Electromagnetic ejection system based on rotating motor driving

Abstract

The invention discloses an electromagnetic ejection system based on a rotating motor, and the system comprises a power source which is used for providing ejection energy; the ejection device comprises a pulley and is used for applying acceleration to a load; the dragging device is used for converting rotary driving force into linear traction force so as to drag the tackle; and the reset braking mechanism is used for decelerating / braking the dragging device after ejection and driving the tackle to return. The catapulting device, the dragging device and the reset braking mechanism are combined into an integrated mechanical link, and efficient energy conversion-stable driving force transmission-catapulting and reset integrated control is achieved. The structure not only technically overcomes the problems of long stator, high energy consumption, complex control and the like of an existing linear motor ejection system, but also has the advantages of light weight, maintainability and low cost in engineering, and the practical value and expandability of the system are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of electromagnetic launch technology, and in particular to an electromagnetic catapult system based on a rotary motor drive. Background Technology

[0002] Existing electromagnetic catapult devices mostly employ long-stroke linear motors for drive. These systems generally require a long stator structure with segmented power supply, resulting in bulky devices, high manufacturing and maintenance costs, and low energy efficiency. Furthermore, traditional screw-driven catapult structures are limited by the screw stroke, making it difficult to achieve long-distance, high-speed catapult launches, and they also suffer from large inertia and low transmission efficiency.

[0003] Therefore, one or more methods are needed to solve the above problems.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an electromagnetic catapult system based on a rotary motor drive, thereby overcoming, at least to some extent, one or more problems caused by the limitations and defects of related technologies.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an electromagnetic catapult system based on a rotating electric motor, comprising:

[0007] The power source is used to provide the energy for launching the projectile;

[0008] The ejection device includes a trolley for applying acceleration to a load;

[0009] A towing device for converting rotational driving force into linear traction force to pull the trolley;

[0010] A reset braking mechanism is used to decelerate / brake the towing device and drive the trolley back to its original position after ejection.

[0011] Furthermore, the power source includes primary energy and an energy storage device; the energy storage device includes a charging unit, an energy storage unit, and a discharging unit, wherein the energy storage unit is a supercapacitor bank or a flywheel energy storage device, and the discharging unit is used to safely release energy when the ejection ends or a malfunction occurs.

[0012] Furthermore, the towing device includes a first spool, a second spool, a first towing rope, a second towing rope, a pulley block, and a guide rail; wherein the spool, the towing rope, and the pulley block constitute a traction transmission link, and the guide rail is used to constrain the trolley to make linear motion.

[0013] Furthermore, the first spool corresponds to the first towing rope, and the second spool corresponds to the second towing rope, with the two spools wound in opposite directions;

[0014] Launching phase: The first spool winds up the rope, and the second spool unwinds the rope;

[0015] Reset phase: The second spool winds up the rope, and the first spool unwinds the rope;

[0016] The two towing ropes remain taut throughout the entire work cycle to ensure the balance and stability of the pulley's linear motion.

[0017] Furthermore, the ejection device includes an ejection motor and its driver. The output shaft of the ejection motor is connected to the first reel in the towing device to drive the first reel in and out of the first towing rope and drive the trolley forward during the ejection phase.

[0018] Furthermore, the reset braking mechanism includes a reset motor and its driver. The output shaft of the reset motor is connected to the second reel in the towing device. At the end of the ejection stage, the reset motor performs electromagnetic deceleration braking on the system in a reverse / energy-consuming / regenerative manner. During the reset stage, it drives the second reel to wind up the rope to pull the trolley back to its position and can feed the braking energy back to the energy storage device.

[0019] Furthermore, the trolley and guide rail employ a rolling or sliding engagement of roller sets or sliders to limit lateral offset and maintain straight-line operation.

[0020] Furthermore, each end of the guide rail is equipped with a limiting and anti-collision mechanism, including a limiting block and an elastic buffer or rubber shock absorber, to prevent the trolley from overtraveling and to absorb the impact energy at the end.

