Refueling receiving device, coordination method and aircraft

Abstract

A refueling receiving device, a coordination method and an aircraft. The refueling receiving device comprises a refueling receiving hose. The refueling receiving hose comprises: a refueling receiving pipe; an attitude-adjusting hydraulic pipe wound around the refueling receiving pipe, wherein the attitude-adjusting hydraulic pipe is configured to change the shape of the refueling receiving pipe to dock with a refueling pipe; and a pressure supply pipe wound around the refueling receiving pipe and fitting with the attitude-adjusting hydraulic pipe, wherein the pressure supply pipe is connected to a hydraulic system of an aircraft, and provides a driving force for the attitude-adjusting hydraulic pipe to change the shape of the refueling receiving pipe. The above mechanism achieves the purposes of weight reduction, reduced influence on the center of gravity, expanded application scope, improved stability, more accurate and faster aerial docking and unaffected take-off and landing, and enabling hovering refueling.

Description

An oil receiving device, a cooperative method, and an aircraft Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of low-altitude aircraft technology, specifically relating to a refueling device, a cooperative method, and an aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] Helicopters can take off and land vertically without relying on runways, and have a wide range of uses and development prospects. However, when manned helicopters perform missions such as long-range rescue, the flight range and flight time are long and the fuel demand is large, and the fuel tank capacity is often insufficient to meet the mission requirements.

[0003] Aerial refueling technology enables helicopters to perform missions at longer distances and for longer periods. For example, in long-distance transportation and emergency rescue missions at sea, if aerial refueling technology can be used to extend loiter time and operating radius, the mission scope and response speed can be effectively expanded.

[0004] The first issue to address in aerial refueling of helicopters is the aerial refueling receiver. The length of the helicopter's refueling probe must be outside the rotor radius; generally, the length of the aerial refueling probe is 1 meter beyond the rotor. According to relevant data, the entire helicopter refueling system weighs between 200 and 300 kilograms. The helicopter's refueling boom itself is quite heavy, and its length remains long even after extension. An excessively long refueling boom can affect daily flight stability and is also prone to damage during takeoff and landing.

[0005] The refueling boom being located in front of the helicopter means that existing rigid refueling probes cannot be used for rapid refueling via hovering hot refueling on offshore platforms or land-based oil depots. Refueling must be done by landing or by slinging the refueling probe onto the helicopter, which involves more procedures, longer time, and more fuel consumption.

[0006] Currently, similar products to deformable hoses include snake-like robots, which have a high degree of freedom of movement and are suitable for adjusting their shape and position in space to match the docking of refueling hoses. However, they have problems such as difficulty in controlling the serial structure, a large number of mechanical joints and control servos, and low motor load-bearing efficiency in multi-segment robotic arms. The load-bearing capacity of the motors increases linearly with the number of joints, the number of motors, and the distance to the base. The root motors have a heavy load-bearing capacity and large volume, making it difficult to maintain the tubular stroke and significantly increasing the weight.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] Purpose of the invention: To solve the problems of traditional helicopter-borne rigid refueling systems, such as the large weight of the rigid refueling hose, its significant impact on the center of gravity, the impact of excessively long refueling hose on flight stability, difficulties in aerial docking, easy damage during takeoff and landing, and the inability to refuel while hovering.

[0009] In a first aspect, this application provides an oil receiving device, the oil receiving device including an oil receiving hose, the oil receiving hose comprising:

[0010] Oil receiving pipeline;

[0011] An attitude-adjusting hydraulic hose is wound around the receiving oil pipe, and the attitude-adjusting hydraulic hose is used to change the shape of the receiving oil pipe to connect with the refueling hose;

[0012] A pressure supply pipe is wound around the receiving oil pipe, the pressure supply pipe is in contact with the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe, the pressure supply pipe is connected to the aircraft's hydraulic system, and the pressure supply pipe provides the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe with the driving force to change the shape of the receiving oil pipe.

