Elastic Drone Chassis With Pre-Tensioned Cables for Impact Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drone chassis designs either fail to withstand impacts effectively, leading to structural damage or lack stability, and do not adequately protect the drone and its environment from varying impact forces.
Innovation Solution
A drone chassis with an elastic external structure and a set of elastic cables that deform elastically under tensile stress, attached under initial tension, to maintain stability and absorb impact energy through elastic or plastic deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid structure is used to withstand high impact speeds, then the drone can absorb large amounts of energy, but the structure becomes heavy and may cause damage to the environment
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis is divided into a rigid external structure for protection and a separate set of elastic cables for energy absorption. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the rigid structure remains lightweight while the cables provide the necessary impact absorption capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The chassis combines rigid structural elements with elastic cable materials to create a composite system. The rigid external structure provides protective function while the elastic cables (made from materials like high-density polyethylene) provide energy absorption, achieving both strength and weight efficiency.
2Strength
If a less rigid structure is used to withstand low impact speeds, then the drone can absorb energy elastically, but the structure lacks stability
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis separates the stability function (handled by the rigid external structure) from the energy absorption function (handled by the elastic cables). This allows the rigid structure to maintain stability while the cables provide elastic energy absorption during impacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic cables are pre-tensioned to a specific parameter range that allows them to absorb energy elastically during low-impact events while maintaining structural stability. The pre-tensioning parameter is carefully controlled to achieve the desired balance between stability and energy absorption.
3Stability of the object's composition
If elastic cables are attached under initial tension, then the functional elements remain stable during normal flight, but the cables may deform plastically during high impact speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic cables are pre-tensioned to a level that provides stability during normal operation while being designed to deform plastically during high-impact events. This beforehand preparation allows the cables to absorb excessive energy through controlled plastic deformation, protecting the overall system from catastrophic failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The initial tension parameter of the elastic cables is optimized to maintain stability during normal flight conditions. The cable cross-section and material properties are selected so that during high-impact events, the cables transition from elastic to plastic deformation, absorbing energy while protecting critical components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The chassis effectively withstands impacts by converting kinetic energy into elastic or plastic deformation, protecting the drone and its environment while maintaining functional element stability and reducing impact forces.
Implementation Method 1
The set of cables comprises elastic cables that deform elastically in traction under a tensile stress above a threshold, referred to as the natural tensile deformation threshold
Implementation Method 2
an external structure that deforms elastically in bending
Implementation Method 3
withstand higher impact speeds by converting kinetic energy into elastic energy or by plasticising on the cables, which makes it possible to protect both the drone and its environment by reducing the amplitude of the impact forces
Data Source
AI summary
A drone chassis including an external structure that deforms elastically in bending, and a set of cables connecting at least one support, intended to support a functional element of the drone, to the external structure. The set of cables includes elastic cables deforming elastically in traction under a tensile stress above a natural deformation threshold, the set of cables being attached at several points on the external structure, referred to as attachment points, to hold the at least one support in a stable position with respect to the external structure. The elastic cables are attached under stress by applying an initial tensile stress and maintains the initial tensile stress by attaching to the external structure. An additional tensile stress applied to the cables attached under stress causes a deformation under traction of the cables only as from a threshold that is above the natural deformation threshold of the cables.