Full-automatic airplane pylon warehouse system

Abstract

The full-automatic, efficient, safe and complete aircraft pylon warehouse system is designed, the aircraft pylon warehouse system can be used for storing aircraft pylon of various types and sizes in a high-density mode, the storage condition and the state of each pylon can be comprehensively monitored in real time, an efficient warehouse-in and warehouse-out scheme can be planned according to the storage requirement and the task use requirement, full-automatic execution is conducted according to the scheme, and the working efficiency is improved. And multiple safety protection means are designed, so that on the basis of ensuring the safety, the efficiency of guaranteeing the aircraft pylon is effectively improved, and the preparation time for launching the aircraft is shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft ground support facilities and equipment technology, and in particular to a fully automated aircraft rack system. Background Technology

[0002] Aircraft pylons are crucial equipment for aircraft used to carry various mission payloads such as missiles and pods. Aircraft pylons are typically stored in ground warehouses and retrieved before missions, based on mission requirements and payload needs. Furthermore, when an aircraft undergoes a mission configuration change, different pylons are required; the original pylons must be stored in the warehouse, and the necessary pylons must be retrieved to accommodate different mission payloads. Therefore, the primary function of an aircraft pylon warehouse is to store aircraft pylons, retrieve them as needed before missions, return them after missions, and manage the storage status of the pylons.

[0003] The efficient operation of aircraft racks is a crucial factor in ensuring aircraft loading requirements, shortening aircraft deployment time, and facilitating mission configuration changes.

[0004] Traditional rack warehouses have a low degree of automation, only equipped with storage racks and transfer equipment. They require manual storage, retrieval and management of the required racks according to the task, which has problems such as high difficulty in ensuring security, a large number of personnel required for security, long storage and retrieval time, difficulty in status management, and potential safety hazards. In addition, existing commercial automated warehouses are mainly used in equipment manufacturing and logistics transportation, enabling efficient flow of goods. However, aircraft pylons differ significantly from existing industrial and commercial goods storage and transfer methods, mainly in the following aspects: ① Complex pylon outbound schemes: The type and quantity of pylons to be outbound must be determined based on the aircraft's flight mission, resulting in significant differences in the outbound scheme each time, requiring the development of complex outbound plans; ② High timeliness requirements: The outbound time of aircraft pylons directly affects the aircraft's takeoff preparation time, which is crucial to ensuring rapid aircraft deployment; ③ High safety requirements: Pylons are external aircraft attachments, and they typically carry weapons and equipment with pyrotechnics. Their condition affects aircraft flight safety, and storage and transfer must ensure high safety; ④ Diverse pylon types and high storage density: Pylon warehouses need to store pylons of various weights and sizes. Storage racks and transfer equipment must be compatible with multiple types of pylons, and storage schemes must be rationally designed to store as many different types of pylons as possible in a limited space; ⑤ Requires full life-cycle status monitoring: Since aircraft pylons are reusable products, their technical status needs to be managed throughout their entire life cycle to ensure good service performance. Therefore, existing automated warehouse solutions cannot meet the requirements for storing and retrieving aircraft racks.

[0005] Given the high timeliness, strong safety requirements, and large number of different types of aircraft pylons, as well as the high degree of coupling between the pylon outbound scheme and the aircraft's mission execution, a targeted design for the aircraft pylon warehouse is needed to achieve high-density storage, high-safety transportation, and efficient outbound of aircraft pylons. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, in order to solve the problems of cumbersome operation, low efficiency, and low level of informatization and automation in existing aircraft rack storage systems, this invention proposes a technical solution for a fully automated aircraft rack storage system:

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A fully automated aircraft rack storage system includes: an aircraft rack storage management system, a monitoring and scheduling system, a mobile three-dimensional storage rack, and an automated guided forklift, etc.

