Flight device

Abstract

To provide a flight device that can effectively cool the engine during flight. [Solution] The flying device 10 comprises an airframe 19, a rotor 14, an engine 20, a cooling unit 11, and an air guide unit 15. The cooling unit 11 has an engine-side heat exchange unit 111, an external-side heat exchange unit 112, and a medium transport unit 113. The engine-side heat exchange unit 111 is configured to exchange heat with the engine 20. The external-side heat exchange unit 112 is configured to exchange heat with the outside. The medium transport unit 113 is configured to transport a heat transport medium 114 between the engine-side heat exchange unit 111 and the external-side heat exchange unit 112. The air guide unit 15 is disposed between the rotor 14 and the external-side heat exchange unit 112.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flying device, and particularly to a flying device that drives a rotor by an engine.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, flying devices capable of flying unmanned in the air have been known. Such flying devices can fly in the air by the thrust of a rotor rotating around a vertical axis.

[0003] Application fields of such flying devices include, for example, the transportation field, the surveying field, and the photography field. When applying a flying device to such fields, surveying equipment or photographic equipment is installed on the flying device. By applying the flying device to such fields, it is possible to fly the flying device in areas where people cannot enter, and perform transportation, photography, and surveying of such areas. Inventions related to such flying devices are described in, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.

[0004] In a general flying device, the above-described rotor rotates by the power supplied from a battery mounted on the flying device. However, since the amount of energy supplied by the battery is not always sufficient, flying devices equipped with an engine have also appeared in order to achieve continuous flight over a long period of time. In such a flying device, the driving force of the engine rotates a generator, and the power generated by the generator rotationally drives the rotor. Since the engine and the generator are connected in series in the path through which energy is supplied from the power source to the rotor in a flying device having such a configuration, it is also referred to as a series hybrid drone. By performing photography or surveying using such a flying device, wide-range photography or surveying can be performed. A flying device equipped with an engine is described in, for example, Patent Document 3. In addition, a parallel hybrid drone that mechanically rotates a main rotor by the driving force of an engine and rotates a sub-rotor by a motor is also gradually emerging.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-51545 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-240242 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-251678 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, the aforementioned conventional aircraft had room for improvement in its engine cooling mechanism.

[0007] Specifically, when an aircraft is equipped with an engine, a cooling mechanism is required to cool the engine. Due to its high cooling efficiency, a water-cooled cooling system is often used. This water-cooled system includes a radiator that exchanges heat with the outside air.

[0008] On the other hand, since flying devices float and move in the air, it was not easy to determine the ideal placement of radiators in such devices. For example, if the radiator is placed directly below the rotor, the airflow generated by the rotor's rotation will be obstructed by the radiator, potentially reducing the thrust obtained from the rotor's rotation. Furthermore, since the airflow generated by the rotor's rotation is a swirling flow, if this swirling flow enters the radiator at an incline, the efficiency of heat exchange in the radiator may decrease.

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its objective is to provide an aircraft that can effectively cool a water-cooled engine during flight. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention provides an aircraft body, a rotor, an engine, a cooling section, and an air guide section, wherein the cooling section includes an engine-side heat exchange section that exchanges heat with the engine, an external-side heat exchange section that exchanges heat with the outside, and a medium transport section that transports a heat transport medium between the engine-side heat exchange section and the external-side heat exchange section, and the air guide section is disposed between the upper side of the rotor and the external-side heat exchange section, and is configured to extend along the rotational direction of the rotor in a top view, and is a wind tunnel having a first opening on the side of the external-side heat exchange section and a second opening on the side of the rotor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an aircraft that can effectively cool a water-cooled engine during flight. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a top view showing a flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing a flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing a flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention from a different angle. [Figure 4] A side view showing a flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] This is a perspective view showing the air guide section of a flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] These are a side view and a bottom view showing the air guide section of a flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing the connection configuration of a flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing the connection configuration of the cooling section of a flight device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, the configuration of the flying device of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, parts having the same configuration are given the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In the following description, the directions of up, down, front, back, left, and right are used, but these directions are for convenience of explanation. Also, the flying device 10 is also referred to as a drone, and more specifically, it is also referred to as a hybrid drone. Furthermore, in the following description, the front refers to the front side in the traveling direction of the flying device 10, and the back refers to the rear side in the traveling direction of the flying device 10. Furthermore, in the following description, the side away from the airframe 19 may be referred to as the outer side, and the side approaching the airframe 19 may be referred to as the inner side.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a top view showing the flying device 10. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the flying device 10. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the flying device 10 from another angle. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the flying device 10.