[0013] Preferably, the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe is divided into multiple closed pipe sections.

[0014] Preferably, the oil receiving device further includes:

[0015] A segmented pressure control valve is disposed between the pressure supply pipe and the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe;

[0016] Each closed section of the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe can be adjusted by hydraulic pressure under the regulation of the segmented pressure control valve to adjust the shape of the receiving pipe to connect with the refueling pipe according to the refueling docking position requirements.

[0017] Preferably, the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe is wound in a spiral manner around the oil receiving pipe; the pressure supply pipe is wound in a spiral manner around the oil receiving pipe.

[0018] Preferably, the oil receiving pipeline is equipped with at least one set of the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe, the pressure supply pipe, and the segmented pressure control valve.

[0019] Preferably, the oil receiving device further includes:

[0020] An interface locking mechanism is provided at the refueling interface of the oil receiving pipeline;

[0021] Specifically, upon completion of the docking, the refueling pipe and the receiving pipe are locked by the movement of the interface locking mechanism.

[0022] Preferably, the oil receiving device further includes:

[0023] A magnetic sensor is installed at the refueling interface of the oil receiving pipeline. The magnetic sensor is used to identify the distance information of the refueling pipe.

[0024] Preferably, the oil receiving device further includes:

[0025] An image recognition device is installed at the refueling interface of the oil receiving pipeline. The image recognition device is used to observe the relative spatial position of the refueling pipe and the condition of the refueling equipment.

[0026] Preferably, the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe and the pressure supply pipe together form a spiral wound around the oil receiving pipe, and the ratio of the pitch of the spiral to the diameter of the oil receiving pipe is more than twice.

[0027] Preferably, the ratio of the length of each closed segment of the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe to the pitch of the helix is ​​a first preset value.

[0028] Preferably, the first preset value is between 0.8 and 1.5.

[0029] Preferably, there is an interleaved distance between the closed sections of adjacent attitude adjustment hydraulic pipes, and the interleaved distance value is a second preset value.

[0030] Preferably, the second preset value is 0.1-0.3 times the pitch of the helix.

[0031] Preferably, the refueling equipment includes a refueling vessel, a refueling machine, and a ground oil depot; the refueling vessel includes a deck refueling interface, the refueling machine includes a refueling pipe, and the ground oil depot includes a ground refueling interface.

[0032] Secondly, this application also provides an aircraft, which includes the refueling device as described above, and the refueling device is located at the center of gravity of the aircraft's belly.

[0033] Preferably, the refueling device is detachably mounted at the center of gravity of the aircraft's fuselage.

[0034] Thirdly, this application also provides a collaborative method, the method comprising:

[0035] The magnetic sensor identifies the distance information of the refueling nozzle;

[0036] The image recognition device acquires the relative spatial position of the refueling hose and the status of the refueling equipment;

[0037] Based on the distance information, the relative spatial position of the refueling pipe, and the status of the refueling equipment, the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment are determined, and the safety of the surrounding environment is analyzed.

[0038] If the surrounding environment is safe, based on the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment, the shape of the refueling pipeline can be adjusted by using hydraulic pressure to control the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe, thereby achieving docking with the refueling pipe.

[0039] Preferably, the method further includes:

[0040] Upon completion of the docking, the refueling pipe and the receiving pipe are locked using an interface locking mechanism.

[0041] Preferably, the method of adjusting the shape of the refueling pipe by using a hydraulically controlled attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe to achieve docking with the refueling pipe, based on the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment, includes:

[0042] Based on the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment, each closed section of the attitude adjustment pipe changes the shape of the receiving pipe to dock with the refueling pipe by adjusting the hydraulic pressure under the control of the segmented pressure valve.

[0043] Preferably, the refueling equipment includes a refueling vessel, a refueling machine, and a ground oil depot; the refueling vessel includes a deck refueling interface, the refueling machine includes a refueling pipe, and the ground oil depot includes a ground refueling interface.