[0009] The aircraft rack storage management system comprises a system server, a management computer, a label printer, a wireless data collector, network switching equipment, a handheld barcode scanner, and supporting management software. The system provides unified management of all racks in the rack storage facility, enabling the generation and management of information related to rack entry, retrieval, exit, storage, and inventory. It also features rack storage plan generation, rack status and information statistics, and rack exit plan generation. The server serves as the data storage and computing center for the management system, storing all data, including basic system data, rack status information, rack inventory lists, rack status information, and automated guided vehicle (AGV) availability information. It responds to management computer service requests, generates rack storage and exit plans, and updates status information. The management computer serves as a user-operated and display terminal, used for task information input, rack status information input, generating label printing instructions, wireless data access, and scanning information access, and for sending storage and retrieval plans to the monitoring and dispatch system. The label printer responds to control computer commands and prints aircraft rack information labels. The wireless data collector collects status information from storage racks and automated guided forklifts in the rack warehouse. The network switching device forwards and exchanges data between terminal nodes in the rack warehouse. The handheld barcode scanner scans and reads rack label information. The rack storage plan generation function is implemented as follows: the system identifies available storage locations based on rack status information; automatically generates corresponding storage locations for each rack based on the received rack type and quantity, rack usage frequency, and retrieval efficiency; and optimizes the forklift entry path and rack movement sequence based on rack status information and automated guided forklift availability information to complete the rack storage plan. The steps for implementing the rack status and information statistics function are as follows: rack status is entered by scanning rack tags and modified according to actual conditions; a rack storage list is generated by collecting rack status information; and a rack warehouse information statistics report is generated based on the storage list and rack status. The steps for implementing the rack outbound plan generation function are as follows: the system receives aircraft deployment tasks, automatically generates the type and quantity of racks to be outbound based on the aircraft's payload type and loading plan; the system optimizes the forklift outbound travel path and rack movement sequence based on the storage list, rack status, rack status information, and automatic guide forklift availability information to complete the outbound plan.

[0010] The monitoring and dispatching system comprises a main control computer, a display, wireless communication equipment, an audible alarm, and supporting software. It serves as the control center for the movable, three-dimensional storage racks and automated guided forklifts in the rack warehouse. The system receives rack storage and retrieval plans from the aircraft rack warehouse management system and decomposes these plans to the storage racks and forklifts. Through wireless communication, the system transmits the decomposed mobile storage rack movement commands and forklift driving, turning, picking, and lifting control commands to each executing device in real time. It also collects and monitors the real-time operation of each device in the rack warehouse, displaying the rack warehouse's operation in animation. After a forklift has stored or retrieved a rack and exited the aisle, the storage rack can be moved as needed, reducing forklift waiting time and improving storage and retrieval efficiency. The system handles delays and other delays for faults such as path conflicts during task execution. In cases of potential safety anomalies, the audible alarm issues a safety warning.

