An intelligent aerial refueling system and method

Abstract

This invention provides an intelligent aerial refueling system and method, belonging to the field of aerial refueling technology. The system includes a tanker aircraft and a receiver aircraft. The tanker aircraft includes a refueling device, an intelligent agent management and refueling control system, and a mission information system. The receiver aircraft includes a receiving device and a flight management and control system. The mission information system detects and identifies the receiver aircraft and measures its position information, generating a refueling mission plan based on the position information and receiver aircraft status information. The intelligent agent management and refueling control system controls the refueling device to dock with the receiver aircraft's receiving device and execute the refueling mission or terminate refueling based on the refueling mission plan generated by the mission information system or a command to terminate the refueling mission. This invention can replace traditional pilots, enabling autonomous planning of refueling missions, autonomous judgment and assessment of special situations, and autonomous decision-making to provide handling solutions, thus improving the intelligence level of aerial refueling technology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aerial refueling technology, and specifically relates to an intelligent aerial refueling system and aerial refueling method. Background Technology

[0002] Aerial refueling technology, whether soft or hard refueling, is highly mature, but most operations involve manned refueling, with unmanned refueling being relatively rare. Unmanned aerial refueling, lacking human intervention, cannot respond to emergencies in a timely manner, resulting in higher risks during refueling missions. Furthermore, the close proximity of the tanker and receiver aircraft during docking or refueling makes it impossible to assess or handle any perceived emergencies or risks, leading to a lower success rate for refueling missions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent aerial refueling system and method to solve or mitigate at least one of the problems in the prior art.

[0004] On one hand, the technical solution of the present invention is: an intelligent aerial refueling system, comprising a tanker aircraft and a receiver aircraft, wherein the tanker aircraft includes a refueling device, an intelligent agent management and refueling control system, and a mission information system, and the receiver aircraft includes a receiving device and a flight management and control system, wherein:

[0005] The task information system is used to detect and identify the receiving aircraft and measure its location information, and to generate a refueling task plan based on the location information and the receiving aircraft's status information.

[0006] The intelligent agent management and refueling control system is used to generate refueling task plans or terminate refueling task instructions based on the task information system, control the refueling device to connect with the receiving device of the receiving machine and execute the refueling task or terminate refueling.

[0007] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the refueling machine and the receiving machine are manned or unmanned aircraft.

[0008] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the refueling device is a soft or hard refueling device, and the oil receiving device is a soft or hard oil receiving device adapted to the refueling device.

[0009] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the intelligent agent management and refueling control system includes an intelligent agent management system and a refueling control system;

[0010] The intelligent agent management system is used to autonomously manage the overall status of the fuel dispenser based on the intelligent agent, and to execute or terminate the current fueling task according to the fueling task plan or the instruction to terminate the current fueling task given by the task information system.

[0011] The refueling control system is used to control the refueling device to automatically perform refueling operations or terminate refueling operations according to the refueling command or refueling termination command issued by the intelligent agent management system.

[0012] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the mission information system includes a detection device and an intelligent agent mission planning system. The detection device is used to identify the receiving aircraft at long and short distances, and at the same time to measure the position information of the receiving device of the receiving aircraft at short distances.

[0013] The intelligent agent task planning system includes an intelligent agent expert, who is used to perform comprehensive situational awareness and processing based on the target information of the receiving aircraft detected by the detection equipment. At the same time, the expert plans the refueling task based on the receiving aircraft's status information, fuel quantity information, and situational information, and performs efficiency evaluation to generate the optimal refueling task plan.

[0014] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the intelligent agent expert can also autonomously judge and evaluate the success rate of the refueling task and the safety impact of the external situation on the refueling machine when there is an external situation based on the real-time situation information perceived by the detection device. If the success rate of the refueling task is lower than the threshold or the external situation affects the safety of the refueling machine, the intelligent agent expert will autonomously decide to give an instruction to terminate the refueling task.

[0015] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the detection device includes radar, infrared, and a visual camera, and the radar includes radar with multiple frequency bands.

[0016] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the intelligent agent expert plans the refueling task based on artificial intelligence technology.

[0017] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the artificial intelligence technology includes reinforcement learning, decision trees, and Bayesian networks.

[0018] On the other hand, the present invention provides a method for aerial refueling based on the above-mentioned intelligent aerial refueling system, comprising:

[0019] Step S1: When the tanker receives the refueling mission on the ground, it takes off and flies toward the receiving aircraft according to the mission plan. When the tanker approaches the receiving aircraft, the receiving aircraft is identified by the detection equipment of the mission information system. At the same time, the intelligent agent mission planning system generates a refueling mission plan based on the situation information perceived by the detection equipment and the status information of the receiving aircraft. The tanker guides the receiving aircraft to rendezvous with the tanker based on the position information of the two aircraft given by the detection equipment.

