In-Board Wing Capture Hooks for Runway-Free UAV Recovery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in landing without a runway, particularly in environments like mountainous terrain or at sea, and existing recovery systems often require heavy materials and complex mechanisms that increase weight and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The integration of in-board wing capture devices, such as hooks located on the wing shoulders of UAVs, which allow coupling with a cable from a vertically oriented boom for recovery, reducing the need for heavy materials and complex mechanisms by distributing forces and using lighter materials for the wings and fuselage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional wing tip hooks are used for recovery, then the UAV can be recovered without a runway, but the wing structure becomes heavier and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The wing assembly is divided into modular components (wing root, wing panel, wing tip) that can be independently manufactured and assembled. The hook is integrated into the wing root structure rather than being a separate heavy component at the wing tip, allowing for lighter overall construction while maintaining recovery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hook is repositioned from the traditional wing tip location to the wing root area, changing the spatial dimension of force application. This dimensional shift allows the recovery force to be applied closer to the UAV's center of gravity, reducing the moment arm and thereby reducing the structural requirements and weight of the wing.
2Strength
If heavy materials are used for the wing structure, then the wing can withstand recovery forces, but the overall UAV weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using heavy materials throughout the entire wing structure, the design applies enhanced structural strength locally at the wing root where the hook is integrated. The wing root features reinforced construction to handle recovery forces, while the wing panels and tips can use lighter materials, optimizing the strength-to-weight ratio.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing structure employs composite materials combining lightweight materials (such as carbon fiber or aluminum alloys) with strategic reinforcement elements. This allows the wing to achieve sufficient strength for recovery operations while minimizing overall weight through the use of high-strength-to-weight ratio materials.
3Reliability
If complex recovery mechanisms are used, then the UAV can be reliably recovered, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recovery hook is extracted from the complex wing tip structure and integrated directly into the wing root assembly. This simplification removes unnecessary intermediate components and mechanisms, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliable recovery functionality through a more direct and straightforward design.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Unmanned aerial vehicles including wing capture devices and related methods are disclosed. An example unmanned aerial vehicle includes a fuselage and a wing assembly, the wing assembly including a shoulder coupled to the fuselage, the shoulder including a joint, the joint distal to the fuselage, a wing coupled to the joint, and a hook, the hook coupled to the shoulder, the hook including a groove to receive a cable to arrest flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle.