Controllable refueling drogues and associated systems and methods
First Claim
1. An airborne refueling system, comprising:
- a fuel delivery device having a deployable portion configured to be deployed overboard an aircraft during aerial refueling, the deployable portion including;
at least a portion of a flexible fuel line;
a drogue including a plurality of vanes arranged circumferentially around a major axis, the vanes having a radially outwardly facing surface and a generally tangentially facing surface, wherein the radially outwardly facing surface is larger than the generally tangentially facing surface, and a canopy coupled to the vanes, the drogue being coupled to the flexible fuel line, wherein the plurality of vanescomprises a plurality of first and second vanes;
a plurality of actuators wherein individual actuators are operatively coupled to a correspond first cane and a corresponding second vane and with the actuators operable to change a relative circumferential distance between the corresponding first vane and the corresponding second vane;
at least one sensor positioned to detect at least one of a load on and a position of the fuel delivery device and produce a corresponding signal; and
a computer-based system carried by the deployable portion and operatively coupled to the actuators, the computer-based system including instructions todirect the operation of the actuators in response to the signal in a feedback manner.
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Abstract
Controllable refueling drogues and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment includes a fuel delivery device having a deployable portion configured to be deployed overboard an aircraft during aerial refueling. The deployable portion can include at least a portion of a flexible fuel line, a drogue coupled to the flexible fuel line, and an actuatable device operatively coupled to at least one of the drogue and the fuel line. The deployable portion can further include a guidance system that is operatively coupled to the actuatable device and that includes instructions to direct the operation of the actuatable device and move the drogue during flight.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An airborne refueling system, comprising:
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a fuel delivery device having a deployable portion configured to be deployed overboard an aircraft during aerial refueling, the deployable portion including; at least a portion of a flexible fuel line; a drogue including a plurality of vanes arranged circumferentially around a major axis, the vanes having a radially outwardly facing surface and a generally tangentially facing surface, wherein the radially outwardly facing surface is larger than the generally tangentially facing surface, and a canopy coupled to the vanes, the drogue being coupled to the flexible fuel line, wherein the plurality of vanes comprises a plurality of first and second vanes; a plurality of actuators wherein individual actuators are operatively coupled to a correspond first cane and a corresponding second vane and with the actuators operable to change a relative circumferential distance between the corresponding first vane and the corresponding second vane; at least one sensor positioned to detect at least one of a load on and a position of the fuel delivery device and produce a corresponding signal; and a computer-based system carried by the deployable portion and operatively coupled to the actuators, the computer-based system including instructions to direct the operation of the actuators in response to the signal in a feedback manner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An airborne refueling system, comprising:
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a fuel delivery device having a deployable portion configured to be deployed overboard an aircraft during aerial refueling, the deployable portion including;
at least a portion of a flexible fuel line;a drogue coupled to the flexible fuel line, the drogue including multiple vanes coupled to a canopy and arranged circumferentially around a major axis, wherein individual vanes have an outwardly facing surface and a generally tangentially facing edge, and wherein the outwardly facing surface is larger than the generally tangentially facing edge; at least one sensor located to detect at least one of a position of the drogue relative to an approaching aircraft and a load on the drogue, and produce a corresponding signal; a plurality of actuators wherein individual actuators are operatively coupled to a corresponding first vane and a corresponding second vane with the actuators operable to change a relative circumferential distance between the first vane and the second vane one or more vanes, or the canopy, or one or more vanes and the canopy; and a guidance system carried by the deployable portion and operatively coupled to at least one of the actuators, the guidance system including instructions to direct the operation of the at least one actuator in a feedback manner to shape the drogue asymmetrically relative to the major axis in response to the signal to stabilize drogue flight and move the drogue. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An airborne refueling system, comprising:
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a fuel delivery device having a deployable portion configured to be deployed overboard an aircraft during aerial refueling, the deployable portion including; at least a portion of a flexible fuel line; a drogue coupled to the flexible fuel line and arranged around a major axis, wherein the drogue comprises a plurality of vanes and a canopy coupled to the vanes, and wherein the vanes comprise a radially outward facing surface and a generally tangentially facing surface, the radially outward facing surface being larger than the generally tangentially facing surface; a plurality of actuators wherein individual actuators are operatively coupled to a corresponding first vane and a corresponding second vane; a sensor positioned to detect at least one of a load on or a position of the fuel delivery device and produce a corresponding signal; a computer-based system operatively coupled to the actuators, the computer-based system including instructions to direct the operation of the actuators in response to the signal in a feedback manner that shapes the drogue asymmetrically with respect to the flexible fuel line by moving the corresponding first vane circumferentially toward or away from the corresponding second vane; and a self-contained power system carried by the deployable portion and operatively coupled to the actuators to power the actuators. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method for refueling an aircraft, comprising:
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aerially deploying from a tanker aircraft a portion of a refueling system that includes a flexible fuel line and a drogue, the drogue comprising a plurality of first and second vanes extending circumferentially around the drogue to form an exposed surface, wherein individual vanes have a generally tangentially facing edge that is smaller than the exposed surface; sensing at least one of a load on and a position of the drogue and producing a corresponding signal; and stabilizing the drogue in flight by changing a shape of the drogue via instructions directed from a computer-based guidance system to a plurality of actuator wherein individual actuators are operatively coupled to a corresponding first vane and a corresponding second vane, wherein the instructions direct the actuators to move the corresponding first vane circumferentially toward or away from the corresponding second vane, with the instructions being generated by the computer-based guidance system in response to the signal and with the actuators and the guidance system carried solely by the deployed portion of the refueling system.
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20. A method for refueling an aircraft, comprising:
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aerially deploying from a tanker aircraft a portion of a refueling system that includes a flexible fuel line and a drogue, the drogue comprising a plurality of first and second vanes and a canopy, wherein the vanes extend circumferentially around the drogue to form an exposed surface, individual vanes having a generally tangential edge and a radially outwardly facing surface that is larger than the generally tangential edge; sensing at least one of a load on and a position of the drogue; producing a signal corresponding to the at least one of load on and position of the drogue; and stabilizing the drogue by powering a plurality of actuator wherein individual actuators are operatively coupled to a corresponding first vane and a corresponding second vane to move the corresponding first vane circumferentially relative to the corresponding second vane in response to the signal in a feedback manner, wherein powering the actuator includes powering the actuators via a power supply carried solely by the deployed portion of the refueling system.
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Specification