Expendable Airborne Fiber Optic Link Tension Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems with fiber-optic links are limited by heavy, short-range cables that restrict maneuvering and movement due to the weight and length constraints of the fiber-optic cables, requiring a winch for spooling and potentially dragging cables across terrain, which is not suitable for extended or mobile operations.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an expendable airborne fiber-optic link with a strain relief module and tension control system, allowing for lightweight, non-armored cables that can be dynamically managed during flight, eliminating the need for a winch and preventing cable drag by using dispensers on both the UAV and ground stations to maintain tension and prevent kinking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a permanent physical link (flexible wire or cable) is used to tether the UAV, then power and communications can be provided continuously, but the cable weight and length restrict maneuvering and movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an expendable fiber-optic cable that is discarded after a single use. This disposable approach eliminates the need for heavy, reusable cable management systems like winches and spools, allowing the UAV to achieve greater maneuverability and range while maintaining continuous power and communication during the mission.
2Ease of operation
If a winch is used to spool the fiber-optic cable, then the cable can be managed during ascent and descent, but the system becomes complex and the cable may drag across terrain during lateral movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the winch and spool components from the system entirely. Instead of managing the cable through mechanical spooling, the fiber-optic cable is simply dispensed from the UAV during ascent and allowed to trail behind during lateral movement, eliminating the complexity of cable management hardware while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than using a ground-based winch to manage the cable (traditional approach), the patent inverts the approach by having the cable dispensed from the UAV itself. This reversal eliminates the need for ground-based cable management infrastructure and allows the system to operate more like a ballistic missile with a trailing communication line.
3Weight of moving object
If a lightweight non-armored fiber-optic cable is used, then weight is reduced and maneuverability increases, but the cable is more susceptible to damage from tension and strain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a strain relief module positioned at the connection point between the fiber-optic cable and the power source. This module provides protective reinforcement that absorbs and distributes tensile forces, preventing damage to the lightweight cable during deployment and operation, thereby enabling the use of lighter, more maneuverable cable configurations.
4Length of stationary object
If the fiber-optic cable length is increased for longer range, then operational distance is improved, but the cable becomes heavier and more difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
By using an expendable fiber-optic cable, the patent can employ longer cable lengths without the weight penalty associated with reusable systems. The cable is simply dispensed as needed during ascent and lateral movement, and the entire cable is discarded after mission completion, eliminating the need for heavy-duty reusable cable management infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure are related unmanned aerial vehicles tethered to ground stations with an expendable airborne fiber-optic link. The tethers may be fiber-optic cables that can be used as a communications conduit between a ground station and a UAV for providing vehicle positioning/control information to the UAV as well as transmitting a large amount of information/data to the UAV. As the information being transmitted between to the UAV the ground station is critical, fiber-optic cables provide the bandwidth and transmission capabilities required with the added benefit of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio-frequency interference (RFI) immunity, making this an ideal solution for these applications.