A three-rotor long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle suitable for electric power inspection

Abstract

This invention discloses a tri-rotor long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) suitable for power line inspection, belonging to the field of UAV technology. It includes a frame, a power system, a power line inspection system module, an integrated electronic control component system, and a power supply system. The frame comprises a UAV electronic control box, three circumferentially evenly distributed arms, and landing gear components. The power system includes three power units located at the ends of the arms, with the tail power unit connected to a servo drive mechanism. The power line inspection system module includes a lidar and a four-light gimbal, respectively located at the front and bottom of the UAV electronic control box in a staggered layout. The integrated electronic control component system adopts a partitioned integration and heat dissipation design to improve reliability. The power supply system includes a battery and a charging male connector located on the outside of the landing gear components. This invention reduces power consumption through a tri-rotor configuration and optimizes the system layout, achieving long endurance, unobstructed and accurate inspection, and highly reliable automatic charging, effectively meeting the needs of power line inspection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and more specifically, to a tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection. Background Technology

[0002] Power line inspection is a crucial link in ensuring the safe and stable operation of power systems. Traditional manual inspection methods suffer from low efficiency, high operational risks, and limited coverage. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection, with its advantages of high flexibility, high efficiency, and ability to penetrate complex terrain, has become the mainstream method for power line inspection. Currently, most power line inspection UAVs adopt a quadcopter configuration. While they possess good attitude stability, they suffer from high structural redundancy and short endurance, making it difficult to meet the needs of long-distance, large-scale power line inspections. Furthermore, the payload layout of existing power line inspection UAVs is unreasonable; the lidar and gimbal cameras often obstruct the field of view, affecting the integrity of inspection data. In addition, the scattered placement of electronic control components leads to messy wiring and poor heat dissipation. Moreover, most UAVs lack efficient charging solutions adapted to their mounting systems, requiring manual battery replacement, further reducing inspection efficiency. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new UAV solution that can comprehensively address these problems through coordinated optimization across multiple dimensions, including overall configuration, payload layout, system integration, and charging compatibility. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a tri-rotor long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle suitable for power line inspection, in order to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] According to the present invention, a tri-rotor long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) suitable for power line inspection is provided, comprising: a frame, a power system, a power line inspection system module, an integrated system of electronic control components, and a power supply system; wherein, The frame includes a drone electronic control box, three arms, and a tripod assembly; the three arms are fixed to the drone electronic control box and are evenly distributed along the circumference of the drone electronic control box, with one arm fixed to the rear end of the drone electronic control box; the tripod assembly is fixed to the bottom of the drone electronic control box. The power system includes three sets of power units respectively located at the ends of the three arms. Each power unit includes a motor, a blade mounted on the motor output shaft, and an electronic speed controller electrically connected to the motor. The power unit located on the rear arm is connected to a servo drive mechanism, which is used to rotate the power unit on the rear arm. The power inspection system module includes a lidar and a four-light gimbal; the lidar is located at the front of the UAV control box, with its detection direction facing forward of the UAV; the four-light gimbal is located at the bottom of the UAV control box, with its lens direction consistent with the detection direction of the lidar; and the lidar and the four-light gimbal are staggered in the horizontal projection plane. The integrated system of electronic control components and the power supply system are both mounted on the rack, and the power system and the power inspection system module are both electrically connected to the integrated system of electronic control components and the power supply system. The power supply system includes a battery and a charging connector; the battery is fixed to the top of the drone's electronic control box, and the battery integrates a BMS battery management system; the charging connector is located on the outer side of the lower end of the tripod assembly, and the charging connector is electrically connected to the battery.

[0005] Preferably, the integrated electronic control component system includes a UAV electronic control assembly and a radar electronic control box; the UAV electronic control assembly is disposed inside the UAV electronic control box, and each component in the UAV electronic control assembly is located in a different area inside the UAV electronic control box and is isolated from each other by a metal partition; a heat dissipation mechanism is provided on the inner wall of the UAV electronic control box; the radar electronic control box is fixed to the front end of the UAV electronic control box and is electrically connected to the lidar.

[0006] Preferably, the bottom of the drone control box is provided with a gimbal shock absorber, and the four-light gimbal is fixedly connected to the bottom of the gimbal shock absorber.

[0007] Preferably, the gimbal shock absorber includes an upper mounting plate, a lower mounting plate, and multiple sets of shock absorber balls, with the multiple sets of shock absorber balls evenly distributed between the upper mounting plate and the lower mounting plate.