[0044] This application has the following technical advantages:

[0045] The refueling device, collaborative method, and aircraft proposed in this application solve the problems of traditional helicopter refueling with rigid refueling hoses, such as the large weight of the rigid refueling hose, the significant impact on the center of gravity, the significant impact of the excessively long refueling hose on flight stability, the difficulty of in-flight docking, and the susceptibility to damage during takeoff and landing.

[0046] Accordingly, the refueling device, cooperative method, and aircraft proposed in this application achieve the goals of reducing weight, minimizing the impact of the center of gravity, expanding the scope of application, improving stability, enabling more accurate and faster aerial docking, and ensuring that takeoff and landing are not affected, while also enabling hovering refueling. Attached Figure Description

[0047] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional helicopter aerial refueling provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a helicopter docking with a tanker provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a helicopter docking with a ship deck / ground according to an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an oil receiving hose provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the interconnection between a segmented pressure control valve, a posture adjustment hydraulic pipe, and a pressure supply pipe provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a collaborative refueling method provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0053] This application provides an oil receiving device, which includes an oil receiving hose, the oil receiving hose comprising:

[0054] Oil receiving pipeline;

[0055] An attitude-adjusting hydraulic hose is wound around the receiving oil pipe, and the attitude-adjusting hydraulic hose is used to change the shape of the receiving oil pipe to connect with the refueling hose;

[0056] A pressure supply pipe is wound around the receiving oil pipe, the pressure supply pipe is in contact with the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe, the pressure supply pipe is connected to the aircraft's hydraulic system, and the pressure supply pipe provides the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe with the driving force to change the shape of the receiving oil pipe.

[0057] The refueling device proposed in this application solves the problems of traditional helicopter refueling with rigid refueling hoses, such as the large weight of the rigid refueling hose, the significant impact on the center of gravity, the impact of excessively long refueling hose on flight stability, the difficulty of in-flight docking, the susceptibility to damage during takeoff and landing, and the inability to refuel while hovering, through a completely new helicopter refueling mode.

[0058] Accordingly, the refueling device proposed in this application achieves the goals of reducing weight, minimizing the impact of the center of gravity, expanding the scope of application, improving stability, enabling more accurate and faster aerial docking, and ensuring that takeoff and landing are not affected, while also enabling hovering refueling.

[0059] The attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe is divided into multiple closed pipe sections.

[0060] In other embodiments of this application, the oil receiving device further includes:

[0061] A segmented pressure control valve is disposed between the pressure supply pipe and the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe;

[0062] Each closed section of the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe can be adjusted by hydraulic pressure under the regulation of the segmented pressure control valve to adjust the shape of the receiving pipe to connect with the refueling pipe according to the refueling docking position requirements.

[0063] The attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe is wound in a spiral manner around the oil receiving pipe; the pressure supply pipe is wound in a spiral manner around the oil receiving pipe.

[0064] In other embodiments of this application, at least one set of the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe, the pressure supply pipe, and the segmented pressure control valve are installed on the oil receiving pipe.

[0065] In other embodiments of this application, the oil receiving device further includes:

[0066] An interface locking mechanism is provided at the refueling interface of the oil receiving pipeline;

[0067] Specifically, upon completion of the docking, the refueling pipe and the receiving pipe are locked by the movement of the interface locking mechanism.

[0068] In other embodiments of this application, the oil receiving device further includes:

[0069] A magnetic sensor is installed at the refueling interface of the oil receiving pipeline. The magnetic sensor is used to identify the distance information of the refueling pipe.

[0070] In other embodiments of this application, the oil receiving device further includes:

[0071] An image recognition device is installed at the refueling interface of the oil receiving pipeline. The image recognition device is used to observe the relative spatial position of the refueling pipe and the condition of the refueling equipment.

[0072] In one feasible implementation, the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe and the pressure supply pipe together form a spiral wound around the oil receiving pipe, and the ratio of the pitch of the spiral to the diameter of the oil receiving pipe is more than twice.

[0073] The ratio of the length of each closed section of the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe to the pitch of the helix is ​​a first preset value.

[0074] In one feasible implementation, the first preset value is between 0.8 and 1.5.

[0075] In other embodiments of this application, there is an interleaved distance between the closed sections of adjacent attitude adjustment hydraulic pipes, and the interleaved distance value is a second preset value.

[0076] In one feasible implementation, the second preset value is 0.1-0.3 times the pitch of the helix.

[0077] In other embodiments of this application, the refueling equipment includes a refueling vessel, a refueling machine, and a ground oil depot; the refueling vessel includes a deck refueling interface, the refueling machine includes a refueling pipe, and the ground oil depot includes a ground refueling interface.

[0078] The refueling device proposed in this application solves the problems of traditional helicopter refueling with rigid refueling hoses, such as the large weight of the rigid refueling hose, the significant impact on the center of gravity, the impact of excessively long refueling hose on flight stability, the difficulty of in-flight docking, the susceptibility to damage during takeoff and landing, and the inability to refuel while hovering, through a completely new helicopter refueling mode.

[0079] Accordingly, the refueling device proposed in this application achieves the goals of reducing weight, minimizing the impact of the center of gravity, expanding the scope of application, improving stability, enabling more accurate and faster aerial docking, and ensuring that takeoff and landing are not affected, while also enabling hovering refueling.

[0080] In other embodiments of this application, this application also provides an aircraft, the aircraft including the refueling device as described above, the refueling device being disposed at the center of gravity of the aircraft's belly.

[0081] Furthermore, the refueling device is detachably mounted at the center of gravity of the aircraft's belly.

[0082] The aircraft proposed in this application solves the problems of traditional helicopter refueling with rigid refueling hoses, such as the large weight of the rigid refueling hose, the significant impact on the center of gravity, the impact of excessively long refueling hoses on flight stability, the difficulty of in-flight docking, the susceptibility to damage during takeoff and landing, and the inability to refuel while hovering, through a brand-new helicopter refueling mode.

[0083] The aircraft proposed in this application achieves the goals of reducing weight, minimizing the impact of the center of gravity, expanding the scope of application, improving stability, enabling more accurate and faster aerial docking, and ensuring that takeoff and landing are unaffected, while also allowing for hovering refueling.

[0084] In other embodiments of this application, a collaborative method is also provided, the method comprising:

[0085] The magnetic sensor identifies the distance information of the refueling nozzle;

[0086] The image recognition device acquires the relative spatial position of the refueling hose and the status of the refueling equipment;

[0087] Based on the distance information, the relative spatial position of the refueling pipe, and the status of the refueling equipment, the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment are determined, and the safety of the surrounding environment is analyzed.

[0088] If the surrounding environment is safe, based on the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment, the shape of the refueling pipeline can be adjusted by using hydraulic pressure to control the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe, thereby achieving docking with the refueling pipe.

[0089] Furthermore, the method also includes:

[0090] Upon completion of the docking, the refueling pipe and the receiving pipe are locked using an interface locking mechanism.

[0091] Furthermore, based on the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment, the shape of the refueling pipe is adjusted by using a hydraulically controlled attitude adjustment pipe to achieve docking and refueling, including:

[0092] Based on the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment, each closed section of the attitude adjustment pipe changes the shape of the receiving pipe to dock with the refueling pipe by adjusting the hydraulic pressure under the control of the segmented pressure valve.

[0093] Furthermore, the refueling equipment includes a refueling vessel, a refueling machine, and a ground oil depot; the refueling vessel includes a deck refueling interface, the refueling machine includes a refueling pipe, and the ground oil depot includes a ground refueling interface.

