A toroidal energy storage low altitude vehicle

Abstract

The utility model relates to unmanned aerial vehicle technical field, concretely for a kind of annular energy storage type low-altitude aircraft, including frame and multiple rotors, each rotor is rotatably connected on support seat, the circumferential outside of rotor is equipped with annular energy storage container, the outside of energy storage container is equipped with protective cover, the protective cover includes the protective ring enclosed in the circumferential outside of energy storage container, the protective ring is connected with cross-shaped protection frame, the protection frame has at least two groups, respectively located the upper space and lower space of energy storage container. By the fuel storage container is designed as annular frame that bears overall structural force and provides protection, realize the integration of the three major functions of energy storage, structure, protection, to systematically improve the endurance, safety, stability and load-carrying performance of hydrogen power unmanned aerial vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, specifically a ring-shaped energy storage low-altitude aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to this utility model and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Multirotor drones are a type of low-altitude aircraft that have been widely used in aerial photography, surveying, agricultural plant protection, logistics, emergency rescue, and many other fields. However, their further development and large-scale commercialization are severely constrained by existing energy storage technologies and structural designs. Currently, mainstream drones generally use lithium polymer batteries as their power source, and their overall design architecture has many inherent flaws: First, the flight time is severely insufficient. Limited by the low energy density of lithium batteries, drones typically only fly for twenty minutes to half an hour, making it difficult to meet the needs of long-term operations. Although increasing the number of batteries can improve flight time, this leads to a sharp increase in the overall weight, creating a vicious cycle of energy consumption and weight, resulting in low efficiency. The lengthy charging process further reduces operational efficiency.

[0004] Secondly, safety and reliability face challenges. This is mainly reflected in two aspects: First, lithium batteries themselves have safety hazards. They are prone to thermal runaway under overcharging, over-discharging, collision, or high-temperature environments, which can lead to fire or even explosion. Second, the rotors and core power systems of drones are usually completely exposed. When flying in complex environments (such as urban buildings or forests), they are very likely to collide with obstacles, resulting in rotor damage or damage to the core system, causing flight accidents.

[0005] Third, flight stability and load-bearing capacity need improvement. During flight, especially when performing tasks such as grabbing and dropping, the center of gravity of the drone changes. Current designs lack an effective active trim mechanism, resulting in unstable flight attitude and poor wind resistance. At the same time, in order to maximize endurance, its structural weight is drastically compressed, limiting its effective payload capacity and making it difficult to undertake heavier transportation tasks.

[0006] Fourth, they are not environmentally friendly or economically viable. Lithium batteries have a limited cycle life, their capacity decays rapidly after multiple charge-discharge cycles, and they are prone to bulging and aging when operating in high-temperature environments, resulting in a short lifespan. Large quantities of discarded batteries cause serious environmental pollution, and recycling and disposal costs are high.

[0007] To address the range anxiety issue, the industry has explored alternative energy solutions such as hydrogen fuel cells. However, existing hydrogen-powered drones typically suspend or mount the hydrogen storage tank (mostly a high-pressure gas cylinder) as a separate component on the frame. This "attached" design not only adds extra structural weight and air resistance, compromising the overall compactness and aerodynamic shape of the drone, but also leaves the hydrogen storage tank and its connected piping system without effective protection, making them highly susceptible to becoming hazards in the event of a crash or collision, thus failing to fundamentally improve safety.

[0008] Therefore, existing drone technologies are fragmented in terms of energy storage methods, structural design, and safety protection, failing to achieve systematic integration. This results in a series of interconnected common problems, such as short endurance, poor safety, insufficient stability, low payload capacity, and short lifespan. Utility Model Content

[0009] To address the technical problems mentioned above, this utility model provides a ring-shaped energy storage low-altitude aircraft. By designing the fuel storage container as a ring-shaped frame that bears the overall structural force and provides protection, the three major functions of energy storage, structure, and protection are integrated, thereby systematically improving the endurance, safety, stability, and payload performance of hydrogen-powered drones.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: This utility model provides a ring-shaped energy storage low-altitude aircraft, including a frame and multiple rotors. Each rotor is rotatably connected to a support base. A ring-shaped energy storage container is provided on the outer circumference of the rotor. A protective cover is provided on the outer side of the energy storage container. The protective cover includes a protective ring surrounding the outer circumference of the energy storage container. The protective ring is connected to a cross-shaped protective frame. The protective frame has at least two sets, located in the space above and below the energy storage container, respectively.

