Unmanned Aerial Systems

• US 20150203200A1
• Filed: 07/25/2013
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: George Bye, Matt Bickel
• Original Assignee: George Bye, Matt Bickel
• Inventors: Bye, George, Bickel, Matt
• Application Number:
  US14/421,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20150203200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/353 using solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/40 Modular UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/65 Composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/14 detachable
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/15 using combustion exhausts other than turbojets or turbofans, e.g. using rockets, ramjets, scramjets or pulse-reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/31 generated by photovoltaics
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/83 using parachutes, balloons or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency

Abstract

The present invention provides an Unmanned Aircraft System, including an integrated unmanned aerial vehicle and all related components and subsystems that can be packaged and transported as a kit, and customized to fit desired mission profiles, and easily repaired by replacement of damaged components or subsystems. The present invention further provides unmanned aircraft system components and subsystems that facilitate low power and low noise operation, and extended flight times.

Claims

1. An unmanned aircraft system comprising one or more of:

a launch and recovery module having a removeable rocket motor and a deployable parachute and removeably mounted with the unmanned aircraft system, a fuselage with a mounting feature and wings with mounting features configured to removeably engage the mounting feature on the fuselage, a 6 bladed propeller as described herein, photovoltaics mounted with the unmanned aircraft system, and wingtips removeably mounted with wings of the unmanned aircraft system.

2. An unmanned aircraft system as in claim 1, comprising a launch and recovery module having a removeable rocket motor and a deployable parachute and removeably mounted with the unmanned aircraft system.

3. An unmanned aircraft system 3 as in claim 1, comprising a fuselage with a mounting feature and wings with mounting features configured to removeably engage the mounting feature on the fuselage.

5. An unmanned aircraft system as in claim 1, comprising photovoltaics mounted with the unmanned aircraft system.

6. An unmanned aircraft system as in claim 1, comprising wingtips removeably mounted with wings of the unmanned aircraft system.

7. A unmanned aircraft system as in claim 3, comprising a fuselage having wing mounting features;

a plurality of wing sets, each set comprising a matched pair of wings each with mounting features configured to removably engage the wing mounting features on the fuselage, and each with wingtip mounting features;

a plurality of wingtips each having mounting features configured to removably engage the wingtip mounting features on a wing.

8. An unmanned aircraft system as in claim 3, comprising a wing having a pin, and a fuselage having a receptacle configured to accept the wing and the pin in a removeable mounting relationship.

13. An unmanned aircraft system as in claim 1, further comprising an on board power generation system, two power storage systems, and a power management system that apportions power generated by the power generation system among the two power storage systems.

14. An unmanned aircraft system as in claim 5, comprising wings formed of a stack comprising a photovoltaic cell and one or more structural layers, with intermediate adhesive layers.

15. An unmanned aircraft system as in claim 14, wherein the structural layers comprise carbon fiber core, carbon fiber laminate, or a combination thereof.

16. An unmanned aircraft system as in claim 1, comprising a launch and recovery module having a removeable rocket motor and a deployable parachute and removeably mounted with the unmanned aircraft system, a fuselage with a mounting feature and wings with mounting features configured to removeably engage the mounting feature on the fuselage, a 6 bladed propeller as described herein, photovoltaics mounted with the unmanned aircraft system, and wingtips removeably mounted with wings of the unmanned aircraft system.

4. An unmanned aircraft system comprising a 6 bladed propeller as described herein.

9. An unmanned aircraft system as in claim 4, wherein the propeller is configured to provide 1 lb of thrust at 2,500 RPM with no more than 70 Watts input power.

10. An unmanned aircraft system as in claim 9, wherein the propeller is configured to produce less than 70 dB of noise as measured 3 meters from the propeller.

11. An unmanned aircraft system, comprising an on board power generation system, two power storage systems, and a power management system that apportions power generated by the power generation system among the two power storage systems.

12. An unmanned aircraft system as in claim 11, wherein a first power storage system powers a first set of systems of the unmanned aircraft system, and where the second power storage system powers a second set of systems of the unmanned aircraft system, and wherein the second set of systems comprises those systems whose continued operation after a failure of the first power storage system will enable at least one of survival, recovery, or required operation of the unmanned aircraft system.