Flight device

Abstract

To provide a self-supporting type flying device capable of largely securing a payload and a continuous flying time, and accurately adjusting a position attitude in flying.SOLUTION: The autonomous flying device 10 includes a main rotor 14A or the like for giving main thrust, a subrotor 15A or the like for performing attitude control, an engine 30 for generating energy for rotating the main rotor 14A or the like and the subrotor 15A or the like, and an arithmetic controller 31 for controlling the rotation of the subrotor 15A or the like. The main rotor 14A and the like are rotated by being drivingly connected to the engine 30, while the sub-rotor 15A and the like are rotated by a motor driven by electric power generated from a power generator 16A and the like operated by the engine 30. Further, the arithmetic controller 31 may make the power distribution ratio of the subrotor 15A larger when the attitude control of inclining the airframe is performed than when the hover is performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flying device, and more particularly to a so-called hybrid flying device in which a main rotor is driven by an engine and a sub-rotor is rotated by electric power obtained from a generator driven by the engine. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, autonomous flying devices capable of unmanned flight in the air have been known. Such autonomous flying devices are capable of flight in the air by using the thrust of a rotor that rotates around a vertical axis.

[0003] Possible fields of application for such autonomous flying devices include, for example, transportation, surveying, and photography. When an autonomous flying device is applied to such fields, surveying equipment and photography equipment are attached to the flying device. By applying the flying device to such fields, it is possible to fly the flying device into areas that are inaccessible to humans and transport, photograph, and survey such areas. Inventions related to such autonomous flying devices are described, for example, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.

[0004] In a typical autonomous flying device, the rotor rotates using power supplied from a storage battery mounted on the flying device. However, since the amount of energy supplied by the storage battery is not always sufficient, autonomous flying devices equipped with an engine have also emerged to achieve continuous flight over long periods of time. In such an autonomous flying device, the driving force of the engine rotates a generator, and the rotor is driven by the power generated by the generator. An autonomous flying device with such a configuration is also called a series-type drone because the engine and generator are connected in series along the path through which energy is supplied from the power source to the rotor. By using such an autonomous flying device to perform photography and surveying, it is possible to photograph and survey a wide area. A flying device equipped with an engine is described, for example, in Patent Document 3. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-51545 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-240242 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-251678 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the current situation where the applications of autonomous aircraft are expanding, there is a demand for autonomous aircraft to have a larger payload, i.e., a larger payload, and also for autonomous aircraft to be able to fly continuously for a long period of time in order to fly long distances.

[0007] However, battery-powered autonomous flying devices that only have a storage battery as the rotor drive energy source have the problem of limited payload and continuous flight time because the energy available from the battery is not very large. For example, the payload of a battery-powered autonomous flying device is about 10 kg, and its continuous flight time is about 20 minutes.

[0008] Furthermore, in a series-type autonomous flying device that uses power generated by an engine to rotate the rotor, the engine is used as the driving source, allowing for a relatively large payload and a relatively long continuous flight time. For example, the payload of a series-type autonomous flying device is approximately 20 kg, and its continuous flight time is approximately one hour. However, in a series-type autonomous flying device, the energy transmitted to the rotor passes through the engine, generator, power conditioner, and motor, resulting in energy losses depending on the efficiency of the generator and power conditioner. Therefore, series-type autonomous flying devices have the problem that their overall energy efficiency is not high, and it is not easy to increase the payload.

[0009] Furthermore, hybrid autonomous flying devices have been developed that have an engine-driven rotor and a motor-driven rotor, but it has not been easy to stably change the attitude of the autonomous flying device 10 while improving operating efficiency.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an autonomous flying device that can ensure a large payload and continuous flight time, while also being able to accurately adjust its position and attitude during flight. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The flying device of the present invention comprises a power generating unit, a rotor that rotates by the power generated by the power generating unit, a belt that transmits the power from the power generating unit to the rotor, and a frame that supports the rotor, and is characterized in that the belt is arranged above the frame. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, the position and attitude of an autonomous flying device in the air can be stabilized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an autonomous flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view showing the autonomous flying device, and (B) is a top view. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing an autonomous flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a block diagram showing the connection configuration of each part. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an autonomous flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a side cross-sectional view showing an engine to be mounted thereon, and (B) is a top cross-sectional view thereof. [Figure 4]1A and 1B are diagrams showing an autonomous flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a side cross-sectional view showing another engine to be installed, and (B) is a top cross-sectional view thereof. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an autonomous flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a side cross-sectional view showing yet another engine to be installed. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an autonomous flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) shows a space-fixed coordinate system and (B) shows an aircraft-fixed coordinate system. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an autonomous flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a side view showing the fuselage tilted at 10 degrees, and (B) is a graph showing the change in power over time. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an autonomous flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a side view showing the fuselage tilted at 35 degrees, and (B) is a graph showing the change in power over time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The configuration of the engine-equipped autonomous flying device of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, parts with the same configuration will be given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted. Note that although the following description uses the terms up, down, front, back, left, and right, these directions are used for the sake of convenience. In the following description, the engine-equipped autonomous flying device will be referred to as an autonomous flying device 10. The engine-equipped autonomous flying device is also referred to as a drone.

[0015] The general configuration of an autonomous flying device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1(A) is a perspective view showing the entire autonomous flying device 10, and Figure 1(B) is a top view of the autonomous flying device 10.

[0016] 1(A), the autonomous flying device 10 is a so-called hybrid autonomous flying device. That is, the main rotor 14A, etc. are drivingly connected to the engine 30, while the sub-rotors 15A, etc. are supplied with electrical energy from the engine 30 via the generator 16A, etc. In the following description, the main rotors 14A, etc. may be simply referred to as the main rotors 14, and the sub-rotors 15A, etc. may be simply referred to as the sub-rotors 15. Here, the left-right direction on the paper is the first direction in which the engine parts that make up the engine 30 are aligned, and the front-rear direction on the paper is the second direction.

