Distributed ducted fan heat dissipation structure with adjustable heat dissipation capacity and temperature control method
By incorporating cooling channels and a temperature control module into the ducted fan, the heat dissipation capacity is dynamically adjusted, solving the problem of heat dissipation mismatch at different flight stages of the UAV and improving flight performance and range.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511773091.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-27
AI Technical Summary
The operational characteristics of UAVs at different flight stages are not compatible with the operational characteristics of their heat dissipation structures, making it difficult to design heat dissipation devices. Furthermore, existing methods cannot achieve dynamic adjustment of heat dissipation capacity, which affects flight performance and range.
A distributed ducted fan cooling structure with adjustable heat dissipation capacity is designed. By setting cooling channels on the stationary guide vanes and casing of the ducted fan, combined with a temperature control module and a drive pump, the cooling channels can be dynamically adjusted and the temperature controlled to ensure that the hydrogen fuel cell operates within the optimal temperature range.
It enables dynamic adjustment of the heat dissipation capacity of the drone at different stages of flight, ensuring that the fuel cell temperature is within the optimal range, reducing additional weight and energy consumption requirements, and improving flight performance and range.
Smart Images
Figure CN121734710A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell thermal management technology for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), specifically to a distributed ducted fan heat dissipation structure and temperature control method with adjustable heat dissipation capacity. Background Technology
[0002] The new energy power system composed of a hydrogen fuel cell and a ducted fan boasts advantages such as high energy density, high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and low vibration and noise, making it particularly suitable for long-endurance UAVs. Currently, proton exchange membrane fuel cells are the primary type of hydrogen fuel cell, with an optimal operating temperature range of 60℃-80℃. Excessively high or low temperatures can lead to performance degradation and even accidents. During takeoff and climb, the fuel cell operates at full power, resulting in high heat dissipation demands and challenging ambient temperatures. Conversely, during cruise, the fuel cell operates at lower power and ambient temperatures are lower, requiring effective heat dissipation while avoiding excessively low fuel cell temperatures. This mismatch between the UAV's operational characteristics and the cooling system's characteristics presents challenges for cooling system design. Furthermore, the cooling system should minimize its mass and energy consumption to increase the aircraft's range and endurance.
[0003] Currently, the main heat dissipation solutions for high-power equipment in drones are "fuel cooling + ram air cooling + consumable heat sink cooling". Hydrogen-powered aircraft consume relatively little hydrogen fuel, insufficient to meet the heat dissipation requirements of fuel cells; introducing ram air affects the efficiency of ducted fans, impacting flight range and flight time; adding consumable heat sinks increases the aircraft's takeoff weight. Utilizing the high-speed airflow from a ducted fan for heat dissipation offers advantages such as high efficiency and low weight requirements, making it a highly promising method. However, current methods lack dynamic adjustment of heat dissipation capacity. Therefore, there is an urgent need to propose a ducted fan cooling device scheme with adjustable heat dissipation capacity and a temperature control method to address the mismatch between the operational characteristics of drones at different flight stages and the operational characteristics of the heat dissipation structure. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To address the problem of mismatch between the operational characteristics of UAVs at different flight stages and the operational characteristics of their heat dissipation structures, this invention provides a distributed ducted fan heat dissipation structure with adjustable heat dissipation capacity and a temperature control method to solve the existing problems.
[0005] The first aspect of this invention provides a distributed ducted fan cooling structure with adjustable heat dissipation capacity, the structure employing the following technical solution, including: The first cooling channel is embedded in each stationary guide vane of the ducted fan; The second cooling channel is embedded in the casing of the ducted fan, and multiple spaced first cooling channels are connected through the second cooling channel to form two cooling channels; the inlets of the two cooling channels are connected in parallel to the outlet of the cooling medium pipe of the hydrogen fuel cell stack of the aircraft, and the outlets of the two cooling channels are connected in parallel to the inlet of the cooling medium pipe of the hydrogen fuel cell stack of the aircraft. The drive pump is used to drive the medium from the outlet of the cooling working fluid pipe into the two cooling channels, and after being cooled by the stationary guide vanes and duct fan housing, it is circulated into the hydrogen fuel cell stack. And a temperature control module, which is used to control the opening and closing of one of the cooling channels or the power supply to the drive pump based on the outlet temperature of the cooling working fluid pipe of the hydrogen fuel cell stack and the preset temperature range.