[0011] Furthermore, a drive module is provided on the support base, which drives the rotor to rotate.

[0012] Furthermore, the drive module includes a fuel cell and a drive motor. The energy storage container is connected to the fuel cell through a fuel pipe. The fuel cell uses the fuel in the energy storage container to generate electricity and power the drive motor to drive the rotor to rotate.

[0013] Furthermore, the energy storage container is connected to a bottle neck valve via a valve seat assembly, and the bottle neck valve is connected to a fuel line.

[0014] Furthermore, the valve seat assembly includes a valve seat body having an internal thread and a sealing groove, the external thread end of the bottle neck valve being connected to the internal thread, and a sealing element being provided in the sealing groove.

[0015] Furthermore, the valve seat body is fixed between the inner liner and the reinforcing layer of the energy storage container.

[0016] Furthermore, the protective frame and protective ring located above the energy storage container form a semi-enclosed structure.

[0017] Furthermore, a track is provided on the protective frame located in the space below the energy storage container, and a counterweight is provided on the track.

[0018] Furthermore, the end of the track is connected to a tray.

[0019] Furthermore, the track, along with the counterweight, is located in the space below the energy storage container, forming a semi-enclosed structure.

[0020] Compared with existing technologies, one or more of the above technical solutions have the following beneficial effects: 1. The protective ring and the cross-shaped protective frame form a cage-like protective shield for the energy storage container and rotor. It can absorb the kinetic energy brought by the collision by its own deformation, and mitigate the impact of external impact on the energy storage container and rotor. At the same time, the annular energy storage container provides lateral protection for the rotor, while the cage-like protective shield makes up for the blind spots in the vertical direction, thus constructing a 360° collision protection system.

[0021] 2. The energy storage container adopts a ring-shaped structure layout, making full use of the unused space around the rotor to store fuel, maximizing space utilization. Within the same aircraft profile size, it can hold more fuel, further extending the flight range. Furthermore, the energy replenishment method has been changed from lengthy charging to rapid refueling or complete container replacement, greatly improving operational efficiency and equipment utilization.

[0022] 3. The duct structure of the cage-shaped protective shield has little impact on the airflow generated by the rotor, allowing the airflow to pass freely. At the same time, it may produce a certain duct effect, which helps to reduce the energy loss of the tip vortex.

[0023] 4. The ring-shaped energy storage container can serve as the main load-bearing structure of the drone, eliminating the need for a separate fuel tank and an additional support frame, greatly reducing the overall weight of the drone and indirectly improving its endurance.

[0024] 5. The counterweight located in the space below the energy storage container slides along the track to adjust the changes in the center of gravity of the UAV caused by attitude changes or fuel consumption of the energy storage container during flight. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, are used to provide a further understanding of this utility model. The illustrative embodiments of this utility model and their descriptions are used to explain this utility model and do not constitute an improper limitation of this utility model.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the aircraft energy storage module provided by this utility model; Figure 2 A top view of the energy storage container provided by this utility model; Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the valve seat assembly in the energy storage container provided by this utility model; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the valve seat assembly provided by this utility model; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the valve seat assembly structure provided by this utility model; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the protective cover structure provided by this utility model; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the counterweight component structure provided by this utility model; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the overall layout of the aircraft provided by this utility model; Figure 9 A schematic diagram showing the irregularly shaped arrangement of the annular energy storage provided by this utility model; Figure 10 A schematic diagram showing the rectangular arrangement of the annular energy storage provided by this utility model; Figure 11 A schematic diagram showing the rectangular arrangement of the annular energy storage provided by this utility model.

[0027] In the diagram: 1 Support base, 2 Control module, 3 Drive module, 4 Energy storage container, 5 Protective cover, 6 Fuel pipe, 7 Rotor, 8 Counterweight, 40 Valve seat assembly, 41 Inner liner, 42 Valve seat body, 43 Fiber winding layer, 44 Internal thread, 45 Shoulder, 46 Sealing groove, 81 Track, 82 Pallet. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0029] It should be noted that the following detailed description is exemplary and intended to provide further explanation of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0030] As described in the background section, existing drone technologies are fragmented in terms of energy storage methods, structural design, and safety protection, failing to achieve systematic integration. This results in a series of interconnected common problems, such as short endurance, poor safety, insufficient stability, low payload capacity, and short lifespan.

