Air inlet device of unmanned aerial vehicle engine

Abstract

The utility model discloses an air inlet device of an unmanned aerial vehicle engine and belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles. Comprising a throttle valve body, an air filter is packaged at the air inlet end of an inner cavity of the valve body, and an air supply module, a rectification module and an airflow monitoring module are sequentially installed in the airflow direction of the inner cavity of the valve body; the butterfly piece is located at the air outlet end of the inner cavity of the valve body and downstream of the airflow monitoring module. The air supply module comprises an air supply cavity and an oxygen valve located at an air inlet of the air supply cavity, and air outlets of the air supply cavity are a plurality of small holes formed in the surface of a cavity body. The arrangement module comprises a rectifying plate coaxially installed in an inner cavity of the valve body. The airflow monitoring module comprises a flow measuring assembly, an oxygen sensor and a temperature sensor which are respectively used for measuring air flow, oxygen content and air temperature. The problem of high-altitude power attenuation of the engine is effectively solved, meanwhile, the low-temperature starting characteristic can be improved, and the all-weather and all-terrain use requirements of the unmanned aerial vehicle are met to a great extent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), specifically relating to an air intake device for an UAV engine. Background Technology

[0002] Most currently operational drones use internal combustion engines as their direct power source. As altitude increases, the oxygen content in the air decreases, resulting in insufficient air intake for the engine. This causes the engine's actual output power to decrease with increasing altitude, severely limiting the drone's high-altitude performance. Furthermore, as altitude gradually increases, the ambient temperature decreases, making engine starting extremely difficult and significantly restricting the drone's application in various fields and environments.

[0003] The main problems with the use of existing drones in high-altitude areas are as follows:

[0004] 1. The engine's power is severely reduced at high altitudes, and the remaining power can only meet the needs of routine flight operations. The engine cannot support the UAV's climb flight, thus limiting the UAV's service ceiling.

[0005] 2. The use of intake supercharging technology can increase the engine's high-altitude air intake and achieve high-altitude power recovery. However, the supercharger system includes a series of auxiliary equipment such as the supercharger, intercooler, and lubrication pump, which is not conducive to the layout and use of small UAVs.

[0006] 3. Most drones use propellers as their power output. To meet the high speed requirements, most drone engines are two-stroke engines. These engines have no intake and exhaust valves, and the intake and exhaust are always overlapping. Due to the exhaust back pressure, the application of supercharging technology is greatly limited. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved:

[0008] To overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an air intake device for a drone engine. This device integrates oxygen replenishment, air intake heating, and throttle adjustment functions. Through the coordination of multiple sensors (temperature, oxygen content, position) and actuators (servo motors, heating wires), it can adapt to high-altitude environments, greatly improving the convenience and feasibility of engine applications at high altitudes and increasing the operational ceiling of the drone. This invention effectively solves the problem of engine power attenuation at high altitudes and improves low-temperature starting characteristics, greatly meeting the all-weather, all-terrain usage requirements of drones.

[0009] The technical solution of this utility model is: an air intake device for a drone engine, including a throttle valve body, wherein the throttle valve body includes a valve body, a butterfly plate mounted in the inner cavity of the valve body via a throttle valve shaft, and a position sensor mounted on the valve body, the position sensor acquiring the throttle opening degree; an air filter is encapsulated at the air intake end of the inner cavity of the valve body, and an air supply module, a rectifier module, and an airflow monitoring module are sequentially installed along the airflow direction of the inner cavity of the valve body; the butterfly plate is located at the air outlet end of the inner cavity of the valve body, downstream of the airflow monitoring module;

[0010] The gas replenishment module includes a gas replenishment chamber and an oxygen valve located at the gas inlet of the gas replenishment chamber. The gas outlet of the gas replenishment chamber is a number of small holes opened on the surface of the chamber.

[0011] The rectifier module includes a rectifier plate coaxially mounted in the body cavity of the valve body;

[0012] The airflow monitoring module includes a flow measurement component, an oxygen sensor, and a temperature sensor, which are used to measure air flow, oxygen content, and air temperature, respectively.

[0013] A further technical solution of this utility model is: the valve body part of the throttle valve body is a sleeve structure with openings at both ends, one end of which is the air intake end and the other end of which is the air outlet end connected to the engine intake pipe, and the space between the two ends is the inner cavity of the valve body; the outer periphery of the valve body part is provided with mounting grooves on opposite sides, and the groove openings are sealed with cover plates.

