Water-air amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with tilting blades and streamline shell

Abstract

The invention discloses a tilting paddle water-air amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamline shell, and belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, the tilting paddle water-air amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a shell, a bottom plate, a duct turning assembly, a propeller driving assembly, a power supply assembly, an image acquisition assembly and a flight control mainboard; the duct turning assembly comprises a front duct turning assembly and a rear duct turning assembly which are the same in structure and are symmetrically arranged front and back; the rear duct turning assembly can drive the inclination angle of a rear duct to change through a servo motor, the propeller driving assembly is arranged on the duct, and then the output power direction of a propeller can be adjusted by adjusting the inclination angle of the duct so as to meet different power requirements of water and air phases; the machine shell and the duct can be rapidly manufactured through the FDM technology. In conclusion, the invention provides a complete water-air amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle scheme which can be applied to the fields of infrastructure detection, equipment overhaul monitoring and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, specifically relating to an amphibious UAV with a streamlined fuselage and tiltable propellers. Background Technology

[0002] Drones have a wide range of applications in industrial manufacturing, environmental monitoring, and equipment inspection. Traditional drones mainly operate on land or in the air, and they are difficult to use in scenarios involving large areas of water, such as marine monitoring, lake inspection, underwater infrastructure inspection, and topographic mapping, which are limited by their application scenarios and single function.

[0003] With the increasing frequency of marine development and underwater exploration activities, the importance of underwater unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as an efficient and flexible tool is becoming increasingly prominent. Regarding underwater operational equipment, traditional ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) rely on cable power, limiting their operating range. Furthermore, relying on manual diving or large ROVs for underwater infrastructure inspection is costly and risky. AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) have short endurance, weak current capabilities, and are susceptible to eddies, making them unsuitable for complex ocean current environments. Therefore, developing cross-medium UAVs with lower energy consumption and cost, and greater flexibility in exploration conditions, has become an urgent need.

[0004] Currently, in the field of drones, there are requirements for drone mobility, modifiability, and ease of manufacturing. With the development of additive manufacturing, FDM printing technology has been used in drone manufacturing due to its advantages such as low equipment and material costs and a wide range of material selection (compatible with multiple materials such as PLA, ABS, and TPU). Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a tiltable propeller amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage. The fuselage and duct wall of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be rapidly manufactured using FDM printing technology.

[0006] An amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage and tilting propellers, comprising:

[0007] Casing, base plate 5, ducted steering assembly, propeller drive assembly, power supply assembly, image acquisition assembly, flight control motherboard 12;

[0008] The housing is composed of an upper housing 1 and a lower housing 2 fixedly connected vertically, and the base plate 5 is located inside the two. The housing is provided with two pairs of duct installation positions that are symmetrical front and rear.

[0009] The duct reversing assembly includes a front duct reversing assembly and a rear duct reversing assembly that are identical in structure and symmetrically arranged front and rear.

[0010] The rear duct reversing assembly includes a servo motor 10, a drive gear 9, a driven gear 15, a duct connecting rod I 18, a duct connecting rod II 19, a connecting rod bracket 17, and two ducts 16.

[0011] The servo motor 10 is fixed to the rear end of the base plate 5, and its output end is connected to the drive gear 9 for transmission.

[0012] The connecting rod bracket 17 is symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the base plate 5, and the duct connecting rod II 19 and duct connecting rod I 18 are respectively axially connected to it.

[0013] The duct connecting rod II 19 and duct connecting rod I 18 are coaxially fixed to the driven gear 15 inwards, and are respectively fixed to the outer wall of the duct 16 inwards.

[0014] The driven gear 15 meshes with the driving gear 9;

[0015] The ducts 16 on both sides are located in a pair of duct mounting positions on the rear side, and the servo motor 10 can drive the ducts 16 on both sides to rotate synchronously.

[0016] The propeller drive assembly consists of 4 sets, which are respectively installed on 4 ducts 16, and each set is composed of a drive motor 3 and a propeller 4.

[0017] The drive motor 3 is fixed to the center of the duct 16, and its output end is fixed to the propeller 4.

[0018] The image acquisition component includes a camera 14 located at the front of the device and an image transmission module 13; the image transmission module 13 uploads the acquired images to the ground terminal.

[0019] When the drone is in flight, the propeller 4 is arranged in a "diagonal same direction".