[0017] The autonomous flying device 10 mainly comprises a frame 11, an engine 30 arranged approximately in the center of the frame 11, a generator 16A etc. driven by the engine 30, a sub-rotor 15 that rotates using electricity generated by the generator 16A etc., and a main rotor 14 that rotates by being drivingly connected to the engine 30.

[0018] The frame 11 is formed in a frame-like shape to support the engine 30, the generator 16A, various wiring, a control board (not shown here), etc. The frame 11 is made of metal or resin molded into a frame shape. A skid 18 is formed at the lower end of the frame 11 and comes into contact with the ground when the autonomous flight device 10 touches down. The frame 11 includes a main frame 12A etc. that supports the main rotor 14, and a sub-frame 13A etc. that supports the sub-rotor 15. The configurations of the main frame 12A etc. and the sub-frame 13A etc. will be described later.

[0019] The engine 30, various wiring, and a control board (not shown here), etc., are housed in a casing 17. The casing 17 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin plate material molded into a predetermined shape, and is fixed to the center of the frame 11. Here, the casing 17 and the members housed therein are referred to as a main body 19.

[0020] Generators 16A and 16B are disposed above the engine 30. The generators 16A and 16B generate electricity when rotated by the engine 30. The electric power generated by the generators 16A and 16B is supplied to the motor 21 that rotates the sub-rotor 15A, etc. The electric power is also supplied to a calculation control device that controls the rotation of the sub-rotor 15A, etc.

[0021] The main frames 12A and 12B extend linearly in the left-right direction from the main body 19. The main frames 12A and 12B are made of metal or synthetic resin molded into a rod shape. A main rotor 14A is rotatably disposed at the left end of the main frame 12A extending to the left. A pulley (not shown) is connected to the main rotor 14A, and a belt 20A is stretched between the pulley on the main rotor 14A side and a pulley (not shown) on the engine 30 side. Meanwhile, a main rotor 14B is rotatably disposed at the right end of the main frame 12B extending to the right. A pulley (not shown) is connected to the main rotor 14B, and a belt 20B is stretched between the pulley on the main rotor 14B side and a pulley (not shown) on the engine 30 side. With this configuration, the main rotor 14B is drivingly connected to the engine 30. Therefore, the main rotor 14 is directly rotated by the power generated by the engine 30, so that the energy loss when energy is transmitted from the engine 30 to the main rotor 14 can be reduced compared to the series type.

[0022] The main rotor 14 has the function of generating an upward force to lift the autonomous flight device 10 so that it floats in the air. On the other hand, the sub-rotor 15 is mainly responsible for controlling the attitude of the autonomous flight device 10. For example, when the autonomous flight device 10 is hovering, the sub-rotor 15 rotates appropriately to maintain a constant position and attitude of the autonomous flight device 10. The sub-rotor 15 also rotates to tilt the autonomous flight device 10 when it moves. The main rotors 14A and 14B also rotate in opposite directions.

[0023] The sub-frames 13A, etc. extend in the front-to-rear direction and, like the main frame 12A, etc., are made of rod-shaped metal or synthetic resin. The sub-frames 13A, etc. extend from the middle of the main frame 12A, etc. A sub-rotor 15A is disposed at the front end of the sub-frame 13A and is rotated by a motor 21A disposed below the sub-rotor 15A. A sub-rotor 15B is disposed at the front end of the sub-frame 13B and is rotated by a motor 21B disposed below the sub-rotor 15B. A sub-rotor 15C is disposed at the rear end of the sub-frame 13C and is rotated by a motor 21C disposed below the sub-rotor 15C. A sub-rotor 15D is disposed at the rear end of the sub-frame 13D and is rotated by a motor 21D disposed below the sub-rotor 15D. The motors 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D are supplied with electric power generated by generators 16A and 16B. Wiring for supplying power to the motor 21A is routed inside the sub-frame 13A and the like.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 1(B), the length L10 of the main frame 12A (the length from the center of the main body 19 to the left end of the main frame 12A) is longer than one blade of the main rotor 14A. This prevents the rotating main rotor 14A from coming into contact with the main body 19. Furthermore, the length L10 of the main frame 12A is set sufficiently long so that the main rotor 14A does not come into contact with the sub-rotors 15A and 15C. The length of the main frame 12B is equal to that of the main frame 12A.

[0025] The length L20 of the sub-frame 13D is longer than the length of one blade of the sub-rotor 15D so that the sub-rotor 15D does not come into contact with the main body 19. Furthermore, the length L20 of the sub-frame 13D (the length from the center of the main body 19 to the rear end of the sub-frame 13D) is set to a length that does not cause the sub-frame 13D to come into contact with the main rotor 14B. The lengths of the other sub-rotors 15A, 15B, and 15C are the same as that of the sub-rotor 15D. The lengths of the other sub-frames 13A, etc. are also the same as that of the sub-frame 13D. Furthermore, the length L10 of the main frame 12A is sufficiently longer than the length L20 of the sub-frame 13D.

[0026] The main rotor 14 and sub-rotor 15 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a line of symmetry in the left-right direction that passes through the center of the main body 19. The main rotor 14 and sub-rotor 15 are also arranged symmetrically with respect to a line of symmetry in the front-rear direction that passes through the center of the main body 19. By symmetrically arranging the main rotor 14 and sub-rotor 15 in this way, the position and attitude of the autonomous flight device 10 in the air can be stabilized.

[0027] When the autonomous flying device 10 configured as described above flies, the main rotor 14, etc. and the sub-rotor 15A, etc. rotate simultaneously. The rotation of the main rotor 14, etc. generates thrust that causes the autonomous flying device 10 to float in the air, and the individual rotation of the sub-rotors 15A, etc. controls the position and attitude of the autonomous flying device 10 in the air. When the autonomous flying device 10 moves, attitude control is performed to tilt the autonomous flying device 10 by rotating the main rotor 14, etc. at a predetermined speed while changing the rotation speed of the sub-rotor 15A, etc. This attitude control will be described later.