[0008] Preferably, the motor is a brushless DC motor; a motor protective shell is fitted on the outside of the motor, and the side wall of the motor protective shell has a plurality of heat dissipation holes.

[0009] Preferably, the blade is made of glass fiber reinforced PP material, and the surface of the blade is coated with an anti-ultraviolet coating.

[0010] Preferably, the frame is further provided with two RTK positioning modules, which are respectively located at the upper ends of two of the machine arms.

[0011] Preferably, a lower vision module is also provided at the bottom of the drone's electronic control box, with the lens of the lower vision module facing downwards from the drone.

[0012] Preferably, the tripod assembly includes tripod support tubes, tripod crossbeams, and tripod bottom tubes; the upper ends of the two tripod support tubes are fixedly connected to the bottom of the UAV electronic control box; the two ends of the tripod crossbeam are respectively fixedly connected to the two support tubes; and the two tripod bottom tubes are respectively horizontally fixed to the lower ends of the two tripod support tubes.

[0013] Preferably, a waterproof sealing ring is provided at the interface of the male charging connector.

[0014] This invention provides a tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection. Its tri-rotor configuration reduces power consumption and significantly improves the UAV's endurance. The lidar and four-light gimbal adopt a "front + bottom" spatial layout, with a staggered arrangement on the horizontal projection plane, ensuring unobstructed views between them and improving the integrity and accuracy of inspection data. Through partitioned integration and heat dissipation design of electronic control components, the internal environment is optimized, reducing the system failure rate. The charging interface is integrated into the bottom of the tripod with a triangular stability structure and works in conjunction with the intelligent centering mechanism of the drone's mounting system, achieving a high success rate of automatic docking and charging. Simultaneously, it facilitates the cooperation between the UAV and the intelligent centering mechanism of the mounting system, enabling a high success rate of automatic docking and charging. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a tri-rotor long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) suitable for power line inspection according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the UAV electronic control box in a tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0018] Figure 3 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a power inspection system module in a tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power inspection according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the landing gear in a tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Frame; 11. UAV electronic control box; 111. Flight controller; 112. 5G data and image transmission; 113. Receiver; 114. External radar positioning module; 115. Servo step-down module; 116. Radar step-down module; 12. Arm; 13. Landing frame assembly; 131. Landing frame support tube; 132. Landing frame crossbeam; 133. Landing frame bottom tube; 134. Landing frame pad; 2. Power unit; 21. Electric... 1. Engine; 22. Propeller; 23. ESC; 24. Servo drive mechanism; 3. LiDAR; 4. Four-light gimbal; 41. Gimbal shock absorber; 411. Upper mounting plate; 412. Lower mounting plate; 413. Shock absorber ball; 42. Four-light gimbal cable box; 43. Four-light gimbal quick-release mechanism; 5. Radar control box; 6. Battery; 61. Battery mounting bracket; 7. Charging male connector; 8. RTK positioning module; 9. Lower vision module. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Various embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the various drawings, the same elements are indicated by the same or similar reference numerals. For clarity, the various parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0022] This invention provides a tri-rotor long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) suitable for power line inspection. See [link / reference]. Figure 1The tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection includes: a frame 1, a power system, a power line inspection system module, an integrated system of electronic control components, and a power supply system. The frame 1 includes a UAV electronic control box 11, three arms 12, and a landing gear assembly 13. The three arms 12 are fixed to the UAV electronic control box 11 and are evenly distributed along the circumference of the box, with one arm 12 fixed to the rear end of the box. The landing gear assembly 13 is fixed to the bottom of the UAV electronic control box 11. The power system includes three power units 2 respectively located at the ends of the three arms 12. Each power unit 2 includes a motor 21, a propeller 22 mounted on the output shaft of the motor 21, and an electronic speed controller 23 electrically connected to the motor 21. The power unit 2 located on the rear arm 12 is connected to a servo drive mechanism 24, which is used to rotate the power unit 2 on the rear arm 12. The power inspection system module includes a lidar 3 and a four-light gimbal 4. The lidar 3 is located at the front end of the UAV control box 11, with its detection direction facing forward of the UAV. The four-light gimbal 4 is located at the bottom of the UAV control box 11, with its lens direction aligned with the detection direction of the lidar 3. Furthermore, the lidar 3 and the four-light gimbal 4 are staggered on the horizontal projection plane. The integrated electronic control component system and the power supply system are both mounted on the frame 1, and the power system and the power inspection system module are electrically connected to the integrated electronic control component system and the power supply system. The integrated electronic control component system includes a UAV electronic control assembly and a radar control box 5. The UAV electronic control assembly is located inside the UAV control box 11, with each component in the assembly located in a different area within the UAV control box 11 and isolated by a metal partition. A heat dissipation mechanism is provided on the inner wall of the UAV control box 11. The radar control box 5 is fixed to the front end of the UAV control box 11 and electrically connected to the lidar 3. The power supply system includes a battery 6 and a charging connector 7; the battery 6 is fixed on the top of the drone's electronic control box 11, and the battery 6 integrates a BMS battery management system; the charging connector 7 is located on the outer side of the lower end of the tripod assembly 13, and the charging connector 7 is electrically connected to the battery 6.