[0014] A further technical solution of this utility model is: the air supply chamber of the air supply module is an oxygen distribution ring, which is a circular ring structure coaxially installed in the body cavity of the valve body. An oxygen valve is installed at its inlet, and several small holes are evenly distributed around its inner ring surface as air outlets.

[0015] A further technical solution of this utility model is: the rectifier plate is a circular flat plate with several airflow rectification holes on its end face.

[0016] A further technical solution of this utility model is: the rectifier plate integrates an electric heating wire.

[0017] A further technical solution of this utility model is: the measuring component includes a signal generator, a signal receiver, an eddy current generator, and an eddy current stabilizing plate. The eddy current generator and the eddy current stabilizing plate are coaxially installed in the valve body cavity and located axially upstream of the signal generator and the signal receiver. The airflow generates regular airflow vortices through the eddy current generator and the eddy current stabilizing plate, which are collected and real-time airflow by the signal receiver located downstream.

[0018] A further technical solution of this utility model is: two eddy current stabilizing plates are arranged in parallel along the axial direction.

[0019] A further technical solution of this utility model is: the fixed ends of the rectifier plate, signal generator, oxygen sensor, temperature sensor and position sensor are all installed in the mounting groove on one side of the throttle valve body, and the working ends of each component extend into the valve body cavity of the throttle valve body.

[0020] A further technical solution of this utility model is: the fixed ends of the signal receiver and the servo motor are both installed in the mounting groove on the other side of the throttle valve body, and the working ends of each component extend into the inner cavity of the valve body of the throttle valve body.

[0021] A further technical solution of this utility model is: the output shaft of the servo motor is connected to the throttle shaft and is used to drive the throttle shaft and the butterfly blade to rotate.

[0022] Beneficial effects

[0023] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: This utility model overcomes the two major technical bottlenecks of engine power attenuation and low-temperature starting of high-altitude UAVs by supplementing air and heating, and has the advantages of lightweight, high precision and high reliability, providing an efficient and low-cost solution for UAVs to operate in complex environments around the clock.

[0024] 1. This invention dynamically replenishes oxygen through an oxygen distribution ring, combined with closed-loop oxygen content control, effectively solving the engine power reduction problem caused by high-altitude hypoxia, thus increasing the UAV's service ceiling by more than 30%. By integrating heating wires into the rectifier plate, the intake air is automatically heated below -20℃, improving fuel atomization and ensuring reliable engine starting in low-temperature environments, increasing the starting success rate to over 95%.

[0025] 2. This utility model replaces the traditional supercharging technology with oxygen replenishment, eliminating complex components such as superchargers and intercoolers, reducing the overall weight by 40%, making it more suitable for the compact layout of small drones, and reducing manufacturing costs and maintenance difficulty.

[0026] 3. This utility model achieves real-time monitoring and dynamic adjustment of oxygen concentration, intake temperature, and throttle opening by coordinating multiple sensors (oxygen sensor, temperature sensor, position sensor) and actuators (oxygen valve, heating wire, servo motor). It has a high degree of automation and reduces human error.

[0027] 4. This invention supplements oxygen to reduce the nitrogen ratio in the gas mixture (from 78% to 60%-65%), thereby reducing heat loss during combustion, increasing thermal efficiency by 15%-20%, and reducing carbon emissions.

[0028] 5. This utility model adopts a flow monitoring module based on the Karman vortex street principle, combined with an eddy current generator and a stabilizing plate design, which maintains a measurement accuracy of ±2% even in high-altitude, low-pressure environments, ensuring the reliability of oxygen replenishment and power control.

[0029] 6. This utility model integrates wind and sand filtration, oxygen replenishment, and low-temperature heating functions, enabling drones to operate stably in extreme environments such as plateaus, deserts, and extreme cold, expanding the range of mission adaptability by more than 50%. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of an air intake device for a drone engine according to an embodiment of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the air intake device of a drone engine with the first cover plate removed, according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the air intake device of a drone engine with the second cover plate removed, according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the air intake device of a drone engine according to an embodiment of this utility model;

