Flight device

Abstract

To provide a flight device capable of effectively cooling an engine during flight. [Solution] A flying device 10 includes an airframe 19, a rotor 14, an engine 20, a cooling section 11, and an airflow guidance section 15. The cooling section 11 has an engine-side heat exchange section 111, an external-side heat exchange section 112, and a medium transport section 113. The engine-side heat exchange section 111 is configured to exchange heat with the engine 20. The external-side heat exchange section 112 is configured to exchange heat with the outside. The medium transport section 113 is configured to transport a heat transport medium 114 between the engine-side heat exchange section 111 and the external-side heat exchange section 112. The airflow guidance section 15 is disposed between the rotor 14 and the external-side heat exchange section 112.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flying device, and more particularly to a flying device in which a rotor is driven by an engine. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There have been known unmanned flying devices capable of flying in the air. Such flying devices are capable of flying in the air by using the thrust of a rotor that rotates around a vertical axis.

[0003] Examples of application fields of such flying devices include the transportation field, the surveying field, and the photography field. When a 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 in areas where people cannot enter, and transport, photograph, and survey such areas. Inventions related to such flying devices are described in, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.

[0004] In a typical flying device, the rotor rotates due to the 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, flying devices equipped with an engine have also appeared in order to realize continuous flight over a long period of time. In such a flying device, a generator is rotated by the driving force of the engine, and the rotor is rotated and driven by the power generated by the generator. A flying device configured in this way is also called a series type hybrid drone because the engine and the generator are connected in series to the path through which energy is supplied from the power source to the rotor. By using such a flying device to take photographs or survey, it is possible to take photographs or survey a wide range of areas. A flying device equipped with an engine is described in Patent Document 3, for example. In addition, parallel type hybrid drones that mechanically rotate the main rotor by the driving force of the engine and rotate the sub-rotor by a motor are gradually appearing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-51545 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-240242 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2011-251678 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the above-mentioned conventional flight devices, there is room for improvement in the engine cooling mechanism.

[0007] Specifically, when an engine is mounted on a flight device, a cooling mechanism is required to cool the engine. Such a cooling mechanism is often a water-cooled type cooling mechanism because of its high cooling efficiency. Such a water-cooled mechanism includes a radiator that exchanges heat with the outside air.

[0008] On the other hand, since the flying device floats in the air and moves, it was not easy to determine the ideal location of the radiator in the flying device. For example, if the radiator is placed directly under the rotor, the air flow generated by the rotor rotation will be obstructed by the radiator, and there is a risk that the thrust obtained by the rotor rotation will decrease. In addition, the air flow generated by the rotor rotation is a swirling flow, and if this swirling flow enters the radiator at an angle, there is a risk that the efficiency of heat exchange in the radiator will decrease.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a flying device that can effectively cool a water-cooled engine during flight. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The flying device of the present invention comprises an airframe, a rotor, an engine, a cooling unit, and an air guidance unit, the cooling unit having 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 guidance unit being a wind tunnel that is disposed between the upper side of the rotor and the external side heat exchange unit and is configured to extend along the rotational direction of the rotor when viewed from above, and has a first opening on the side of the external side heat exchange unit and a second opening on the side of the rotor. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, a flight device capable of effectively cooling a water-cooled engine during flight can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view showing a flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention from a different angle. [Figure 4] 1 is a side view showing a flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a wind guidance section of the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] 2A and 2B are a side view and a bottom view showing the wind guidance section of the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram showing a connection configuration of a flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 2 is a block diagram showing a connection configuration of a cooling unit of a flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The configuration of the flying device of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, parts having the same configuration are given the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be 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. The flying device 10 is also called a drone, and more specifically, a hybrid drone. Furthermore, in the following description, the front is the front side in the traveling direction of the flying device 10, and the rear is the rear side in the traveling direction of the flying device 10. Furthermore, in the following description, the side away from the aircraft 19 may be referred to as the outside, and the side approaching the aircraft 19 may be referred to as the inside.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a top view of the flight device 10. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the flight device 10. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the flight device 10 from another angle. Fig. 4 is a side view of the flight device 10.

[0015] The flight device 10 comprises an airframe 19, a rotor 14, an engine 20, a cooling section 11, and a wind guidance section 15.

