Solar unmanned aerial vehicle laser energy complementing system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a solar unmanned aerial vehicle laser energy complementing system and method. The system comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle body composed of wings, a fuselage, a horizontal tail and a vertical tail, a solar cell, a laser cell, an energy storage cell, a control system and a laser emitting device. The solar cells are laid on the upper surfaces of the wings and used for collecting solar energy from the sun and converting the solar energy into electric energy. The laser battery is laid on the lower surface of the wing and used for collecting laser energy and converting the laser energy into electric energy. The energy storage battery is mounted in the wing structure and is used for storing excess electric energy; the laser emitting device is deployed on the ground and is used for providing laser energy; the control system is installed in the wing structure and used for controlling the flight state of the unmanned aerial vehicle, energy distribution and the energy supplementing process of the laser battery. According to the scheme, continuous energy supply and autonomous flight control of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the flight process are achieved, and the problems that an existing solar unmanned aerial vehicle is insufficient in cruising ability and large in energy storage battery carrying capacity are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and in particular relates to a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system and method. Background Art

[0002] Traditional solar-powered drones rely solely on solar radiation as their sole energy source. They harvest energy during the day using solar cells, converting it into electricity. Some of this energy is used by the drone during daytime flight, while the remaining energy is stored in energy storage batteries for use at night. However, solar cells have limited energy conversion efficiency, particularly at night or in low-light conditions. The amount of solar energy captured by these cells is significantly reduced, severely limiting the drone's flight range. Furthermore, drones must carry a large number of energy storage batteries to maintain flight time. The weight of these batteries for high-altitude, long-endurance solar-powered drones typically accounts for over one-third of the total weight, significantly increasing the drone's weight and energy consumption. Therefore, developing a novel energy harvesting and recharging method to improve drones' flight range and energy efficiency has become a pressing issue. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technology of the present invention solves the problem: Overcoming the shortcomings of the existing technology, providing a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system and method, by combining technical means such as high-efficiency solar cells and laser cells, to achieve continuous energy supply and autonomous flight control of the UAV during flight, so as to solve the problems of insufficient endurance of existing solar-powered UAVs and the large amount of energy storage batteries they carry.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention discloses a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system, comprising: a UAV body, solar cells, laser cells, energy storage batteries, a control system and a laser emitting device; wherein the solar cells, laser cells, energy storage batteries and control system are deployed on the UAV body; and the laser emitting device is deployed on the ground.

[0005] In the above-mentioned solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system, the UAV body includes: wings, fuselage, horizontal tail and vertical tail; among them, the wings are located on both sides of the fuselage, and the horizontal tail and vertical tail are located at the tail of the fuselage.

[0006] In the above-mentioned solar drone laser energy replenishment system, solar cells are laid on the upper surface of the wings to collect solar energy from the sun and convert it into electrical energy; the solar cells include: a stacked upper packaging film A, a flexible photovoltaic panel, a flexible substrate A and a lower packaging film A; wherein the flexible photovoltaic panel is made of high-efficiency photovoltaic materials.

[0007] In the above-mentioned solar drone laser energy replenishment system, the laser cell is laid on the lower surface of the wing, which is used to receive laser energy from the laser emitting device and convert it into electrical energy; the laser cell includes: a stacked upper packaging film B, a flexible laser board, a flexible substrate B and a lower packaging film B; wherein, the flexible laser board is made of high-efficiency laser materials.

[0008] In the above-mentioned solar drone laser energy replenishment system, the energy storage battery is installed inside the wing structure to store the excess electrical energy converted by solar cells and laser cells.

[0009] In the above-mentioned solar drone laser energy replenishment system, the laser emitting device includes: a laser emitter and a laser controller; wherein the laser controller is used to adjust the intensity, frequency and direction of the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter.

[0010] In the above solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system, the control system is installed inside the wing structure and includes:

[0011] Flight controller, used to control the flight status of the drone;

[0012] Energy manager, used to monitor the energy status of the drone and manage energy distribution;

[0013] Solar cell controller, used to control the power generation process of solar cells;

[0014] Laser battery controller, used to control the laser battery recharging process.

[0015] In the above solar drone laser energy replenishment system, the solar drone laser energy replenishment system includes the following working modes:

[0016] During sunny days, solar cells convert solar energy into electrical energy, which is then transmitted to the power bus of the entire drone through the solar cell controller to power the onboard power system and flight controller to maintain normal flight of the drone. At the same time, excess electrical energy is stored in the energy storage battery.

