UAV Lifting Propeller Decouples Gravity from Maneuvering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) typically face a trade-off between agility and efficiency due to their design limitations, which restricts their capabilities in various operational scenarios, such as navigation in dense areas versus high-altitude cruising.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a UAV system that includes both maneuverability and lifting propellers, where the lifting propellers generate a force equal and opposite to the gravitational force, allowing for efficient altitude maintenance and enabling maneuverability propellers to operate over a wider range of speeds, angles, and directions by separating the vertical and horizontal forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If UAVs are designed for agility, then maneuverability is improved, but power efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the force generation function by introducing dedicated lifting propellers to handle vertical forces (counteracting gravity) and maneuverability propellers to handle horizontal forces (translation and rotation). This segmentation allows each propeller type to operate in its optimal efficiency range, resolving the contradiction between agility and power efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the control of vertical and horizontal forces into independent dimensions. By using lifting propellers exclusively for vertical force generation and maneuverability propellers for horizontal movement, the system achieves full agility in both dimensions while maintaining power efficiency through specialized function assignment.
2Use of energy by moving object
If UAVs are designed for power efficiency, then energy consumption is reduced, but maneuverability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the propulsion system into specialized lifting propellers for vertical force and maneuverability propellers for horizontal force. This segmentation enables the maneuverability propellers to operate over a wider range of speeds and angles without the burden of gravity compensation, improving both efficiency and maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of maneuverability propellers by decoupling them from gravity compensation duties. This allows maneuverability propellers to operate in a wider range of rotational speeds, pitch angles, and directions, achieving full maneuverability while maintaining power efficiency through optimized parameter ranges.
3Use of energy by moving object
If lifting propellers generate force equal and opposite to gravity, then altitude maintenance efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a segmented propulsion architecture with dedicated lifting propellers for vertical force generation. While this adds structural components, it simplifies the control system by separating vertical and horizontal force calculations, allowing maneuverability propellers to operate without gravity compensation computations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameter framework by introducing the concept of 'perceived gravitational force' for maneuverability propellers. This parameter transformation simplifies control computations by allowing the flight controller to treat horizontal maneuvering independently from vertical gravity compensation, reducing overall system complexity despite added hardware.
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
This design enhances the operational efficiency and agility of UAVs by allowing them to adapt to different flight profiles, such as high agility in dense environments and power efficiency at high altitudes, while simplifying motor control computations and reducing power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a lifting propeller and a maneuverability propeller... The lifting propeller may be configured to generate a force that is equal and opposite to a gravitational force applied to the aerial vehicle
Implementation Method 2
The lifting propeller may be configured to generate a force that is equal and opposite to a gravitational force applied to the aerial vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) that includes a lifting motor and lifting propeller that operate at a rotational speed to generate a force sufficient to maintain the UAV at an altitude. The UAV also includes a plurality of maneuverability motors and propellers that are utilized to stabilize and maneuver the UAV. When a maneuverability command is received, the forces to be generated by each of the maneuverability propellers are determined without considering the full effects of gravity because the lifting motor and lifting propeller effectively cancel out the force of gravity acting upon the UAV.