Unmanned Aerial Coating System With Modular Tank Refilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Coating large and difficult-to-access surfaces, such as those on buildings, wind turbines, and aircraft, is challenging and costly due to the need for scaffolding and manual application, which increases expenditure and poses hazards.
Innovation Solution
A coating system utilizing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a tank and applicator, allowing for remote or autonomous operation, with features like thermal insulation, multiple rotors for stability, and modular components for efficient refilling and replacement, enabling precise coating without collision risks and reducing manual labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If scaffolding or special working platforms are used to reach large and difficult-to-access surfaces, then coating application becomes possible, but expenditure and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from ground-based scaffolding to aerial vehicle-based coating application, moving the operation from a two-dimensional ground plane to three-dimensional aerial space. This allows access to difficult-to-reach surfaces without the complexity of assembling scaffolding structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical scaffolding system with an aerial vehicle equipped with an applicator. Instead of building physical support structures, the system uses flight-capable vehicles to deliver coating material directly to the target surface.
2Ease of operation
If manual coating application from scaffolding is used, then coating can be applied to hard-to-reach areas, but hazards to operators increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the operator from the hazardous environment by automating the coating application process. The applicator is mounted on an aerial vehicle that can be remotely operated or autonomously controlled, removing human operators from positions where they would be exposed to fall hazards and other risks associated with scaffolding work.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service coating application where the aerial vehicle autonomously navigates and applies coating material to the target surface. This reduces or eliminates the need for human operators to physically position themselves in hazardous locations.
3Reliability
If the aerial vehicle maintains a sufficient distance from the surface to avoid collision, then safety increases, but coating precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamically adjustable applicator system that can change its position and orientation relative to the aerial vehicle body. This allows the applicator to maintain an optimal distance from the target surface for precise coating application while the aerial vehicle itself maintains a safe operational distance, resolving the conflict between safety and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The applicator acts as an intermediary between the aerial vehicle and the target surface. It extends the vehicle's reach to the coating surface while maintaining the vehicle at a safe distance, thereby enabling both collision avoidance and precise coating application.
4Productivity
If a single large tank is used to hold sufficient coating liquid for large surfaces, then coating continuity improves, but device complexity and refilling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the coating liquid storage into multiple separate tanks rather than using one large tank. Each tank can be independently managed, filled, and emptied. This segmentation allows for easier refilling operations and reduced complexity compared to a single large-capacity tank, while still enabling continuous coating through coordinated dispensing from multiple tanks.
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 system significantly reduces coating expenditure and hazards by enabling efficient, precise application of coatings to hard-to-reach areas with minimal human intervention, maintaining a safe distance from surfaces while ensuring consistent coating quality.
Implementation Method 1
the tank can be designed as a thermally insulated tank
Implementation Method 2
Said aerial vehicle is configured in the form of a helicopter, that is to say with rotor blades which directly produce the lift
Implementation Method 3
A pumping device is usually provided for conveying the liquid from the tank to the applicator
Implementation Method 4
As an alternative, a pressure accumulator containing a pressure medium can be provided, which pressure medium presses the liquid from the tank to the applicator and through said applicator to the surrounding area
Implementation Method 5
the applicator for dispensing the coating liquid, through which applicator coating liquid which is supplied from the tank is output onto a surface which is to be coated in the form of a possibly atomized jet
Data Source
AI summary
A coating system for applying coating liquid such as a base coat, a paint, a lacquer or a protective layer to surfaces of buildings, wind turbines, ships and aircraft. The coating system includes an unmanned aerial machine in the form of a helicopter for dispensing the coating liquid. The aerial machine has a fuselage, two rotors, a tank for holding the coating liquid, and an applicator for dispensing the coating liquid and outputting same onto a surface to be coated. In order to supply the tank with coating liquid, the tank is fastened to the aerial vehicle and the tank or aerial vehicle has a filling opening for refilling the tank in the landed state of the vehicle, and/or the tank is part of an exchangeable tank module coupled to the fuselage and/or is uncoupled from the fuselage by a coupling device controlled in an automated manner.