[0006] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the outlet of the cooling working fluid pipe is connected to two first sub-pipes through an inlet tee, and the outlet of the first sub-pipe is connected to the cooling channel inlet of the cooling channel through a conversion interface.
[0007] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the inlet of the cooling medium pipe is connected to two second sub-pipes through an outlet tee, and the outlet of the second sub-pipes is connected to the outlet of the cooling channel through a conversion interface.
[0008] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the ducted fan housing is provided with symmetrical connecting ears in the radial direction, and the ducted fan housing and the upper and lower base plates of the UAV are fixed by screws through the connecting ears.
[0009] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the drive pump is installed on the cooling working fluid pipeline between the hydrogen fuel cell stack and the cooling working fluid pipeline outlet.
[0010] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the first cooling channel is a serpentine cooling channel.
[0011] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the temperature control module includes: Valves are provided on two first sub-pipes of the heat dissipation structure of the distributed ducted fan with adjustable heat dissipation capacity according to the first aspect of the invention. Temperature measurement module, which is used to measure the temperature of the cooling working fluid outlet of the hydrogen fuel cell stack; It also includes a control module, which controls the opening and closing of one of the cooling channels or the power supply to the drive pump based on the outlet temperature of the cooling medium pipe and a preset temperature range.
[0012] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the temperature measurement module is a thermometer, which is installed on the cooling working fluid pipeline between the drive pump and the hydrogen fuel cell stack.
[0013] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the preset temperature thresholds are: a first temperature threshold, a second temperature threshold, and a third temperature threshold, which increase sequentially; the control module is used to, when the aircraft enters the cruise phase, control the drive pump to be powered off and the heat dissipation function to be turned off if the outlet temperature is less than the first temperature threshold; if the outlet temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold and less than the second temperature threshold, control one of the valves to be closed to provide 50% heat dissipation function to the hydrogen fuel cell; if the outlet temperature is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold and less than the third temperature threshold, the control state remains unchanged; if the outlet temperature is greater than the third temperature threshold, control the drive pump to be powered on and open both valves to provide full heat dissipation function to the hydrogen fuel cell.
[0014] The second aspect of the present invention provides a temperature control method for a fuel cell stack, which utilizes a distributed ducted fan cooling structure with adjustable heat dissipation capacity provided in the first aspect of the present invention for temperature control. The temperature control steps are as follows: During takeoff and climb, two valves are opened simultaneously to dissipate heat from the hydrogen fuel cell; When the aircraft enters the cruise phase, if the outlet temperature is less than the first temperature threshold, the drive pump is powered off, and the heat dissipation function is turned off. If the outlet temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold and less than the second temperature threshold, one of the valves is closed to provide 50% heat dissipation to the hydrogen fuel cell. If the outlet temperature is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold and less than the third temperature threshold, the control state remains unchanged. If the outlet temperature is greater than the third temperature threshold, the drive pump is powered on and both valves are opened to provide full heat dissipation to the hydrogen fuel cell.
[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention establishes a first cooling channel on the stationary guide vanes of a ducted fan and a second cooling channel on the ducted fan casing. The first cooling channel on the spaced-apart stationary guide vanes is connected to the second cooling channel, forming two cooling channels. These cooling channels are connected to the cooling medium pipes of the aircraft's hydrogen fuel cell stack. This allows waste heat generated by the hydrogen fuel cell stack to be transported to the ducted fan for heat dissipation. A temperature control module controls the on / off state of one of the cooling channels or the power supply to the drive pump based on the outlet temperature of the cooling medium pipe and a preset temperature range. By dividing the distributed ducted fan cooling channels into two cooling channels using a fluid loop arrangement, and by adjusting the on / off state of the cooling channels or controlling the power supply to the drive pump, the heat dissipation capacity of the hydrogen fuel cell stack can be dynamically adjusted, ensuring that the operating characteristics of the UAV at different flight stages match the operating characteristics of the heat dissipation structure.