[0011] The movable three-dimensional storage rack includes shelves, tracks, wireless communication equipment, control system, safety devices and anti-collision devices, etc., and is a terminal execution device such as a storage rack. The automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) adopts a multi-layer, multi-row structure layout based on available warehouse space and rack dimensions. It features a laterally movable design to accommodate forklifts and allow for safe clearance, with the first and last racks being fixed in place. A frequently used aisle is provided between the first two racks at the top, designed to hold frequently used racks. This aisle is normally open and reopens after inbound and outbound operations, improving the efficiency of frequently used rack storage. The racks utilize a linkage system, allowing multiple racks to move simultaneously for increased efficiency. The racks are made of Q235B material, meeting the strength requirements for dense aircraft rack storage. The racks consist of universal supports with wear-resistant rubber seats. The shape of the rubber seats is determined by the rack shape and support position, and can be square, cylindrical, or rectangular, supporting the conversion of rack types and adapting to various aircraft rack types. Pressure sensors on the rubber seats report arrival signals upon arrival of goods. High-performance steel wheels are used at the bottom of the racks, with tracks embedded in the warehouse floor for efficient movement. Wireless communication equipment receives instructions from the monitoring and dispatching system and sends rack status information. The control system is set to automatic / manual / emergency modes. In automatic mode, remote automatic control and movement are achieved through the monitoring and dispatching system; in manual mode, local control is achieved through personnel operating the external panel and buttons; in emergency mode, activation occurs in case of equipment failure, backup power failure, or emergency power outage, and movement and retrieval are achieved through manual opening mechanisms. The safety devices of the automated storage and retrieval system include an opening / entry aisle interlock device, a power interlock device, overload protection, an emergency stop button, and audible and visual alarms during movement. The opening / entry aisle interlock device protects the work aisle through a photoelectric detection switch; the power interlock device ensures that all storage racks are powered before rack movement; when the motor of a mobile storage rack is overloaded, overload protection is triggered, the motor stops running, the rack remains stationary, a buzzer on the rack sounds an alarm, and the monitoring and dispatching system interface displays an overload protection warning; pressing the emergency stop button cuts off the rack power, stopping the rack and triggering an alarm; during rack movement, a buzzer on the moving rack sounds, accompanied by a flashing green light, and an audible and visual alarm is triggered upon completion of the movement. The anti-collision device includes flexible guardrails and anti-collision warning devices, which fully ensure that the racks do not collide with each other during use and do not cause damage to forklifts or personnel.

[0012] The automated guided forklift includes a drive motor, steering motor, drive controller, steering controller, positioning lidar, bottom obstacle avoidance radar, vertical obstacle avoidance camera, rack positioning radar, battery, wireless communication equipment, variable width forks, and a chassis. It features autonomous omnidirectional driving, precise location recognition, automatic vertical lifting and retrieval, and active obstacle avoidance, ensuring safe and reliable transport and retrieval of racks. The automated guided forklift receives control commands from the monitoring and dispatching system via wireless communication equipment and autonomously drives according to the required path. During travel, lidar is used for positioning. Upon reaching the designated rack location, the rack positioning radar precisely locates the relative position of the rack to be stored or retrieved, autonomously completing the rack storage and retrieval. To ensure high safety, multiple safety protection designs are adopted: non-contact obstacle avoidance, using vertical obstacle avoidance cameras and bottom obstacle avoidance radar to detect obstacles and personnel around the forklift, and autonomously adjust the driving speed according to the current driving speed and relative distance; equipped with driving warning lights, side marker lights and voice player to provide advance warning of the forklift's surroundings; equipped with a safety anti-collision contact edge at the front, which will immediately stop the forklift by squeezing the contact safety protection device in extreme situations, and the vehicle's red light will illuminate and an alarm will sound; equipped with a safety emergency stop button, in an emergency, manually pressing the emergency stop button will immediately brake the vehicle to stop, ensuring the safety of the vehicle and personnel.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0014] This invention designs a fully automated, efficient, safe, and complete aircraft rack storage system, which can be used for high-density storage of aircraft racks of various types and sizes. It can monitor the storage status and the condition of each rack in real time and comprehensively. It can plan efficient inbound and outbound schemes according to storage needs and mission requirements, and execute the schemes fully automatically. It is designed with multiple safety protection measures to effectively improve the efficiency of aircraft rack support and reduce aircraft preparation time while ensuring safety.

[0015] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the layout of a fully automated aircraft rack storage system;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a square strip-shaped hanging storage rack structure;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a cylindrical hanging storage rack structure;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a flat rectangular hanging storage rack structure.

[0020] The meanings of the labels in the attached diagram are listed below:

[0021] 1. Aircraft rack storage management system; 2. Monitoring and dispatching system; 3. Mobile automated storage and retrieval system; 4. Automated guided forklifts. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0023] The present invention provides a fully automated aircraft rack storage system suitable for the storage, retrieval and status monitoring of aircraft racks. It includes an aircraft rack storage management system 1, a monitoring and scheduling system 2, two rows of movable three-dimensional storage racks 3, and two automated guided forklifts 4.