[0020] Step S2: After the receiving aircraft and the refueling aircraft have rendezvoused, the receiving aircraft will form a convoy according to the guidance of the refueling aircraft. At the same time, the intelligent agent task planning system of the refueling aircraft will update and adjust the refueling task plan according to the real-time situation information and send it to the intelligent agent management system, which will then be simultaneously distributed to the receiving aircraft.

[0021] In step S3, after receiving the refueling task plan from the intelligent agent task planning system 2, the intelligent agent management system guides the receiving aircraft to approach and dock with the refueling aircraft. Simultaneously, the intelligent agent management system sends a docking command to the refueling control system to control the refueling device to automatically perform the docking operation, releasing the refueling device to dock with the receiving aircraft. At the same time, the intelligent agent management system guides the receiving aircraft to dock with the refueling device. After docking is complete, the intelligent agent management system sends a fuel transfer command to the refueling control system to control the refueling device to automatically perform the fuel transfer operation to the receiving aircraft. After fuel transfer is completed, the intelligent agent management system sends a disengagement command to the refueling control system to control the refueling device to disengage from the receiving aircraft, completing the refueling task from the refueling aircraft to the receiving aircraft. The receiving aircraft, guided by the intelligent agent management system of the refueling aircraft, flies to the re-formation position.

[0022] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, when the refueling machine's task information system senses an external situation during the refueling task, the intelligent agent task planning system autonomously judges and evaluates the success rate of the refueling task and the safety impact of the external situation on the refueling machine based on the detected situation information. If it is determined that the success rate of the refueling task is lower than a threshold or that the external situation has an impact on the safety of the refueling machine, the intelligent agent task planning system autonomously decides to issue a command to terminate the refueling task and issues a command to the intelligent agent management system to terminate the refueling task.

[0023] The intelligent aerial refueling system and method of this invention incorporate an intelligent agent expert within the mission information system. This expert can rapidly plan refueling missions, perform performance evaluations, generate optimal refueling mission plans, and adjust the plans based on real-time situational information. Furthermore, it can autonomously assess the success rate and safety of the refueling mission based on external circumstances and issue a termination command. An intelligent agent management system is also included to autonomously manage the entire status of the tanker aircraft. In the event of alarm signals, abnormalities during refueling, or other emergencies, the system can autonomously assess the impact and safety of the refueling mission and decide whether to continue or terminate it. The intelligent agent expert replaces the traditional pilot, autonomously planning refueling missions, assessing and evaluating emergencies, and issuing response plans. This enhances the intelligence level of aerial refueling technology and provides a new technical approach for unmanned aerial refueling. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution provided by the present invention, the accompanying drawings will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the intelligent aerial refueling system of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the fuel dispenser system of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the oil receiver system of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the intelligent aerial refueling method of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] To improve the intelligence of aerial refueling and increase the success rate of refueling under special circumstances, this invention provides an intelligent aerial refueling system and refueling method.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the intelligent aerial refueling system provided by the present invention includes a tanker aircraft 1 and a receiver aircraft 2.

[0032] In this invention, the tanker aircraft 1 possesses both soft and hard refueling capabilities, and can be either an unmanned or manned tanker aircraft. The intelligent aerial refueling system of this invention is applicable to both soft and hard refueling methods. Although primarily geared towards unmanned autonomous refueling, it is also suitable for manned refueling. Correspondingly, the receiver aircraft 2 can be either a manned or unmanned receiver aircraft. Furthermore, the receiver aircraft 2 can be a single receiver aircraft or a group of multiple receiver aircraft.

[0033] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the tanker aircraft 1 includes a soft or hard refueling device 11, an intelligent agent management and refueling control system 12, and a mission information system 13, while the receiver aircraft 2 includes a soft or hard refueling device 21 and a flight management and control system 22.

[0034] The refueling device 11 of the fuel dispenser 1 and the receiving device 12 of the receiving machine 2 are compatible, meaning that when the fuel dispenser 1 refuels the receiving machine 2, the two are mutually matched refueling and receiving devices. For example, if the fuel dispenser 1 is a cone-shaped flexible refueling device, then the receiving machine 2 is a plug-in type flexible receiving device; if the fuel dispenser 1 is a rigid refueling device with a rigid refueling rod, then the receiving machine 2 is a receiving socket type rigid receiving device; if the fuel dispenser 1 contains both flexible and rigid refueling devices, then the receiving machine 2 can be either a flexible or rigid receiving device, meaning the fuel dispenser 1 has both flexible and rigid refueling capabilities. The specific structures of the refueling device 11 and the receiving device 21 will not be described in detail in this invention.