[0028] The connection configuration of the autonomous flight device 10 will be described with reference to the block diagram in Figure 2. The autonomous flight device 10 has an arithmetic and control device 31 for controlling its position and attitude in the air. The arithmetic and control device 31 is composed of a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and controls the rotation of motors 21A that drive sub-rotors 15A, etc., based on instructions from various sensors, cameras, and an operating device (not shown). Here, the operating device is a so-called controller that is connected to the autonomous flight device 10 wirelessly or via a wire and allows the user to operate the position, altitude, direction of movement, speed of movement, etc. of the autonomous flight device 10.

[0029] As described above, the autonomous flight device 10 can float in the air and move in a predetermined direction by rotating the main rotor 14 and the sub-rotor 15 with the driving energy generated by the engine 30. The position and attitude of the autonomous flight device 10 in the air are controlled by controlling the rotational speed of the motor 21A that rotates the sub-rotor 15.

[0030] Motors 21A and the like use engine 30 as their energy source. Between engine 30 and motors 21A and the like are generators 16A and the like, inverter 32 (power converter), capacitor module 34, driver 24A and the like. With this configuration, the driving force generated by engine 30 is converted into electric power, and this electric power rotates motors 21A and the like at a predetermined rotational speed, thereby controlling the position and attitude of autonomous flight device 10 and moving it.

[0031] The engine 30 is a reciprocating type that uses gasoline or the like as fuel, as will be described later, and uses its driving force to drive the generators 16A, 16B. Here, as described above, the engine 30 also drives the main rotor 14. The engine 30 is controlled by an arithmetic and control unit 31.

[0032] The AC power generated by generators 16A and 16B is supplied to inverter 32. In inverter 32, a converter circuit first converts the AC power to DC power, and then an inverter circuit converts the DC power back into AC power of a predetermined frequency. A portion of the power output from inverter 32 is stored in capacitor module 34 during hovering. The power stored in capacitor module 34 is supplied to motor 21A and other motors when autonomous flight device 10 changes its position and attitude. Compared to a storage battery or the like, capacitor module 34 can supply a large current to a load in a short time, thereby instantaneously increasing the rotational speed of motor 21A and other motors, enabling autonomous flight device 10 to move at high speed.

[0033] A portion of the power output from the inverter 32 is also supplied to a surplus power consumption circuit 33. The surplus power consumption circuit 33 is a circuit for consuming the portion of the power converted by the inverter 32 that is not used by the motor 21A, etc. The provision of the surplus power consumption circuit 33 allows the engine 30 and the inverter 32 to operate stably. The behavior of the inverter 32 is controlled by the arithmetic and control device 31.

[0034] Drivers 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D use power generated by inverter 32 to control the amount of current flowing through motors 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D, the direction of rotation, the timing of rotation, etc. The behavior of drivers 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D is controlled by arithmetic and control device 31.

[0035] In the autonomous flying device 10 configured as described above, the power supply system is different when the device is in a hovering state where it remains at a fixed location in the air, and when it is moving toward a predetermined location.

[0036] Specifically, in the hovering state, power is supplied in the following order: generators 16A, 16B, inverter 32, drivers 24A, etc., and motor 21A, etc. Then, the arithmetic and control device 31 controls the driver 24A, etc. based on the outputs of various sensors to rotate motor 21A at a predetermined rotation speed so that the autonomous flight device 10 remains parallel to the ground and stays in a fixed position. In this way, the sub-rotor 15A, etc. shown in FIG. 1 rotate at a predetermined speed, allowing the autonomous flight device 10 to hover stably.

[0037] On the other hand, in a moving state in which the autonomous flight device 10 is moving, the arithmetic and control device 31 first supplies the power stored in the capacitor module 34 to the driver 24A, etc., based on instructions from the user via the controller, etc. Therefore, the driver 24, etc., is supplied with power from the capacitor module 34 in addition to the power supplied from the inverter 32. For example, referring to FIG. 1 , when moving the autonomous flight device 10 forward, the arithmetic and control device 31 controls the driver 24A, etc., to supply the supplied power to the motors 21C, 21D that drive the sub-rotors 15C, 15D, and makes the rotational speed of the sub-rotors 15C, 15D faster than the rotational speed of the sub-rotors 15A, 15B.

[0038] In this way, when viewed from the right, the autonomous flight device 10 tilts so that it rotates slightly counterclockwise. When the main rotors 14A, 14B are rotated in this tilted state, the resultant force of the lift generated by the main rotors 14A, 14B and the gravity acting on the autonomous flight device 10 acts forward. As a result, the autonomous flight device 10 moves forward.

[0039] When the autonomous flying device 10 has moved to a predetermined location, the arithmetic and control device 31 stops the power supply from the capacitor module 34 to the drivers 24A, etc., and causes the motors 21A, etc. to rotate at approximately equal speeds via the drivers 24A, etc. In this way, the autonomous flying device 10 resumes hovering.

[0040] As described above, the autonomous flying device 10 according to this embodiment is a so-called hybrid type having a main rotor 14, etc. that rotates using the driving force of the engine 30, and a sub-rotor 15A, etc. that rotates using a motor 21, etc. that is driven by the engine 30. Therefore, compared to the above-mentioned series type, the autonomous flying device 10 can achieve an energy consumption improvement rate of approximately 50%.

[0041] 3 to 5, the configuration of the engine 30 mounted on the autonomous flying device 10 having the above-described configuration will be described. In the autonomous flying device 10 of this embodiment, if large vibrations are generated from the engine 30, it will be impossible to precisely control the position and attitude of the autonomous flying device 10 in the air, so a vibration-free or low-vibration engine 30 is used.

[0042] One embodiment of the engine 30 will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3(A) is a cross-sectional view of the engine 30 as seen from the front, and Figure 3(B) is a cross-sectional view of the engine 30 as seen from above. The engine 30 shown here has two engine sections (a first engine section 40 and a second engine section 41) arranged opposite each other in the left-right direction.