[0024] See the layout diagram of the fully automated aircraft rack system. Figure 1 .

[0025] The aircraft rack warehouse management system consists of a system server, a management computer, a label printer, a wireless data collector, a network switching device, and two handheld barcode scanners. It enables unified management of all racks in the rack warehouse and has functions such as generating and managing information on rack entry, retrieval, exit, storage, and inventory, as well as rack status monitoring.

[0026] The monitoring and dispatching system consists of a main control computer, a monitor, a wireless communication device, and an audible alarm, enabling control of the movable three-dimensional storage racks and automated guided forklifts in the rack warehouse.

[0027] Two rows of movable automated storage racks are arranged on both sides of the hanging rack storage unit. Each row contains six rows, with the middle four rows movable individually or in tandem. The first and second rows store frequently used hanging racks, and the aisle between the first and second rows is always open for easy access to frequently used racks. See also... Figure 2-4 The storage rack is designed in three shapes: square, cylindrical, and flat, and can accommodate 12 types of aircraft racks. A single automated guided forklift can be equipped with a double-layer storage rack.

[0028] After completing their tasks, the two automated guided forklifts automatically drive to the top of the warehouse to wait for instructions to store and retrieve items from the racks.

[0029] The specific implementation method is as follows:

[0030] I. Aircraft rack storage procedures

[0031] Step 1: Storage Plan Generation. When aircraft racks need to be stored, the racks to be stored are entered into the aircraft rack storage management system computer using a barcode scanner or manually. The management computer then sends the storage information to the server. Based on the current status of the rack storage, the server automatically allocates storage locations and generates a rack storage plan.

[0032] Step two: The monitoring and scheduling system assigns tasks. The server transmits the inbound plan back to the management computer, which then sends the plan to the monitoring and scheduling system. The system breaks down the plan into forklift and mobile storage rack operation instructions.

[0033] Step 3: Execute the warehousing process. The monitoring and scheduling system sends operating instructions to the forklift and mobile storage rack via wireless communication equipment, controlling the mobile storage rack and forklift to work synchronously.

[0034] Step four, status information update. Once storage is complete, the storage rack transmits the information back to the aircraft rack management system via wireless transmission equipment, and the management system updates the storage information.

[0035] II. Aircraft racks are removed from the warehouse.

[0036] Step 1: Outbound Plan Generation. When rack outbound is required, the number of aircraft to be dispatched, the type and quantity of payloads carried by each aircraft are entered into the management computer. The management computer then sends the request to the server. The server decomposes the rack requirements based on the demand and the payload loading schemes for each type of payload, obtaining the required rack types and quantities. Then, based on the storage status of racks in the rack warehouse, forklift travel paths, and the number of rack moves, an outbound plan is generated according to the principle of minimizing time.

[0037] Step two: The monitoring and scheduling system assigns tasks. The server transmits the outbound plan back to the management computer, which then sends the outbound plan to the monitoring and scheduling system. The monitoring and scheduling system breaks down the outbound plan into forklift and mobile storage rack operation instructions.

[0038] Step 3: Execute the warehousing process. The monitoring and scheduling system sends operating instructions to the forklift and mobile storage rack via wireless communication equipment, controlling the mobile storage rack and forklift to work synchronously.

