阅读说明：本技术 由涡轮发电机驱动的模块化的多旋翼无人机 (Modular multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle driven by turbine generator ) 是由 保罗·贝拉莫里 于 2019-09-05 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种大型的多旋翼的旋翼无人机,其能够通过连接器连接至相同的无人机以便增加载荷能力和飞行时间。其具有推进系统,该推进系统包括由8个电动马达组成的4个同轴的旋翼,电动马达以液体燃料为燃料的涡轮发电机(APU)驱动。机架包括：作为螺旋桨保护系统和无人机的诸如电子设备、燃料箱、发电机等各种部件的容器的中空的碳纤维结构；不朝无人机中心会聚而朝各个发动机会聚以保证机架中心有空间的方形的发动机支撑系统。能够模块化的可能性允许能够增加有用的有效载荷、自主性和可靠性的无限的装载配置。(The present invention relates to a large multi-rotor rotorcraft that can be connected to the same drone by connectors in order to increase load capacity and flight time. It has a propulsion system comprising 4 coaxial rotors consisting of 8 electric motors driven by liquid fuel-fueled turbine generators (APUs). The frame includes: hollow carbon fiber structures as containers for various components of propeller protection systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, such as electronic equipment, fuel tanks, generators, etc.; a square engine support system that does not converge toward the center of the drone but converges toward each engine to ensure room in the center of the airframe. The possibility of being able to modularize allows an unlimited loading configuration that can increase useful payload, autonomy and reliability.)

1. A rotorcraft, having:

a carbon fibre airframe with a hollow structure capable of housing the components required for flight and protecting the rotor;

the characteristics of the frame in which the engine support arms do not converge towards the inside and form a square structure that acts as a support for the mounting of the engine, the engine being mounted in the centre of each side of the square structure, leaving a space free from the central part of the frame, which also acts as a loading space for the components and as a structural support for the connection system between the various units;

4 coaxial rotors, each rotor consisting of 2 electric motors and contra-rotating propellers positioned in the centre of the four sides of the frame supporting the frame;

an APU (auxiliary power unit) turbine generator configurator for supplying sufficient flying power;

a width between a minimum of 220 x 220cm and a maximum of 300 x 300 cm;

able to be physically connected to other units of the same type to create assemblies with different flight configurations to add payload.

2. Unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a carbon fiber frame protecting the rotor and all flying components and a landing gear consisting of 4 rubber pads securing it from the ground, and it can be stacked for transport by positioning the various units on top of each other or positioning the frame vertically on the side.

3. The drone of claim 1, wherein the drone is physically connectable to other units on each side to create a diversified configuration, by special connectors that can guarantee a rigid physical connection between two or more units, thereby increasing load capacity.

4. The drone of claim 1, wherein the drone has a propulsion system that uses energy generated by an APU (auxiliary power unit) driven by a turbine, the APU being driven by liquid fuel and generating energy sufficient to drive the flight system and engine.

5. A drone according to claim 3, characterised in that the transversal connection system allows sharing of electrical energy and information between drones connected to each other.

6. A drone according to any preceding claim, characterised in that it has flight controls which adapt to the diversified configuration of the system based on the number of drones connected and their positioning (shape of drones) and thus change the flight characteristics.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a multi-rotor drone with high load capacity, autonomy, easy to transport and use, having unique features to be connected to other single units to increase their capacity, such as load, autonomy and reliability.

In particular to the field of aviation, and in particular to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with remote control or automatic flight capabilities.

Background

In the prior art, some of the problems associated with the use of rotorcraft have not been solved or adequately solved.

There are problems related to load capacity, autonomy, transportability and reliability in particular.

In particular multi-rotorcraft, having a predetermined size and weight at the design stage, which determines the load capacity and autonomy based on the ratio between: propeller size, motor, vehicle weight, and battery capacity. Generally, larger drone size means higher transportable load capacity and generally greater flight autonomy.

On the other hand, however, the large size of the drone can lead to transportability problems due to size and field assembly.

Currently, multi-gyroplanes are configured to carry small loads (e.g., on the order of several kilograms) and remain in flight for tens of minutes (e.g., 40-60 minutes). To transport large loads, multi-rotor aircraft must be large, with large engines, propellers, and large and heavy batteries to generate enough energy for takeoff.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to solve all the above mentioned problems by an innovative system of modular multi-rotor drone driven by a turbogenerator, which allows the connection of a single unit to other identical units in order to increase the load capacity, autonomy, reliability, always maintaining the transport convenience of the system, and allows the energy supply system to be composed of electric motors driven by a turbogenerator fueled with liquid fuel.

In particular by:

a carbon fibre frame with a hollow structure, which is simple in construction, thus reducing the total number of components, reducing weight, giving greater strength to the overall system, and which can be used as a container for avionics and control systems, propellants and wiring;

square rotor-carrying systems, unlike other rotor-carrying systems, which do not converge to a connection point at the centre of the rotorcraft, thus providing space for mounting the generator and also good weight distribution over the entire airframe (fig. 2.2)

Multi-rotor drones have a width of between 220 and 300 centimeters, so as to be able to place them on the loading platform of a truck, or they can be stacked for transport and storage on standard transport containers;

using 8 brushless electric motors with large diameter propellers (40 to 50 inches) in a two-motor quad-rotor configuration, superimposed on the opposite propellers (4 coaxial rotors) for each shaft, capable of obtaining thrust of 200 to 400kg (figure l);

an electric propulsion system with a turbogenerator with a propellant tank that can be mounted inside or outside the frame, able to generate 30/50KW of energy;

joining multiple drones together by means of a physical connection system on each side of the drone in order to create a diversified flight and loading configuration:

the system allows connection through multiple cell modules to increase load capacity;

an infinite possibility of a 1, 2 x 2, 2 x 3, 2 x 4, 3 x 3, 2 x 5, 3 x 4, 3 x 5, 4 x 4, etc. configuration (see fig. 4) that makes the load capacity variable (see fig. 5) while maintaining a constant flight range and a limited bulkiness (limited bulkiness) during transport;

a coupling system allowing to connect data lines and energy lines between a plurality of single modules (see fig. 2.1);

in the case of a union between the various modules, the system becomes redundant, since in the event of a generator failure, the motor will be able to use the energy of the other generators connected;

redundant AVIONICS and control systems (AVIONICS) in each single unit, and each unit can act as a backup electronic for the other units:

o when only one module is used, the unit will be defined as MASTER unit (MASTER);

when multiple units are used, only one unit will become the master unit and act as the flight controller for all other units. The other units will become secondary units (SLAVE) and automatically configured by the system for flight in relation to the master unit, the secondary units becoming the master and controlling the other units only in case of failure of the master;

the system will be equipped with a global positioning sensor system that can correct positioning errors (RTK-Real Time dynamics), collision and obstacle detection, data transfer and stereo navigation and camera positioning;

the possibility of being able to use the single-unit system will allow the transport of single-unit systems stacked in trucks or transport containers in a convenient manner and their joining profile only where they are actually used (see fig. 5)