[0043] Referring to Figures 3(A) and 3(B), the engine 30 has a first engine section 40 arranged on the left side of the paper and a second engine section 41 arranged on the right side.

[0044] The first engine section 40 has a first piston 43 that reciprocates left and right, a first crankshaft 42 that converts the reciprocating motion of the first piston 43 into rotational motion, and a first connecting rod 44 that rotatably connects the first piston 43 and the first crankshaft 42.

[0045] The second engine section 41 has a second piston 46 that reciprocates left and right, a second crankshaft 45 that converts the reciprocating motion of the second piston 46 into rotational motion, and a second connecting rod 47 that rotatably connects the second piston 46 and the second crankshaft 45.

[0046] The pulley 22 and the generator 16A are connected to the upper end of the first crankshaft 42. The pulley 23 and the generator 16B are connected to the upper end of the second crankshaft 45.

[0047] The first piston 43 of the first engine section 40 and the second piston 46 of the second engine section 41 share the combustion chamber 48. In other words, the first piston 43 and the second piston 46 reciprocate inside a single communicating cylinder. Therefore, the first engine section 40 and the first piston 43 simultaneously stroke toward the center, thereby reducing the stroke amount and achieving a high expansion ratio of the mixed gas in the combustion chamber 48.

[0048] Although not shown, the engine 30 is formed with a volumetric space that communicates with the combustion chamber 48, and a spark plug is disposed in this volumetric space. The combustion chamber 48 is also formed with an intake port and an exhaust port, both not shown, and an air-fuel mixture containing fuel such as gasoline is introduced into the combustion chamber 48 from the intake port, and the exhaust gas after combustion is discharged from the combustion chamber to the outside via the exhaust port.

[0049] 3A, the engine 30 configured as described above operates as follows. First, during the intake stroke, the first piston 43 and the second piston 46 move from the center toward the outside inside the cylinder 49, introducing a mixture of fuel and air into the cylinder 49. Next, during the compression stroke, the inertia of the rotating first crankshaft 42 and second crankshaft 45 pushes the first piston 43 and the second piston 46 toward the center, compressing the mixture inside the cylinder 49. Next, during the combustion stroke, an ignition plug (not shown) ignites in the combustion chamber 48, burning the mixture inside the cylinder 49, which pushes the first piston 43 and the second piston 46 to the outer end, which is the bottom dead center. Then, during the exhaust stroke, the inertia of the rotating first crankshaft 42 and second crankshaft 45 pushes the first piston 43 and second piston 46 inward, and the burned gases present inside the cylinder 49 are expelled to the outside.

[0050] In the engine 30 of this embodiment, the stroke can be divided between the two pistons, the first piston 43 and the second piston 46, which reciprocate within a single cylinder 49. This allows for a higher compression ratio of the mixed gas compared to a conventional gasoline engine. Furthermore, because the first piston 43 and the second piston 46 face each other within the cylinder 49, the cylinder head required in conventional engines is unnecessary, resulting in a simpler and lighter engine 30. Furthermore, the components constituting the engine 30, i.e., the first piston 43 and the second piston 46, the first crankshaft 42 and the second crankshaft 45, etc., are arranged opposite each other and operate in an opposing manner. This cancels out vibrations generated by the various components of the engine 30, thereby reducing external vibrations generated by the engine 30 as a whole. Therefore, in this embodiment, by incorporating the engine 30 having the above-described structure, the autonomous flight device 10 can be made smaller, lighter, and with reduced vibration. In particular, the reduced vibration can prevent adverse effects on precision equipment such as arithmetic and control devices for attitude control, motor output control, etc., and GPS sensors. In addition, it is possible to prevent the delivery cargo transported by the autonomous flight device 10 from being damaged by vibrations.

[0051] Another embodiment of the engine 30 will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4(A) is a side view of the engine 30 as seen from the front, and Figure 4(B) is a top view of the engine 30.

[0052] 4(A) and 4(B), engine 30 here comprises a first engine section 60 on the left side and a second engine section 61 on the right side, each of which has its own cylinder. This is different from engine 30 shown in FIG.

[0053] The first engine section 60 has a first cylinder 71, a first piston 70 that reciprocates inside the first cylinder 71, a first crankshaft 80 that converts the reciprocating motion of the first piston 70 into rotational motion, a first connecting rod 75 that movably connects the first piston 70 and the first crankshaft 80, a first intake valve 64, and a first exhaust valve 62.

[0054] The second engine section 61 has a second cylinder 73, a second piston 72 that reciprocates inside the second cylinder 73, a second crankshaft 81 that converts the reciprocating motion of the second piston 72 into rotational motion, a second connecting rod 76 that movably connects the second piston 72 and the second crankshaft 81, a second intake valve 65, and a second exhaust valve 63.

[0055] Here, the first engine section 60 and the second engine section 61 may be housed in an engine block integrally formed by casting, or the first engine section 60 and the second engine section 61 may be housed separately in engine blocks.

[0056] In the engine 30, the main components of the first engine section 60 and the second engine section 61 are arranged in the left-right direction. Specifically, the first cylinder 71, the first piston 70, the first crankshaft 80, and the first connecting rod 75 of the first engine section 60 are arranged in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the second cylinder 73, the second piston 72, the second crankshaft 81, and the second connecting rod 76 of the second engine section 61 are also arranged in the left-right direction. By arranging the components of each engine section in the left-right direction in this way, vibrations generated by the operation of each engine section are canceled out, thereby improving the vibration damping effect.

[0057] Furthermore, the first engine section 60 and the second engine section 61 are arranged symmetrically in the left-right direction. With this configuration, vibrations generated by the operation of each engine section are canceled out, improving the vibration damping effect.

[0058] 4(A) and 4(B), the first engine section 60 has a valve drive mechanism that controls the operation of the first intake valve 64 and the second intake valve 65 described above.

[0059] The valve drive mechanism includes a crank pulley 82, a cam pulley 85, and a timing belt 74 that is wound around the crank pulley 82 and the cam pulley 85. The crank pulley 82 is connected to a portion of the first crankshaft 80 that leads out to the outside. The cam pulley 85 is connected to a camshaft 86 together with a first intake cam 84 that contacts the first intake valve 64 and controls its forward and backward movement, and a second intake cam 87 that contacts the second intake valve 65 and controls its forward and backward movement. The first intake cam 84 and the second intake cam 87 are connected to the camshaft 86 with a phase difference so that the first intake cam 84 presses the first intake valve 64 and the second intake cam 87 press the second intake valve 65 simultaneously.

[0060] Referring to Figure 4(A), a pulley 22 and a generator 16A are connected to the upper end of the first crankshaft 80 of the first engine section 60, and a pulley 23 and a generator 16B are connected to the upper end of the second crankshaft 81 of the second engine section 61.

[0061] The mechanism that drives the first exhaust valve 62 and the second exhaust valve 63 includes a crank pulley 83, a cam pulley 67, and a timing belt 77 that is looped around the crank pulley 82 and the cam pulley 85. The crank pulley 83 is connected to a portion of the second crankshaft 81 that leads out to the outside. The cam pulley 67 is connected to the camshaft 66 together with a first exhaust cam 78 that contacts the first exhaust valve 62 to control its forward and backward movement, and a second exhaust cam 79 that contacts the second exhaust valve 63 to control its forward and backward movement. The first exhaust cam 78 and the second exhaust cam 79 are connected to the camshaft 66 with a phase difference so that the timing when the first exhaust cam 78 presses the first exhaust valve 62 and the timing when the second exhaust cam 79 presses the second exhaust valve 63 are simultaneous.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 4(A), a reversing gear 68 is connected to the camshaft 66 to which the first exhaust cam 78 and the like are attached. Although not shown here, a reversing gear is also connected to the camshaft 86 (FIG. 4(B)). The reversing gear 68 of the camshaft 66 and the reversing gear of the camshaft 86 are meshed with each other. With this configuration, a crankshaft reversing synchronization mechanism is configured in which the rotation direction of the first crankshaft 80 and the rotation direction of the second crankshaft 81 are opposite to each other.

[0063] The operation of engine 30 shown in Fig. 4 is basically the same as that shown in Fig. 3. That is, first piston 70 and second piston 72 simultaneously move inward in the left-right direction to perform a compression stroke, etc., and then simultaneously move outward in the left-right direction to perform a combustion stroke, etc. Furthermore, the above-described configuration simplifies flow paths 88 and 89, which are the intake and exhaust paths, allowing for efficient intake and exhaust.

[0064] Another embodiment of the engine 30 employed in the autonomous flight device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5. The engine 30 shown here has one piston 104, and extracts driving force from the crankshaft 100 and balancer shaft 107.

[0065] Specifically, engine 30 has a cylinder 105, a piston 104 that reciprocates inside cylinder 105, a crankshaft 100 that converts the reciprocating motion of piston 104 into rotational motion, and a connecting rod 103 that rotatably connects piston 104 and crankshaft 100. A crank gear 102, a pulley 22, and a generator 16A are attached to the upper end of crankshaft 100. A balance mass 101 is also attached to crankshaft 100. By attaching balance mass 101, it is possible to reduce the primary inertial force generated by the rotation of crankshaft 100.

[0066] The balancer shaft 107 is disposed on the right side of the crankshaft 100. The balancer shaft 107 is a so-called eccentric shaft. The balancer shaft 107 rotates together with the crankshaft 100, thereby reducing vibrations that occur with the rotation of the crankshaft 100. A balancer gear 109, a flywheel 110, a pulley 23, and a generator 16B are attached to the upper end of the balancer shaft 107.

[0067] A balance mass 106 is attached to the balancer shaft 107. The positional relationship between the balance mass 101 formed on the crankshaft 100 and the balance mass 106 formed on the balancer shaft 107 is symmetrical. Specifically, the positional relationship between the balance mass 101 and the balance mass 106 is symmetrical with respect to a line of symmetry 111 that is defined perpendicular to the center between the rotation centers of the crankshaft 100 and the balancer shaft 107.

[0068] Although the balance mass 106 may be formed only on the balancer shaft 107, here the balance mass 106 is formed on the balancer shaft 107 and the balancer gear 109. Furthermore, the moment of inertia around the balancer shaft 107, including the balance mass 106, is set to be the same or approximately the same as the moment of inertia around the crankshaft 100, including the balance mass 101. This makes it possible to further reduce vibrations generated when the engine 30 is operating.

[0069] Here, a flywheel 110 can also be formed on the balancer shaft 107. In this case, the moment of inertia around the balancer shaft 107 including the flywheel 110 is made equal to the moment of inertia of the crankshaft 100, thereby further increasing the vibration damping effect.

[0070] The power distribution ratio when the autonomous flying device 10 is tilted for movement will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the coordinate system used for the simulation. Figure 7(A) is a side view showing the autonomous flying device 10 when tilted at 10 degrees, and Figure 7(B) is a graph showing the change in output power over time in that case. Figure 8(A) is a side view showing the autonomous flying device 10 when tilted at 35 degrees, and Figure 8(B) is a graph showing the change in output power over time in that case.

[0071] First, the equations of motion used to simulate the output of the autonomous flight device 10 will be explained with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6(A) is a graph showing a space-fixed coordinate system, and Fig. 6(B) is a graph showing an aircraft-fixed coordinate system.

[0072] When a space-fixed coordinate system is used as shown in Figure 6(A) and an aircraft-fixed coordinate system is used as shown in Figure 6(B), the relationship between these two fixed coordinate systems can be described by the following equation 1. Here, φ, θ, and ψ are Euler angles that represent roll, pitch, and spin.