[0015] The flying device 10 includes an airframe 19, a rotor 14, an engine 20, a cooling unit 11, and a ventilation unit 15.

[0016] Specifically, the flying device 10 is an engine-mounted drone that mounts an engine 20 and flies by the energy generated when the engine 20 is operated. As the flying device 10, a series hybrid drone or a parallel hybrid drone can be adopted. The series hybrid drone drives a generator 21 described later by the engine 20, and a motor 25 described later that receives power from the generator 21 rotates the rotor 14 described later. The parallel hybrid drone has a mechanical drive system that mechanically rotates another rotor 14 by the engine 20, separate from the electric drive system that rotates the rotor 14 by the motor 25.

[0017] The airframe 19 is a main body that supports devices such as the engine 20 that constitute the flying device 10, and is made of synthetic resin, metal, or a composite material thereof. Here, the airframe 19 is configured by assembling pipe-shaped members in a frame shape. When the flying device 10 is viewed from above, the outer edge of the airframe 19 has a substantially octagonal shape.

[0018] The rotor 14 generates thrust for the aircraft 19 to float by rotating. The rotor 14 has a first rotor 141 and a second rotor 142. The first rotor 141 is disposed on the left side of the aircraft 19. The second rotor 142 is disposed on the right side of the aircraft 19. The first rotor 141 and the second rotor 142 are, for example, rotors that are mechanically rotationally driven by an engine 20. The rotor 14 may be one that rotates by a motor powered by a generator driven by the engine 20 or a battery. In the present embodiment, the rotation range of the first rotor 141 is referred to as a first rotation range 281, and the rotation range of the second rotor 142 is referred to as a second rotation range 282.

[0019] The engine 20 generates power for the first rotor 141 and the second rotor 142 to rotate. The engine 20 is built into the aircraft 19. In the present embodiment, the engine 20 is a water-cooled engine in which water is adopted as a heat exchange medium.

[0020] A plurality of arms 12 extend from the aircraft 19 toward the surroundings. The arm 12 has a first arm 121 and a second arm 122. The first arm 121 extends from the aircraft 19 toward the left. The second arm 122 extends from the aircraft 19 toward the right. Although not shown here, the arm 12 may further include ones that extend from the aircraft 19 toward the front left, the front right, the rear left, and the rear right. Further, at the outer ends of these arms 12, rotors that are rotationally driven by a motor and control the position and attitude of the flying device 10 in the air may be provided.

[0021] The cooling unit 11 is a component device that cools the engine 20. Specifically, the cooling unit 11 is a water-cooling mechanism that exchanges heat between the engine 20 built into the aircraft 19 and the external atmosphere by circulating a heat transport medium such as water. Thereby, overheating of the engine 20 during flight can be prevented, and the flying device 10 can fly stably. The specific configuration of the cooling unit 11 will be described later with reference to the figures after FIG. 2.

[0022] The external heat exchanger 112 is a component of the cooling unit 11 and is configured to exchange heat with the external atmosphere. The external heat exchanger 112 is also called a radiator. The external heat exchanger 112 is a heat exchanger with a fin-and-tube mechanism. The fins that make up the external heat exchanger 112 are made of steel plates such as aluminum and are arranged at equal intervals along the left-right direction. The tubes that make up the external heat exchanger 112 extend along the left-right direction so as to penetrate these fins. The external heat exchanger 112 is also located outside the first rotation range 281. Therefore, the external heat exchanger 112 does not directly obstruct the airflow generated by the rotation of the first rotor 141. Therefore, the external heat exchanger 112 does not hinder the thrust generated from the first rotor 141.

[0023] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the external heat exchange unit 112 is installed on the outward-facing surface of the aircraft body 19. Specifically, the side surface of the external heat exchange unit 112 is positioned on a surface that intersects with the rotation plane of the rotor 14. More specifically, the side surface of the external heat exchange unit 112 is positioned on a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the rotation plane of the rotor 14. This allows for a further increase in the airflow in the air passage formed between the rotor 14 and the external heat exchange unit 112. It also allows for further miniaturization of the external heat exchange unit 112. The upper and lower ends of the external heat exchange unit 112 are provided with connection ports for connecting to the engine-side heat exchange unit 111, which will be described later, via pipes. During flight of the aircraft 10, water is introduced from one connection port, and the water that has undergone heat exchange in the external heat exchange unit 112 is discharged to the outside from the other connection port.

[0024] Referring to Figure 1, the flight device 10 has external heat exchange units 112 located on the front left side and the front right side, respectively.

[0025] The air guide section 15 is a wind tunnel disposed between the rotor 14 and the external heat exchange section 112. The air guide section 15 is disposed in the front left and front right portions of the machine body 19, corresponding to the external heat exchange section 112. The inner end of the air guide section 15 in the width direction is connected to the external heat exchange section 112. On the other hand, the outer end of the air guide section 15 in the width direction is disposed inside the first rotation range 281 and the second rotation range 282. By distributing the air guide section 15 between the rotor 14 and the external heat exchange section 112, the rotational air generated by the rotation of the rotor 14 can promote heat exchange in the external heat exchange section 112.

[0026] In a top view, the air guide section 15 extends along the direction of rotation of the rotor 14. Specifically, the first rotation range 281 rotates counterclockwise in a top view. The air guide section 15 extends along the counterclockwise rotation direction of the first rotation range 281. More specifically, the orientation of the air tunnel of the air guide section 15 is along the tangent to the outer edge of the first rotation range 281 in the area where the air guide section 15 is installed. With this configuration, the airflow generated by the rotation of the first rotor 141 passes smoothly through the inside of the air guide section 15, promoting heat exchange in the external heat exchange section 112. The same applies to the air guide section 15 installed on the right side.

[0027] Referring to Figure 4, the air guide section 15 and the external heat exchange section 112 are arranged above the first rotor 141 and the first rotation range 281. With this configuration, the suction air generated by the rotation of the first rotor 141 passes through the air guide section 15 and the external heat exchange section 112. As the first rotor 141 rotates, a downwash is generated below the first rotor 141, and this downwash is a swirling flow corresponding to the rotation of the first rotor 141. Therefore, if the external heat exchange section 112 were arranged below the first rotor 141, the swirling downwash would be blown onto the external heat exchange section 112, potentially reducing the efficiency of heat exchange in the external heat exchange section 112. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the external heat exchange section 112 is arranged above the first rotor 141. In other words, in the airflow generated by the rotation of the first rotor 141, the external heat exchange section 112 is located upstream of the first rotor 141. Therefore, the suction air generated by the rotation of the first rotor 141 passes through the external heat exchange section 112. Thus, the suction air generated by the rotation of the first rotor 141 passes through the external heat exchange section 112, thereby promoting heat exchange in the external heat exchange section 112.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the external heat exchange unit 112 is provided on the aircraft body 19. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the external heat exchange unit 112 is positioned on the side facing outward from the engine 20. By providing the heavy external heat exchange unit 112 on the aircraft body 19, the inertia generated from the external heat exchange unit 112 during flight can be reduced.

[0029] Figure 5A is a perspective view showing the air guide section 15 of the flight device 10. Figure 5B is a side view and a bottom view showing the air guide section 15 of the flight device 10.

[0030] Referring to Figures 5A and 5B, the air guide section 15 is a wind tunnel having a first opening 151, a second opening 152, and an air guide section body 153.

[0031] The first opening 151 is a roughly rectangular opening. As shown in Figure 1, the first opening 151 is positioned to face the internal space of the aircraft body 19. An external heat exchange unit 112 is attached to the first opening 151.

[0032] The second opening 152 is a substantially rectangular opening. As shown in Figure 4, the second opening 152 opens downward on the upper surface of the first rotor 141 and the first rotation range 281.

[0033] The air guide body 153 is a wind tunnel that curves from the external heat exchange section 112 to the upper surface of the first rotor 141. As shown in Figure 1, the air guide body 153 of the air guide 15 curves from the side of the machine body 19 toward the outer circumference of the first rotation range 281. The air guide 15 also curves along the outer edge of the first rotation range 281. With this configuration, the swirling air generated by the rotation of the first rotation range 281 is actively directed into the air guide 15, enabling effective heat exchange in the external heat exchange section 112. Furthermore, the air guide body 153 in the portion immediately adjacent to the first opening 151 extends approximately horizontally. This allows for the formation of a flow that is approximately perpendicular to the surface of the external heat exchange section 112 attached to the first opening 151. In addition, the air guide body 153 in the portion immediately adjacent to the second opening 152 extends approximately vertically. In this way, the air that has passed through the air guide body 153 can be effectively supplied to the first rotor 141 as described above.