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1—Air filter, 2—Oxygen distribution ring, 201—Oxygen distribution ring outlet, 3—Connector, 4—First cover plate, 5—Throttle valve body, 6—Second cover plate, 7—Rectifier plate, 8—Signal generator, 9—Oxygen sensor, 10—Temperature sensor, 11—Position sensor, 12—Signal receiver, 13—Servo motor, 14—Eddy current generator, 15—Eddy current stabilizing plate (quantity 2), 16—Butterfly blade, 17—Throttle valve shaft, 18—Valve body cable groove. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0036] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0037] Addressing the two major technological bottlenecks of power attenuation and low-temperature start-up in existing UAV engines under high-altitude environments, this invention provides an air intake device for a UAV engine, including a throttle valve body. The throttle valve body comprises a valve body, a butterfly plate mounted within the valve body's inner cavity via a throttle shaft, and a position sensor mounted on the valve body to acquire the throttle opening. An air filter is encapsulated at the air intake end of the valve body's inner cavity, filtering foreign objects and impurities from the air to prevent them from entering the engine. An air supply module, a rectifier module, and a gas... are sequentially installed along the airflow direction within the valve body's inner cavity. The airflow monitoring module includes a butterfly plate located at the outlet end of the valve body cavity, downstream of the airflow monitoring module. The air replenishment module includes an air replenishment chamber and an oxygen valve located at the air inlet of the air replenishment chamber. The outlet of the air replenishment chamber is formed by several small holes on the surface of the chamber. The rectifier module includes a rectifier plate coaxially mounted within the valve body cavity. The airflow monitoring module includes a flow measurement component, an oxygen sensor, and a temperature sensor, used to measure airflow, oxygen content, and air temperature, respectively. The engine controller controls the oxygen valve and heating wire of the air replenishment module based on the acquired information to complete closed-loop control of flow rate, oxygen content, and temperature.

[0038] Specifically, the valve body of the throttle valve body is a sleeve structure with openings at both ends. One end is the intake end, and the other end is the outlet end, which is connected to the engine intake pipe. The space between the two ends is the inner cavity of the valve body. The outer periphery of the valve body is provided with mounting grooves on opposite sides, and the groove openings are sealed with cover plates.

[0039] Specifically, the oxygen supply chamber of the oxygen supply module is an oxygen distribution ring, which is a circular structure coaxially installed in the valve body cavity. An oxygen valve is installed at its inlet, and several small holes are evenly distributed around its inner ring surface as air outlets. A uniform oxygen flow is provided through the several small holes, which mix evenly with the air introduced through the air filter to avoid local oxygen enrichment or oxygen deficiency in order to supplement oxygen. The on / off state and flow rate of the oxygen valve are controlled by the engine controller, and the supplemented oxygen enters the valve body cavity evenly through the air outlets.

[0040] Specifically, the rectifier plate is a circular flat plate with several airflow rectification holes on its end face; it is used to adjust the flow direction of the intake airflow, eliminate turbulence and non-uniformity, and make the airflow enter the engine more smoothly and evenly.

[0041] Specifically, the rectifier board integrates heating wires; when the ambient temperature is lower than the set temperature, the heating function is automatically activated to heat the cold air.

[0042] Specifically, the measurement component includes a signal generator, a signal receiver, an eddy current generator, and an eddy current stabilizing plate. It employs the Karman vortex shear principle, where the eddy current generator produces regular airflow vortices in the airflow, and the signal receiver captures the frequency of vortex shedding, converting the frequency signal into airflow data. The signal generator and signal receiver are respectively installed on opposite sides of the valve body cavity. The signal generator emits a signal of a specific frequency, which is collected by the signal receiver. The eddy current generator and eddy current stabilizing plate are coaxially installed in sequence within the valve body cavity, located axially upstream of the signal generator and signal receiver. The airflow passes through the eddy current generator and eddy current stabilizing plate, generating regular airflow vortices, which are collected and the real-time airflow is obtained by the downstream signal receiver.

[0043] Preferably, two eddy current stabilizing plates are arranged in parallel along the axial direction.

[0044] Specifically, the fixed ends of the rectifier plate, signal generator, oxygen sensor, temperature sensor, and position sensor are all installed in the mounting groove on one side of the throttle valve body, and the working ends of each component extend into the inner cavity of the throttle valve body.

[0045] Specifically, the fixed ends of the signal receiver and the servo motor are both installed in the mounting groove on the other side of the throttle valve body, and the working ends of each component extend into the inner cavity of the throttle valve body.

[0046] Specifically, the output shaft of the servo motor is connected to the throttle shaft and is used to drive the throttle shaft and the butterfly vane to rotate.

[0047] The above technical solution will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0048] In one embodiment, refer to Figure 1 As shown, an air intake device for a drone engine comprises an air filter 1, an oxygen distribution ring 2, a connector 3, a first cover plate 4, a throttle valve body 5, and a second cover plate 6. The air filter 1 is installed at the inlet end of the throttle valve body 5, and the air inlet of the oxygen distribution ring 2 extends out from the outer periphery of the throttle valve body 5. Two mounting grooves are arranged opposite each other on the circumferential surface of the throttle valve body 5 downstream of the air inlet of the oxygen distribution ring 2, and the first cover plate 4 and the second cover plate 6 are respectively sealed at the opening of the mounting grooves. The connector 3 is installed on the mounting groove at the upper end. The connector 3 is a standardized electrical socket used to connect the valve body cable.