[0073]

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[0074] In addition, the center of gravity of the autonomous flying device 10 {X G , Y G , Z G} T The translational motion of is described by the following equation 2 in a space-fixed coordinate system: where m is the airframe weight of the autonomous flight device 10, g is the gravitational acceleration, and T is the thrust generated by the main rotor 14A etc. and the sub-rotor 15A etc.

[0075]

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[0076] Furthermore, the rotational motion of the autonomous flight device 10 about the center of gravity is described by the following equation 3 in the aircraft-fixed coordinate system:XX , I YY , I ZZ are the moments of inertia of the aircraft around each axis, {W1, W2, W3} T is the angular velocity vector, and {τ φ , τ θ , τ ψ} T represents the torque around each axis generated by the attitude control rotor.

[0077]

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[0078] The motion of the autonomous flying device 10 was simulated based on the above equations, and the following results were obtained.

[0079] In this simulation, the difference in power distribution ratio between hovering and attitude control was verified. Here, attitude control refers to when the autonomous flight device 10 is tilted, for example, by 10 degrees, to move the autonomous flight device 10 through the air. The power distribution ratio is the ratio between the power generated by the rotation of the main rotor 14A, etc., and the power generated by the rotation of the sub-rotor 15A, etc.

[0080] When the autonomous flight device 10 is hovering, the main rotors 14A, etc. generate thrust to lift the device body, while the sub-rotors 15A, etc. rotate to keep the device body in place and maintain a horizontal position. Therefore, the output of the main rotors 14, etc. is much greater than the output of the sub-rotors 15A, etc. For example, the power output by the main rotors 14, etc. is 3.04 W, and the power output by the sub-rotors 15A, etc. is 0.34 W. The power distribution ratio between the main rotors 14, etc. and the sub-rotors 15A, etc. is, for example, 90%:10%.

[0081] Because the main rotor 14 and the like and the output shaft of the engine 30 are drivingly connected, energy loss in the path along which energy is transmitted from the engine 30 to the main rotor 14 and the like is very small. In other words, the energy efficiency of the path along which energy is transmitted from the engine 30 to the main rotor 14 and the like is very high. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the sub-rotors 15A and the like are supplied with energy from the engine 30 via the generator 16A and the like, the inverter 32, the motor 21A, and the like, so the energy efficiency of this path is low, for example, 70%. Therefore, by increasing the power distribution ratio of the main rotor 14 and the like during hovering, the autonomous flight device 10 can be kept aloft by effectively using the energy generated by the engine 30.

[0082] On the other hand, during attitude control, the sub-rotor 15A, etc. are rotated at high speed to tilt the autonomous flight device 10. Therefore, compared to when hovering, a larger proportion of energy is supplied to the sub-rotor 15A, etc. Furthermore, the greater the angle at which the autonomous flight device 10 is tilted, the faster the sub-rotor 15A, etc. must be rotated, and therefore the larger the proportion of energy supplied to the sub-rotor 15A, etc.

[0083] Referring to Figure 7, we will explain the case where the autonomous flying device 10 is tilted 10 degrees during attitude control. Figure 7(A) is a side view showing the autonomous flying device 10 tilted 10 degrees, and Figure 7(B) is a graph showing the change over time in the power generated by each rotor. Here, power refers to the thrust generated by the rotation of each rotor.

[0084] 7(A), during attitude control, the arithmetic and control device 31 rotates sub-rotors 15C and 15D faster than sub-rotors 15A and 15B, thereby making the lift acting on the rear portion of the autonomous flight device 10 greater than the lift acting on the front portion, and tilting the autonomous flight device 10 counterclockwise. Here, sub-rotors 15A and others are rotated so that the tilt angle θ of the autonomous flight device 10 is 10 degrees.

[0085] 7(B), the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the power generated by each rotor. Here, the dashed-dotted line represents the power of the sub-rotors 15A, etc., the dotted line represents the power of the main rotors 14, etc., and the solid line represents the sum of the power of the sub-rotors 15A, etc. and the power of the main rotors 14, etc.

[0086] Referring to this figure, at time T1, the sub-rotors 15C and 15D are rotated faster than the sub-rotors 15A and 15B, and the power of the sub-rotors 15A and 15B reaches its maximum value (approximately 0.5 kW). In this manner, the tilt angle of the autonomous flight device 10 is set to 10 degrees, as described above. In this state, the rotational speed of the sub-rotors 15C and 15D is set to approximately the same as that of the sub-rotors 15A and 15B, and the autonomous flight device 10 moves forward due to the thrust of the main rotor 14 and 15D. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rotational speed of the sub-rotors 15C and 15D can be instantly increased using the power supplied from the capacitor module 34 shown in FIG. 2.

[0087] At time T2, the autonomous flight device 10 has reached a predetermined speed, so the rotation speed of sub-rotors 15A and 15B is made faster than that of sub-rotors 15C and 15D in order to level the autonomous flight device 10. At this time, the power of sub-rotors 15A and the like is also relatively large, but is smaller than the power at time T1.

[0088] Between time T1 and time T2, the autonomous flying device 10 is tilted to generate acceleration, and at time T2, the autonomous flying device 10 is brought to a horizontal position, causing the acceleration to become zero. After time T2, the autonomous flying device 10 moves at a constant speed.

[0089] During attitude control of the autonomous flight device 10, the output of the main rotor 14 and other components does not generally fluctuate and is approximately 3 kW. At this time, the rotation speed of the engine 30 may be constant or may be increased as necessary.

[0090] When the autonomous flight device 10 is tilted 10 degrees as described above, the maximum power of the sub-rotors 15A, etc. is approximately 0.6 kW, and the power of the main rotors 14, etc. is approximately 3.0 kW. Therefore, the power distribution ratio between the main rotors 14, etc. and the sub-rotors 15A, etc. is 86%:14%.

