Faraday cage-equipped flying vehicle

Abstract

This drone with a Faraday cage comprises: a conductor 30 which is in a grid form, exposes propellers 11 to the outside, and surrounds a drone body 10 (control unit); a lightning rod 31 which is arranged on the conductor 30 and is used to avoid a direct lightning strike to the propellers 11; insulating mounting units 32 which are used to mount the conductor 30 to the drone; and a guide line 33 which connects the conductor 30 with a facility 34 for control on the ground.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flying object with a Faraday cage.

Background Art

[0002] Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a technique for guiding lightning strikes to a safe place using a drone. In Non-Patent Document 2, by taking lightning protection measures on the drone, the drone is prevented from falling due to direct lightning strikes.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0003]

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Non-Patent Document 2, specifically, lightning protection is provided by having a Faraday cage that surrounds the entire drone. As a result, the drone can continue to fly even after being struck by lightning.

[0005] However, conventional drones with Faraday cages have a problem in that the Faraday cage surrounds up to the outside of the propellers, resulting in a Faraday cage that becomes a sphere much larger than the size of the drone body. When the Faraday cage becomes large, the following problems exist regarding transportation, the flight time of the drone, and cost.

[0006] First, when transporting the drone, a large transport space is required if it is loaded onto a vehicle. Smaller vehicles cannot transport it, and larger vehicles are necessary, which limits the areas that can be accessed. Also, when loading the drone from the warehouse into the vehicle, there is a risk that the Faraday cage may get caught in the entrance or exit and become deformed.

[0007] Longer flight times are desirable because they are thought to attract more lightning strikes. However, the flight time of a drone decreases as its payload weight increases. A larger Faraday cage has a larger surface area, making it more susceptible to wind. When thunderstorms are approaching, strong winds blow. Flying against the wind consumes more power, thus shortening flight time.

[0008] Regarding costs, the materials needed to construct a Faraday cage increase proportionally with its size, making it expensive. Repairs also take time. Furthermore, a large storage space is required, resulting in high storage costs.

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to make a drone with a Faraday cage smaller and lighter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] An aircraft according to one aspect of the present invention is an aircraft having a propeller, comprising: a grid-shaped conductor surrounding the control unit of the aircraft with the propeller exposed to the outside; a lightning rod disposed on the conductor to prevent direct lightning strikes on the propeller; an insulating mounting portion for attaching the conductor to the aircraft; and a conductor connecting the conductor to a ground contact point. The lightning rods are positioned on the top and horizontal portions of the conductor, and the length and placement of the lightning rods are designed using the rotating sphere method. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to make drones with Faraday cages smaller and lighter. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a front view showing an example of a drone with a Faraday cage according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a top view showing an example of a drone with a Faraday cage according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 is a front view showing an example of a drone with a Faraday cage according to this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a top view. The drone with a Faraday cage shown in Figures 1 and 2 consists of a drone and a Faraday cage.

[0015] The drone comprises a drone body 10 and four propellers 11 positioned on the outside of the drone body 10. The drone body 10 contains a control unit for flying the drone.

[0016] The Faraday cage comprises a conductor 30, a lightning rod 31, a mounting section 32, an induction wire 33, and control equipment 34.

[0017] The conductor 30 is positioned outside the drone body 10, excluding the propeller 11. The conductor 30 covers the drone's control unit and acts as a conductor that absorbs lightning strikes on behalf of the drone. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conductor 30 has a grid-like shape. For example, the conductor 30 is composed of at least two loop-shaped wires. The overall shape of the conductor 30 can be, for example, elliptical, spherical, or rectangular.

[0018] The lightning rods 31 are positioned on the top and horizontal sections of the conductor 30. In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, one lightning rod 31 is positioned on the top of the conductor 30 and four on the horizontal section. The length and arrangement of the lightning rods 31 are designed using a lightning rod design method (e.g., the rotating sphere method) to avoid direct lightning strikes on the propeller 11 exposed outside the conductor 30.

[0019] The lightning rod 31 may be telescopic. During storage and transportation, the lightning rod 31 is retracted, and just before takeoff, the lightning rod 31 is extended, thereby improving the transportability during movement from the storage location.

[0020] By combining the conductor 30 and the lightning rod 31, the Faraday cage can be made smaller and lighter, and electromagnetic fields generated by lightning and direct lightning strikes on the propeller 11 can be prevented. When lightning strikes the conductor 30 or the lightning rod 31, the lightning current is shunted by the conductor 30, and within the lattice-shaped conductor 30, the electric fields caused by the current cancel each other out, so the influence of the lightning current on the control unit of the drone can be made extremely small.

[0021] The mounting part 32 is an insulating rod member for attaching the conductor 30 to the drone. In the example of FIG. 1, the legs of the drone are used as the mounting part 32.

[0022] The induction wire 33 is a wire cable for flowing the lightning current received by the conductor 30 to the ground. The induction wire 33 connects the lower part of the conductor 30 and the input end of the ground control equipment 34.

[0023] The control equipment 34 is equipment for controlling the lightning current passing through the induction wire 33. The control equipment 34 is installed on the ground. The control equipment 34 is, for example, a lightning current cutoff device, a lightning rod, a ground structure, or a ground ground. The control equipment 34 may be a ground grounding point. A charging equipment may be used as the control equipment 34 to charge the lightning energy.

[0024] As described above, the drone of the present embodiment includes a lattice-shaped conductor 30 that exposes the propeller 11 to the outside and surrounds the drone body 10 (control unit), a lightning rod 31 disposed on the conductor 30 for avoiding direct lightning strikes on the propeller 11, an insulating mounting part 32 for attaching the conductor 30 to the drone, and an induction wire 33 that connects the conductor 30 and the ground control equipment 34. Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the size and weight of the drone with a Faraday cage. Also, the transportability can be improved by making the lightning rod 31 telescopic.

Description of Signs

[0025] 10 Drone body 11 propellers 30 conductors 31 Lightning Rod 32 Mounting part 33 Guide wires 34 Control Equipment

Claims

1. An aircraft having a propeller, The propeller is exposed to the outside and a grid-like conductor surrounds the control unit of the aircraft, A lightning rod is placed on the conductor to prevent a direct lightning strike on the propeller, An insulating mounting portion for attaching the conductor to the aircraft, The conductor is provided with a wire connecting it to a ground contact point. The lightning rods are positioned on the top and horizontal portions of the conductor, and the length and placement of the lightning rods are designed using the rotating sphere method. A flying object.

2. The flying body according to claim 1, The lightning rod is retractable. A flying object.

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