[0049] To ensure engine safety and prevent foreign objects and dust from entering the engine, an air filter 1 is installed at the front end of the intake mechanism. This filter can remove dust and impurities from the air, ensuring engine safety while also meeting the requirements for engine operation in dusty environments.

[0050] In one embodiment, refer to Figure 2As shown, the throttle valve body 5 has a rectifier plate 7, a signal generator 8, an oxygen sensor 9, a temperature sensor 10, and a position sensor 11 mounted sequentially along the axial direction in the mounting groove above. The working ends of each component extend into the valve body cavity of the throttle valve body 5.

[0051] In one embodiment, refer to Figure 3 As shown, a signal receiver 12 and a servo motor 13 are sequentially installed along the axial direction in the mounting groove below the throttle valve body 5. The signal receiver 12 receives the signal emitted by the signal generator 8, and the servo motor 13 drives the throttle shaft 17 to rotate. A through hole is opened on the groove wall of the mounting groove, which serves as the valve body cable groove 18.

[0052] In one embodiment, refer to Figure 4 As shown, the valve body 5 has an oxygen distribution ring 2, a rectifier plate 7, a vortex generator 14, a vortex stabilizing plate 15, and a throttle shaft 17 arranged sequentially along the axial direction in the inner cavity of the valve body. The inner ring surface of the oxygen distribution ring 2 has several air outlet holes evenly distributed along the circumference, and a butterfly blade 16 is installed on the throttle shaft 17.

[0053] Air filter 1 is used to enable the engine to prevent sand and dust. Oxygen distribution ring 2, rectifier 7, signal generator 8, eddy current generator 14, eddy current stabilizing plate 15, oxygen sensor 9, and signal receiver 12 are used to replenish oxygen and measure air flow to enable the engine to recover power at high altitude. Rectifier 7 and temperature sensor 10 improve low-temperature starting performance. Steering gear 13, butterfly blade 16, throttle shaft 17, and position sensor 11 are used to measure and adjust the opening of the engine butterfly blade 16 to achieve engine power control.

[0054] In one embodiment, the main reason for the high-altitude power reduction of current internal combustion engine engines is insufficient air intake. As altitude increases, the actual air quality gradually decreases due to reduced pressure within the same volume of intake air, leading to a gradual decrease in the quality of oxygen participating in combustion. This, in turn, gradually reduces the engine's combustion performance, ultimately resulting in power reduction. This embodiment proposes a method for high-altitude power recovery using an air intake device for a high-altitude UAV engine. The air intake device includes an oxygen distribution ring 2, a rectifier plate 7, a signal generator 8, an eddy current generator 14, an eddy current stabilizing plate 15, an oxygen sensor 9, and a signal receiver 12. When increased power output is required, oxygen can be replenished and precisely measured and controlled. By increasing the oxygen content, the engine's output is improved, achieving high-altitude power recovery. The main control flow is as follows:

[0055] 1) When power recovery is required, the engine controller opens the oxygen valve, allowing oxygen to enter the throttle body through small holes on the oxygen distribution ring. These holes are evenly distributed around the circumference to ensure uniform intake air mixing.

[0056] 2) The uniformly mixed airflow is rectified by the rectifier plate to ensure the accuracy of subsequent intake flow rate measurement;

[0057] 3) Airflow measurement: The measurement principle is the Karman vortex principle. A signal generator emits a signal of a specific frequency, which is collected by a signal receiver. When the intake airflow passes through the vortex generator and vortex stabilizing plate, a specific airflow vortex (Karman vortex) is generated, which causes the signal to change with the air density. The signal is collected by the signal receiver to obtain the real-time airflow.

[0058] 4) Oxygen content and temperature measurement: When the air-fuel mixture reaches the oxygen sensor and temperature sensor, the oxygen content and intake temperature of the mixture can be measured and fed back to the engine controller to achieve closed-loop control of oxygen content.

[0059] Compared to turbocharged engines, this device can restore power without a complex valve train and turbocharging system, making it suitable for small and medium-sized UAVs. During normal engine operation, 78% of the nitrogen in the air does not participate in the combustion process but carries away a large amount of heat, leading to a decrease in efficiency. This device restores power by supplementing oxygen, indirectly reducing the nitrogen content, reducing wasted energy consumption, and indirectly improving the engine's thermal efficiency.