[0016] Specifically, the flight device 10 is an engine-equipped drone that is equipped with an engine 20 and flies using energy generated by operating the engine 20. A series hybrid drone or a parallel hybrid drone can be used as the flight device 10. In a series hybrid drone, the engine 20 drives a generator 21 (described later), and a motor 25 (described later) receives power from the generator 21 and rotates a rotor 14 (described later). A parallel hybrid drone has a mechanical drive system that mechanically rotates another rotor 14 using the engine 20, in addition to an electrical drive system that rotates the rotor 14 using the motor 25.

[0017] The airframe 19 is the main body that supports the engine 20 and other equipment that constitutes the flight device 10, and is made of synthetic resin, metal, or a composite material of these. Here, the airframe 19 is constructed by assembling pipe-shaped members into a frame shape. When the flight device 10 is viewed from above, the outer edge of the airframe 19 is approximately octagonal.

[0018] The rotor 14 generates a thrust for floating the airframe 19 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 airframe 19. The second rotor 142 is disposed on the right side of the airframe 19. The first rotor 141 and the second rotor 142 are rotors that are mechanically rotated by the engine 20, for example. The rotor 14 may be rotated by a generator driven by the engine 20 or a motor powered by a battery. In this 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 rotating the first rotor 141 and the second rotor 142. The engine 20 is built into the airframe 19. In this embodiment, the engine 20 is a water-cooled engine that uses water as a heat exchange medium.

[0020] A plurality of arms 12 extend from the airframe 19 toward the periphery. The arms 12 have a first arm 121 and a second arm 122. The first arm 121 extends from the airframe 19 toward the left. The second arm 122 extends from the airframe 19 toward the right. Although not shown here, the arms 12 may further include arms extending from the airframe 19 toward the front left, front right, rear left, and rear right. In addition, the outer ends of these arms 12 may be provided with rotors that are driven to rotate by a motor to control the position and attitude of the flight device 10 in the air.

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

[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 having a fin-and-tube mechanism. The fins constituting the external heat exchanger 112 are made of steel plates such as aluminum, and a plurality of fins are arranged at equal intervals along the left-right direction. The tubes constituting the external heat exchanger 112 extend along the left-right direction so as to penetrate the fins. The external heat exchanger 112 is disposed outside the first rotation range 281. Therefore, the external heat exchanger 112 does not directly obstruct the flow of air generated by the rotation of the first rotor 141. Therefore, the external heat exchanger 112 does not become a factor that obstructs the thrust generated by the first rotor 141.

[0023] 2 and 3, the external heat exchanger 112 is installed on the surface of the airframe 19 facing outward. Specifically, the side surface of the external heat exchanger 112 is disposed on a surface intersecting the rotational plane of the rotor 14. Specifically, the side surface of the external heat exchanger 112 is disposed on a surface substantially perpendicular to the rotational plane of the rotor 14. In this manner, the amount of air in the air passage formed between the rotor 14 and the external heat exchanger 112 can be further increased. In addition, the external heat exchanger 112 can be further miniaturized. The upper and lower ends of the external heat exchanger 112 are provided with connection ports for connecting to the engine-side heat exchanger 111 described later via pipes. When the flight device 10 is flying, water is introduced from one connection port, and the water that has been heat exchanged in the external heat exchanger 112 is discharged to the outside from the other connection port.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 1, the flight device 10 is provided with external heat exchangers 112 on the front left side and the front right side, respectively.

[0025] The airflow guidance section 15 is an air tunnel disposed between the rotor 14 and the external heat exchange section 112. The airflow guidance section 15 is disposed in the front left part and the front right part of the body 19 in correspondence with the external heat exchange section 112. An inner end of the airflow guidance section 15 in the width direction is connected to the external heat exchange section 112. On the other hand, an outer end of the airflow guidance section 15 in the width direction is disposed inside the first rotation range 281 and the second rotation range 282. By disposing the airflow guidance section 15 between the rotor 14 and the external heat exchange section 112, the heat exchange in the external heat exchange section 112 can be promoted by the rotating air generated by the rotation of the rotor 14.