[0023] In the frame 1, the drone electronic control box 11 is made of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) with a thickness of 2-3 mm, and can be 3D printed. The heat dissipation mechanism on the inner wall of the drone electronic control box 11 is a heat dissipation silicone pad attached to the inner wall. The heat dissipation silicone pad has a thickness of 1-2 mm and a thermal conductivity ≥2 W / (m·K). It can conduct the heat generated by the various components in the drone electronic control assembly during operation to the outer wall of the drone electronic control box 11, and then dissipate heat naturally through the outer wall.

[0024] The arms 12 are all made of carbon fiber composite material with a density of 1.7-1.8 g / cm³ and a tensile strength ≥3000 MPa, which reduces weight while ensuring structural strength. Each arm 12 has a lightning protection metal mesh attached to its outer wall to improve the drone's lightning protection performance. In this embodiment, the arm 12 is a 18mm × 18mm square tube structure made of carbon fiber composite material with a wall thickness of 1mm and a length of 400-500mm. Each arm 12 has an arm 12 clamp at its connection to the drone's electronic control box 11, with one end of the arm 12 fixedly connected to the clamp. Specifically, the arm 12 clamp includes an upper clamp and a lower clamp fixed to the outer wall of the drone's electronic control box 11 and arranged parallel to each other. The upper and lower clamps are respectively attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the arm 12 and fixedly connected to the arm 12 by bolts. The arm 12 clamp is made of aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, with a thickness of 3-5mm. The arm 12 clamp is bolted to the outer wall of the UAV control box 11. Several aluminum pillars with an inner diameter of 3-4mm are installed between the upper and lower clamps, secured with M3-M4 bolts to further enhance the installation strength of the arm 12 and prevent deformation under individual stress. The three arms 12 are spaced 120° apart circumferentially around the UAV control box 11. The arm 12 located at the rear of the UAV control box 11 faces directly behind the UAV, while the two arms 12 located at the left and right ends of the UAV control box 11 are angled forward and symmetrically distributed with the rear arm 12 as the center.

[0025] The tripod assembly 13 includes tripod support tubes 131, tripod crossbeams 132, tripod bottom tubes 133, and tripod pads 134. The upper ends of the two tripod support tubes 131 are fixedly connected to the bottom of the UAV electronic control box 11, and the lower ends of the two tripod support tubes 131 are inclined outward, so that the two support tubes together form a V-shaped support structure. The two ends of the tripod crossbeam 132 are respectively fixedly connected to the two support tubes, so that the tripod crossbeam 132 and the two tripod support tubes 131 together form a triangular stable structure to prevent deformation of the tripod assembly 13 during the centering of the drone and the insertion of the charging head. The two tripod bottom tubes 133 are respectively horizontally fixed to the lower ends of the two tripod support tubes 131, and the bottom of each tripod bottom tube 133 is provided with a tripod pad 134. Specifically, the tripod assembly 13, including the tripod support tube 131, tripod crossbeam 132, and tripod bottom tube 133, is made of carbon fiber composite material. It can be manufactured from square carbon fiber composite tubing with a diameter of 15-20mm, resulting in a lightweight and high-strength product. The tripod pads 134 are made of polyurethane with a thickness of 10-15mm, offering high strength and wear resistance. A Teflon coating on the bottom of the pads reduces the coefficient of friction, preventing wear and damage to the QR code pattern on the drone's surface during centering. The tripod assembly 13 is threadedly connected to the lower base plate of the drone's electronic control box 11, and its detachable design facilitates replacement after damage, reducing maintenance costs. See also... Figure 4 In this embodiment, the upper end of the tripod support tube 131 is provided with a connector for connecting to the UAV electronic control box 11. A 4mm diameter aluminum column reinforcing rib is embedded inside the upper end of the tripod support tube 131 to enhance the installation strength between the upper end of the tripod support tube 131 and the connector. The top of the connector is rigidly fixed to the tripod mounting base at the bottom of the UAV electronic control box 11 using M3 bolts. Threadlocker (Loctite 243) is applied to the bolt connection to prevent loosening. The lower end of the tripod support tube 131 is connected to the tripod horizontal base tube 133, and the middle part of the tripod support tube 131 is connected to the tripod crossbeam 132 via reinforcing mounting plates. The tripod support tube 131, tripod crossbeam 132, and tripod horizontal base tube 133 can be connected to the reinforcing mounting plates via rivets or bolts. Polyurethane tripod pads 134 can be glued to the bottom of the tripod horizontal base tube 133 or directly fitted onto the tripod horizontal base tube 133. The tripod pads 134 are located at both ends of the tripod horizontal base tube 133. After assembly, the tripod assembly 13 weighs less than or equal to 200g, can withstand a maximum lateral force of 50N in the X / Y axis direction, and has a bending deformation of ≤0.3mm.