[0020] The upper housing 1 and the lower housing 2 form a variable curvature arc surface housing in the shape of a "flat gourd".

[0021] Sealing structures are provided at the connection between the housing 1 and the lower housing 2, as well as at the fit between the housing and the duct connecting rod.

[0022] The housing is equipped with a crisscrossing reinforcing rib structure and can be manufactured using FDM additive manufacturing technology.

[0023] The propeller drive assembly can be arranged in a forward and reverse propeller configuration, that is, two drive motors 3 are symmetrically installed on the upper and lower sides of the duct 16, which drive two propellers 4 to rotate in opposite directions respectively. In this case, it is not necessary to meet the arrangement requirement that "the propellers rotate in the same direction diagonally".

[0024] Another objective of this invention is to provide a method for the dual-mode actuation (water and air) of a tilt-bladed amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage, employing the aforementioned tilt-bladed amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage:

[0025] S1. Flight mode:

[0026] When flying in the air, both pairs of ducts 16 are in a horizontal position. The rotation speed of the four propellers 4 is controlled by the flight control motherboard 12 to control the drone's steering and yaw.

[0027] S2. Water-air mode transition:

[0028] At the interface between water and air, drive motor 3 rotates in opposite directions simultaneously, pressing the machine body into the water;

[0029] S3. Motion modes in water:

[0030] The flight control motherboard 12 controls the servo motor 10 to drive the drive gear 9 to rotate, and the driven gear 15 drives the duct connecting rods and duct 16 on both sides to rotate, thereby achieving the tilting of the two pairs of propellers 4 at a specified angle.

[0031] After the tilting is completed, the drive motor 3 resumes forward rotation and keeps the machine body in a horizontal position.

[0032] This invention provides a tilting-blade amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a streamlined fuselage, belonging to the field of UAV technology. It includes: a fuselage, a base plate, a ducted steering assembly, a propeller drive assembly, a power supply assembly, an image acquisition assembly, and a flight control motherboard. The ducted steering assembly includes a front ducted steering assembly and a rear ducted steering assembly with identical structures, symmetrically arranged. The rear ducted steering assembly can be driven by a servo motor to change the tilt angle of the rear duct. The propeller drive assembly is located on the duct, and the output power direction of the propeller can be adjusted by adjusting the duct tilt angle to adapt to the different power requirements of both water and air phases. Both the fuselage and the duct can be rapidly manufactured using FDM technology. In summary, this invention provides a complete amphibious UAV solution that can be applied to infrastructure inspection, equipment maintenance and monitoring, and other fields.

[0033] In summary, the beneficial effects and advantages of the tilting propeller amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage of the present invention compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0034] 1. The streamlined casing and tiltable propeller drive scheme of this invention work together to fully optimize the power structure of the UAV, achieve the design requirements of reducing drag in both water and air phases, reducing energy consumption and being maneuverable, and enable stable cross-medium detection function, thus expanding the working field of UAV equipment.

[0035] 2. The streamlined watertight housing design of the present invention, with the upper and lower parts fitting together, is processed by FDM printing technology for both the housing body and the duct wall, which is convenient to manufacture, the parts are lightweight and durable, and it has a wide range of applications; at the same time, it is designed to fully reduce resistance and energy consumption.

[0036] 3. The drive structure of the UAV of the present invention is designed with a controllable tilting blade drive scheme to ensure controlled and reliable operation in both water and air. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage and tilting propellers according to the present invention.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage and tilting propellers according to the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the ducted assembly structure of a tilting propeller amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage according to the present invention.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the two-mode aquatic and aquatic drive of an amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage and tilting propellers according to the present invention. Figure 4 (a) is a schematic diagram of the airborne modal actuation method. Figure 4 (b) is a schematic diagram of the underwater modal driving mode.

[0042] In the attached diagram:

[0043] 1. Upper housing; 2. Lower housing; 3. Drive motor; 4. Propeller; 5. Base plate; 6. Battery mounting bracket; 7. Positioning rod; 8. Drive gear shaft; 9. Drive gear; 10. Servo motor; 11. Battery; 12. Flight control motherboard; 13. Image transmission module; 14. Camera; 15. Driven gear; 16. Duct; 17. Connecting rod bracket; 18. Duct connecting rod I; 19. Duct connecting rod II. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Example 1:

[0046] An amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage and tilting propellers, comprising:

[0047] Upper housing 1, lower housing 2, base plate 5, ducted steering assembly, propeller drive assembly, power supply assembly, image acquisition assembly, flight control motherboard 12;

[0048] The upper housing 1 and the lower housing 2 are fixedly connected to each other to form a "flat gourd-shaped" variable curvature arc surface housing. The bottom plate 5 is fixedly connected to the lower housing 2 and is located inside the two.