[0031] The following embodiment provides a ring-shaped energy storage low-altitude aircraft. By designing the fuel storage container as a ring frame that bears the overall structural force and provides protection, the three major functions of energy storage, structure, and protection are integrated, thereby systematically improving the endurance, safety, stability, and load-bearing performance of the hydrogen-powered aircraft.

[0032] The aircraft in this embodiment is a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), such as... Figures 1-7 As shown, each rotor 7 is rotatably connected to the support base 1. An annular energy storage container 4 is provided on the outer circumference of the rotor 7. The energy storage container 4 is used to store fuel. A protective cover 5 is provided on the outer side of the energy storage container 4.

[0033] The drive module 3 of rotor 7 is connected to the support base 1, and the control module 2 that controls the drive module 3 is also connected to the support base 1. The energy storage container 4 sends fuel into the drive module 3 through the fuel pipe 6. The drive module 3 converts the chemical energy of the fuel into mechanical energy, which drives the rotor 7 to rotate. The control module 2 changes the rotation speed of the drive module 3 according to the core control unit of the UAV, so as to realize various actions such as take-off, hovering and landing of the UAV.

[0034] The annular energy storage container 4 stores gaseous fuels (such as hydrogen, liquefied petroleum gas, coal gas, natural gas, etc.) or liquid fuels (gasoline, diesel, kerosene, etc.) or fuels in both gas and liquid states (liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, dimethyl ether, etc.). The material of the energy storage container is selected according to different operating conditions. For example, for the sake of lightness, the annular energy storage container uses plastic for the inner liner, and the outer side of the inner liner is reinforced by wrapping and curing pre-impregnated fiber. Due to the high strength of the fiber and the good sealing effect of the plastic inner liner, the container mouth is equipped with a bottle valve, which can automatically release pressure and gas for protection when the container pressure or temperature is too high.

[0035] The ideal fuel for the energy storage container 4 is hydrogen. When hydrogen is selected, the drive module 2 contains a fuel cell and a drive motor. The energy storage container 4 feeds hydrogen into the fuel cell, and through an electrochemical reaction (such as the combination of hydrogen and oxygen to produce water), the chemical energy of the fuel is directly converted into electrical energy, while generating direct current, water, and a small amount of heat. The generated electrical energy powers the drive motor, which in turn converts electrical energy into mechanical energy to drive the rotor 7 to rotate.

[0036] The energy storage container 4 can supply fuel in parallel, series or independent manner. The energy storage container 4 is connected to the bottle valve through the valve seat assembly 40. The valve seat assembly 40 includes a valve seat body 42. The outer side of the valve seat body 42 is provided with a shoulder 45. The shoulder 45 is located between the inner liner 41 and the fiber winding layer 43 of the energy storage container 4. The valve seat body 42 also has an internal thread 44 and a sealing groove 46. The external thread end of the bottle valve is connected to the internal thread 44. The sealing groove 46 is used to cooperate with the sealing element to achieve a seal. The bottle valve is connected to the fuel pipe 6.

[0037] The energy storage container 4 adopts a ring-shaped structure, surrounding the space around the rotor. This allows for a relatively larger internal volume, accommodating more fuel and serving as a frame for the drone to support other components, thus reducing its overall footprint. The way it surrounds the rotor improves airflow, directing the airflow as vertically as possible. Furthermore, its material properties provide some protection for the rotor.

[0038] The annular energy storage container provides lateral (radial) protection for the rotor 7, effectively resisting horizontal impacts and protecting the rotor and core components inside. However, it is open at the top and bottom (axially). Therefore, a protective shield 5 is installed on the outside of the energy storage container 4, with the structure of the protective shield 5 as follows: Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the protective cover includes an annular protective ring and a cross-shaped protective frame. There are two sets of protective frames, located in the upper and lower spaces of the energy storage container 4, respectively. The protective frame and protective ring located above the energy storage container 4 form a semi-enclosed structure. Tracks 81 are installed on the protective frame located below the energy storage container 4. The ends of multiple tracks 81 are connected by trays 82, and counterweights 8 are slidably connected to the tracks 81. The tracks 81, together with the counterweights 8, are located in the space below the energy storage container 4, forming a semi-enclosed structure. This makes the entire protective cover 5 a cage-like protective structure outside the energy storage container 4, capable of absorbing the kinetic energy from impacts through its own deformation. Furthermore, the cage-like structure has minimal impact on the airflow of the rotor 7, allowing the airflow to flow freely within the cage-like structure.