[0026] In the power unit 2, the motor 21 is connected to the end of the corresponding arm 12 away from the UAV control box 11 via an aluminum alloy motor 21 connector, with the output shaft of the motor 21 facing downwards; the electronic speed controller (ESC) 23 is integrated into the lower side of the corresponding arm 12 near the motor 21 via an ESC mounting bracket, and each ESC 23 is electrically connected to the corresponding motor 21; the propeller blades 22 are detachably connected to the output shaft of the motor 21 via propeller clamps, and anti-loosening nuts are provided between the propeller clamps and the output shaft to ensure that the propeller blades 22 do not loosen when rotating. In the three sets of power units 2, two sets of propeller blades 22 are counter-rotating blades, and one set of propeller blades 22 are forward-rotating blades, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the blades 22 in the power unit 2 located on the rear arm 12 and the front left arm 12 are counter-rotating blades, while the blades 22 in the power unit 2 located on the front right arm 12 are forward-rotating blades. The servo drive mechanism 24 located on the rear arm 12 is a three-bar linkage driven by a servo, used to rotate the motor 21 and blades 22 in the power unit 2 on the rear arm 12. A servo protective shell is also provided on the outside of the servo. The attitude control of the UAV is achieved by adjusting the direction of the blades 22 on the rear arm 12 and adjusting the speed of the motors 21 on the other two arms 12. Specifically, all motors 21 are brushless DC motors, and each motor 21 is fitted with a motor protective shell. The motor protective shell is made of ABS engineering plastic, and the side wall of the motor protective shell has several heat dissipation holes with a diameter of 3-5mm and a spacing of 8-10mm between adjacent heat dissipation holes. The motor protective shell is provided with mounting holes for the motors 21 and outlet holes for the motor 21 wires. In this embodiment, the brushless DC motor has a rated power of 300-400W and a rated speed of 2000-2500rpm, providing sufficient lift to carry the inspection load. A 2-3mm gap is left between the inner wall of the motor protective shell and the outer shell of the motor 21. This gap is filled with thermally conductive silicone grease, which conducts the heat generated by the motor 21 during operation to the protective shell and dissipates it to the outside through heat dissipation holes. The wiring outlet of the motor protective shell is located on the top of the protective shell, and a rubber sealing ring is installed inside the outlet to prevent rainwater from entering the motor 21. The blades 22 are made of glass fiber reinforced PP material, combining lightweight and impact resistance, and can withstand airflow impacts and minor collisions that may be encountered during power inspection. The surface of the blades 22 is coated with an anti-UV coating made of polyvinyl fluoride with a thickness of 5-10μm, which effectively resists blade aging caused by strong outdoor ultraviolet radiation and extends service life. All blades 22 are dynamically balanced to minimize vibration during flight.

