Micro hybrid generator system drone

• US 10,266,262 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Istari Digital Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Phan, Long N., Sarma, Sanjay Emani, Wojcik, Cody Miles, Davis, Eli M., Sena, Benjamin Arthur, Lemus, Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Richard G
• Application Number:
  US15/693,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20180022452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/001 Vibration damping devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/08 with two or more rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/02 Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants fuselages specially adapted for mounting power plants B64C1/16; wings specially adapted for power plants B64C3/32
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/026 comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 33/08 of power plant cooling systems cooling of internal-combustion engines per se F01P; cooling of gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants per se F02C, F02K
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 3/02 with means for supplying electricity to aircraft during flight
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/11 using internal combustion piston engines
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/30 Supply or distribution of electrical power
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 : Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising at least one rotor motor. The rotor motor is powered by a micro hybrid generation system. The micro hybrid generator system comprises a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor, a small engine configured to generate mechanical power, a generator motor coupled to the small engine and configured to generate AC power using the mechanical power generated by the small engine, a bridge rectifier configured to convert the AC power generated by the generator motor to DC power and provide the DC power to either or both the rechargeable battery and the at least one rotor motor, and an electronic control unit configured to control a throttle of the small engine based, at least in part, on a power demand of at least one load, the at least one load including the at least one rotor motor.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a flight module comprising

a propeller, and

a rotor motor configured to drive rotation of the propeller; and

an energy system configured to generate electrical energy;

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle has (1) a first configuration in which the energy system is attached to the flight module and the energy system provides the electrical energy to the rotor motor to cause flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and (2) a second configuration in which the energy system is detached from the flight module and the energy system provides the electrical energy to an external load, the external load comprising a robotic device comprising a ground vehicle.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the energy system is configured to be detached from and reattached to the flight module.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the energy system is detachable from the flight module while the unmanned aerial vehicle is airborne.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein in the second configuration, the energy system is connected to the flight module by a cable.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 4, wherein the cable comprises a data transmission cable.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 4, wherein the cable comprises a power transmission cable.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, comprising a control system configured to control the unmanned aerial vehicle to:

autonomously fly from a first location to a second location while in the first configuration; and

at the second location, autonomously detach the energy system from the flight module to enter the second configuration.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the energy system comprises a hybrid energy generation system comprising:

a rechargeable battery,

an engine configured to generate mechanical energy, and

a generator configured to convert the mechanical energy generated by the engine into electrical energy.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the electrical energy is provided from the generator to one or more of the rechargeable battery and either (1) the rotor motor or (2) the external load.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to provide electrical energy to the rotor motor when the unmanned aerial vehicle is in the first configuration.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is in the second configuration, both the generator and the rechargeable battery are configured to provide electrical energy to the external load responsive to a power demand from the external load exceeding a threshold value.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to provide electrical energy to the external load when the unmanned aerial vehicle is in the second configuration.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the external load comprises one or more of a data storage device, a communications device, and a sensor.

14. A method comprising:

operating an energy system to generate electrical energy;

operating an unmanned aerial vehicle in a first configuration in which the energy system is attached to a flight module comprising a rotor motor configured to drive rotation of the propeller, including;

providing the electrical energy to the rotor motor of a flight module to cause flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

detaching the energy system from the flight module; and

operating the unmanned aerial vehicle in a second configuration in which the energy system is detached from the flight module, including;

providing the electrical energy to an external load, the external load comprising a robotic device comprising a ground vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising reattaching the energy system to the flight module.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising detaching the energy system from the flight module while the unmanned aerial vehicle is airborne.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein in the second configuration, the energy system is connected to the flight module by a cable.

18. The method of claim 14, comprising controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to autonomously fly from a first location to a second location while in the first configuration;

and

controlling the energy system to autonomously detach from the flight module at the second location.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the energy system comprises a hybrid energy generation system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein operating the energy system to generate electrical energy comprises:

generating mechanical energy in an engine of the hybrid energy generation system; and

in a generator of the hybrid energy generation system, converting the mechanical energy generated by the engine into electrical energy.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising providing the electrical energy from the generator to one or more of a rechargeable battery and either (1) the rotor motor or (2) the external load.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising providing electrical energy from the rechargeable battery to the rotor motor when the unmanned aerial vehicle is in the first configuration.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising providing electrical energy from both the rechargeable battery and the generator to the external load when the unmanned aerial vehicle is in the second configuration responsive to a power demand from the external load exceeding a threshold value.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the external load comprises one or more of a data storage device, a communications device, and a sensor.