[0094] The collaborative method proposed in this application solves the problems of traditional helicopter refueling with rigid refueling hoses, such as the large weight of the rigid refueling hose, the significant impact on the center of gravity, the impact of excessively long refueling hoses on flight stability, the difficulty of in-flight docking, the susceptibility to damage during takeoff and landing, and the inability to refuel while hovering, through a completely new helicopter refueling mode.

[0095] Correspondingly, the collaborative method proposed in this application achieves the goals of reducing weight, minimizing the impact of the center of gravity, expanding the scope of application, improving stability, enabling more accurate and faster aerial docking, and ensuring that takeoff and landing are not affected, while also enabling hovering refueling.

[0096] In other embodiments of this application, please refer to Figures 2 and 3. The present invention proposes a low-altitude aircraft cooperative method, including a tanker aircraft 1, a receiving helicopter 2, a refueling pipe 3, a receiving hose 4, a refueling ship 5, and a ship deck refueling interface 6.

[0097] The collaborative method proposed in this application solves the problems of traditional helicopter refueling with rigid refueling hoses, such as the large weight of the rigid refueling hose, the significant impact on the center of gravity, the impact of excessively long refueling hoses on flight stability, the difficulty of in-flight docking, the susceptibility to damage during takeoff and landing, and the inability to refuel while hovering, through a completely new helicopter refueling mode.

[0098] The collaborative method proposed in this application achieves the goals of reducing weight, minimizing the impact of the center of gravity, expanding the scope of application, improving stability, enabling more accurate and faster aerial docking, and ensuring that takeoff and landing are not affected, while also enabling hovering refueling.

[0099] In other embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4. The oil receiving hose 4 includes an oil receiving pipe 41, an attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42, a pressure supply pipe 43, a segmented pressure control valve 44, a magnetic sensor 45, an image recognition device 46, and an interface locking mechanism 47.

[0100] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 1, the traditional helicopter aerial refueling mode uses a long rigid refueling hose on the nose of the helicopter to receive fuel, while the tanker aircraft delivers fuel via a hose in front. This method has several drawbacks, including the heavy weight of the rigid refueling hose, its significant impact on the center of gravity, the impact of the excessively long refueling hose on flight stability, difficulties in aerial docking, and susceptibility to damage during takeoff and landing.

[0101] This invention uses a deformable hose for helicopter refueling, which can be omitted when refueling is not required, reducing weight and increasing onboard space.

[0102] During refueling, the hose can be reshaped by the attitude adjustment hydraulic line to connect with the refueling hose, making the operation simpler, lighter, and able to quickly adjust the hose shape according to changes in flight status, resulting in better refueling docking and safer flight.

[0103] It should be noted that similar products to deformable hoses include snake robots, which have a high degree of freedom of movement, but suffer from the problem of a large number of mechanical joints and control servos, resulting in a large weight and thus a limitation on the number of joints.

[0104] The oil receiving hose 4 used in this invention includes an oil receiving pipe 41, an attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42, a pressure supply pipe 43, and a segmented pressure control valve 44. The deformation of the oil receiving hose 4 is achieved by sharing the hydraulic power of the helicopter. The hydraulic drive of the oil receiving pipe eliminates and reduces the weight of the mechanical device and the torsional servo motor, so that the helicopter's oil receiving hose does not have to be carried in the nose of the helicopter all the time, and at the same time, the weight of the oil receiving hose is greatly reduced. The pressure supply pipe 43 is connected to the hydraulic system of the receiving helicopter 2 to realize the input of the hose deformation driving force.

[0105] Among them, the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42 and the pressure supply pipe 43 are installed on the oil receiving pipe 41 in a spiral manner. The attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42 is divided into multiple sections. Each section can adjust the shape of the oil receiving hose according to the refueling docking position requirements by adjusting the hydraulic pressure under the segmented pressure control valve 44. This makes the helicopter refueling pipe more flexible and lighter, and can be installed at the center of gravity of the fuselage, with little impact on the overall balance of the aircraft.