[0016] Secondly, by combining the cooling water outlet temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack, the temperature control method proposed in this invention keeps the operating temperature of the fuel cell stack within the optimal operating range. This heat dissipation structure has low weight requirements; by embedding cooling channels into the ducted fan, waste heat is transported using the hydrogen fuel cell's built-in drive pump and fluid circuit, eliminating the need for additional heat dissipation components and effectively reducing the overall weight. Heat is dissipated using the high-speed airflow from the ducted fan, and the internal fluid circuit is driven by the hydrogen fuel cell's built-in drive pump, resulting in low valve control power and low overall onboard energy requirements. The use of a serpentine cooling channel increases the heat dissipation area, allowing the heat carried by the fluid working fluid to be fully transferred to the stationary guide vanes for dissipation. Attached Figure Description
[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a distributed ducted fan cooling structure with adjustable heat dissipation capacity according to the present invention. Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a local structure in the image; Figure 3 The cooling working fluid pipes of the hydrogen fuel cell stack in the embodiments of the present invention and Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the cooling channel inlet connection structure; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of a flight mission of an aircraft in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a temperature control system for a fuel cell stack according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a temperature control method for a fuel cell stack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] In the diagram: 1. Stationary guide vane; 2. Ducted fan housing; 3. Motor housing; 4. Cooling channel inlet; 5. Cooling channel outlet; 6. First cooling channel; 7. Second cooling channel; 8. Connecting lug; 9. Branch pipe; 10. Conversion interface; 11. Cooling fluid pipe. Detailed Implementation
[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0021] An embodiment of the present invention provides a distributed ducted fan cooling structure with adjustable heat dissipation capacity, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the system includes: a first cooling channel 6, a second cooling channel 7, a drive pump, and a temperature control module. The first cooling channel 6 is embedded in each stationary guide vane 1 between the motor housing 3 and the ducted fan housing 2 of the ducted fan. The second cooling channel 7 is embedded on the ducted fan housing 2, and multiple spaced-apart first cooling channels 6 are connected through the second cooling channel 7 to form two cooling channels. The cooling channel inlets 4 of the two cooling channels are connected in parallel to the outlet of the cooling medium pipe 11 of the hydrogen fuel cell stack of the aircraft, and the cooling channel outlets 5 of the two cooling channels are connected in parallel to the inlet of the cooling medium pipe 11 of the hydrogen fuel cell stack of the aircraft. The drive pump is used to drive the medium from the outlet of the cooling medium pipe 11 into the two cooling channels, and after being cooled by the stationary guide vane 1 and the ducted fan housing 2, it circulates back into the hydrogen fuel cell stack. The temperature control module is used to control the opening and closing of one of the cooling channels or to control the power supply to the drive pump according to the outlet temperature of the cooling medium pipe 11 of the hydrogen fuel cell stack and a preset temperature range.
[0022] For example, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, in one specific embodiment, the outlet of the cooling medium pipe 11 is connected to two first sub-pipes via an inlet tee. The outlet of the first sub-pipe is connected to a branch pipe 9 via a conversion interface 10 provided at the outlet. The branch pipe 9 is connected to the cooling channel inlet 4 of the cooling channel. The inlet of the cooling medium pipe 11 is connected to two second sub-pipes via an outlet tee. The outlet of the second sub-pipe is connected to a branch pipe 9 via a conversion interface 10 provided at the inlet. The branch pipe 9 connected to the second sub-pipe is connected to the cooling channel outlet 5 of the cooling channel.
[0023] For example, in one specific embodiment, the ducted fan housing 2 is provided with symmetrical connecting ears 8 in the radial direction, and the ducted fan housing 2 and the upper and lower base plates of the UAV are fixed by screws through the connecting ears 8.