[0039] When the drone changes its attitude, its center of gravity changes, and the fuel level in the energy storage container 4 fluctuates (for liquid or gas-liquid two-phase systems). This fluctuation is coupled with the changing center of gravity and affects the drone's attitude. The counterweight 8, by sliding along the track 81, makes the change in the drone's center of gravity more gradual and improves the drone's attitude.

[0040] The cage-like protective cover, with its two cross-shaped protective frames, precisely covers the two openings, forming a complete cage structure (or duct structure). This allows the drone to absorb and disperse impact forces regardless of the direction of the collision (front, back, left, right, up, down), achieving true all-around collision protection. This is crucial for drones navigating complex environments such as indoors, jungles, and between buildings.

[0041] As the outermost structure, the cage-like protective shield takes precedence over the annular container in contact with obstacles during a collision. Its design (especially the cruciform frame) can absorb and buffer most of the impact energy through deformation, forming a "sacrifice zone" that prevents the impact energy from being directly transferred to the fragile container walls, greatly improving the safety of the entire system, especially the fuel storage system.

[0042] The cage structure provides a mounting platform for the track and counterweights near the center of gravity, and the protective frame and tray located in the space below the energy storage container can serve as landing gear before the drone takes off.

[0043] The rotor is enclosed inside a cage-like structure, which reduces energy loss from tip vortices and makes it more efficient than a fully open rotor while providing the same lift.

[0044] The energy storage container 4 is ring-shaped. Besides being arranged in a circular pattern on the outside of the rotor 7, it can also be arranged on the outside of the entire UAV to form an irregular shape, or it can be rectangular or rectangular (with rounded corners). The specific shape is not limited, as long as it conforms to the ring-shaped characteristics. Figures 8-11 As shown.

[0045] The materials used for toroidal energy storage containers can be in several specifications: The first type: aluminum alloy material; The second type: uses an aluminum alloy inner liner, wound with fibers (glass fiber, aramid fiber, carbon fiber, basalt fiber, etc.). The third type: using a plastic inner liner (nylon, polyethylene, etc.) and wrapped with fibers (glass fiber, aramid fiber, carbon fiber, basalt fiber, etc.). The fourth type: containers made of fibers (glass fiber, aramid fiber, carbon fiber, basalt fiber, etc.) and resin.

[0046] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A ring-shaped energy storage low-altitude aircraft, characterized in that, It includes a frame and multiple rotors, each rotor being rotatably connected to a support base. An annular energy storage container is provided on the outer circumference of each rotor. A protective cover is provided on the outer side of the energy storage container. The protective cover includes a protective ring surrounding the outer circumference of the energy storage container. The protective ring is connected to a cross-shaped protective frame. The protective frame has at least two sets, located in the space above and below the energy storage container, respectively.

2. The annular energy storage low-altitude aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support base is equipped with a drive module, which drives the rotor to rotate.

3. The annular energy storage low-altitude aircraft as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The drive module includes a fuel cell and a drive motor. The energy storage container is connected to the fuel cell through a fuel pipe. The fuel cell uses the fuel in the energy storage container to generate electrical energy and power the drive motor to drive the rotor to rotate.

4. The annular energy storage low-altitude aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The energy storage container is connected to a bottle neck valve via a valve seat assembly, and the bottle neck valve is connected to a fuel pipe.

5. A ring-shaped energy storage low-altitude aircraft as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The valve seat assembly includes a valve seat body, which has an internal thread and a sealing groove. The external thread end of the bottle valve is connected to the internal thread, and a sealing element is provided in the sealing groove.

6. A ring-shaped energy storage low-altitude aircraft as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The valve seat body is fixed between the inner liner and the reinforcing layer of the energy storage container.

7. A ring-shaped energy storage low-altitude aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protective frame and the protective ring located in the space above the energy storage container form a semi-enclosed type.

8. A ring-shaped energy storage low-altitude aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protective frame located in the space below the energy storage container is provided with a track, and a counterweight block is provided on the track.

9. A ring-shaped energy storage low-altitude aircraft as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The end of the track is connected to a tray.

10. A ring-shaped energy storage low-altitude aircraft as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The track, together with the counterweight, is located in the space below the energy storage container, forming a semi-enclosed structure.

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