Ducted driver

Abstract

The ducted drivers are installed on a machine body, the machine body comprises a cab, a front cross beam and a rear cross beam, the front cross beam and the rear cross beam are symmetrically arranged on the left side and the right side of the cab, and the multiple ducted drivers are rotatably arranged at the ends of the front cross beam and the rear cross beam. An air inlet guide plate assembly is arranged on the upper portion of the annular base in a sliding mode and comprises a plurality of arc-shaped guide plates capable of deflecting independently. The split duct front lip is arranged, real-time deformation can be carried out when crosswind or sudden airflow is encountered, the air inlet amount and the air inlet direction can be changed so as to eliminate the influence of the crosswind on the stability of the machine body, meanwhile, the spoiler with the adjustable angle is arranged so as to adjust the air outlet amount and the air outlet direction of each duct driver, and in addition, attention needs to be paid to that the air outlet direction of each duct driver can be adjusted. The adjusting mode does not need to change the angle of the tilting duct.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of aircraft technology, and more specifically to a ducted drive. Background Technology

[0002] Aircraft can be classified into fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and ducted-wing types according to their functions. Ducted-wing aircraft are currently the most advanced type of aircraft. Most ducted-wing aircraft are currently single-ducted, which are only suitable for low-altitude and low-speed flight. Due to limitations such as the power of a single engine and rotational inertia, the load-bearing capacity of a single ducted-wing aircraft cannot be greatly improved, and the structure is relatively complex.

[0003] Ductless jet aircraft typically employ propellers mounted within a duct. Powered by an engine, the propellers rotate, generating thrust that lifts the aircraft off the ground. If a single propeller is used, its high-speed rotation produces a counter-torque, necessitating a torque-counterbalancing device within the duct to counteract it. This increases system complexity and reduces aerodynamic efficiency. Using dual propellers that rotate in opposite directions to counteract their respective torques further reduces propulsion efficiency and requires increasing the duct depth to accommodate the dual propellers.

[0004] Furthermore, the aforementioned ducted aircraft are inadequate in complex flight environments, especially in the field of firefighting. As the fire surface heats up the surrounding air, it intensifies the convection of hot and cold air, which has a significant impact on the stable flight and hovering of the UAV to accurately deliver fire extinguishing bombs or perform other tasks. Therefore, a ducted drive is provided to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] One advantage of this invention is that it provides a duct actuator with a detachable duct front lip that can deform in real time when encountering crosswinds or sudden airflow, thereby changing the air intake volume and direction to mitigate the impact of crosswinds on the stability of the fuselage. It also features adjustable-angle spoilers to adjust the air output volume and direction of each duct actuator. Furthermore, it should be noted that this adjustment method does not require changing the angle of the tilting duct, thus overcoming the disadvantage that changing the tilting duct angle can cause a systematic change in the overall force distribution, leading to instability and spatial displacement of the fuselage.

[0006] To achieve at least one of the above advantages of this utility model, this utility model provides a ducted drive, which is installed on the fuselage. The fuselage includes a cockpit and front and rear crossbeams symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the cockpit. Several ducted drives are rotatably arranged at the ends of the front and rear crossbeams. Each ducted drive includes an annular base installed at the end of the front or rear crossbeam. A motor is installed in the middle of the annular base, and blades are arranged on the output shaft of the motor. The motor drives the blades to rotate to generate lift to drive the UAV. An air intake guide plate assembly is slidably arranged on the upper part of the annular base. The air intake guide plate assembly consists of several independently deflectable arc-shaped guide plates.

[0007] It also includes several actuators connected between the arc-shaped guide plate and the annular base. The actuators are used to drive the arc-shaped guide plate to slide and deflect relative to the annular base. The air intake guide plate assembly composed of several arc-shaped guide plates is annular and matches the curvature of the inner and outer sides of the annular base itself. When encountering crosswinds, the several arc-shaped guide plates slide independently on the annular base in real time according to the wind direction and wind speed and adjust the deflection angle to change the air intake direction and air intake volume to eliminate the influence of airflow.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the sliding distance of several arc-shaped guide plates relative to the annular base is not greater than the length of the arc-shaped guide plates, and the deflection angle of the arc-shaped guide plates is -10 degrees to +55 degrees.