[0026] In top view, the airflow guidance section 15 extends along the rotation direction of the rotor 14. Specifically, the first rotation range 281 rotates counterclockwise in top view. The airflow guidance section 15 extends along the counterclockwise rotation direction of the first rotation range 281. More specifically, the direction of the air channel of the airflow guidance section 15 is along the tangent line of the outer edge of the first rotation range 281 in the portion where the airflow guidance section 15 is arranged. With this configuration, the airflow generated by the rotation of the first rotor 141 can pass smoothly through the inside of the airflow guidance section 15, and the heat exchange in the external heat exchange section 112 can be promoted. The same applies to the airflow guidance section 15 arranged on the right side.

[0027] With reference to FIG. 4, the airflow guidance section 15 and the external heat exchange section 112 are disposed 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 airflow guidance section 15 and the external heat exchange section 112. As the first rotor 141 rotates, downwash is generated below the first rotor 141, and the downwash is a swirling flow according to the rotation of the first rotor 141. Therefore, if the external heat exchange section 112 is disposed below the first rotor 141, the downwash, which is a swirling flow, may be blown onto the external heat exchange section 112, and the efficiency of heat exchange in the external heat exchange section 112 may decrease. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the external heat exchange section 112 is disposed 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 upstream of the first rotor 141. For this reason, the suction air generated by the rotation of the first rotor 141 passes through the external heat exchange section 112. Therefore, 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] In this embodiment, the external heat exchanger 112 is provided on the aircraft body 19. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the external heat exchanger 112 is disposed on the side of the engine 20 facing outward. By providing the heavy external heat exchanger 112 on the aircraft body 19, the inertia generated from the external heat exchanger 112 during flight can be reduced.

[0029] Fig. 5A is a perspective view showing the wind guidance section 15 of the flying device 10. Fig. 5B is a side view and a bottom view showing the wind guidance section 15 of the flying device 10.

[0030] 5A and 5B, the airflow guidance section 15 is a wind tunnel having a first opening 151, a second opening 152, and an airflow guidance section main body 153. As shown in FIG.

[0031] The first opening 151 is an opening having a substantially rectangular shape. As shown in Fig. 1, the first opening 151 is disposed so as to face the internal space of the body 19. The external heat exchanger 112 is attached to the first opening 151.

[0032] The second opening 152 is an opening having a substantially rectangular shape. The second opening 152 opens downward on the upper surface of the first rotor 141 and the first rotation region 281, as shown in FIG.

[0033] The airflow guide body 153 is a wind tunnel that curves from the external heat exchanger 112 to the upper surface of the first rotor 141. As shown in FIG. 1, the airflow guide body 153 of the airflow guide 15 curves from the side of the fuselage 19 toward the outer periphery of the first rotation range 281. The airflow guide 15 also curves along the outer edge of the first rotation range 281. With this configuration, the swirling wind generated by the rotation of the first rotation range 281 can be actively circulated inside the airflow guide 15, and the heat exchange in the external heat exchanger 112 can be effectively performed. In addition, the airflow guide body 153 in the immediate vicinity of the first opening 151 extends toward the horizontal direction. This allows a flow that is approximately perpendicular to the surface of the external heat exchanger 112 attached to the first opening 151 to be formed. Furthermore, the airflow guide body 153 in the immediate vicinity of the second opening 152 extends approximately vertically. In this way, the air that has passed through the air guide section main body 153 can be sent satisfactorily to the first rotor 141 described above.

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

[0035] The flying 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 flying device 10 in the air, and is not shown in Fig. 1 etc.

[0036] The arithmetic and control unit 23 has a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and controls the behavior of each device constituting the flight device 10 based on inputs from various sensors and controllers (not shown here). The arithmetic and 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 an input signal from the calculation control unit 23, and generates energy for the flight device 10 to fly.

[0038] The generator 21 is a device that uses the driving force of the engine 20 to generate electric power.

[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 units 24 are provided corresponding to the individual rotors 26. As the power conversion units 24, a converter and an inverter that converts AC power supplied from the generator 21 into DC power and then converts it into AC power of a predetermined frequency can be used. Furthermore, as the power conversion units 24, an inverter that converts DC power supplied from the battery 18 into a predetermined frequency can be used.

[0041] The motors 25 are provided corresponding to the individual rotors 26. The rotors 26 rotate at a predetermined speed by the power supplied from the power conversion unit 24. The motors 25 rotate the rotors 26.

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

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

[0044] The exterior heat exchange section 112 is a device that exchanges heat between the heat transport medium 114 and the exterior atmosphere. The configuration of the exterior heat exchange section 112 is as described with reference to FIG.