[0024] For example, in one specific embodiment, the drive pump is disposed on the cooling working fluid pipe 11 between the hydrogen fuel cell stack and the outlet of the cooling working fluid pipe 11.
[0025] For example, in one specific embodiment, the first cooling channel 6 is a serpentine cooling channel.
[0026] For example, in one specific embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the temperature control module includes: a valve, a temperature measurement module, and a control module. The valve is installed on two first sub-pipes of the distributed ducted fan heat dissipation structure with adjustable heat dissipation capacity of the present invention. The temperature measurement module is used to measure the temperature of the outlet of the cooling working fluid pipe 11 of the hydrogen fuel cell stack. The control module is used to control one of the valves to open or close or control the power supply to the drive pump to open or close according to the outlet temperature of the cooling working fluid pipe 11 and the preset temperature range. Specifically, in this embodiment, the temperature measurement module is a thermometer, which is installed on the cooling working fluid pipe 11 between the drive pump and the hydrogen fuel cell stack.
[0027] For example, in one specific embodiment, the preset temperature thresholds are: a first temperature threshold, a second temperature threshold, and a third temperature threshold that increase sequentially; that is, in this embodiment, the first temperature threshold is 40°C, the second temperature threshold is 60°C, and the third temperature threshold is 80°C. When the aircraft enters the cruise phase, if the outlet temperature is <40°C, the drive pump is powered off, and the heat dissipation function is turned off; if the outlet temperature is ≥40°C and <60°C, one of the valves is closed, providing 50% heat dissipation for the hydrogen fuel cell; if the outlet temperature is ≥60°C and <80°C, the control state remains unchanged; if the outlet temperature is >80°C, power is supplied and both valves are opened, providing full heat dissipation for the hydrogen fuel cell.
[0028] A temperature control method for a fuel cell stack utilizes the adjustable heat dissipation capacity distributed ducted fan cooling structure of the present invention for temperature control. The temperature control steps are as follows: Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of an aircraft's flight mission, such as... Figure 4 As shown, during the takeoff and climb phase of the aircraft, the flight time is 1 hour, the throttle is 100%, and the hydrogen fuel cell operates at full power; during the cruise phase, the flight time is 24 hours, the throttle is 50%, and the hydrogen fuel cell operates at 50% power. By comparing the operating states of the fuel cell during the takeoff and climb phases and the cruise phase, this embodiment considers the heat dissipation power during the cruise phase to be half that during the takeoff and climb phase. Therefore, as... Figure 6As shown in this embodiment, during the takeoff and climb phase, two valves are opened simultaneously to dissipate heat from the hydrogen fuel cell. When the aircraft enters the cruise phase, if the outlet temperature is lower than a first temperature threshold, the drive pump is de-energized to disable the heat dissipation function. If the outlet temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold and less than a second temperature threshold, one valve is closed to provide 50% heat dissipation to the hydrogen fuel cell. If the outlet temperature is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold and less than a third temperature threshold, the control state remains unchanged. If the outlet temperature is greater than the third temperature threshold, the drive pump is energized and both valves are opened to provide full heat dissipation to the hydrogen fuel cell. This temperature control strategy allows the temperature of the hydrogen fuel cell stack to be controlled within the range of 40-80°C.
[0029] This concludes the description of the distributed ducted fan cooling structure, temperature control system, and temperature control method for adjustable heat dissipation in hydrogen-powered aircraft, as proposed in this invention. The specific temperature parameters in the distributed ducted fan cooling fluid loop distribution method and hydrogen fuel cell temperature control method proposed in this invention can be adjusted according to the temperature control requirements of different models of hydrogen-powered aircraft.
