A tandem dual-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle avionics system
By implementing a discrete control and dual backup power system, the problems of high backup battery load and insufficient flight control stability in the avionics system of tandem dual-rotor UAVs have been solved, enabling safe and reliable flight of the UAVs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NANJING AEROSPACE GUOQI INTELLIGENT EQUIP CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-09
AI Technical Summary
In the existing avionics systems of tandem dual-rotor UAVs, the backup battery pack, as the main power source, carries a significant load, and the cooling fan consumes a large amount of power, leading to insufficient power for the flight control system. This affects the stability and safety of the UAV, and the excessive load on the flight control system can easily cause operational hazards.
The system adopts a discrete control method, separating the power supply of the communication control equipment and the power auxiliary equipment in the avionics system. It sets up a dual backup power system, which consists of a generator, an ACDC airborne power supply, a starting battery and a backup battery, to ensure a stable and reliable power supply for the flight control. Easily interfered signals are concentrated in the control acquisition box, and RS232 and RS422 standard interfaces and CAN bus communication are used.
It simplifies the complexity of the avionics system, increases the payload capacity of the UAV, ensures the stability and safety of the flight control system, reduces interference with flight control operation, and improves the safety performance of the UAV.
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Figure CN122166355A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and more specifically to an avionics system for a tandem dual-rotor UAV. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, tandem rotor UAVs are developing towards larger payloads and longer endurance, which constantly upgrades the requirements for UAV avionics systems. Numerous avionics devices have complex functions, are diverse in type, and are intricately interconnected. It is necessary to determine a minimum avionics system that can meet the basic flight requirements of tandem rotor UAVs, simplify the complexity of the avionics system, and improve the stability of UAV flight.
[0003] Tandem-rotor UAVs typically use engines as the primary power source for their rotors, with avionics systems serving as auxiliary systems to support engine power output, control the UAV's normal flight, and receive timely flight feedback. Traditional avionics systems generally employ a generator as the main power source and a battery pack as a backup. The main power source operates after the engine starts, relying on the backup battery for primary power output before engine startup. This places a significant load on the single backup battery pack as the power source for the entire avionics system. Furthermore, the UAV's cooling fan, as the main power source in the avionics system, consumes a large portion of the backup battery's power. This results in insufficient power for the flight controller—a core component for the UAV's normal operation—to maintain normal functioning. Consequently, when the system malfunctions and requires backup power, the flight controller cannot support emergency control measures, seriously jeopardizing flight safety. In addition, the concentration of the entire UAV's control in a single flight controller component leads to a heavy load on the controller, and direct connections between some easily interfered components and the flight controller can cause malfunctions in its operation, affecting the UAV's operational stability. Therefore, improving the stability of flight controller operation is crucial for ensuring safe UAV flight. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This invention addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing an avionics system for a tandem dual-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). It identifies the minimum avionics system required for the normal flight of a tandem dual-rotor UAV, clarifies the key components for UAV flight, and proposes a solution to improve the reliability and stability of UAV flight control.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention discloses the following technical solution: A tandem dual-rotor UAV avionics system, characterized by comprising a starter motor, engine, generator, AC-CDC onboard power supply, starting battery, first battery, second battery, rotary switch, toggle switch, ECU, air-cooled fan, water-cooled fan, control acquisition box, flight controller, radio, gyroscope, servo motor, temperature sensor, fuel level sensor, receiver, light panel, and airspeed indicator; the generator is connected to the first interface of the AC-CDC onboard power supply; the flight controller, radio, gyroscope, control acquisition box, and servo motor are collectively referred to as communication control equipment, the positive terminals of the power input terminals of each device and the positive terminals of the second interface of the AC-CDC onboard power supply are connected to pin 1 of the toggle switch, and