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

[0046] By providing the cooling section 11, the engine 20 which generates heat during flight can be effectively cooled, and overheating of the engine 20 during flight can be prevented.

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

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

[0049] The engine side heat exchange section 111, the medium transport section 113, and the exterior side heat exchange section 112 are configured as described above.

[0050] The water pump 17 is a component that generates pressure for circulating the cooling water as the heat transport medium 114 between the devices that configure the cooling unit 11 .

[0051] When the engine 20 is operating while the flight device 10 is flying, the driving force of the water pump 17 causes the cooling water to circulate among the engine-side heat exchanger 111, the medium transport section 113, the external heat exchanger 112, and the water pump 17. When passing through the engine-side heat exchanger 111, the cooling water is heated by exchanging heat with the engine 20. Also, when passing through the external heat exchanger 112, the cooling water is cooled by exchanging heat with the outside air. In this manner, overheating of the engine 20 while the flight device 10 is flying is prevented.

[0052] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0053] The invention that can be understood from the above-described embodiment will be described below together with its effects.

[0054] A flying device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an airframe, a rotor, an engine, a cooling unit, and an airflow guidance unit, and 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 airflow guidance unit is disposed between the rotor and the external-side heat exchange unit. According to the flying device of the present invention, the airflow guidance unit is disposed between the rotor and the external-side heat exchange unit, and the rotating wind 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] In addition, in the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the airflow guidance section 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 external heat exchange section can be ventilated by using a stable suction force generated by the rotation of the rotor, and the heat exchange in the external heat exchange section can be promoted.

[0056] In addition, in the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the side surface of the external heat exchanger is disposed on a plane intersecting the rotation plane of the rotor. According to the flying device of the present invention, the amount of air in the air passage formed between the rotor and the external heat exchanger can be increased. Also, the external heat exchanger can be made smaller.

[0057] In addition, in the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the side surface of the external heat exchanger is disposed on a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the rotation plane of the rotor. According to the flying device of the present invention, the amount of air 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] In addition, in the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the airflow guidance section extends along the rotation direction of the rotor when viewed from above. According to the flying device of the present invention, the amount of airflow inside the airflow guidance section can be increased by the suction force generated by the rotation of the rotor.

[0059] In addition, in the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the airflow guidance section 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. According to the flying device of the present invention, a wind tunnel is formed between the external heat exchange section and the rotor, so that air for heat exchange with the external heat exchange section flows smoothly through the wind tunnel, thereby facilitating heat exchange in the external heat exchange section.

[0060] In addition, in the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the external heat exchanger is provided on the airframe. By providing the heavy external heat exchanger on the airframe, the flying device of the present invention can reduce inertia generated from the external heat exchanger during flight.

[0061] In addition, in the flying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the external heat exchanger is disposed upstream of the rotor in the air flow generated by the rotation of the rotor. According to the flying device of the present invention, the external heat exchanger is disposed upstream of the rotor in the air flow, so that air can flow stably to the external heat exchanger. [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 Arm 121 First Arm 122 Second Arm 14 Rotor 141 First Rotor 142 Second Rotor 15 Airflow section 151 First opening 152 Second Opening 153 Air guide unit body 17 Water Pump 18 Battery 19 Aircraft 20 Engine 21 Generator 23 Calculation and control unit 24 Power conversion section 25 Motor 26 Rotor 281 First Rotation Range 282 Second Rotation Range

Claims

1. The aircraft includes a body, a rotor, an engine, a cooling unit, and a wind guidance unit. the cooling unit includes an engine-side heat exchange unit that exchanges heat with the engine, an exterior-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 exterior-side heat exchange unit, The flight device is characterized in that the air guidance section is arranged 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. 2. The flight device according to claim 1, wherein a side surface of the external heat exchanger is disposed on a plane that intersects with a rotation plane of the rotor.

3. 2. The flight device according to claim 1, wherein a side surface of the external heat exchanger is disposed on a plane that is substantially perpendicular to a rotation plane of the rotor.

4. 2. The flying device according to claim 1, wherein the external heat exchanger is provided on the airframe.

5. 2. The flight device according to claim 1, wherein the external heat exchanger is disposed upstream of the rotor in a flow of air generated by the rotation of the rotor.

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