[0106] Among them, by using hose-and-drogue refueling with the receiving helicopter 2, the helicopter can not only dock with existing hose-and-drogue refueling aircraft, but also with existing high-flow rigid hose refueling aircraft, and can directly dock with ship decks or ground oil depots, thus expanding the targets for helicopter refueling and broadening the scope of application of helicopter aerial refueling.

[0107] In one feasible implementation, the oil receiving hose 4 includes an oil receiving pipe 41, an attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42, a pressure supply pipe 43, a segmented pressure control valve 44, a magnetic sensor 45, an image recognition device 46, and an interface locking mechanism 47.

[0108] The receiving pipe 41 is located in the middle of the receiving hose 4. The attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42, the pressure supply pipe 43, and the segmented pressure control valve 44 are spirally installed on its outside. The attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42, the pressure supply pipe 43, and the segmented pressure control valve 44 form a spiral to control the shape of the receiving hose 4. The deformation driving force is provided by the hydraulic system of the helicopter 2. The attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42 is divided into multiple closed pipes. Each closed pipe is connected to the pressure supply pipe 43 through the segmented pressure control valve 44. The pressure of the section can be adjusted independently, thereby controlling the shape change of the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42 and causing the receiving hose 4 to adjust its shape according to the position of the refueling pipe to better receive oil.

[0109] In other embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4. One or more sets of attitude adjustment hydraulic pipes 42, pressure supply pipes 43 and segmented pressure control valves 44 can be installed on the oil receiving hose 4. Fewer sets can reduce the weight of the oil pipe, and more sets can make the shape of the oil pipe more flexible.

[0110] Please refer to Figures 4 and 6. The front of the receiving hose 4 is the refueling interface, which is equipped with a magnetic sensor 45, an image recognition device 46, and an interface locking mechanism 47. The magnetic sensor 45 can better identify the distance information of the refueling hose, and the image recognition device 46 can comprehensively observe the relative spatial position of the refueling hose and the status of the refueling machine or refueling equipment. The combination of the two can more accurately and quickly determine the spatial position and distance requirements for docking with the refueling facility, as well as analyze the safety of the surrounding environment, and assist in the safe and quick completion of the refueling collaborative task. When the docking is completed, the movement and locking of the interface locking mechanism 47 realizes the stable locking of the oil supply hose and the receiving hose, ensuring the stability of the docking.

[0111] In other embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 5. The segmented pressure control valve 44 is interconnected with the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42 and the pressure supply pipe 43 to provide pressure for each segment of the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe. The attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42 and the pressure supply pipe 43 are interconnected and together form a spiral installed on the oil receiving pipe 41. The ratio of its pitch to the diameter of the oil receiving pipe 41 is more than 2.

[0112] In one feasible implementation, the ratio of the length of the closed section of each attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe to the pitch is between 0.8 and 1.5.

[0113] In one feasible implementation, there is a certain staggered distance between the closed sections of adjacent attitude adjustment hydraulic pipes, the distance value is represented by dh on the diagram, and dh takes the value of 0.1-0.3 times the pitch.

[0114] This application proposes a cooperative method for low-altitude aircraft, which solves the problems of traditional helicopter refueling with rigid refueling hoses, such as the large weight of the rigid refueling hose, its significant impact on the center of gravity, the impact of excessively long refueling hoses on flight stability, difficulties in aerial docking, easy damage during takeoff and landing, and the inability to refuel while hovering, through a brand-new helicopter refueling mode.

[0115] Accordingly, the low-altitude aircraft cooperative method of this application achieves the goals of reducing weight, minimizing the impact of the center of gravity, expanding the scope of application, improving stability, enabling more accurate and faster aerial docking, and ensuring that takeoff and landing are not affected, and enabling hovering refueling.