the positive terminal of the first battery is connected to pin 2 of the toggle switch. The negative terminal of the power input of the communication control equipment, the negative terminal of the second interface of the ACDC airborne power supply, and the negative terminal of the first battery are connected. The air-cooled fan, water-cooled fan, and ECU are collectively referred to as power auxiliary equipment. The positive terminals of the power inputs of each device and the positive terminals of the third interface of the ACDC airborne power supply are connected to pin 1 of the rotary switch. The positive terminal of the second battery is connected to pin 2 of the rotary switch. The negative terminals of the power input, the negative terminals of the third interface of the ACDC airborne power supply, and the negative terminals of the second battery are connected. The temperature sensor, fuel level sensor, receiver, and light board are connected to the flight control communication interface. The starter battery and starter motor are connected via cables and connectors. The airspeed meter is integrated into the control acquisition box circuit. Preferably, the generator serves as the main power source for the UAV, and the first battery and the second battery together form the backup power source for the UAV. Preferably, the backup power supply for the drone is connected to the main power supply, and the backup power supply can be charged by the main power supply; Preferably, the starting battery and the starting motor are detachable via connectors; Preferably, the power lines of the communication control equipment and the power lines of the power auxiliary equipment are wired separately and can be operated independently in different time periods through a toggle switch and a rotary switch; Preferably, the control signals that have little impact on flight and are prone to interference, such as the air-cooled fan control signal, water-cooled fan control signal, and airspeed indicator signal, are concentrated in the control acquisition box and controlled separately from the flight control. Preferably, the cable connection between the radio, gyroscope, acquisition control box, servo motor, and receiver equipment and the flight control communication is a direct soldering mode, while the cable connection between the temperature sensor, oil level sensor, and light board equipment and the flight control communication is a connector connection mode. Preferably, the connectors for connecting the flight controller, gyroscope, and radio equipment to the cables are selected from those with threaded connections; Preferably, the gyroscope, radio, acquisition and control box, receiver and light board device use serial communication, and the interface adopts RS232 and RS422 standard interface, and the servo motor uses CAN bus communication. The beneficial effects provided by this invention are as follows: This UAV avionics system simplifies the complexity of UAV equipment by clearly defining the avionics equipment necessary for normal UAV flight, thereby effectively improving the UAV's payload capacity. Simultaneously, the system provides a dual-backup power system, separating the power supplies for the air-cooled fan, water-cooled fan, and ECU power auxiliary equipment from the power supplies for communication and control equipment such as the flight controller. This ensures a stable and reliable power supply for the UAV's core control component, the flight controller, further guaranteeing flight safety. Furthermore, by centralizing control signals that have minimal impact on normal UAV flight and are prone to interference in the control acquisition box, the stability of the flight control system is significantly improved. The entire avionics system is simple in design, with clear interconnections between devices, maximizing the stability of the flight control system and further enhancing UAV flight safety. Attached Figure Description
[0006] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the avionics system module connection of a tandem dual-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the power supply system for a tandem dual-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) avionics system according to the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the communication control system of a tandem dual-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to the present invention. The components include: 1. Starter motor; 2. Engine; 3. Generator; 4. Starter battery; 5. First battery; 6. AC / DC onboard power supply; 7. Second battery; 8. Gear shifter; 9. Rotary switch; 10. Servo; 11. Gyroscope; 12. Radio; 13. Flight controller; 14. Control acquisition box; 15. Air-cooled fan; 16. Water-cooled fan; 17. ECU; 18. Light board; 19. Receiver; 20. Fuel level sensor; 21. Temperature sensor; 22. Airspeed indicator. Detailed Implementation
[0007] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0008] The core of this invention is to provide a tandem dual-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) avionics system, which clarifies the minimum avionics system required for normal UAV flight and improves UAV flight safety by improving the power system operation scheme and discrete control methods.