[0021] Furthermore, the launch motor and the reset motor form a master-slave and synchronous relationship in terms of operation: during the launch phase, the launch motor is the main driver, and the reset motor provides tension or follow-up; during the reset phase, the reset motor is the main driver, and the launch motor releases or uses energy-consuming braking; the two avoid torque conflict and ensure the timing coordination of the launch and retraction through mechanical linkage or electrical synchronization.

[0022] Furthermore, the ejection and reset are both performed by a bidirectional rotary motor. The bidirectional motor is connected to the winding drum in the towing device through the same drive shaft. The two ends of the winding drum are respectively wound with a first towing rope and a second towing rope. When the motor rotates forward, the first towing rope is wound up and the second towing rope is unwound to complete the ejection. When the motor rotates in reverse, the second towing rope is wound up and the first towing rope is unwound to complete the reset. At the end of the ejection, deceleration is achieved by reverse electric or energy-consuming braking.

[0023] This invention integrates a launch device, a dragging device, and a reset braking mechanism into a unified mechanical link, achieving efficient energy conversion, smooth transmission of driving force, and integrated control of launch and reset. This structure not only overcomes the technical problems of existing linear motor launch systems, such as long stators, high energy consumption, and complex control, but also offers advantages in engineering, including lightweight design, maintainability, and low cost, significantly enhancing the system's practical value and scalability.

[0024] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The above and other features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of an electromagnetic catapult system based on a rotary motor drive according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electromagnetic catapult system based on a rotary motor drive according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the ejection device and the towing device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the reset device and the dragging device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an electromagnetic catapult system in its initial position according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an electromagnetic catapult system in a catapult acceleration state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an electromagnetic catapult system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in the state of trolley deceleration and load separation;

[0033] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of an electromagnetic catapult system in a load-discharge state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0034] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of an electromagnetic catapult system in a reset state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0035] Figure 10A schematic diagram of the structure of an electromagnetic catapult system based on a rotary motor drive according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted.

[0037] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details described, or other methods, components, materials, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known structures, methods, apparatuses, implementations, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this disclosure.

[0038] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities can be implemented in software, or in one or more software-hardened modules, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0039] In this example embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, the electromagnetic catapult system based on a rotating electric motor of the present invention includes:

[0040] The power source is used to provide the energy for launching the projectile;

[0041] The ejection device 3 includes a pulley for applying acceleration to the load;

[0042] The towing device 5 is used to convert the rotational driving force into a linear traction force to pull the trolley;

[0043] The reset braking mechanism 4 is used to decelerate / brake the towing device and drive the trolley back to its original position after ejection.

[0044] This example integrates a launch device, a dragging device, and a reset braking mechanism into a unified mechanical link, achieving efficient energy conversion, smooth transmission of driving force, and integrated control of launch and reset. This structure not only overcomes the technical challenges of existing linear motor launch systems, such as long stators, high energy consumption, and complex control, but also offers advantages in engineering, including lightweight design, maintainability, and low cost, significantly enhancing the system's practical value and scalability.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present invention, the power source includes a primary energy source 1 and an energy storage device 2; the energy storage device 2 includes a charging unit, an energy storage unit, and a discharging unit. The charging unit is an intermediate energy conversion link that realizes the conversion of electrical energy output from the primary energy source 1 into the energy storage unit, completing the voltage level conversion and energy transfer. The energy storage unit stores the electrical energy output from the primary energy source 1 at a relatively slow rate and discharges it instantaneously in a short time. The energy storage unit is a supercapacitor bank or a flywheel energy storage device. The discharging unit is used to safely release energy in the event of launch failure or malfunction.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, see Figure 2-4 As shown, the towing device 5 includes a first spool 5-1, a second spool 5-8, a first towing rope 5-7, a second towing rope 5-9, a pulley block 5-3, and a guide rail 5-4; wherein the spool, the towing rope, and the pulley block 5-3 constitute a traction transmission link, and the guide rail 5-4 is used to constrain the trolley 5-6 to make linear motion.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first spool 5-1 corresponds to the first towing rope 5-7, and the second spool 5-8 corresponds to the second towing rope 5-9, with the two spools wound in opposite directions.