[0017] During low-light days or at night when the energy storage battery is low, the control system controls the laser transmitter to emit laser energy toward the drone. The laser battery receives the laser energy and converts it into electrical energy. This energy is then transmitted to the drone's power bus through the laser battery controller, powering the onboard power system and flight controller to maintain normal flight. Excess electrical energy is stored in the energy storage battery.

[0018] Accordingly, the present invention also discloses a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment method, comprising:

[0019] After the drone takes off, it collects solar energy through solar cells and converts it into electrical energy to provide initial energy for the drone;

[0020] When the control system determines that the energy provided by the solar cell is insufficient to maintain the normal flight of the UAV based on the energy status monitoring results of the UAV, the laser energy replenishment mode is activated; the control system controls the laser emitting device to emit laser energy to the UAV, and the laser battery receives the laser energy and converts it into electrical energy to provide supplementary energy for the UAV.

[0021] The above-mentioned solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment method also includes: real-time monitoring of the UAV's flight status, energy status and external environmental conditions through a control system, and dynamically adjusting the flight strategy, energy allocation strategy and laser energy replenishment strategy based on the monitoring results.

[0022] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0023] (1) The present invention discloses a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment solution, which achieves the purpose of efficient energy collection and reduces the amount of energy storage batteries carried by laying solar cells on the upper surface of the aircraft wing and laying laser cells on the lower surface of the wing.

[0024] (2) The present invention discloses a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment solution, which improves the energy collection efficiency and endurance of the UAV by combining solar energy and laser energy replenishment.

[0025] (3) The present invention discloses a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment solution, which reduces the amount of energy storage batteries carried and reduces the weight and energy consumption of the UAV.

[0026] (4) The present invention discloses a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment solution. The laser battery has the characteristics of fast charging and high energy density, and can provide a large amount of energy for the UAV in a short time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a top view of a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a bottom view of a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a laser cell according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of energy management of a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] The energy system of traditional solar-powered drones primarily consists of solar cells, energy storage batteries, and a power controller. Due to the low energy density of energy storage batteries, drones must carry a large number of them to maintain nighttime flight and achieve long-duration flight. This invention utilizes laser energy replenishment technology, significantly reducing the number of energy storage batteries required based on existing energy systems. Laser batteries are placed on the underside of the wings, allowing the drone to be remotely charged using lasers from the ground. The large surface area of ​​solar-powered drone wings and the low surface density of laser batteries effectively combine the two.

[0035] Reference Figures 1 to 3 In this embodiment, the solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system includes: a UAV body, a solar cell 5, a laser cell 6, an energy storage battery 20, a control system, and a laser emission device. The solar cell 5, laser cell 6, energy storage battery 20, and control system are deployed on the UAV body; the laser emission device is deployed on the ground.

[0036] In this embodiment, the drone body can be made of lightweight, high-strength materials (including but not limited to carbon fiber, aluminum alloy, and composite materials) to reduce weight and improve flight efficiency. The drone body primarily comprises wings 1, a fuselage 2, a horizontal tail 3, and a vertical tail 4. Wings 1 are located on either side of fuselage 2, while the horizontal tail 3 and vertical tail 4 are located at the rear of fuselage 2.

[0037] In this embodiment, solar cells 5 are laid on the upper surface of the wing 1 to collect solar energy from the sun 7 and convert it into electrical energy. The solar cells 5 can be made of high-efficiency photovoltaic materials to meet the conformal installation requirements of the drone and improve the solar energy conversion efficiency, ensuring that the drone can obtain more energy under lighting conditions. Figure 4 As shown, the solar cell 5 mainly includes: a stacked upper packaging film A10, a flexible photovoltaic panel 9, a flexible substrate A8 and a lower packaging film A23; the flexible photovoltaic panel 9 is made of high-efficiency photovoltaic materials (including but not limited to single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, single-cell or multi-cell gallium arsenide and other thin-film solar cell materials).

[0038] In this embodiment, the laser cell 6 is laid on the lower surface of the wing 1 to receive the laser energy from the laser emitting device and convert it into electrical energy. The laser cell 6 can be made of high-efficiency laser materials to meet the conformal installation requirements of the drone and improve the laser conversion efficiency, ensuring that the drone can quickly recharge. Figure 5 As shown, the laser cell 6 mainly includes: a stacked upper packaging film B13, a flexible laser plate 12, a flexible substrate B11 and a lower packaging film B24; the flexible laser plate 12 is made of high-efficiency laser materials (including but not limited to gallium arsenide, indium gallium arsenide, indium gallium phosphide, indium gallium arsenic phosphide and other thin-film laser cell materials).