[0027] In the power inspection system module, the lidar 3 is fixed to the front end of the UAV control box 11 via a lidar bracket. The lidar 3 has a detection range of 0.3-100m and is detachably connected to the lidar bracket. Specifically, the lidar bracket is made of aluminum alloy, 100mm high, and is fixed to the outer wall of the front end of the UAV control box 11 by bolts. A gimbal shock absorber 41 is provided at the bottom of the UAV control box 11, and the four-light gimbal 4 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the gimbal shock absorber 41. The gimbal shock absorber 41 includes an upper mounting plate 411, a lower mounting plate 412, and multiple sets of shock-absorbing balls 413. The multiple sets of shock-absorbing balls 413 are evenly distributed between the upper mounting plate 411 and the lower mounting plate 412, and the material of the shock-absorbing balls 413 is nitrile rubber. See also Figure 3 The bottom of the UAV electronic control box 11 is connected to the four-light gimbal wiring box 42 by bolts. Below the four-light gimbal wiring box 42, there is a four-light gimbal quick-release mechanism 43, which is quickly connected to the four-light gimbal wiring box 42. The upper mounting plate 411 of the four-light gimbal 4 shock absorber is made of carbon fiber. The upper mounting plate 411 is connected to the four-light gimbal 4 quick-release mechanism by bolts, and the lower mounting plate 412 is connected to the top of the four-light gimbal 4 by bolts. Multiple sets of nitrile rubber shock absorber balls 413 are evenly distributed between the upper mounting plate 411 and the lower mounting plate 412 and are fixed by bolts. The nitrile rubber shock absorber balls 413 have a diameter of 10-15mm and a hardness of 50-60 Shore A, which can effectively absorb the vibration generated during the flight of the UAV (especially the high-frequency vibration caused by the rotation of the motor 21), and prevent the vibration from being transmitted to the four-light gimbal 4, causing blurry imaging or distortion of the detection data of the lidar 3. Actual testing shows that this vibration damping structure can reduce the vibration acceleration at the four-light gimbal 4 to below 0.5g, meeting the operational requirements of high-precision inspection loads. In this embodiment, the lidar 3 and the four-light gimbal 4 are arranged at a 30° offset on the horizontal projection plane to avoid obstruction of the field of view. The four-light gimbal 4 includes a wide-angle camera, a zoom camera, an infrared thermal imager, and a laser rangefinder, all integrated into the same gimbal housing, solving the pain points of power line inspection work and improving the efficiency, safety, and accuracy of the inspection work. Specifically, the wide-angle camera has a resolution of ≥4K and a frame rate of ≥30fps, enabling it to acquire high-definition detailed images of power lines for identifying faults such as line aging and hanging foreign objects; the variable telephoto camera offers 10x optical zoom and 160x hybrid zoom; the infrared thermal imager features 640° infrared thermal imaging, video AI super-resolution to 1K, 32x hybrid zoom, and selectable 13mm and 25mm focal length infrared capabilities, allowing for real-time monitoring of temperature anomalies at conductor joints, insulators, and other locations to prevent overheating faults; and the laser rangefinder has a measurement range of 10-1500m and a measurement accuracy of ±1m, which can be used to measure conductor sag and the safe distance between lines and obstacles.

[0028] The integrated electronic control component system includes a flight controller 111, an external radar positioning module 114, a 5G data and image transmission module 112, a receiver 113, a servo motor step-down module 115, and a radar step-down module 116. Figure 2 As shown, the flight controller 111, external radar positioning module 114, 5G data transmission and image transmission module 112, receiver 113, servo step-down module 115, and radar step-down module 116 are installed separately in the UAV electronic control box 11. The flight controller 111 is connected to the 5G data transmission and image transmission module 112, receiver 113, and ESC 23 via CAN bus; the external radar positioning module 114 is connected to the lidar 3 via RS485 bus; the servo step-down module 115 and the radar step-down module 116 are connected to the battery 6 in the power supply system via wires, providing stable voltage to the servo and lidar 3 respectively; the top of the UAV electronic control box 11 has a USB interface and a CAN bus interface, and the interfaces are equipped with waterproof plugs. The UAV electronic control box 11 adopts a partitioned layout, with the flight controller 111 and the 5G data transmission and image transmission 112 located in different areas, separated by a metal partition to reduce electromagnetic interference (the radio frequency signal of the 5G data transmission and image transmission 112 interferes with the weak control signal of the flight controller 111). The USB interface supports the USB 2.0 protocol and can be used to export inspection data (such as high-definition images and point cloud data). The CAN bus interface is used to connect various electronic control components inside the UAV (such as the ESC 23 and the BMS battery management system) to achieve real-time data interaction (such as the transmission of data such as the motor speed 21, the remaining power of the battery 6, and the temperature). The radar electronic control box 5 is made of aluminum alloy and is connected to the radar bracket. The radar electronic control box 5 integrates the drive circuit of the lidar 3. The drive circuit is connected to the lidar 3 and the flight controller 111 via an RS485 bus to realize the control and data transmission of the lidar 3.

