Fixed-Wing UAV Spraying With Droplet and Flight Path Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Rotor-based UAVs for aerial spraying have limited payload and flight duration, requiring frequent refills and battery changes, while fixed-wing UAVs with larger payloads and longer flight times are desirable but not yet effectively implemented for autonomous chemical dispersion.
Innovation Solution
A fixed-wing UAV system with processors for autonomous flight planning and chemical dispersion, featuring spray booms with multiple nozzles, tanks, and sensors for altitude and temperature adjustments, allowing for geo-spatial controlled spraying and obstacle avoidance, and capable of varying droplet sizes based on altitude and environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If rotor-based UAVs are used for aerial spraying, then maneuverability and ease of operation are improved, but payload capacity and flight duration are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the advantages of both rotor-based and fixed-wing UAV designs by integrating a fixed-wing configuration with rotor capabilities. The hybrid design merges the long flight duration of fixed-wing UAVs with the maneuverability of rotor-based UAVs, creating a single platform that achieves both objectives simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic wing configuration that can change during flight. The wings can transition between different positions and angles, allowing the UAV to optimize for either endurance (fixed-wing mode) or maneuverability ( rotor mode) depending on operational requirements. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between flight duration and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If rotor-based UAVs are used for aerial spraying, then ease of operation is improved, but payload capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the advantages of both rotor-based and fixed-wing UAV designs by integrating a fixed-wing configuration with rotor capabilities. The hybrid design merges the long flight duration of fixed-wing UAVs with the maneuverability of rotor-based UAVs, creating a single platform that achieves both objectives simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic wing configuration that can change during flight. The wings can transition between different positions and angles, allowing the UAV to optimize for either endurance (fixed-wing mode) or maneuverability ( rotor mode) depending on operational requirements. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between flight duration and ease of operation.
3Duration of action of moving object
If fixed-wing UAVs are used for aerial spraying, then payload capacity and flight duration are improved, but autonomous control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service autonomous control systems that enable the fixed-wing UAV to independently perform spraying operations without continuous human intervention. The system incorporates automated navigation, spray rate control, and environmental adaptation capabilities that allow the UAV to service itself during flight, reducing the operational complexity burden on the operator while maintaining extended flight duration.
4Area of stationary object
If spray booms with multiple nozzles are used, then chemical dispersion coverage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the spray system into multiple independent nozzle units arranged in spray booms. Each nozzle can be individually controlled to spray chemicals, allowing the system to cover larger areas through parallel operation of multiple nozzles. This segmentation enables increased coverage area while managing complexity through modular, standardized nozzle components.
Solution Approach 2:
The spray booms with multiple nozzles are designed as universal components that can be attached to and removed from the UAV body. The same spray boom assembly can serve multiple functions: chemical dispersion, area coverage, and can be adjusted for different spray patterns. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by using standardized, versatile components rather than specialized parts for each function.
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
Enables efficient and autonomous aerial spraying with extended flight times and larger payloads, minimizing chemical drift and ensuring accurate application by adjusting droplet size and flight path dynamically in response to obstacles and environmental factors.
Implementation Method 1
The multiple nozzles may include a rotary atomizer for controlling the droplet size of the sprayed chemical
Implementation Method 2
The chemical spray system includes one or more tanks attached to the body of the UAV, a pump fluidly connected to the tanks
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling spraying of chemicals by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). An unmanned aerial vehicle system includes one or more processors configured to perform operations of autonomously performing a flight path by the UAV and dispersing a chemical by the UAV along portions of the flight path. The UAV may include a chemical spray system having one or more spray booms with multiple nozzles for dispersing a chemical. The chemical spray system may include one or more tanks attached to the body of the UAV and a pump fluidly connected to the tanks to disperse chemical via the spray booms.