[0009] The annular base has several support rods inside, which are connected to and fix the motor at the central axis of the annular base. The blades are located above the support rods.

[0010] The longitudinal section of the support rod is streamlined, and its lower part is equipped with several interference flow plates.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the spoiler can deflect relative to the lower part of the support rod. The surface of the spoiler is provided with a plurality of capillary protrusions, the aspect ratio of the capillary protrusions is 10:1, and the tail end of the spoiler is also provided with serrations. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0013] In the attached diagram: 1. Fuselage, 2. Ducted thruster, 3. Arc-shaped guide plate, 4. Front crossbeam, 5. Rear crossbeam, 6. Cabin, 7. Annular base, 8. Motor, 9. Support rod. Detailed Implementation

[0014] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the appendix of this utility model. Figure 1 The present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0015] The following description is intended to disclose the present invention so that those skilled in the art can implement it. The preferred embodiments described below are merely examples, and other obvious variations will occur to those skilled in the art. The basic principles of the present invention defined in the following description can be applied to other embodiments, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and other technical solutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0016] Those skilled in the art should understand that, in the disclosure of this specification, the terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above terms should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0017] It is understood that the term "a" should be understood as "at least one" or "one or more", that is, in one embodiment, the number of an element can be one, while in another embodiment, the number of the element can be multiple, and the term "a" should not be understood as a limitation on the number.

[0018] A ducted drive is mounted on a fuselage 1. The fuselage 1 includes a cockpit 6 and a front crossbeam 4 and a rear crossbeam 5 symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the cockpit 6. Several ducted drives are rotatably mounted at the ends of the front crossbeam 4 and the rear crossbeam 5. Each ducted drive includes an annular base 7 mounted at the end of the front crossbeam 4 or the rear crossbeam 5. A motor 8 is mounted in the middle of the annular base 7, and blades are mounted on the output shaft of the motor 8. The motor 8 drives the blades to rotate and generate lift to drive the UAV. An air intake guide plate assembly is slidably mounted on the upper part of the annular base 7. The air intake guide plate assembly consists of several independently deflectable arc-shaped guide plates 3. Several actuators are also included, connected between the arc-shaped guide plates 3 and the annular base 7, for driving the arc-shaped guide plates 3 to slide and deflect relative to the annular base 7. The air intake guide plate assembly consisting of several arc-shaped guide plates 3 is... The ring-shaped guide plates 3 are adapted to the curvature of the inner and outer sides of the ring base 7. When encountering crosswinds, several arc-shaped guide plates 3 slide independently on the ring base 7 in real time according to the wind direction and speed, and adjust their deflection angle to change the air intake direction and air intake volume to eliminate the influence of airflow. The sliding distance of the several arc-shaped guide plates 3 relative to the ring base 7 is not greater than the length of the arc-shaped guide plate 3, and the deflection angle of the arc-shaped guide plate 3 is -10 degrees to +55 degrees. Several support rods 9 are set inside the ring base 7. The support rods 9 are connected to and fixed to the motor 8 at the central axis of the ring base 7, and the blades are located above the support rods 9. The longitudinal section of the support rods 9 is a streamlined structure, and several turbulence plates are set at the lower part of the support rods 9. The turbulence plates can deflect relative to the lower part of the support rods 9. Several capillary protrusions are set on the surface of the turbulence plates. The length-to-width ratio of the capillary protrusions is 10:1, and the tail end of the turbulence plates is also provided with serrations.