[0091] Referring to Figure 8, we will explain the case where the autonomous flying device 10 is tilted at 35 degrees. Figure 8(A) is a side view showing the autonomous flying device 10 tilted at 35 degrees, and Figure 8(B) is a graph showing the change in power over time in this case. The control method for tilting the autonomous flying device 10 to move it is the same as that shown in Figure 7. By increasing the tilt angle θ of the autonomous flying device 10 in this way, the autonomous flying device 10 can be moved at a higher speed.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 8(B), when tilting the autonomous flight device 10 by 35 degrees, the sub-rotors 15C and 15D must be rotated at an even higher speed. Therefore, the maximum power of the sub-rotors 15A, etc. at time T3 is approximately 1.3 kW. At time T4, the power of the sub-rotors 15A, etc. is increased again to bring the autonomous flight device 10 to a horizontal position. From time T3 to time T4, the autonomous flight device 10 is tilted to generate acceleration, and at time T4, the autonomous flight device 10 is brought to a horizontal position, causing the acceleration to become zero. After time T4, the autonomous flight device 10 moves at a constant speed. Here, because the autonomous flight device 10 is tilted significantly, the acceleration acting on the autonomous flight device 10 is increased, allowing the autonomous flight device 10 to move at high speed.

[0093] As described above, the output of the main rotor 14 and the like does not generally fluctuate and is approximately 3 kW during attitude control of the autonomous flight device 10. Also, at this time, the rotation speed of the engine 30 may be constant.

[0094] Therefore, when the autonomous flight device 10 is moved by tilting it 35 degrees, the power distribution ratio between the main rotor 14, etc. and the sub-rotor 15A, etc. is, for example, 70%:30%. In other words, compared to when the autonomous flight device 10 is tilted 10 degrees, the power output of the sub-rotor 15A, etc. is greater.

[0095] In this embodiment, when changing the attitude of the autonomous flying device 10, the power distribution ratio of the sub-rotor 15A, etc. is made larger than when hovering. In this way, the autonomous flying device 10 can be instantly tilted and moved by rotating the sub-rotor 15A, etc. at high speed while keeping the autonomous flying device 10 afloat using the thrust of the main rotor 14, etc.

[0096] Furthermore, when changing the attitude of the autonomous flight device 10, it is preferable to set the power distribution ratio to the sub-rotor 15A, etc., at 10% or more and 30% or less when the output of the sub-rotor 15A, etc., is at its maximum. By setting this power distribution ratio to 10% or more, the sub-rotor can obtain sufficient rotational force, allowing the autonomous flight device 10 to move in the air with an appropriate tilt. Furthermore, by setting the power distribution ratio to 30% or less, the attitude of the autonomous flight device 10 in the air can be stabilized.

[0097] Generally, an output response on the order of 100 msec is required for attitude control of a multi-rotor autonomous flying device, but with an engine-driven autonomous flying device, the output response speed is not fast enough, making it difficult to perform accurate attitude control. On the other hand, with autonomous flying device 10 according to this embodiment, attitude control of autonomous flying device 10 is performed by electronically controlling the rotation speed of motors 21A, which rotate sub-rotors 15A, etc., making output response on the order of 100 msec possible, allowing for accurate attitude control of autonomous flying device 10.

[0098] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0099] 2, a storage battery may be provided in autonomous flight device 10. That is, a portion of the power generated by generator 16A etc. may be charged into the storage battery, and motor 21A etc. may be rotated by the power discharged from the storage battery as needed.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 1, the driving force of the engine 30 is transmitted to the main rotor 14 etc. via the belt 20A etc., but the driving force of the engine 30 may be transmitted to the main rotor 14 etc. via other power transmission means such as a gear train.

[0101] The invention that can be understood from the above-described embodiment will be described below together with the effects that the invention provides.

[0102] The engine-equipped autonomous flying device of the present invention comprises a main rotor that provides main thrust to the airframe, a sub-rotor that performs attitude control of the airframe, an engine that generates energy for rotating the main rotor and the sub-rotor, and an arithmetic and control device that controls the rotation of the sub-rotor, wherein the main rotor rotates by being drivingly connected to the engine, and the sub-rotor rotates by a motor driven by power generated by a generator operated by the engine, and the arithmetic and control device is characterized in that when performing attitude control to tilt the airframe, the power distribution ratio of the sub-rotor is made larger than when performing hovering. Therefore, when performing attitude control to tilt the airframe to move the engine-equipped autonomous flying device in the air, by increasing the power distribution ratio of the sub-rotor, the airframe can be moved with an appropriate tilt.

[0103] Furthermore, in the engine-equipped autonomous flight device of the present invention, the arithmetic and control device is characterized in that, when performing the attitude control, the power distribution ratio to the sub-rotor is set to 10% or more and 30% or less. Therefore, when performing attitude control, by setting the power distribution ratio to the sub-rotor to 10% or more, the sub-rotor can obtain sufficient rotational force, allowing the vehicle to move with an appropriate tilt in the air. Furthermore, by setting the power distribution ratio to the sub-rotor to 30% or less, the vehicle's attitude in the air can be stabilized.

[0104] Furthermore, the engine-equipped autonomous flying device of the present invention further includes a power converter that converts the power generated by the generator and a capacitor that stores the power output from the power converter, and the arithmetic and control device stores the capacitor when hovering, and supplies the power discharged from the capacitor to the motor when performing attitude control. Therefore, by supplying the power discharged from the capacitor to the motor when performing attitude control, the output of the sub-rotor can be quickly increased, allowing the engine-equipped autonomous flying device to move at high speed in the air.

[0105] Furthermore, in the engine-equipped autonomous flight device of the present invention, the engine rotation speed is approximately the same during hovering and during attitude control. Therefore, when performing attitude control, the total energy required by the main rotor and sub-rotor is greater than when hovering, but in the present invention, this energy is replenished with electrical energy discharged from the capacitor. Therefore, since there is no need to increase the engine rotation speed to perform attitude control, attitude control can be simplified.