[0034] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the connection configuration of the flying device 10.

[0035] The flight device 10 mainly comprises a calculation control unit 23, an engine 20, a generator 21, a battery 18, a power conversion unit 24, a motor 25, a rotor 26, and a cooling unit 11. Here, the rotor 26 is for controlling the position and attitude of the flight device 10 in the air and is not shown in Figure 1, etc.

[0036] The arithmetic control unit 23 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and controls the behavior of each component of the flight device 10 based on inputs from various sensors and controllers (not shown here). The arithmetic control unit 23 also includes a flight controller that controls the rotation speed of each rotor 26 based on inputs from various sensors.

[0037] The engine 20 operates based on input signals from the arithmetic control unit 23, generating energy for the flight device 10 to fly.

[0038] The generator 21 is a device that generates electricity using the driving force of the engine 20.

[0039] The battery 18 is interposed between the generator 21 and the power conversion unit 24. The battery 18 is charged by the generator 21. The power discharged from the battery 18 is supplied to the power conversion unit 24, which will be described later.

[0040] The power conversion unit 24 is provided in accordance with each rotor 26. The power conversion unit 24 can employ a converter and inverter that converts the AC power supplied from the generator 21 into DC power and then into AC power of a predetermined frequency. Furthermore, the power conversion unit 24 can employ an inverter that converts the DC power supplied from the battery 18 into a predetermined frequency.

[0041] Motors 25 are provided in accordance with each rotor 26. The rotors 26 rotate at a predetermined speed using power supplied from the power conversion unit 24. Motors 25 rotate the rotors 26.

[0042] The cooling unit 11 is a component that cools the engine 20. The cooling unit 11 includes an engine-side heat exchange unit 111, an external-side heat exchange unit 112, and a medium transport unit 113.

[0043] The engine-side heat exchange unit 111 is a device that exchanges heat with the engine 20. The engine-side heat exchange unit 111 is, for example, a water jacket formed around a piston formed inside the engine-side heat exchange unit 111.

[0044] The external heat exchange unit 112 is a device that exchanges heat between the heat transport medium 114 and the external atmosphere. The configuration of the external heat exchange unit 112 is as described in Figure 1, etc.

[0045] The media transport unit 113 transports the heat transport medium 114 between the engine-side heat exchange unit 111 and the external-side heat exchange unit 112. For example, water can be used as the heat transport medium 114. The media transport unit 113 can be, for example, a PVC pipe.

[0046] The presence of the cooling unit 11 allows for effective cooling of the engine 20, which generates heat during flight, thereby preventing overheating of the engine 20 during flight.

[0047] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the connection configuration of the cooling unit 11 of the flight device 10.

[0048] The cooling unit 11 includes an engine-side heat exchange unit 111, a medium transport unit 113, an external-side heat exchange unit 112, and a water pump 17, and is a circulation path for circulating the heat transport medium 114.

[0049] The configurations of the engine-side heat exchange unit 111, the medium transport unit 113, and the external-side heat exchange unit 112 are as described above.

[0050] The water pump 17 is the part that generates pressure for the circulation of cooling water, which acts as a heat transport medium 114, between the various components that make up the cooling unit 11.

[0051] When the engine 20 is operating during flight of the aircraft 10, the cooling water is circulated between the engine-side heat exchange unit 111, the medium transport unit 113, the external heat exchange unit 112, and the water pump 17 by the driving force of the water pump 17. As the cooling water passes through the engine-side heat exchange unit 111, it is heated by exchanging heat with the engine 20. As the cooling water passes through the external heat exchange unit 112, it is cooled by exchanging heat with the outside air. In this way, overheating of the engine 20 during flight of the aircraft 10 is prevented.

[0052] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0053] The inventions that can be understood from the embodiments described above, along with their effects, are described below.