[0116] In other embodiments of this application, a refueling device, a cooperative method, and an aircraft are provided. The refueling device includes a refueling hose, which comprises: a refueling pipe; an attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe wound around the refueling pipe, the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe being used to change the shape of the refueling pipe to mate with a refueling pipe; and a pressure supply pipe wound around the refueling pipe, the pressure supply pipe being fitted with the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe and connected to the aircraft's hydraulic system, the pressure supply pipe providing the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe with a driving force to change the shape of the refueling pipe.

[0117] The refueling device, cooperative method, and aircraft provided in this application achieve the goals of reducing weight, minimizing the impact of the center of gravity, expanding the scope of application, improving stability, enabling more accurate and faster aerial docking, and ensuring that takeoff and landing are not affected, while also enabling hovering refueling.

[0118] In other embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 6. The collaborative process involved in this invention is as follows: when helicopter 2 determines that aerial refueling is required during flight based on the flight mission and remaining fuel status, it coordinates refueling needs with a tanker aircraft, ship, or ground base. The flight path is adjusted according to the positions of both parties, and the helicopter approaches the tanker aircraft (ship or ground base) along the flight path. At the same time, the relative spatial position of the refueling pipe can be fully observed through the image recognition device 46, and the distance information of the refueling pipe is further identified through the magnetic induction probe 45. The azimuth distance of the refueling pipe is determined by comprehensive judgment, and the segmented pressure control valve 44 is adjusted in segments to cause the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe 42 to change shape, which in turn causes the receiving pipe 41 to change shape to adapt to the docking requirements of the refueling port. After the adjustment and docking are completed, the interface locking mechanism 47 is used to lock the connection, and aerial refueling and receiving begin.

[0119] The present invention proposes a collaborative method for low-altitude aircraft, which solves the problems of traditional helicopter refueling with rigid refueling hoses, such as the large weight of the rigid refueling hose, the significant impact on the center of gravity, the impact of excessively long refueling hoses on flight stability, the difficulty of in-flight docking, and the susceptibility to damage during takeoff and landing.

[0120] This application achieves the following:

[0121] 1. The rigid metal hose was replaced with a flexible hose with a variable shape, which reduced the heavy weight of the traditional helicopter refueling hose.

[0122] 2. The refueling probe position was adjusted from its original location away from the center of gravity at the nose to its location on the belly of the fuselage, reducing the impact of the refueling device on the helicopter's center of gravity.

[0123] 3. Refueling is carried out through a deformable hose, which expands the application range of helicopter refueling to ships and ground bases in addition to tanker aircraft, thus broadening its scope of use;

[0124] 4. The docking is performed using a self-deforming hose, which avoids frequent docking adjustments caused by weather conditions or aerodynamic interference from the aircraft. The hose can also automatically change shape to adapt to changes in position, thus improving the stability of refueling docking.

[0125] 5. The refueling hose can automatically deform for docking, making aerial docking more accurate and faster;

[0126] 6. The refueling probe position was adjusted from its original location away from the center of gravity at the nose to its location on the belly of the fuselage, reducing the impact of the external refueling probe on takeoff and landing.

[0127] 7. The deformation driving force of the helicopter's oil pipe is directly adopted from the helicopter's existing hydraulic system, which simplifies the deformation driving servo device, further reduces weight and improves reliability.

Claims

1. An oil receiving device characterized by comprising: The oil receiving device includes an oil receiving hose, and the oil receiving hose includes: Oil receiving pipeline; An attitude-adjusting hydraulic hose is wound around the receiving oil pipe, and the attitude-adjusting hydraulic hose is used to change the shape of the receiving oil pipe to connect with the refueling hose; A pressure supply pipe is wound around the oil receiving pipe, the pressure supply pipe is in contact with the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe, the pressure supply pipe is connected to the aircraft's hydraulic system, and the pressure supply pipe provides the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe with the driving force to change the shape of the oil receiving pipe.

2. The oil receiving device according to claim 1, characterized by The attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe is divided into multiple closed pipe sections.