[0009] like Figure 1-3As shown, a tandem dual-rotor UAV avionics system includes an engine 2, a generator 3, an ACCDC onboard power supply 6, a first battery pack 5, a second battery pack 7, a rotary switch 9, a toggle switch 8, an ECU 17, an air-cooled fan 15, a water-cooled fan 16, a control acquisition box 14, a flight controller 13, a radio 12, a gyroscope 11, a servo motor 10, a temperature sensor 21, a fuel level sensor 20, a receiver 19, a light panel 18, and an airspeed indicator 22. The generator 3 is connected to the first interface of the ACCDC onboard power supply 6 as the main power input of the avionics system. The flight controller 13, radio 12, gyroscope 11, acquisition control box 14, and servo motor 10 serve as communication control devices. The positive terminals of the power inputs of each device and the positive terminals of the second interface of the ACCDC onboard power supply 6 are connected to the toggle switch 8. Pin 1 of the rotary switch 9 is connected to the first battery 5. The positive terminal of the first battery 5 is connected to pin 2 of the toggle switch 8. The negative terminal of the power input terminal of the communication control equipment, the negative terminal of the second interface of the ACDC airborne power supply 6, and the negative terminal of the first battery 5 are connected. The first battery 5 serves as a backup battery for the avionics equipment. The air-cooled fan 15, water-cooled fan 16, and ECU 17 serve as power auxiliary equipment. The positive terminals of the power input terminals of each device and the positive terminals of the third interface of the ACDC airborne power supply 6 are connected to pin 1 of the rotary switch 9. The positive terminal of the second battery 7 is connected to pin 2 of the rotary switch 9. The negative terminals of the power input terminal of the power equipment, the negative terminals of the third interface of the ACDC airborne power supply 6, and the negative terminal of the second battery 7 are connected. The second battery 7 serves as a backup battery for the power equipment. The starter battery 4 is connected to the starter motor 1 via cables and connectors. Generator 3 serves as the main power source for the UAV, while the first battery 5 and the second battery 7 together form the UAV's backup power source. The backup power source is connected to the main power source and can be charged by the main power source. The starting battery 4 is connected to the starter motor 1 via a connector, allowing the starting battery 4 to be detached from the airframe. The power lines for the communication control equipment and the auxiliary power equipment are separately wired and operate independently in different time slots via a toggle switch 8 and a rotary switch 9. Control signals with minimal impact on flight and prone to interference, such as the control signals for the air-cooled fan 15, the water-cooled fan 16, and the airspeed indicator 22, are concentrated in the control acquisition box 14, separate from the flight controller 13. Control: The communication cables between the radio 12, gyroscope 11, data acquisition and control box 14, servo motor 10, and receiver 19 and the flight controller 13 are directly soldered. The communication cables between the temperature sensor 21, oil level sensor 20, and light board 18 and the flight controller 13 are connector-connected. The connectors for the flight controller 13, gyroscope 11, and radio 12 are threaded connectors. The gyroscope 11, radio 12, data acquisition and control box 14, receiver 19, and light board 18 use serial communication with RS232 and RS422 standard interfaces. The servo motor 10 uses CAN bus communication. It should be noted that the key avionics components required for a tandem dual-rotor UAV include: communication and control equipment: flight controller 13 (the core communication and control equipment for UAV flight, responsible for UAV feedback information collection, information processing, control signal generation, and control command transmission), control acquisition box 14 (a communication and control equipment separate from the flight controller, responsible for UAV signal collection, command reception, and control signal generation), radio 12 (a key component for UAV-to-ground wireless communication), gyroscope 11 (an important device for determining UAV attitude, flight heading, and flight position), servo motor 10 (a key device for controlling flight direction), receiver 19 (an important device for UAV control on the ground), light panel 18 (a key device for storing UAV flight information), temperature sensor 21, and fuel level sensor 20 (providing feedback on engine operation). Key information equipment); power auxiliary equipment: air-cooled fan 15 and water-cooled fan 16 (important components that reduce engine operating temperature and affect engine operation), ECU 17 (key electrical control equipment for engine operation); power system: generator 3 (main power supply for UAV), first battery 5 (backup battery for communication control equipment), second battery 7 (backup battery for power auxiliary equipment), ACDC airborne power supply 6 (voltage conversion module, used to output voltage that meets the requirements of UAV), rotary switch 9 (power auxiliary equipment power control device), toggle switch 8 (power control device for communication control equipment), starter battery 4 (key equipment for starting the starter motor); the above components are the key equipment necessary to ensure the normal flight of the tandem rotor UAV, and the entire avionics system is the minimum avionics system required for UAV flight.
[0010] It should be noted that the first battery 5 and the second battery 7 only supply power to the avionics system and assist the engine 2 in starting before the generator 3 starts. After the engine 2 starts, it drives the generator 3 to operate and generate the main power for the avionics system. The first battery 5 and the second battery 7 then exit the working state and the main power supply charges the two backup batteries, providing backup power for the normal flight of the UAV. This avoids the communication control equipment and power auxiliary equipment from failing to operate normally due to a failure of the main power supply during normal flight, which would endanger the flight safety of the UAV. In addition, separating the power auxiliary equipment and communication control equipment, which consume a lot of power, improves the reliability of the flight control 13 and enhances the safety performance of the UAV.