[0035] The intelligent agent management and refueling control system 12 includes an intelligent agent management system 121 and a refueling control system 122. The intelligent agent management system 121 autonomously manages the overall status of the refueling machine 1, executing or terminating the refueling task based on the refueling task plan or termination command given by the task information system 13. Specifically, if the refueling machine 1 experiences alarm signals, abnormal refueling processes, or other special circumstances, the intelligent agent management system 121 autonomously assesses the impact on the refueling task and the safety of the refueling machine 1, and thus autonomously decides to continue or terminate the refueling task. The refueling control system 122, based on the refueling command or termination command given by the intelligent agent management system 121, controls the refueling device 11 to automatically execute or terminate the refueling operation.

[0036] The mission information system 13 includes detection equipment 131 such as radar, infrared, and visual cameras, and an intelligent agent mission planning system 132. The detection equipment 131 can identify the receiver aircraft 2 target at both long and short ranges, and can also accurately measure the position information of the refueling device 21 of the receiver aircraft 2 at close range. The radar can include radars of various bands, lidar, etc. Infrared and visual cameras can be used for the identification and precise positioning of the refueling device 21 of the receiver aircraft 2 during both night and daytime. The intelligent agent mission planning system 132 includes intelligent agent experts who can perform comprehensive situational awareness and processing based on multi-source information from the detection equipment 131. Simultaneously, based on the status information, fuel quantity information, and situational information of the receiver aircraft 2 (or the receiver aircraft group), the expert can quickly plan refueling missions using artificial intelligence technologies such as reinforcement learning / decision trees / Bayesian networks, and perform performance evaluation to generate the optimal refueling mission plan. The intelligent agent expert in this invention can also adjust the refueling mission plan based on the real-time situational information perceived by the detection device 131. Specifically, if external emergencies exist, it autonomously judges and assesses the success rate of the refueling mission and the safety impact of the external emergencies on the tanker aircraft 1. If the refueling mission success rate is low or the safety of the tanker aircraft 1 is affected, the intelligent agent expert autonomously decides to issue an instruction to terminate the refueling mission. It should be noted that if the aircraft is a manned refueling aircraft or a manned receiving aircraft, the generated refueling mission plan can be used as a reference for the pilot.

[0037] The flight management and control system 22 of the receiver aircraft 2 is responsible for the navigation and flight plan management of the receiver aircraft 2, and is also responsible for the attitude and trajectory control of the receiver aircraft 2, so as to realize the flight control of the receiver aircraft 2.

[0038] like Figure 4 As shown, the intelligent aerial refueling method based on the aforementioned intelligent aerial refueling system includes the following processes:

[0039] Step S1: When tanker aircraft 1 receives a refueling mission on the ground, it takes off according to the mission plan and flies towards receiver aircraft 2 (or a group of receiver aircraft). As tanker aircraft 1 approaches receiver aircraft 2, the detection equipment 131 of the mission information system 13 identifies receiver aircraft 2. Simultaneously, the intelligent agent mission planning system 132 quickly generates a refueling mission plan based on the situational information, formation information, status information, and fuel quantity information perceived by the detection equipment 131. Tanker aircraft 1 guides receiver aircraft 2 to rendezvous with tanker aircraft 1 based on the two-aircraft position information provided by the detection equipment 131.

[0040] In step S2, after the receiving aircraft 2 and the refueling aircraft 1 have rendezvoused, the receiving aircraft 2 forms a convoy according to the guidance of the refueling aircraft 1. At the same time, the intelligent agent task planning system 132 of the refueling aircraft 1 updates and adjusts the refueling task plan based on real-time information and sends it to the intelligent agent management system 121, which then distributes it to the receiving aircraft 2. The refueling aircraft 1 then guides each receiving aircraft 2 to begin the refueling task in sequence.