[0039] In this embodiment, the energy storage battery 20 is installed inside the structure of the wing 1 and is used to store the excess electrical energy converted by the solar cells 5 and the laser cells 6 .

[0040] In this embodiment, the laser emitting device mainly includes: a laser emitter 14 and a laser controller 15. The laser controller 15 is used to adjust the intensity, frequency and direction of the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter 14 to ensure that the laser energy can be accurately and efficiently transmitted to the laser battery 6.

[0041] In this embodiment, the control system is installed inside the wing 1 structure and is used to control the flight status of the drone, energy distribution and the laser battery recharge process. The control system specifically includes:

[0042] The flight controller 16 is used to control the flight status of the UAV, including but not limited to flight altitude, speed, heading and attitude.

[0043] The energy manager 17 is used to monitor the energy status of the drone (including but not limited to the power levels of the solar cells 5, laser cells 6 and energy storage batteries 20) and perform energy distribution management.

[0044] The solar cell controller 18 is used to control the power generation process of the solar cell 5, including but not limited to receiving solar energy, converting electrical energy, achieving maximum power point tracking, controlling voltage and current, etc.

[0045] The laser battery controller 19 is used to control the energy replenishment process of the laser battery 6, including but not limited to receiving laser energy, converting electrical energy, storing electrical energy and optimizing energy replenishment efficiency.

[0046] In this embodiment, if Figure 6As shown, the solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system includes the following operating modes: During bright daylight hours, the solar cell 5 converts solar energy into electrical energy, which is then transmitted via the solar cell controller 18 to the drone's power bus 21, powering the onboard power system 22 and flight controller 16 to maintain normal flight. Excess electrical energy is stored in the energy storage battery 20. During low-light hours or at night when the energy storage battery 20 is low on energy, the control system controls the laser transmitter to emit laser energy toward the drone. The laser cell 6 receives the laser energy and converts it into electrical energy, which is then transmitted via the laser cell controller 19 to the drone's power bus 21, powering the onboard power system 22 and flight controller 16 to maintain normal flight. Excess electrical energy is also stored in the energy storage battery 20.

[0047] In this embodiment, a solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment method is also disclosed, including: after the UAV takes off, solar energy is collected by the solar cell 5 and converted into electrical energy to provide initial energy for the UAV; when the control system determines that the energy provided by the solar cell 5 is insufficient to maintain normal flight of the UAV based on the energy status monitoring result of the UAV, the laser energy replenishment mode is started; the control system controls the laser emitting device to emit laser energy to the UAV, and the laser battery 6 receives the laser energy and converts it into electrical energy to provide supplementary energy for the UAV.

[0048] In this embodiment, the control system can monitor the UAV's flight status, energy status and external environmental conditions (such as weather, light intensity, flight altitude, etc.) in real time, and dynamically adjust the flight strategy, energy allocation strategy (energy allocation strategy of solar cells and laser batteries, and charging and discharging strategy of energy storage batteries) and laser energy replenishment strategy based on the monitoring results to optimize the UAV's flight performance and energy utilization efficiency, ensuring that the UAV can fly continuously and stably.

[0049] Based on the above embodiment, a specific example is provided below for explanation.

[0050] The drone's main body is constructed of lightweight yet strong carbon fiber composite materials. The solar cells, made of single-crystal silicon, are installed on the upper surface of the drone's wings, efficiently harvesting solar energy and converting it into electricity. The laser cells, made of gallium arsenide and installed on the underside of the drone's wings, receive laser energy from the laser transmitter and convert it into electricity. The control system comprises a flight controller, an energy manager, and a laser battery controller. The flight controller utilizes advanced autopilot technology to precisely control the drone's flight status. The energy manager monitors the drone's energy status in real time and dynamically adjusts energy allocation based on demand. The laser battery controller utilizes intelligent algorithms to optimize the laser battery's recharging process and improve efficiency. The laser transmitter comprises a laser transmitter and a laser controller. The laser transmitter utilizes a high-power laser, generating a high-intensity laser beam. The laser controller utilizes sophisticated optical components and a control system to accurately direct the laser beam toward the drone's laser battery.

[0051] After the drone takes off, the solar cells begin collecting solar energy and converting it into electricity, providing the drone's initial energy. When the energy provided by the solar cells is insufficient to maintain normal flight, the laser energy replenishment mode automatically activates. Following the control system's instructions, the laser transmitter emits laser energy toward the drone. The laser cell receives the laser energy and converts it into electricity, providing additional energy for the drone. The control system dynamically adjusts the energy distribution between the solar and laser cells, as well as the charge and discharge strategy of the energy storage battery, based on the drone's flight status and energy needs.