[0049] The curved casing has two pairs of symmetrical duct mounting positions on the front and back.

[0050] The duct reversing assembly includes a front duct reversing assembly and a rear duct reversing assembly, both of which have the same structure and are symmetrically arranged on the front and rear sides of the housing.

[0051] The rear duct reversing assembly includes a servo motor 10, a drive gear shaft 8, a drive gear 9, a driven gear 15, a duct connecting rod I 18, a duct connecting rod II 19, a connecting rod bracket 17, and two ducts 16.

[0052] The servo motor 10 is fixed to the rear end of the base plate 5, and its output end is connected to the drive gear 9 through the drive gear shaft 8.

[0053] The connecting rod brackets 17 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the base plate 5, and the connecting rod brackets 17 on both sides are respectively axially connected to the duct connecting rod II 19 and the duct connecting rod I 18.

[0054] The duct connecting rod II 19 and duct connecting rod I 18 are coaxially fixed to the driven gear 15 inwards, and are respectively fixed to the outer wall of the two ducts 16 inwards.

[0055] The driven gear 15 meshes with the driving gear 9;

[0056] The left and right ducts 16 are located in a pair of duct mounting positions on the rear side, and the servo motor 10 can drive the left and right ducts 16 to rotate synchronously at the same time.

[0057] The propeller drive assembly consists of 4 sets, which are respectively installed on 4 ducts 16, and each set is composed of a drive motor 3 and a propeller 4.

[0058] The drive motor 3 is fixedly connected to the central mounting frame of the duct 16, and its output shaft is fixedly connected to the propeller 4.

[0059] The power supply assembly consists of a battery mounting bracket 6 and a battery 11, with the battery 11 fixed to the base plate 5 via the battery mounting bracket 6.

[0060] The upper housing 1 and the lower housing 2 are positioned and fixed together by the positioning rod 7.

[0061] The image acquisition component includes a camera 14 located at the front of the fuselage and an image transmission module 13; the camera 14 is fixed on the lower housing 2 and uploads the acquired images to the ground via the image transmission module 13.

[0062] The flight control motherboard 12 is installed in the middle of the base plate 5.

[0063] When the aircraft is in operation, the propellers 4 are arranged in a "diagonal same direction".

[0064] The upper housing 1 and the lower housing 2 form a "flat gourd-shaped" variable curvature arc surface housing. After fluid dynamics simulation verification, it can adapt to the working environment of the UAV and meet the drag reduction requirements of both water and air phases.

[0065] The connection between the housing 1 and the lower housing 2, as well as the fit between the housing and the duct connecting rod, are all equipped with sealing structures, which can meet the working requirements of both water and air phases and achieve watertightness requirements.

[0066] The casing is equipped with a crisscrossing reinforcing rib structure and can be manufactured using FDM additive manufacturing technology to meet the requirements of lightweight operation.

[0067] The duct mounting position is designed in conjunction with the streamlined fuselage to realize the function of centralized propeller drive, effectively optimizing the power structure of the UAV.

[0068] When the UAV is navigating in water, a drive scheme that adjusts the tilt angle of the duct is 16 is adopted to ensure that the fuselage is in a horizontal and stable state, thereby minimizing navigation resistance and energy consumption.

[0069] Example 2:

[0070] The propeller drive assembly can be arranged in a forward and reverse propeller configuration, that is, it consists of two drive motors 3 and two propellers 4.

[0071] The two drive motors 3 are symmetrically installed on the upper and lower sides of the central mounting frame of the duct 16, respectively driving the two propellers 4 to rotate in opposite directions. This can also achieve the function of the present invention, and does not require meeting the arrangement requirement of "propellers rotating in the same direction diagonally" in Embodiment 1.

[0072] The present invention discloses a method for switching between water and air modes of a tilting propeller-driven amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage, as follows:

[0073] S1. Flight mode:

[0074] In flight mode, both pairs of ducts 16 are in a horizontal position. The control scheme of traditional quadcopter drones is adopted, and the rotation speed of the four propellers 4 is controlled by the flight control motherboard 12 to control the drone's turning and yaw.