[0039] Step four, status information update. After the outbound process is completed, the storage rack transmits the information back to the aircraft rack storage management system via wireless transmission equipment, and the management system updates the storage information. The above description is an example of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the parts not described in detail are common knowledge to those skilled in the art. The scope of protection of the present invention is determined by the content of the claims, and any equivalent modifications made based on the technical teachings of the present invention are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automated aircraft rack storage system, characterized in that, This includes an aircraft rack storage management system, a monitoring and scheduling system, mobile automated storage and retrieval systems, and automated guided forklifts; The handheld barcode scanner is used to scan and read the rack tag information and send it to the aircraft rack warehouse management system to complete the rack status entry. The aircraft rack storage management system is used to obtain real-time status information of mobile three-dimensional storage racks, identify available storage locations, and automatically generate corresponding storage locations for each rack based on the type and quantity of racks to be stored, as well as rack usage frequency and outbound efficiency. Based on rack status information and automatic guide forklift availability information, it optimizes the forklift entry path and rack movement sequence information, generates rack storage plans, and sends them to the monitoring and scheduling system. The aircraft rack warehouse management system is also used to receive aircraft deployment tasks, automatically generate the type and quantity of racks to be retrieved based on the aircraft's load type and loading plan; and optimize the forklift retrieval route and rack movement sequence based on the real-time storage list, rack status, rack status information, and automatic guide forklift availability information, complete the retrieval plan, and send it to the monitoring and dispatch system. The monitoring and dispatching system is used to receive rack storage plans and rack retrieval plans issued by the aircraft rack storage management system, and to control the mobile three-dimensional storage rack and automatic guided forklift to execute the corresponding plans. The movable three-dimensional storage rack is equipped with multiple shelves for storing aircraft racks. The position of the shelves on the movable three-dimensional storage rack can be moved under the control of the monitoring and scheduling system, so that the designated shelf can be moved to the designated position. The automated guided forklift is used to move aircraft racks to designated storage locations on the mobile automated storage rack for storage, or to move aircraft racks from designated locations on the mobile automated storage rack to designated destinations for retrieval, according to instructions from the monitoring and scheduling system.

2. The fully automated aircraft rack storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The monitoring and dispatching system includes a main control computer, a display, wireless communication equipment, an audio alarm, and a supporting monitoring terminal. The monitoring and dispatching system is used to receive rack storage plans and rack retrieval plans issued by the aircraft rack storage management system, decompose the plans into corresponding mobile three-dimensional storage racks and forklift execution instructions, and send them to the corresponding execution devices. The monitoring and dispatching system is also used to collect real-time monitoring data on the operation of each device in the rack warehouse through wireless communication equipment, and to display the rack warehouse operation status in the form of animation. It is also used to activate the sound alarm to issue a safety warning when the system fails.

3. The fully automated aircraft rack storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable three-dimensional storage rack adopts a multi-layer, multi-column structural layout and a design that can move laterally; The movable three-dimensional storage rack has multiple racks arranged in an array, with forklift passageways between different racks. Frequently used aisles are set according to the usage frequency of the racks, and frequently used racks are placed on both sides of the frequently used aisles. The frequently used aisles are set to be always open. The movable three-dimensional storage rack adopts a linkage mode, and multiple storage racks can move simultaneously. The rack uses a general bracket with wear-resistant rubber base. The wear-resistant rubber base is equipped with a pressure-sensitive position sensor, which is used to detect whether the lowest limit position has been reached. The movable three-dimensional storage rack is equipped with steel wheels, and the corresponding track of the steel wheels is buried under the warehouse floor to achieve coordinated movement. Wireless communication equipment is used to receive instructions from the monitoring and dispatching system and send real-time status information of the racks to the aircraft rack warehouse management system.

4. The fully automated aircraft rack storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable three-dimensional storage rack has square, cylindrical, or flat rectangular support positions to adapt to various types of aircraft racks.

5. The fully automated aircraft rack storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The automated guided forklift is equipped with a positioning lidar, a bottom obstacle avoidance radar, a vertical obstacle avoidance camera, a rack positioning radar, wireless communication equipment, and variable-width forks. The automated guided forklift receives control commands from the monitoring and dispatching system via the wireless communication equipment and autonomously travels according to the required path. During travel, lidar is used for positioning. Upon reaching the designated storage rack location, the rack positioning radar activates and accurately locates the relative position of the rack to be stored or retrieved, autonomously completing the rack storage and retrieval. The vertical obstacle avoidance camera and bottom obstacle avoidance radar detect obstacles around the forklift. The automated guided forklift can also autonomously adjust its travel speed based on its current speed and relative distance to the movable three-dimensional storage rack.

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