[0048] Launching phase: First spool 5-1 winds up the rope, second spool 5-8 unwinds the rope;

[0049] Reset phase: the second spool 5-8 takes in the rope, and the first spool 5-1 releases the rope;

[0050] The two towing ropes are kept taut throughout the entire work cycle to ensure the balance and stability of the linear motion of pulley 5-6.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, see Figure 3 The ejection device 3 includes an ejection motor 3-2 and its driver. The output shaft of the ejection motor 3-2 is connected to the first reel 5-1 in the towing device 5 to drive the first reel 5-1 to wind up and unwind the first towing rope 5-7 and drive the trolley 5-6 forward during the ejection phase.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present invention, the reset braking mechanism 4 includes a reset motor 4-2 and its driver. The output shaft of the reset motor 4-2 is connected to the second reel 5-8 in the towing device 5. At the end of the ejection stage, the reset motor performs electromagnetic deceleration braking on the system in a reverse / energy consumption / regeneration manner. During the reset stage, it drives the second reel 5-8 to wind up the rope to pull the trolley 5-6 back to its original position and can feed the braking energy back to the energy storage device.

[0053] In one embodiment of the present invention, the trolley 5-6 and the guide rail 5-4 are engaged by the rolling or sliding of roller sets or sliders to limit lateral displacement and maintain straight-line operation.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, the guide rail 5-4 is provided with a limiting and anti-collision mechanism at both ends, including a limiting block 5-5 and an elastic buffer or rubber shock absorber, for preventing the trolley 5-6 from overtraveling and absorbing the impact energy at the end.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, the catapult motor 3-2 and the reset motor 4-2 are in a master-slave and synchronous relationship in terms of operation: during the catapult phase, the catapult motor 3-2 is the main driver, and the reset motor 4-2 provides tension or follow-up; during the reset phase, the reset motor 4-2 is the main driver, and the catapult motor 3-2 releases or uses energy-consuming braking; the two avoid torque conflict and ensure the timing coordination of the release and retraction through mechanical linkage or electrical synchronization.

[0056] In one embodiment of the present invention, see Figure 10 The ejection and reset are both handled by a bidirectional rotary motor, which is connected to a spool in the towing device via the same drive shaft. The two ends of the spool are respectively wound with a first towing rope and a second towing rope. When the motor rotates forward, the first towing rope is wound up and the second towing rope is unwound to complete the ejection. When the motor rotates in reverse, the second towing rope is wound up and the first towing rope is unwound to complete the reset. At the end of the ejection, deceleration is achieved by reverse electric or energy-consuming braking.

[0057] To enable those skilled in the art to more clearly understand the present invention, the workflow of the present invention is described in detail below:

[0058] See Figure 5 In the initial position of the catapult system, the trolley is located on the left side. The catapult motor 3-2 and the reset motor 4-2 are connected by the second towing rope 5-9. When the catapult motor 3-2 is started, it pulls the trolley 5-6 forward. The reset motor 4-2 passively follows. The load is pushed forward along the launch track 5-4 by the trolley 5-6.

[0059] See Figure 6 Launch acceleration process: The launch motor driver drives the launch motor 3-2 to accelerate and rotate in the forward direction to retract the rope. As the launch motor 3-2 accelerates, the trolley 5-6 gradually accelerates to its maximum speed.

[0060] See Figure 7 During the ejection deceleration process: When the trolley 5-6 reaches the designated position, the ejection motor 3-2 begins to decelerate, and the towing rope 5-7 connected to the ejection motor 3-2 loses its traction force; the reset motor 4-2 begins to decelerate and rotate in the forward direction under the reverse driving torque, and the trolley 5-6 begins to brake under the active traction of the reset motor 4-2. Due to inertia, the load continues to maintain a high-speed forward state, and the trolley 5-6 separates from the load, realizing the ejection of the load.

[0061] See Figure 8 The trolley 5-6 completes traction and propulsion, and the load is launched by inertia. The launch motor 3-2 gradually decelerates and stops. The trolley 5-6 is decelerated by the deceleration traction of the reset motor 4-2, and finally comes to a complete stop. The speed of the reset motor 4-2 is reduced to 0, completing the launch process.