[0029] The frame 1 is also equipped with two RTK positioning modules 8, which are located on the upper ends of the two arms 12 respectively. The RTK positioning modules 8 support dual-mode positioning using BeiDou-3 and GPS, and their positioning accuracy is at the centimeter level. The external radar positioning module 114 is electrically connected to the RTK positioning modules 8 and is used to synchronize the detection data of the lidar 3 with the data from the RTK positioning modules 8 in time and space. The internal positioning module of the lidar 3 is installed inside the UAV's electronic control box 11 near the detection direction of the lidar 3, which can reduce the spatial deviation between the positioning data and the detection data of the lidar 3. Figure 1As shown, the two RTK positioning modules 8 are located above the two front arms 12 of the UAV and directly above the motor 21. Dual RTK direction finding and positioning calculates yaw information, unaffected by compass conditions, making it suitable for complex and variable magnetic field environments. Through data redundancy design, if the signal of one module is obstructed (such as by the shadow of a power line tower or trees), the other module can continue to provide stable positioning data, ensuring the UAV flies along the precise flight path of the power line.

[0030] The bottom of the UAV electronic control box 11 is also equipped with a lower vision module 9, with the lens of the lower vision module 9 facing downwards from the UAV. The lower vision module 9 is electrically connected to the flight controller 111 via a CAN bus and is used to acquire ground image information during the UAV's landing phase. The lower vision module 9 uses a fisheye camera with a field of view ≥160°, which can capture images of the nest docking platform in real time during the UAV's landing process. The flight controller 111 uses an image recognition algorithm to calculate the relative positional deviation between the UAV and the nest, and controls the motor 21 to adjust its speed to achieve a precise landing. The deviation range can be controlled within ±5mm, ensuring accurate landing on the nest QR code platform, ensuring that the nest centering mechanism can correctly perform the centering function, and ensuring accurate docking of the charging female connector of the nest with the charging male connector 7 on the UAV.

[0031] The power supply system includes a battery 6 and a charging connector 7. The battery 6 is fixed to the top of the drone's electronic control box 11, and a BMS (Battery Management System) is integrated inside the battery 6. The charging connector 7 is located on the outer side of the lower end of the tripod and is electrically connected to the battery 6. The battery 6 passes through the inside of the drone's electronic control box 11 and through the inside of the tripod support tube 131 of the tripod assembly 13, and is connected to the charging connector 7. The tripod support tube 131 provides natural waterproofing and dustproofing.

[0032] In the power supply system, battery 6 is mounted on top of the drone control box 11 via battery mounting bracket 61. Specifically, the top of the drone control box 11 has a pre-drilled mounting slot for battery 6. After battery 6 is placed in the mounting slot, it is fixedly connected to the mounting slot on top of the drone control box 11 using the PPS battery mounting bracket 61. The drone control box 11 is reinforced with M3 aluminum pillars through drilling holes in four axes. Battery 6 has a capacity of 27000-36000mAh, and a protective shell is fitted around the outside of battery 6. The protective shell is made of fire-retardant ABS material. The BMS battery management system is integrated inside battery 6 and includes an overcharge protection module, an over-discharge protection module, and a temperature monitoring module. The temperature monitoring module collects the temperature data of battery 6 in real time through a temperature sensor. The BMS battery management system is connected to the positive and negative terminals of battery 6 and the temperature sensor via wires. The BMS battery management system is also connected to flight controller 111 and charging male connector 7 via a CAN bus, transmitting battery 6 status data to flight controller 111 in real time. The BMS battery management system balances the voltage of each cell in battery 6 through an equalization circuit, ensuring that the voltage deviation of each cell is ≤50mV, thus extending the lifespan of battery 6. The overcharge protection module cuts off the charging circuit when the battery 6 voltage reaches the rated voltage, and the over-discharge protection module cuts off the discharging circuit when the battery 6 voltage falls below the discharge cutoff voltage, preventing performance degradation or damage caused by overcharging or over-discharging. The temperature monitoring module's temperature sensor (accuracy ±1℃) is attached to the surface of battery 6. When the battery 6 temperature exceeds 50℃, the BMS battery management system sends an alarm signal to the flight controller 111, which can automatically control the drone to return to its home base or land at the nearest nest to avoid damage to battery 6 due to high temperature. In this embodiment, battery 6 is a lithium battery with a capacity of 33000mAh, a voltage of 58V, and an energy density ≥300Wh / kg. Battery 6 is encased in a 1.2mm thick fire-resistant ABS protective shell, and the inner wall of the protective shell is lined with 8mm thick cushioning foam. Actual tests show that drones equipped with 27,000-36,000mAh lithium batteries can have a flight time of 80-120 minutes when fully loaded with inspection payloads (LiDAR 3 and four-light gimbal 4, total weight approximately 2kg). They can cover power line inspections within a 50-80km diameter range (flight speed 20-60km / h), meeting the needs of long-distance power line inspections.