[0019] The first embodiment of this utility model is as follows:

[0020] The fuselage 1 has symmetrically arranged front crossbeams 4 and rear crossbeams 5 on both sides, forming four ducted drive mounting positions. After the ducted drives are installed, a two-position distributed thrust array structure is formed. The four ducted drives form a lift drive system in two-dimensional space, i.e., a planar layout, with each ducted drive being a part of this lift drive system. The lift drive system includes a front left lift module, a front right lift module, a rear left lift module, and a rear right lift module, located on the front left, front right, rear left, and rear right sides of the fuselage 1, respectively. Each module is equipped with at least one permanent magnet synchronous motor 8 and an FOC controller. The FOC controller is used to control the flux linkage and torque of the permanent magnet synchronous motor 8.

[0021] When the ducted jet aircraft takes off vertically, all modules of the lift drive system are horizontal, rotating on the same horizontal plane, generating lift vertically downwards. When the ducted jet aircraft flies horizontally, the modules of the lift drive system are tilted, rotating at similar tilt angles, generating lift tilted diagonally backwards. Through force analysis, this allows the UAV to maintain forward flight while remaining at a constant altitude. When the ducted jet aircraft hovers, the modules of the lift drive system are horizontal, rotating on the same horizontal plane, generating lift vertically downwards. However, at this time, the UAV is affected by crosswinds, resulting in lateral forces and a tendency for horizontal displacement.

[0022] The fuselage 1 houses a battery, which is powered by the motor 8 of the ducted motor driven by the power management system. The fuselage 1 also houses a control system, including a flight controller comprising multiple independent control computers using non-volatile computer-readable storage media. This storage medium contains one or more sets of computer instructions, readable by the control computers, for controlling the operation of the ducted aircraft. Preferably, the flight controller is a processor-based control system capable of executing program code in the form of machine-executable instructions. It connects to other control terminals via a communication network for remote control, including both wired and wireless connections.

[0023] The flight controller is connected to electronic nodes such as sensors and gyroscopes located at different positions on the fuselage 1 via a communication network. It receives sensor data, processes it according to the control system, and transmits it to the lift drive system to control each module independently. For example, the flight controller can control the blade speed of different modules individually, or control the tilt angle of each module individually.

[0024] The flight controller can autonomously control the aircraft based on sensor data and a pre-set attitude adjustment strategy, or it can passively control the aircraft by receiving control commands from the control terminal through a communication network.

[0025] The flight controller mainly includes a fuselage 1 stabilization system, a control system, a network system, and a power system. The fuselage 1 stabilization system can perform autonomous control based on real-time feedback information from sensors and adjust the arc-shaped guide plate 3 in real time to adaptively ensure the stable hovering of the UAV.

[0026] Whether it is autonomous or passive control, those skilled in the art should understand that the above processes can be implemented in various forms, including combinations of hardware and software, processors, and operating systems. The flight controller receives information and data from various sources, such as sensor data, remote control terminal control data, and GPS location information. The operating system includes integrated vertical takeoff and landing takeoff mode, lateral flight mode, hovering mode, and the switching between these modes.

[0027] The sensors include inertial measurement units, barometers, ultrasonic sensors, lidar, current and voltage sensors, visual positioning cameras, and wind speed sensors. They also include attitude sensors, temperature sensors, environmental sensors, distance sensors, millimeter-wave radar, and all other sensor categories that can be customized as needed. Sensor information can be directly transmitted to the aircraft controller or synchronized to the control terminal. The control terminal includes an aircraft remote controller, display screen, microphone, audio and video interface, etc., allowing operators to remotely understand on-site information and issue commands.

[0028] The landing gear is installed at the bottom of the fuselage 1. The length of the landing gear is greater than the distance between the bottom of the fuselage 1 or the ducted drive and the ground. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the distance between the air outlet of the ducted drive and the ground is not less than 50 cm.