[0062] See Figure 9 Trolley 5-6 reverse reset: After trolley 5-6 stops, the reset motor driver receives the reset command and drives the reset motor 4-2 in reverse to drag trolley 5-6 back to the initial position at low speed, completing the ejection reset and preparing for the next ejection mission.

[0063] In summary, this invention integrates the ejection device, dragging device, and reset braking mechanism into a unified mechanical link, achieving efficient energy conversion, smooth transmission of driving force, and integrated control of ejection and reset. This structure not only overcomes the technical problems of existing linear motor ejection systems, such as long stators, high energy consumption, and complex control, but also offers advantages in engineering, including lightweight design, maintainability, and low cost, significantly enhancing the system's practical value and scalability.

[0064] It should be noted that although the steps of the method in this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additional or alternative steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or a step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0065] Furthermore, the above figures are merely illustrative of the processes included in the method according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to be limiting. It is readily understood that the processes shown in the above figures do not indicate or limit the temporal order of these processes. Additionally, it is readily understood that these processes may be executed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0066] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the claims.

[0067] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic catapult system based on a rotating electric motor, characterized in that, include: The power source is used to provide the energy for launching the projectile; The ejection device includes a trolley for applying acceleration to a load; A towing device for converting rotational driving force into linear traction force to pull the trolley; A reset braking mechanism is used to decelerate / brake the towing device and drive the trolley back to its original position after ejection.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power source includes primary energy and energy storage device; the energy storage device includes a charging unit, an energy storage unit and a discharging unit, the energy storage unit is a supercapacitor bank or a flywheel energy storage device, and the discharging unit is used to safely release energy when the ejection ends or a malfunction occurs.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The towing device includes a first spool, a second spool, a first towing rope, a second towing rope, a pulley block, and a guide rail; wherein the spool, the towing rope, and the pulley block constitute a traction transmission link, and the guide rail is used to constrain the trolley to make linear motion.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first spool corresponds to the first towing rope, and the second spool corresponds to the second towing rope. The two spools are wound in opposite directions. Launching phase: The first spool winds up the rope, and the second spool unwinds the rope; Reset phase: The second spool winds up the rope, and the first spool unwinds the rope; The two towing ropes remain taut throughout the entire work cycle to ensure the balance and stability of the pulley's linear motion.

5. The system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The ejection device includes an ejection motor and its driver. The output shaft of the ejection motor is connected to a first reel in the towing device to drive the first reel to wind up and unwind the first towing rope and drive the trolley forward during the ejection phase.

6. The system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The reset braking mechanism includes a reset motor and its driver. The output shaft of the reset motor is connected to the second reel in the towing device. At the end of the ejection stage, the reset motor performs electromagnetic deceleration braking on the system in a reverse / energy-consuming / regenerative manner. During the reset stage, it drives the second reel to wind up the rope to pull the trolley back to its position and can also feed the braking energy back to the energy storage device.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The trolley and guide rail use a rolling or sliding engagement of roller sets or sliders to limit lateral offset and maintain straight-line operation.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The guide rail is equipped with limit and anti-collision mechanisms at both ends, including limit blocks and elastic buffers or rubber shock absorbers, to prevent the trolley from overtraveling and to absorb the impact energy at the end.

9. The system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, The launch motor and the reset motor form a master-slave and synchronous relationship in operation: during the launch phase, the launch motor is the main driver, and the reset motor provides tension or follow-up; during the reset phase, the reset motor is the main driver, and the launch motor releases or uses energy-consuming braking; the two avoid torque conflict and ensure the timing coordination of the launch and retraction through mechanical linkage or electrical synchronization.

10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ejection and reset are performed by a bidirectional rotary motor, which is connected to the winding drum in the towing device through the same drive shaft. The two ends of the winding drum are respectively wound with a first towing rope and a second towing rope. When the motor rotates forward, the first towing rope is wound up and the second towing rope is unwound to complete the ejection. When the motor rotates in reverse, the second towing rope is wound up and the first towing rope is unwound to complete the reset. At the end of the ejection, deceleration is achieved by reverse electric or energy-consuming braking.

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