[0033] The charging male connector 7 is an aviation plug with an input voltage of 50-60V and an input current of 25-35A. The two charging male connectors 7 are fixed to the outside of the two horizontal base tubes 133 of the tripod using waterproof mounting bases made of ABS engineering plastic. Sealant is applied between the waterproof mounting bases and the horizontal base tubes 133. The charging male connector 7 interface is equipped with a fluororubber waterproof sealing ring, achieving an IP54 or higher protection rating. A reverse connection protection circuit (diode model 1N5408, fuse rated current 25A, voltage detection chip model LM393) is soldered inside the charging male connector 7 to prevent damage to components caused by reverse polarity during charging. The fluororubber waterproof sealing ring boasts excellent high and low temperature resistance (-20℃-200℃) and aging resistance, maintaining good sealing performance even in complex outdoor power inspection environments (such as rain, high and low temperatures), preventing rainwater from entering the charging interface and causing short circuits. The charging male connector 7 uses an aviation plug structure with a plug life of ≥20,000 insertion / removal cycles and a contact resistance of ≤20mΩ, ensuring long-term reliability. The reverse connection protection circuit consists of a diode, a fuse, and a voltage detection chip. When the charging male connector 7 is connected to the charging female connector of the drone in reverse polarity, the diode cuts off, interrupting the charging circuit. Simultaneously, the fuse (rated current 25A) blows in case of overcurrent, further protecting the internal battery 6 and electronic control components of the drone. The charging male connector 7 is fixedly connected to the foot support beam via a waterproof mounting base. The waterproof mounting base is made of ABS engineering plastic, and sealant is applied between it and the foot assembly 13 to further enhance waterproof performance.

[0034] The female charging connector is mounted on the X-axis centering mechanism of the drone nest and is structurally compatible with the male charging connector 7. The female connector has an internal guide structure (such as a tapered guide hole). When the drone lands on the nest, even with slight positional deviations, the guide structure can guide the male charging connector 7 to smoothly insert into the female connector, achieving automatic docking. The female charging connector is connected to the nest's power supply system and can automatically adjust the charging current and voltage based on battery status data (such as remaining charge and temperature) transmitted by the BMS battery management system. This achieves a constant current-constant voltage charging mode with a charging efficiency ≥85%. It takes ≤90 minutes to fully charge a 27000-36000mAh lithium battery, meeting the continuous operation requirements of power inspection. Wear-resistant pads (PTFE material, 1mm thick) are affixed to the contact area between the push block (made of nylon 66 + glass fiber) of the Y-axis centering mechanism and the foot assembly 13 to reduce frictional loss during centering; a charging female head is fixed on the slider (made of aluminum alloy 6061-T6) of the X-axis centering mechanism, and limit blocks are provided on both sides of the slider to prevent the slider from moving beyond its travel range; the stepper motor 21 of the centering mechanism is connected to the nest controller through a driver to achieve precise speed and position control.

[0035] The centering process of the drone is as follows: First, the drone is driven to move along the Y-axis to the reference position through the Y-axis centering mechanism. Then, the female charging head (moving synchronously with the X-axis centering mechanism) is driven to approach the male charging head 7 along the X-axis through the X-axis centering mechanism. During the X-axis centering process, the male charging head 7 and the female charging head are precisely docked.

[0036] The tri-rotor long-endurance UAV for power line inspection provided by this invention has the following significant advantages over existing power line inspection UAVs by optimizing the overall configuration, payload layout, electronic control component integration, and pod-compatible charging design of the tri-rotor long-endurance UAV: Enhanced long-endurance performance: Adopting a tri-rotor configuration (reducing the power consumption of one motor compared to a quadcopter) and a high-energy-density lithium battery (energy density ≥300Wh / kg), the flight time can reach 120 minutes when fully loaded with inspection payload (LiDAR + four-light gimbal, approximately 2kg), which is 150%-200% longer than traditional quadcopter power line inspection drones (flight time approximately 25-40 minutes). It can cover long-distance power line inspections of 50-80km, reducing the number of takeoffs and landings and improving inspection efficiency.

[0037] Unobstructed field of view: The LiDAR and the four-light gimbal adopt a "front + bottom" spatial layout and are staggered on the horizontal projection plane, which completely solves the field of view obstruction problem caused by traditional coaxial installation; at the same time, the vibration reduction effect of the gimbal shock-absorbing mount (vibration acceleration ≤0.5g) ensures clear imaging of the four-light gimbal and accurate LiDAR point cloud data, improving the integrity and accuracy of inspection data by more than 80%.