[0054] An embodiment of the present invention comprises an airframe, a rotor, an engine, a cooling unit, and an air guide unit, wherein the cooling unit includes an engine-side heat exchange unit that exchanges heat with the engine, an external-side heat exchange unit that exchanges heat with the outside, and a medium transport unit that transports a heat transport medium between the engine-side heat exchange unit and the external-side heat exchange unit, and the air guide unit is disposed between the rotor and the external-side heat exchange unit. According to the present invention, by arranging the air guide unit between the rotor and the external-side heat exchange unit, the rotational air generated by the rotation of the rotor can promote heat exchange in the external-side heat exchange unit. Therefore, the engine can be effectively cooled.

[0055] Furthermore, in the flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the air guide is characterized in that it is disposed between the upper side of the rotor and the external heat exchange section. According to the flying device of the present invention, the stable suction force generated by the rotation of the rotor can be used to ventilate the external heat exchange section, thereby promoting heat exchange in the external heat exchange section.

[0056] Furthermore, in the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the side surface of the external heat exchanger is arranged on a surface that intersects with the rotational surface of the rotor. According to the flying device of the present invention, the airflow in the air passage formed between the rotor and the external heat exchanger can be increased. In addition, the external heat exchanger can be made smaller.

[0057] Furthermore, in the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the side surface of the external heat exchanger is arranged on a plane substantially perpendicular to the rotation plane of the rotor. According to the flying device of the present invention, the airflow in the air passage formed between the rotor and the external heat exchanger can be further increased. In addition, the external heat exchanger can be further miniaturized.

[0058] Furthermore, in the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the air guide section is characterized in that, in a top view, it extends along the direction of rotation of the rotor. According to the flying device of the present invention, the suction force generated by the rotation of the rotor can increase the airflow inside the air guide section.

[0059] Furthermore, in the flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the air guide is characterized in that it is a wind tunnel having a first opening on the side of the external heat exchanger and a second opening on the side of the rotor. According to the flying device of the present invention, since a wind tunnel is formed between the external heat exchanger and the rotor, the air for heat exchange with the external heat exchanger flows well through the wind tunnel, thereby promoting heat exchange in the external heat exchanger.

[0060] Furthermore, in the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the external heat exchange unit is provided on the aircraft body. According to the flying device of the present invention, by providing the heavy external heat exchange unit on the aircraft body, the inertia generated from the external heat exchange unit during flight can be reduced.

[0061] Furthermore, in the flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the external heat exchange unit is positioned upstream of the rotor in the airflow generated by the rotor's rotation. According to the flying device of the present invention, by positioning the external heat exchange unit upstream of the rotor in the airflow, air can be stably supplied to the external heat exchange unit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] 10 Flight equipment 11 Cooling section 111 Engine-side heat exchange section 112 External heat exchange section 113 Media Transport Department 114 Heat transport medium 12 arms 121 First Arm 122 Second Arm 14 rotors 141 Rotor 1 142 Rotor 2 15. Air guide section 151 First opening 152 Second opening 153 Air guide unit 17 Water pump 18 batteries 19 aircraft 20 Engine 21 Generators 23. Arithmetic Control Unit 24 Power Conversion Unit 25 Motor 26 rotors 281 First rotation range 282 Second rotation range

Claims

1. It comprises a fuselage, rotor, engine, cooling unit, and air intake unit. The cooling unit comprises an engine-side heat exchange unit that exchanges heat with the engine, an external-side heat exchange unit that exchanges heat with the outside, and a medium transport unit that transports a heat transport medium between the engine-side heat exchange unit and the external-side heat exchange unit. The air guide section is disposed between the upper side of the rotor and the external heat exchange section, and is configured to extend along the rotational direction of the rotor when viewed from above, and is a wind tunnel having a first opening on the side of the external heat exchange section and a second opening on the side of the rotor.

2. The aircraft device according to claim 1, characterized in that the side surface of the external heat exchanger is arranged on a surface that intersects with the rotational surface of the rotor.

3. The aircraft device according to claim 1, characterized in that the side surface of the external heat exchanger is arranged on a plane substantially perpendicular to the rotation plane of the rotor.

4. The flight device according to claim 1, characterized in that the external heat exchange unit is provided in the aircraft body.

5. The aircraft device according to claim 1, characterized in that the external heat exchange section is disposed upstream of the rotor in the airflow generated by the rotation of the rotor.

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