[0041] In step S3, when the intelligent agent management system 121 of refueling aircraft 1 receives the refueling task plan from the intelligent agent task planning system 132, the intelligent agent management system 121 guides the receiving aircraft 2 to approach and dock with the refueling aircraft 1. Simultaneously, the intelligent agent management system 121 sends a docking command to the refueling control system 122, controlling the refueling device 11 to automatically perform the docking operation, releasing the refueling device 11 to dock with the receiving aircraft 2. At the same time, the intelligent agent management system 121 guides the receiving aircraft 2 to dock with the refueling device. After docking is completed, the intelligent agent management system 121 sends a fuel transfer command to the refueling control system 122, controlling the refueling device 11 to automatically perform a fuel transfer operation to the receiving aircraft 2. After fuel transfer is completed, the intelligent agent management system 121 sends a disengagement command to the refueling control system 122, controlling the refueling device 11 to disengage from the receiving aircraft 2, completing the refueling task from the refueling aircraft 1 to the receiving aircraft 2. The receiving aircraft 2, guided by the intelligent agent management system 121 of the refueling aircraft 1, flies to the re-formation position.

[0042] Step S4: Following the steps above, refueling is performed on each receiver aircraft 2 in sequence. Once all receiver aircraft 2 have entered the re-formation position, the tanker aircraft 1 issues a take-off command to the receiver aircraft 2. The receiver aircraft 2 then takes off from the tanker aircraft 1. The intelligent agent management system of the tanker aircraft 1 issues a command to the refueling control system to complete the refueling task, controls the refueling device to return to its original state, and controls the tanker aircraft 1 to take off to execute the next refueling task.

[0043] In this invention, during the refueling process, when the task information system 13 of the refueling machine 1 senses an external emergency, the intelligent agent task planning system 132 autonomously judges and evaluates the success rate of the refueling task and the safety impact of the external emergency on the refueling machine 1 based on the detected situational information. If it is determined that the success rate of the refueling task is low or that it affects the safety of the refueling machine 1, the intelligent agent task planning system 132 autonomously decides to issue a termination instruction for the current refueling task and sends it to the intelligent agent management system 121 to terminate the current refueling task. In addition, during the refueling process, the intelligent agent management system 121 autonomously manages the entire state of the refueling machine 1. If other systems of the refueling machine 1 issue an alarm signal for the refueling machine 1 or the detection device 131 detects an abnormal or failed connection between the receiving machine 2 and the refueling receiving device of the refueling machine 1, or an abnormal oil delivery, the intelligent agent management system 121 autonomously judges the impact on the current refueling task and the safety impact on the refueling machine 1, and thus autonomously decides to continue or terminate the current refueling task. When the intelligent agent management system 121 of the refueling machine 1 receives the termination command issued by the task information system 13 or makes an autonomous decision to terminate the current refueling task, it issues a termination command to the refueling control system 122, controls the refueling device 11 to detach, and guides the receiving machine 2 to fly away from the refueling machine 1.

[0044] The intelligent aerial refueling system and method of this invention incorporate an intelligent agent expert within the mission information system. This expert can rapidly plan refueling missions, perform performance evaluations, generate optimal refueling mission plans, and adjust the plans based on real-time situational information. Furthermore, it can autonomously assess the success rate and safety of the refueling mission based on external circumstances and issue a termination command. An intelligent agent management system is also included to autonomously manage the entire status of the tanker aircraft. In the event of alarm signals, abnormalities during refueling, or other emergencies, the system can autonomously assess the impact and safety of the refueling mission and decide whether to continue or terminate it. The intelligent agent expert replaces the traditional pilot, autonomously planning refueling missions, assessing and evaluating emergencies, and issuing response plans. This enhances the intelligence level of aerial refueling technology and provides a new technical approach for unmanned aerial refueling.

[0045] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An intelligent aerial refueling system, characterized in that, The system includes a tanker aircraft (1) and a receiver aircraft (2). The tanker aircraft (11) includes a refueling device (11), an intelligent agent management and refueling control system (12), and a mission information system (13). The receiver aircraft (2) includes a receiving device (21) and a flight management and control system (22). The task information system (13) is used to detect and identify the receiver (2) and measure the position information of the receiver (2), and generate a refueling task plan based on the position information and the status information of the receiver (2); The intelligent agent management and refueling control system (12) is used to generate a refueling task plan or terminate the refueling task according to the task information system (13), control the refueling device (11) to connect with the receiving device (21) of the receiving machine (2) and execute the refueling task or terminate the refueling.

2. The intelligent aerial refueling system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The refueling machine (1) and the receiving machine (2) are manned or unmanned aircraft.

3. The intelligent aerial refueling system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The refueling device (11) is a soft or hard refueling device, and the oil receiving device (21) is a soft or hard oil receiving device adapted to the refueling device (11).