[0052] During flight, the control system monitors the drone's flight status, energy status, and external environmental conditions, such as weather, light intensity, and altitude, in real time. Based on these monitoring results, the control system dynamically adjusts the drone's flight strategy, energy allocation strategy, and laser recharge strategy to optimize the drone's flight performance and energy efficiency. For example, in clear weather, the solar cells provide sufficient energy, and the laser cells remain in standby mode. In rainy weather or at night, the solar cells' energy supply is insufficient, and the control system activates laser recharge mode. The laser cells receive laser energy and convert it into electrical energy to maintain the drone's normal flight.

[0053] Although the present invention has been disclosed above in terms of preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make possible changes and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention by using the methods and technical contents disclosed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solutions of the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection of the technical solutions of the present invention.

[0054] The contents not described in detail in the specification of the present invention belong to the common knowledge of professionals in this field.

Claims

1. A solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system, characterized in that: include: A drone body, a solar cell (5), a laser cell (6), an energy storage battery (20), a control system, and a laser emitting device; wherein the solar cell (5), the laser cell (6), the energy storage battery (20), and the control system are deployed on the drone body; and the laser emitting device is deployed on the ground.

2. The solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The drone body comprises wings (1), a fuselage (2), a horizontal tail (3) and a vertical tail (4); wherein the wings (1) are located on both sides of the fuselage (2), and the horizontal tail (3) and the vertical tail (4) are located at the tail of the fuselage (2).

3. The solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system according to claim 2 is characterized in that: A solar cell (5) is laid on the upper surface of a wing (1) and is used to collect solar energy from the sun (7) and convert it into electrical energy; the solar cell (5) comprises: an upper packaging film A (10) arranged in layers, a flexible photovoltaic panel (9), a flexible substrate A (8) and a lower packaging film A (23); wherein the flexible photovoltaic panel (9) is made of a high-efficiency photovoltaic material.

4. The solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The laser cell (6) is laid on the lower surface of the wing (1) and is used to receive laser energy from a laser emitting device and convert it into electrical energy; the laser cell (6) comprises: an upper packaging film B (13), a flexible laser plate (12), a flexible substrate B (11) and a lower packaging film B (24) arranged in a stacked manner; wherein the flexible laser plate (12) is made of a high-efficiency laser material.

5. The solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The energy storage battery (20) is installed inside the wing (1) structure and is used to store the excess electric energy converted by the solar cell (5) and the laser cell (6).

6. The solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laser emitting device comprises a laser emitter (14) and a laser controller (15); wherein the laser controller (15) is used to adjust the intensity, frequency and direction of the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter (14).

7. The solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control system is installed inside the wing (1) structure and includes: A flight controller (16), used to control the flight state of the UAV; Energy manager (17), used to monitor the energy status of the UAV and manage energy distribution; A solar cell controller (18) for controlling the power generation process of the solar cell (5); The laser battery controller (19) is used to control the energy replenishment process of the laser battery (6).

8. The solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The solar drone laser energy replenishment system includes the following working modes: During the day when there is sufficient sunlight, the solar cell (5) converts solar energy into electrical energy, which is then transmitted to the whole-machine power bus (21) through the solar cell controller (18) to power the onboard power system (22) and the flight controller (16) to maintain the normal flight of the UAV; at the same time, the excess electrical energy is stored in the energy storage battery (20); During the day when the light is insufficient or at night when the energy storage battery (20) is insufficient, the control system controls the laser emitting device to emit laser energy to the UAV, the laser battery (6) receives the laser energy and converts it into electrical energy, and transmits the electrical energy to the whole-machine power bus (21) through the laser battery controller (19), thereby supplying power to the onboard power system (22) and the flight controller (16) to maintain the normal flight of the UAV. At the same time, the excess electrical energy is stored in the energy storage battery (20).

9. A solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment method, characterized in that: include: After the drone takes off, solar energy is collected by the solar cell (5) and converted into electrical energy to provide initial energy for the drone; When the control system determines, based on the energy status monitoring result of the UAV, that the energy provided by the solar cell (5) is insufficient to maintain the normal flight of the UAV, the laser energy supplement mode is activated; the control system controls the laser emitting device to emit laser energy to the UAV, and the laser battery (6) receives the laser energy and converts it into electrical energy, thereby providing supplementary energy for the UAV.

10. The solar-powered UAV laser energy replenishment method according to claim 9, characterized in that: Also includes: The control system monitors the UAV's flight status, energy status and external environmental conditions in real time, and dynamically adjusts the flight strategy, energy allocation strategy and laser energy replenishment strategy based on the monitoring results.

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