[0011] It should be noted that the airspeed indicator 22 module is built into the control acquisition box 14. The airspeed signal displays the drone's flight speed during flight, and its failure has minimal impact on the drone's safe return. Therefore, it is centrally located within the control acquisition box. The air-cooled fan 15 and water-cooled fan 16 are used for engine cooling. Their operation consumes significant power and generates substantial current in the cables, which can easily affect the operation of control equipment. Therefore, the control signals of the air-cooled fan 15 and water-cooled fan 16 are centralized in the control acquisition box, further reducing the burden on flight control operations, minimizing flight control interference, and improving drone flight safety. Key equipment for flight safety includes: radio 12, gyroscope 11, receiver 19, control acquisition box 14, servo motor 10, flight controller 13, and power system. Therefore, these devices are connected by direct soldering to ensure cable reliability. Other less affected components are connected using connectors. Furthermore, the use of threaded connectors improves the operational stability of key equipment (flight controller 13, gyroscope 11, and radio 12). In addition, the adoption of RS232 and RS422 interface standards, as well as CAN bus communication, further enhances the stability of flight control operation. Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. 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 tandem dual-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) avionics system, characterized in that, Includes starter motor, engine, generator, AC / DC onboard power supply, starting battery, first battery, second battery, rotary switch, toggle switch, ECU, air-cooled fan, water-cooled fan, control acquisition box, flight controller, radio, gyroscope, servo motor, temperature sensor, fuel level sensor, receiver, light board, and airspeed meter; The generator is connected to the first interface of the ACDC airborne power supply. The flight controller, radio, gyroscope, control acquisition box and servo motor are collectively referred to as communication control equipment. The positive terminal of the power input terminal of each device and the positive terminal of the second interface of the ACCDC airborne power supply are connected to pin 1 of the toggle switch. The positive terminal of the first battery is connected to pin 2 of the toggle switch. The negative terminal of the power input terminal of the communication control equipment, the negative terminal of the second interface of the ACCDC airborne power supply and the negative terminal of the first battery are connected. The air-cooled fan, water-cooled fan, and ECU are collectively referred to as power auxiliary equipment. The positive terminals of the power input terminals of each equipment and the positive terminals of the third interface of the ACDC airborne power supply are connected to pin 1 of the rotary switch. The positive terminal of the second battery is connected to pin 2 of the rotary switch. The negative terminals of the power input terminals of the power equipment, the negative terminals of the third interface of the ACDC airborne power supply, and the negative terminals of the second battery are connected. The temperature sensor, oil level sensor, receiver, and light board are connected to the flight control communication interface; The starting battery and the starting motor are connected by cables and connectors; The airspeed meter is integrated into the control acquisition box circuit.
2. The tandem dual-rotor UAV avionics system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The generator serves as the main power source for the drone, while the first and second batteries together form the drone's backup power source.
3. The tandem dual-rotor UAV avionics system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drone's backup power supply is connected to the main power supply, and the backup power supply can be charged by the main power supply.
4. The tandem dual-rotor UAV avionics system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The starting battery and the starting motor are detachable via connectors.
5. The tandem dual-rotor UAV avionics system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power lines for communication control equipment and auxiliary power equipment are wired separately and can operate independently in different time slots via toggle switches and rotary switches.
6. The tandem dual-rotor UAV avionics system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Control signals that have minimal impact on flight and are prone to interference, such as air-cooled fan control signals, water-cooled fan control signals, and airspeed indicator signals, are concentrated in the control acquisition box and controlled separately from the flight control system.
7. The tandem dual-rotor UAV avionics system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cables connecting the radio, gyroscope, data acquisition and control box, servo motor, and receiver to the flight control communication system are directly soldered, while the cables connecting the temperature sensor, oil level sensor, and light board to the flight control communication system are plug-in connections.
8. The tandem dual-rotor UAV avionics system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Connectors for connecting flight controllers, gyroscopes, and radio equipment to cables should be threaded connectors.
9. The tandem dual-rotor UAV avionics system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gyroscope, radio, acquisition control box, receiver, and light board equipment use serial communication, with RS232 and RS422 standard interfaces. The servo motor uses CAN bus communication.
10. A tandem dual-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) avionics system, characterized in that, Includes the avionics system as described in any one of claims 1-9.