system, which is responsible for the energy management of parts including the tail thrust fuel engine, generator module, and airborne power battery, and uses the fuel engine to drive the power generation module to generate electricity during the horizontal cruise phase.

2. The ultra-long-flight hybrid UAV according to claim 1, characterized in that: After taking off and reaching a predetermined height, the propeller (09) of the tail thrust engine starts to rotate, generating forward thrust, pushing the UAV forward to a specified speed. During this process, the rotation speed of the rotor (06) gradually decreases and eventually stops. The attitude of the UAV is controlled by the aerodynamic control surfaces of the horizontal tail (03), vertical tail (04) and wing (01), completing the transition from vertical takeoff to cruising level flight. After the drone receives the return command, the propeller (09) of the tail pusher engine gradually reduces its rotation speed. After the flight speed of the drone decreases to a predetermined value, the rotor (06) starts to rotate, providing the upward pulling force required by the drone. At this time, the propeller (09) of the tail pusher engine completely stops, completing the state transition from cruise level flight to vertical landing. During landing, the four sets of rotors (06) rotate to generate an upward pulling force, driving the entire drone to gradually and slowly land on the ground, thus achieving vertical landing.

3. The ultra-long-flight hybrid UAV according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The horizontal tail (03) rudder surface adopts a connecting rod-free design, and there is no exposed structural part outside the wing surface.

4. The ultra-long-flight hybrid UAV according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The wing (01) and the fuselage (02) are connected up and down and fastened by 4 bolts. The tail support tube (05) and the vertical tail (04) are integrally formed.

5. The ultra-long-flight hybrid UAV according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A rudder (10) is provided at the rear of the vertical tail (04) and is controlled by two rudder steering gears to improve system reliability and redundancy; The tip of the rudder (10) extends forward to the leading edge of the vertical tail, forming an aerodynamic compensation structure, thereby reducing the rudder hinge moment and load.

6. The ultra-long-flight hybrid UAV according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The horizontal tail (03) adopts a fully movable horizontal tail design, and the rotating shaft of the horizontal tail is set at the front position of the root rib; The horizontal tail control servo controls the horizontal tail's rotation axis through the rocker arm, driving the left and right horizontal tails to rotate; The horizontal tail control servo is installed at the rear of the fuselage.

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