4. The intelligent aerial refueling system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The intelligent agent management and refueling control system (12) includes an intelligent agent management system (121) and a refueling control system (122). The intelligent agent management system (121) is used to manage the overall status of the fuel dispenser (1) based on the intelligent agent's autonomous management, and to execute or terminate the current fueling task according to the fueling task plan or the instruction to terminate the current fueling task given by the task information system (13). The refueling control system (122) is used to control the refueling device (11) to automatically perform refueling operation or terminate refueling operation according to the refueling command or termination refueling command issued by the intelligent agent management system (121).

5. The intelligent aerial refueling system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The mission information system (13) includes a detection device (131) and an intelligent agent mission planning system (132). The detection device (131) is used to identify the receiver (2) at long and short distances, and at the same time measure the position information of the receiving device (21) of the receiver (2) at short distances. The intelligent agent task planning system (132) includes an intelligent agent expert. The intelligent agent expert is used to perform comprehensive situational awareness and processing based on the target information of the receiving aircraft (2) detected by the detection device (131). At the same time, the expert performs refueling task planning based on the status information, oil quantity information and situational information of the receiving aircraft (2) and conducts performance evaluation, thereby generating the best refueling task plan.

6. The intelligent aerial refueling system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The intelligent agent expert can also autonomously judge and evaluate the success rate of the refueling task and the safety impact of the external situation on the refueling machine (1) when there is an external situation based on the real-time situation information perceived by the detection device (131). If the success rate of the refueling task is lower than the threshold or the safety of the refueling machine (1) is affected, the intelligent agent expert will autonomously make a decision to give an instruction to terminate the refueling task.

7. The intelligent aerial refueling system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The detection device (131) includes radar, infrared, and a visual camera, and the radar includes radar with multiple frequency bands.

8. The intelligent aerial refueling system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The intelligent agent expert plans the refueling task based on artificial intelligence technology.

9. The intelligent aerial refueling system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The artificial intelligence technologies mentioned include reinforcement learning, decision trees, and Bayesian networks.

10. A method for aerial refueling based on an intelligent aerial refueling system as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, include: Step S1: When the tanker (1) receives the refueling mission on the ground, it takes off and flies toward the receiver aircraft (2) according to the mission plan. When the tanker (1) approaches the receiver aircraft (2), the receiver aircraft (2) is identified by the detection device (131) of the mission information system (13). At the same time, the intelligent agent mission planning system (132) generates a refueling mission plan based on the situation information perceived by the detection device (131) and the status information of the receiver aircraft (2). The tanker (1) guides the receiver aircraft (2) to rendezvous with the tanker (1) according to the two aircraft position information given by the detection device (131). Step S2: After the receiving aircraft (2) and the refueling aircraft (1) have rendezvoused, the receiving aircraft (2) forms a formation according to the guidance of the refueling aircraft (1). At the same time, the intelligent agent task planning system (132) of the refueling aircraft (1) updates and adjusts the refueling task plan according to the real-time situation information and sends it to the intelligent agent management system (121), which is then sent to the receiving aircraft (2). In step S3, after the intelligent agent management system (121) of the refueling machine (1) receives the refueling task plan from the intelligent agent task planning system (13) 2, the intelligent agent management system (121) guides the receiving machine (2) to approach and dock with the refueling machine (1). At the same time, the intelligent agent management system (121) sends a docking command to the refueling control system (122) to control the refueling device (11) to automatically perform the docking operation, release the refueling device (11) to dock with the receiving machine (2), and at the same time, the intelligent agent management system (121) of the refueling machine (1) guides the receiving machine (2) to perform the docking operation. The refueling and receiving devices are docked; after docking is completed, the intelligent agent management system (121) sends a refueling command to the refueling control system (122) to control the refueling device (11) to automatically perform the refueling operation to the receiving aircraft (2); after the refueling is completed, the intelligent agent management system (121) sends a disengagement command to the refueling control system (122) to control the refueling device (11) to disengage from the receiving aircraft (2) and complete the refueling task from the refueling aircraft (1) to the receiving aircraft (2); the receiving aircraft (2) flies to the re-formation position under the guidance of the intelligent agent management system (121) of the refueling aircraft (1).

11. The aerial refueling method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, During the refueling task, when the task information system (13) of the refueling machine (1) senses an external situation, the intelligent agent task planning system (132) autonomously judges and evaluates the success rate of the refueling task and the impact of the external situation on the safety of the refueling machine (1) based on the detected situation information. If it is determined that the success rate of the refueling task is lower than the threshold or that it affects the safety of the refueling machine (1), the intelligent agent task planning system (132) autonomously decides to give an instruction to terminate the refueling task and sends an instruction to the intelligent agent management system (121) to terminate the refueling task.

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