[0029] The ducted drive includes an annular base 7, which is rotatably connected to the front crossbeam 4 and rear crossbeam 5 of the fuselage 1. Its angle can be adjusted by an actuator. The annular base 7 can be made of metal, composite materials, carbon fiber, etc., and a support rod 9 is integrally formed from the same material. The connection point of the support rod 9 is located on the central axis of the annular base 7, where a motor 8 is installed. A blade is mounted on the output shaft of the motor 8. The number of blades can be adjusted as needed; in this embodiment, there are at least five blades with the same angle between them. Sound-absorbing material is provided on the inner surface of the annular base 7 to reduce noise generated during blade rotation.

[0030] During the rotation of the blades, air vortices are generated at the blade tips. In this embodiment, when laying the sound-absorbing material, a gap slightly larger than the space required for the blade tip to rotate is left at the blade tip, so that the inner diameter of the sound-absorbing material is slightly smaller than the diameter of the blade tip's rotation trajectory. When viewed from the front side, the blade tip is hidden in the space enclosed by the sound-absorbing material, reducing the air vortices generated by the blade tip and increasing efficiency by about 10%. At the same time, the diameter of the air outlet is the same as the inner diameter of the duct, reducing thrust loss.

[0031] During takeoff, the lift drive system provides lift to make the drone rise stably. After reaching the effective altitude, the ducted drive adjusts the tilt direction, turning the vertical downward thrust into a diagonal rearward thrust. At this time, the drone's attitude changes from nose-down to tail-up, and the drone can then fly forward.

[0032] In addition, each ducted actuator can be controlled independently, and the thrust direction and magnitude of each module can be adjusted to enable the UAV to perform actions such as forward and backward flight, hovering, take-off and landing, rolling, turning, rotating, and pitching.

[0033] When the drone hovers at the designated location, the ducted drive switches to horizontal rotation, making the thrust vertically downward. At this time, if it encounters crosswinds or airflow interference, the airflow inside the duct may be severely separated, greatly reducing the duct efficiency. This will cause the drone to tend to move laterally. At the same time, the change in airflow will also cause changes in the air intake volume and air intake angle, resulting in thrust fluctuations and making it impossible for the drone to maintain a stable balance in space.

[0034] To address the aforementioned issues, several arc-shaped guide plates 3 are installed on the upper part of the annular base 7. Under normal conditions, these guide plates 3 are closed, forming a structure that adapts to the outer contour of the annular base 7, similar to a conventional ducted actuator. When encountering crosswinds, the arc-shaped guide plates 3 slide upwards along the annular base 7 and deflect at an angle under the action of the actuator. Multiple arc-shaped guide plates 3 can perform the same action simultaneously or perform different actions individually, forming different duct leading edge shapes and deflection angles. For example, when a ducted aircraft encounters a crosswind on the left... On the one hand, it generates lateral thrust on the drone, and on the other hand, it changes the air intake, with the air pressure on the left being greater than that on the right. At this time, the arc-shaped guide plate 3 on the left deflects outward, and the arc-shaped guide plate 3 adjacent to it successively weakens the deflection angle and increases the upward sliding height. The arc-shaped guide plate 3 on the right keeps the angle unchanged and the sliding height is the maximum. At this time, the left air intake is strengthened, and the spoiler deflects, adjusting the air outlet angle so that the thrust is slightly to the right. This can not only counteract the effect of the crosswind, but also generate an outlet branch thrust that opposes the crosswind thrust, thereby maintaining the overall balance of the drone.

[0035] The number of vertical arc-shaped guide plates 3 depends on various factors, such as the overall machine size, preset load, number of blades, and duct inner diameter. The curvature of the arc-shaped guide plates 3 is related to their number. If the number is N, the curvature of a single arc-shaped guide plate 3 is 360 / N.

[0036] The material of the arc-shaped guide plate 3 can be the same as that of the ring base 7, and it can be made by extrusion, machining, 3D printing, etc. During assembly, space is reserved for actuator installation, and any compatible actuator type or model can be used.