[0038] Improved reliability of the electronic control system: The partitioned integration design of the UAV electronic control box and the radar electronic control box reduces the messy wiring and electromagnetic interference caused by the scattered layout of components. The design of heat dissipation silicone pads and metal partitions reduces the operating temperature of components by 10-15℃ and reduces the failure rate by 60%. The data redundancy design of the RTK positioning module and the precise positioning of the lower vision module ensure that the UAV flight path deviation is ≤0.5m and the nest landing deviation is ≤50mm, meeting the precise operation requirements of power inspection.

[0039] Optimized compatibility with charging stations: The male charging connector is integrated into the tripod assembly (achieving precise docking using the positioning function of the vision module), and with the tapered guide structure of the female charging connector, the docking success rate is ≥99%; the design of the fluororubber waterproof sealing ring and reverse connection protection circuit enables the charging interface to work stably in outdoor rainy environments, with a charging efficiency of ≥85%, and automatic charging can be achieved without manual intervention, meeting the needs of unmanned and continuous operation of power inspection.

[0040] In summary, the tri-rotor long-endurance UAV for power line inspection provided by this invention effectively solves the problems of short endurance, payload obstruction, low reliability, and inconvenient docking of existing power line inspection UAVs through synergistic optimization of structure and function. It can be widely used in power line inspection scenarios such as high-voltage transmission lines and distribution lines, and has extremely high practical value and promotion prospects.

[0041] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0042] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A tri-rotor long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) suitable for power line inspection, characterized in that, include: The system comprises a frame, power system, power inspection system module, integrated system for electrical control components, and power supply system; among which, The frame includes a drone electronic control box, three arms, and a tripod assembly; the three arms are fixed to the drone electronic control box and are evenly distributed along the circumference of the drone electronic control box, with one arm fixed to the rear end of the drone electronic control box; the tripod assembly is fixed to the bottom of the drone electronic control box. The power system includes three sets of power units respectively located at the ends of the three arms. Each power unit includes a motor, a blade mounted on the motor output shaft, and an electronic speed controller electrically connected to the motor. The power unit located on the rear arm is connected to a servo drive mechanism, which is used to rotate the power unit on the rear arm. The power inspection system module includes a lidar and a four-light gimbal; the lidar is located at the front of the UAV control box, with its detection direction facing forward of the UAV; the four-light gimbal is located at the bottom of the UAV control box, with its lens direction consistent with the detection direction of the lidar; and the lidar and the four-light gimbal are staggered in the horizontal projection plane. The integrated system of electronic control components and the power supply system are both mounted on the rack, and the power system and the power inspection system module are both electrically connected to the integrated system of electronic control components and the power supply system. The power supply system includes a battery and a charging connector; the battery is fixed to the top of the drone's electronic control box, and the battery integrates a BMS battery management system; the charging connector is located on the outer side of the lower end of the tripod assembly, and the charging connector is electrically connected to the battery. The integrated electronic control component system includes a UAV electronic control assembly and a radar electronic control box; the UAV electronic control assembly is disposed inside the UAV electronic control box, and each component in the UAV electronic control assembly is located in a different area inside the UAV electronic control box and is isolated from each other by a metal partition; a heat dissipation mechanism is provided on the inner wall of the UAV electronic control box; the radar electronic control box is fixed to the front end of the UAV electronic control box and is electrically connected to the lidar. The bottom of the drone's electronic control box is equipped with a gimbal shock absorber, and the four-light gimbal is fixedly connected to the bottom of the gimbal shock absorber.

2. The tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gimbal shock absorber includes an upper mounting plate, a lower mounting plate, and multiple sets of shock absorber balls, which are evenly distributed between the upper mounting plate and the lower mounting plate.

3. The tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor is a brushless DC motor; a motor protective shell is fitted on the outside of the motor, and several heat dissipation holes are opened on the side wall of the motor protective shell.

4. The tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blades are made of glass fiber reinforced PP material, and the surface of the blades is coated with an anti-ultraviolet coating.

5. The tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame is also equipped with two RTK positioning modules, which are located at the upper ends of two of the machine arms.

6. The tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the drone's electronic control box is also equipped with a lower vision module, with the lens of the lower vision module facing downwards from the drone.

7. The tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tripod assembly includes tripod support tubes, tripod crossbeams, and tripod bottom tubes; the upper ends of the two tripod support tubes are fixedly connected to the bottom of the UAV electronic control box; the two ends of the tripod crossbeams are respectively fixedly connected to the two support tubes; and the two tripod bottom tubes are respectively horizontally fixed to the lower ends of the two tripod support tubes.

8. The tri-rotor long-endurance UAV suitable for power line inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The male charging connector is equipped with a waterproof sealing ring.

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