[0075] S2. Water-air mode transition:

[0076] At the interface between water and air, drive motor 3 rotates in opposite directions simultaneously, pressing the machine body into the water;

[0077] S3. Motion modes in water:

[0078] The servo motor 10 drives the active gear shaft 8 and the active gear 9 to rotate, which in turn drives the meshing driven gear 15 to rotate, thereby driving the duct connecting rods and duct 16 on both sides to rotate. This achieves the purpose of synchronously tilting the drive motor 3 and the propeller 4 to a specified angle. According to the setting, the two pairs of propellers 4 complete the tilting, and the drive motor 3 resumes forward rotation, ensuring that the fuselage is in a horizontal state. This process switches the UAV to underwater movement.

Claims

1. A tilting propeller-driven amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage, characterized in that, include: Airframe, base plate (5), ducted directional control assembly, propeller drive assembly, power supply assembly, image acquisition assembly, flight control motherboard (12); The housing is composed of an upper housing (1) and a lower housing (2) fixedly connected vertically, and the base plate (5) is located inside the two. The housing is provided with two pairs of duct installation positions that are symmetrical front and rear. The duct reversing assembly includes a front duct reversing assembly and a rear duct reversing assembly that are identical in structure and symmetrically arranged front and rear. The rear duct reversing assembly includes a servo motor (10), a drive gear (9), a driven gear (15), a duct connecting rod I (18), a duct connecting rod II (19), a connecting rod bracket (17), and two ducts (16). The servo motor (10) is fixed to the rear end of the base plate (5), and its output end is connected to the drive gear (9) for transmission. The connecting rod bracket (17) is symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the base plate (5), and the culvert connecting rod II (19) and culvert connecting rod I (18) are respectively axially connected on it. Duct connecting rod II (19) and duct connecting rod I (18) are coaxially fixed to the driven gear (15) inward and respectively fixed to the outer wall of the duct (16) inward; The driven gear (15) meshes with the driving gear (9); The ducts (16) on both sides are located in a pair of duct mounting positions on the rear side, and the servo motor (10) drives the ducts (16) on both sides to rotate synchronously. There are 4 sets of propeller drive components, which are installed on 4 ducts (16) respectively. Each set consists of a drive motor (3) and a propeller (4). The drive motor (3) is fixed to the center of the duct (16), and its output end is fixed to the propeller (4).

2. The amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage and tilting propellers according to claim 1, characterized in that: The image acquisition component includes a camera (14) located at the front of the device and an image transmission module (13); the image transmission module (13) uploads the acquired images to the ground.

3. The amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage and tilting propellers according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the drone is flying, the propeller (4) is arranged in a "diagonal same direction".

4. An amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage and tilting propellers as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The upper housing (1) and the lower housing (2) form a "flat gourd-shaped" variable curvature arc surface housing; Sealing structures are provided at the connection between the housing (1) and the lower housing (2) and at the connection between the housing and the duct connecting rod.

5. An amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage and tilting propellers according to claim 4, characterized in that: The casing is internally reinforced with a crisscrossing rib structure and is manufactured using FDM additive manufacturing technology.

6. An amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage and tilting propellers according to claim 3, characterized in that: The propeller drive assembly adopts a forward and reverse propeller arrangement, that is, two drive motors (3) are symmetrically installed on the upper and lower sides of the duct (16) to drive two propellers (4) to rotate in opposite directions respectively.

7. A method for driving and switching between water and air modes of a tilting propeller-driven amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage, characterized in that: The amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle with a streamlined fuselage and tilting propellers as described in claim 4: S1. Flight mode: When flying in the air, the two pairs of ducts (16) at the front and rear are in a horizontal state. The rotation speed of the four propellers (4) is controlled by the flight control motherboard (12) to control the UAV's steering and yaw. S2. Water-air mode transition: At the interface between water and air, the drive motor (3) rotates in opposite directions at the same time, pressing the machine body into the water; S3. Motion modes in water: The flight control motherboard (12) controls the servo motor (10) to drive the active gear (9) to rotate, and the driven gear (15) drives the duct connecting rods and duct (16) on both sides to rotate, thereby achieving the tilting of the two pairs of propellers (4) at a specified angle. After the tilting is completed, the drive motor (3) resumes forward rotation and keeps the machine body in a horizontal state.

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