[0037] The control method for ducted jet aircraft includes the following steps:

[0038] By sensing the real-time spatial attitude and environmental information of the ducted aircraft through sensors, for example, a millimeter-wave radar transmitting signal is used and a receiving antenna receives the reflected signal. After processing the transmitted and reflected signals, the amplitude spectrum and phase spectrum at this moment are obtained through spectrum analysis. Then, the phase is compared with the preset altitude to determine the location of the UAV.

[0039] The interference modulus of environmental information on spatial attitude information is calculated, as well as the correction amount of UAV attitude to eliminate the interference modulus. For example, the environmental information includes wind direction and wind speed. By establishing a spatial model, importing wind direction and wind speed information, and performing simulation calculations, the attitude change amount of the UAV under this condition is obtained, including the change function of the three spatial axes.

[0040] The flight controller controls the actuator to work, independently adjusting the sliding distance and deflection angle of the arc-shaped guide plate 3 at different positions to adjust the air intake angle and air intake volume, and adjusting the deflection angle of the spoiler to eliminate the influence of crosswind on the attitude of the UAV. In the space model, through simulation calculation, the increase in reverse thrust required to eliminate the attitude change is obtained, as well as the effect function of the arc-shaped guide plate 3 on the crosswind after the shape change, and the attitude change of the arc-shaped guide plate 3 is deduced. Then, this information is sent to the actuator to make it work.

[0041] The system uses sensors to perceive the real-time spatial attitude and environmental information of the ducted aircraft for verification. This information is then compared with the virtual model within the spatial model to verify whether the actual attitude changes of the UAV are the same as the simulation calculations. Fine-tuning is then performed based on the actual situation to control the UAV to maintain stable hovering in space.

[0042] It should be noted that the terms "first, second, and third" used in this utility model are for descriptive purposes only and do not indicate any order. They should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, and can be interpreted as names.

[0043] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present invention described above and shown in the accompanying drawings are merely examples and do not limit the present invention. The advantages of the present invention have been fully and effectively realized. The functional and structural principles of the present invention have been shown and explained in the embodiments. Without departing from the principles, the implementation of the present invention may have any modifications or variations.

Claims

1. A ducted drive, mounted on a machine body, characterized in that: The fuselage includes a cockpit and front and rear crossbeams symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the cockpit. Several ducted drive units are rotatably mounted at the ends of the front and rear crossbeams. Each ducted drive unit includes an annular base mounted on the end of the front or rear crossbeam. A motor is mounted in the center of the annular base, and blades are mounted on the output shaft of the motor. The motor drives the blades to rotate and generate lift to drive the UAV. An air intake guide plate assembly is slidably mounted on the upper part of the annular base. The air intake guide plate assembly consists of several independently deflectable arc-shaped guide plates. It also includes several actuators connected between the arc-shaped guide plate and the annular base, which are used to drive the arc-shaped guide plate to slide and deflect relative to the annular base. The air inlet guide plate assembly composed of several arc-shaped guide plates is annular and is adapted to the curvature of the inner and outer sides of the annular base itself. When encountering crosswinds, the several arc-shaped guide plates slide independently on the annular base in real time according to the wind direction and wind speed and adjust the deflection angle to change the air inlet direction and air inlet volume to eliminate the influence of airflow.

2. The ducted drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding distance of the plurality of arc-shaped guide plates relative to the annular base is not greater than the length of the arc-shaped guide plate, and the deflection angle of the arc-shaped guide plate is -10 degrees to +55 degrees; The annular base has several support rods inside, which are connected to and fix the motor at the central axis of the annular base. The blade is located above the support rods. The longitudinal section of the support rod is a streamlined structure, and its lower part is provided with several interference flow plates.

3. The ducted drive according to claim 2, characterized in that: The spoiler can deflect relative to the lower part of the support rod. The surface of the spoiler is provided with a number of capillary protrusions with an aspect ratio of 10:

1. The tail end of the spoiler is also provided with serrations.

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