[0060] In one embodiment, the internal combustion engine performs work through combustion and is essentially a heat engine, so it does not have a low-temperature operating problem during continuous operation. This embodiment is used for low-temperature starting, mainly referring to the reduced starting performance of the engine when it is cold due to a series of problems such as poor fuel atomization.

[0061] This device contains a rectifier plate 7, inside which is a heating wire. During startup, when the intake air temperature is too low (generally below -20℃), the heating wire heats the intake air. A temperature sensor collects the temperature data in real time and provides feedback control. Once the engine starts successfully, intake air heating stops.

[0062] In one embodiment, the intake device is provided with a butterfly blade 16 and a throttle shaft 17. The butterfly blade 16 is mounted on the throttle shaft 17 and rotates with the throttle shaft 17 to control the amount of air entering the engine. A servo motor 13 is mounted on one end of the throttle shaft 17 and rotates the throttle shaft 17 according to the requirements of the engine controller. A position sensor 11 is mounted on the other end of the throttle shaft 17 to measure the rotation angle of the throttle shaft 17 in real time and feed it back to the engine controller for feedback control.

[0063] The aforementioned mechanism controls the intake air volume of the engine by rotating the butterfly plate 16, thereby achieving engine power control.

[0064] Safety Warning

[0065] When using this device to restore engine power, it is necessary to consider the engine's real-time temperature and load to avoid overloading the engine and causing abnormal damage such as overheating.

[0066] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air intake device for a drone engine, comprising a throttle valve body, the throttle valve body including a valve body, a butterfly plate mounted in the inner cavity of the valve body via a throttle valve shaft, and a position sensor mounted on the valve body, wherein the position sensor acquires the throttle valve opening; characterized in that: An air filter is encapsulated at the air inlet end of the valve body cavity, and an air supply module, a rectifier module, and an airflow monitoring module are sequentially installed along the airflow direction of the valve body cavity; the butterfly plate is located at the air outlet end of the valve body cavity, downstream of the airflow monitoring module; The gas replenishment module includes a gas replenishment chamber and an oxygen valve located at the gas inlet of the gas replenishment chamber. The gas outlet of the gas replenishment chamber is a number of small holes opened on the surface of the chamber. The rectifier module includes a rectifier plate coaxially mounted in the body cavity of the valve body; The airflow monitoring module includes a flow measurement component, an oxygen sensor, and a temperature sensor, which are used to measure air flow, oxygen content, and air temperature, respectively.

2. The air intake device for a UAV engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve body of the throttle valve body is a sleeve structure with openings at both ends. One end is the air intake end, and the other end is the air outlet end, which is connected to the engine intake pipe. The space between the two ends is the inner cavity of the valve body. The outer periphery of the valve body part is provided with mounting grooves on opposite sides, and the groove openings are sealed with cover plates.

3. The air intake device for a UAV engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oxygen supply chamber of the oxygen supply module is an oxygen distribution ring. The oxygen distribution ring is a circular structure coaxially installed in the body cavity of the valve body. An oxygen valve is installed at its inlet, and several small holes are evenly distributed around its inner ring surface as air outlets.

4. The air intake device for a UAV engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rectifier plate is a circular flat plate with several airflow rectification holes on its end face.

5. The air intake device for a UAV engine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rectifier plate integrates heating wires.

6. The air intake device for a UAV engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The measurement component includes a signal generator, a signal receiver, an eddy current generator, and an eddy current stabilizing plate. The eddy current generator and the eddy current stabilizing plate are coaxially installed in the valve body cavity and located axially upstream of the signal generator and the signal receiver. The airflow generates regular airflow vortices through the eddy current generator and the eddy current stabilizing plate, which are collected and real-time airflow by the signal receiver located downstream.

7. The air intake device for a UAV engine according to claim 6, characterized in that: Two eddy current stabilizers are arranged in parallel along the axial direction.

8. The air intake device for a UAV engine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fixed ends of the rectifier plate, signal generator, oxygen sensor, temperature sensor, and position sensor are all installed in the mounting groove on one side of the throttle valve body, and the working ends of each component extend into the inner cavity of the throttle valve body.

9. The air intake device for a UAV engine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The fixed ends of the signal receiver and the servo motor are both installed in the mounting groove on the other side of the throttle valve body, and the working ends of each component extend into the inner cavity of the throttle valve body.

10. The air intake device for a UAV engine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The output shaft of the servo motor is connected to the throttle shaft and is used to drive the throttle shaft and the butterfly vane to rotate.

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