3. The oil receiving device according to claim 2, characterized by The oil receiving device also includes: A segmented pressure control valve is disposed between the pressure supply pipe and the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe; Each closed section of the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe can be adjusted by hydraulic pressure under the regulation of the segmented pressure control valve to adjust the shape of the receiving pipe to connect with the refueling pipe according to the refueling docking position requirements.

4. The oil receiving device according to claim 3, characterized by The attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe is wound in a spiral manner around the oil receiving pipe; the pressure supply pipe is wound in a spiral manner around the oil receiving pipe.

5. The oil receiving device according to claim 4, characterized by The oil receiving pipeline is equipped with at least one set of the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe, the pressure supply pipe, and the segmented pressure control valve.

6. The oil receiving device according to claim 1, wherein The oil receiving device also includes: An interface locking mechanism is provided at the refueling interface of the oil receiving pipeline; Specifically, upon completion of the docking, the refueling pipe and the receiving pipe are locked by the movement of the interface locking mechanism.

7. The oil receiving device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The oil receiving device also includes: A magnetic sensor is installed at the refueling interface of the oil receiving pipeline. The magnetic sensor is used to identify the distance information of the refueling pipe.

8. The oil receiving device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The oil receiving device also includes: An image recognition device is installed at the refueling interface of the oil receiving pipeline. The image recognition device is used to observe the relative spatial position of the refueling pipe and the condition of the refueling equipment.

9. The oil receiving device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe and the pressure supply pipe together form a spiral wound around the oil receiving pipe, and the ratio of the pitch of the spiral to the diameter of the oil receiving pipe is more than twice.

10. The oil receiving device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The ratio of the length of each closed section of the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe to the pitch of the helix is ​​a first preset value.

11. The oil receiving device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first preset value is between 0.8 and 1.

5.

12. The oil receiving device according to claim 11, characterized in that, There is an interleaved distance between the closed sections of adjacent attitude adjustment hydraulic pipes, and the interleaved distance value is a second preset value.

13. The oil receiving device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The second preset value is 0.1-0.3 times the pitch of the helix.

14. The oil receiving device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The refueling equipment includes refueling vessels, refueling aircraft, and ground oil depots; the refueling vessels include a deck refueling interface, the refueling aircraft includes a refueling hose, and the ground oil depot includes a ground refueling interface.

15. An aircraft, characterized in that, The aircraft includes a refueling device as described in any one of claims 1-14, the refueling device being located at the center of gravity of the aircraft's belly.

16. The aircraft according to claim 15, characterized in that, The refueling device is detachably mounted at the center of gravity of the aircraft's belly.

17. A collaborative method, characterized in that, The method includes: The magnetic sensor identifies the distance information of the refueling nozzle; The image recognition device acquires the relative spatial position of the refueling hose and the status of the refueling equipment; Based on the distance information, the relative spatial position of the refueling pipe, and the status of the refueling equipment, the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment are determined, and the safety of the surrounding environment is analyzed. If the surrounding environment is safe, based on the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment, the shape of the refueling pipeline can be adjusted by using hydraulic pressure to control the attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe, thereby achieving docking with the refueling pipe.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: Upon completion of the docking, the refueling pipe and the receiving pipe are locked using an interface locking mechanism.

19. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, Based on the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment, the shape of the refueling pipe is adjusted by using a hydraulically controlled attitude adjustment hydraulic pipe to achieve docking with the refueling pipe, including: Based on the spatial position and distance requirements for docking between the aircraft and the refueling equipment, each closed section of the attitude adjustment pipe changes the shape of the receiving pipe to dock with the refueling pipe by adjusting the hydraulic pressure under the control of the segmented pressure valve.

20. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The refueling equipment includes a refueling vessel, a refueling machine, and a ground oil depot; the refueling vessel includes a deck refueling interface, the refueling machine includes a refueling pipe, and the ground oil depot includes a ground refueling interface.

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