[0030] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A distributed ducted fan cooling structure with adjustable heat dissipation capacity, characterized in that, include: The first cooling channel is embedded in each stationary guide vane of the ducted fan; The second cooling channel is embedded in the casing of the ducted fan, and multiple spaced first cooling channels are connected through the second cooling channel to form two cooling channels; the inlets of the two cooling channels are connected in parallel to the outlet of the cooling medium pipe of the hydrogen fuel cell stack of the aircraft, and the outlets of the two cooling channels are connected in parallel to the inlet of the cooling medium pipe of the hydrogen fuel cell stack of the aircraft. The drive pump is used to drive the medium from the outlet of the cooling working fluid pipe into the two cooling channels, and after being cooled by the stationary guide vanes and duct fan housing, it is circulated into the hydrogen fuel cell stack. And a temperature control module, which is used to control the opening and closing of one of the cooling channels or to control the power supply to the drive pump based on the outlet temperature of the cooling working fluid pipe of the hydrogen fuel cell stack and the preset temperature range.
2. The heat dissipation structure of a distributed ducted fan with adjustable heat dissipation capacity according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outlet of the cooling medium pipe is connected to two first sub-pipes via an inlet tee. The outlet of the first sub-pipe is connected to the inlet of the cooling channel via a conversion interface.
3. The distributed ducted fan cooling structure with adjustable heat dissipation capacity according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet of the cooling medium pipe is connected to two second sub-pipes via an outlet tee. The outlet of the second sub-pipe is connected to the outlet of the cooling channel via a conversion interface.
4. The heat dissipation structure of a distributed ducted fan with adjustable heat dissipation capacity according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ducted fan housing has symmetrical connecting lugs arranged radially, which are used to fix the ducted fan housing to the upper and lower base plates of the drone via screws.
5. The heat dissipation structure of a distributed ducted fan with adjustable heat dissipation capacity according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive pump is located on the cooling medium pipeline between the hydrogen fuel cell stack and the cooling medium pipeline outlet.
6. The heat dissipation structure of a distributed ducted fan with adjustable heat dissipation capacity according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first cooling channel is a serpentine cooling channel.
7. The heat dissipation structure of a distributed ducted fan with adjustable heat dissipation capacity according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature control module includes: Valves are installed on the two first sub-pipes; Temperature measurement module, which is used to measure the temperature of the cooling working fluid outlet of the hydrogen fuel cell stack; It also includes a control module, which controls the opening and closing of one of the valves or the power supply to the drive pump based on the outlet temperature of the cooling medium pipeline and a preset temperature range.
8. The heat dissipation structure of a distributed ducted fan with adjustable heat dissipation capacity according to claim 7, characterized in that, The temperature measurement module is a thermometer, which is installed on the cooling medium pipe between the drive pump and the hydrogen fuel cell stack.
9. The heat dissipation structure of a distributed ducted fan with adjustable heat dissipation capacity according to claim 7, characterized in that, The preset temperature thresholds are: a first temperature threshold, a second temperature threshold, and a third temperature threshold, which increase sequentially. The control module is used to control the drive pump to shut down and turn off the heat dissipation function when the aircraft enters the cruise phase if the outlet temperature is less than the first temperature threshold; if the outlet temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold and less than the second temperature threshold, it controls one of the valves to close to provide 50% heat dissipation function for the hydrogen fuel cell; if the outlet temperature is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold and less than the third temperature threshold, the control state remains unchanged. If the outlet temperature exceeds the third temperature threshold, the drive pump will be energized and two valves will be opened to provide full heat dissipation for the hydrogen fuel cell.
10. A temperature control method for a fuel cell stack, characterized in that, Temperature control is performed using the distributed ducted fan cooling structure with adjustable heat dissipation capacity as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the temperature control steps are as follows: During takeoff and climb, two valves are opened simultaneously to dissipate heat from the hydrogen fuel cell; When the aircraft enters the cruise phase, if the outlet temperature is less than the first temperature threshold, the drive pump is powered off and the heat dissipation function is turned off. If the outlet temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold and less than the second temperature threshold, one of the valves is closed to provide 50% heat dissipation to the hydrogen fuel cell. If the outlet temperature is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold and less than the third temperature threshold, the control state remains unchanged. If the outlet temperature exceeds the third temperature threshold, the drive pump will be energized and two valves will be opened to provide full heat dissipation for the hydrogen fuel cell.