[0106] Furthermore, in the engine-mounted autonomous flying device of the present invention, the engine and the main rotor are drivingly connected via a belt. Therefore, by drivingly connecting the engine and the main rotor with a belt, the engine and the main rotor can be easily drivingly connected even if they are far apart. Furthermore, since a belt is lighter than other power transmission means such as gears, the use of a belt can reduce the weight of the engine-mounted autonomous flying device.

[0107] Furthermore, in the engine-equipped autonomous flight device of the present invention, the engine comprises a first engine section having a first piston that reciprocates, and a second engine section having a second piston that reciprocates while facing the first piston. Therefore, the reciprocating motion of the opposing pistons in the first engine section and the second engine section cancels out vibrations and the like that are generated by the reciprocating motion, making it possible to extremely reduce vibrations generated by engine operation.

[0108] Furthermore, in the engine-equipped autonomous flight device of the present invention, the first piston and the second piston reciprocate within a communicating cylinder. Therefore, by having the first piston and the second piston reciprocate within the same cylinder, vibrations generated by the engine can be suppressed and the engine configuration can be simplified.

[0109] Furthermore, in the engine-equipped autonomous flight device of the present invention, the first piston reciprocates within a first cylinder, and the second piston reciprocates within a second cylinder formed separately from the first cylinder. Therefore, by providing separate cylinders for the first engine unit and the second engine unit, the first engine unit and the second engine unit can be prepared separately, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the intake and exhaust paths of the first and second cylinders can be shaped to be suitable for intake and exhaust.

[0110] Furthermore, in the engine-equipped autonomous flight device of the present invention, the sub-rotor is attached to the tip of a sub-arm extending outward from where the engine is located, and the main rotor is attached to the tip of a main arm extending outward from where the engine is located and longer than the sub-arm. Therefore, by lengthening the main arm to which the main rotor is attached, it is possible to lengthen each rotor that makes up the main rotor, thereby further increasing the payload. Furthermore, by shortening the sub-arm to which the sub-rotor is attached, it is possible to precisely control attitude by changing the rotation speed of the sub-rotor.

[0111] Furthermore, in the engine-mounted autonomous flight device of the present invention, the driving force is transmitted to the main rotor via an engine-side pulley attached to a shaft extending outward from the crankshaft of the engine, a rotor-side pulley attached to the main rotor, and a belt looped between the engine-side pulley and the rotor-side pulley. Therefore, the driving force generated by the engine can be transmitted to the main rotor with a relatively simple configuration.

[0112] Furthermore, in the engine-mounted autonomous flight device of the present invention, if the direction in which the first engine unit and the second engine unit that constitute the engine are aligned is defined as a first direction and the direction perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction, the main rotor comprises a first main rotor driven by the first engine unit and disposed outward along the first direction, and a second main rotor driven by the second engine unit and leveled in a position opposite the first main rotor, and the sub-rotors comprise a first sub-rotor disposed outward along the second direction on the side of the first main rotor, the second sub-rotor disposed in a position opposite the first sub-rotor along the second direction, a third sub-rotor disposed outward along the second direction on the side of the second main rotor, and a fourth sub-rotor disposed in a position opposite the third sub-rotor along the second direction. Therefore, by having the first main rotor and the second main rotor at both ends along the first direction, and having four sub-rotors, it is possible to increase the payload with the first main rotor and the second main rotor, while precisely controlling the attitude of the entire airframe with the four sub-rotors.

[0113] Furthermore, in the engine-mounted autonomous flight device of the present invention, the engine has a crankshaft on which a first balance mass is formed and a balancer shaft on which a second balance mass is formed in a position symmetrical to the first balance mass, and the main rotor is rotated by the driving force of the crankshaft and the balancer shaft. Therefore, each rotor can be driven by the power extracted from the crankshaft and the balancer shaft without having multiple engine units. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 10 Self-supporting flight device 11 frames 12, 12A, 12B Mainframe 13, 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D subframe 14, 14A, 14B main rotors 15, 15A, 15B, 15C, 15D sub rotor 16, 16A, 16B generators 17 Casing 18 Skid 19 Main body 20, 20A, 20B belt 21, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D motors 22 Pulley 23 Pulley 24, 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D drivers 30 Engine 31 Arithmetic and control device 32 inverter 33 Surplus power consumption circuit 34 Capacitor Module 40 First Engine Section 41 Second Engine Section 42 No. 1 crankshaft 43 First piston 44 First connecting rod 45 No. 2 crankshaft 46 Second piston 47 Second connecting rod 48 Combustion chamber 49 cylinders 60 First Engine Section 61 Second Engine Section 62 First exhaust valve 63 Second exhaust valve 64 First intake valve 65 Second intake valve 66 Camshaft 67 Cam pulley 68 Reverse Gear 70 First piston 71 No. 1 cylinder 72 Second piston 73 No. 2 cylinder 74 Timing belt 75 First connecting rod 76 Second connecting rod 77 Timing belt 78 No. 1 exhaust cam 79 No. 2 exhaust cam 80 No. 1 crankshaft 81 No. 2 crankshaft 82 Crank pulley 83 Crank pulley 84 No. 1 intake cam 85 Cam pulley 86 camshaft 87 No. 2 intake cam 88 Flow path 89 Flow path 100 crankshaft 101 Balance Mass 102 crank gear 103 Connecting rod 104 Piston 105 cylinders 106 Balance Mass 107 Balancer shaft 109 Balance Gear 110 Flywheel 111 Line of symmetry

Claims

1. The rotor includes a power generating unit, a rotor that rotates by power generated by the power generating unit, a belt that transmits the power from the power generating unit to the rotor, and a frame that supports the rotor, The flying device is characterized in that the belt is disposed above the frame.

2. The power generating device includes a power generating unit, a rotor, a first pulley, a second pulley, a belt, and a frame, the first pulley is a pulley on the power generation unit side, the second pulley is a pulley connected to the rotor, The flying device is characterized in that the belt is stretched between the first pulley and the second pulley and is disposed above the frame.

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