Micro hybrid generator system drone

• US 9,751,626 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2016
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• 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:
  US15/262,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20160376005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/001 Vibration damping devices
• 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. A system comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising;

a propeller, and

a rotor motor configured to drive rotation of the propeller;

an energy source configured to provide electrical energy to the rotor motor, the energy source being a hybrid energy generation system including an engine coupled to a generator;

an electronic device detachable from the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

a cable configured to electrically connect the unmanned aerial vehicle to the electronic device;

wherein the electronic device includes the energy source, and

wherein the system has (1) a first configuration in which the electronic device including the energy source is attached to the unmanned aerial vehicle and the unmanned aerial vehicle with the attached electronic device is capable of flight, and (2) a second configuration in which the electronic device including the energy source is detached from the unmanned aerial vehicle and the unmanned aerial vehicle without the electronic device is capable of flight, electrical energy being provided from the energy source of detached electronic device to the rotor motor through the cable.

2. The system of claim 1, in which the cable comprises a power transmission cable.

3. The system of claim 1, in which the cable comprises a data transmission cable.

4. The system of claim 1, in which the electronic device forms part of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, in which the electronic device comprises a robotic device.

6. The system of claim 5, in which the robotic device comprises a vehicle configured to move along the ground.

7. The system of claim 5, in which the robotic device comprises a second unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, in which the electronic device is detachable from the unmanned aerial vehicle by an automated process.

9. The system of claim 1, in which the electronic device is detachable from the unmanned aerial vehicle while the unmanned aerial vehicle is airborne.

10. The system of claim 1, in which the electronic device is configured to be reattached to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

11. The system of claim 1, in which the cable is configured to be detachable from the detached electronic device.

12. The system of claim 11, in which the detached electronic device is configured to be operational after detachment of the cable.

13. The system of claim 1, comprising a second electronic device;

in which the cable is configured to electrically connect the energy source to the second electronic device.

14. The system of claim 13, in which the second electronic device is detachable from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, in which the second electronic device comprises one or more of a data storage device, a communications device, and a sensor.

16. The system of claim 1, in which the hybrid energy generation system comprises:

a rechargeable battery configured to provide electrical energy to the rotor motor;

the engine, the engine being configured to generate mechanical energy; and

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

17. The system of claim 16, in which the cable is configured to electrically connect one or more of the rechargeable battery and the generator to the electronic device.

18. The system of claim 16, in which the engine is coupled to the generator through a flexible coupling.

19. The system of claim 18, in which a rotor of the engine is coupled to the generator through a coupling device, the coupling device including a flexible coupling and a fan.

20. The system of claim 1, in which in the second configuration, the unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of flight and the electronic device including the energy source is disposed on a surface.

21. A method comprising:

providing electrical energy from an energy source to a rotor motor configured to drive rotation of a propeller of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the energy source being a hybrid energy generation system including an engine coupled to a generator;

operating the unmanned aerial vehicle in a first configuration in which an electronic device including the energy source is attached to the unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle with the attached electronic device being capable of flight;

detaching the electronic device including the energy source from the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

operating the unmanned aerial vehicle in a second configuration in which the electronic device including the energy source is detached from the unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle without the electronic device being capable of flight, electrical energy being provided from the energy source of the detached electronic device to the rotor motor of the unmanned aerial vehicle through a cable connecting the unmanned aerial vehicle to the detached electronic device.

22. The method of claim 21, in which detaching the electronic device comprises detaching the electronic device while the unmanned aerial vehicle is airborne.

23. The method of claim 22, in which detaching the electronic device comprises lowering the electronic device from the airborne unmanned aerial vehicle to the ground.

24. The method of claim 21, comprising operating the detached electronic device to move along the ground.

25. The method of claim 22, comprising detaching the cable from the detached electronic device.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising operating the detached electronic device after detaching the cable from the detached electronic device.

27. The method of claim 21, comprising reattaching the electronic device to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

28. The method of claim 21, comprising detaching multiple electronic devices from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

29. The method of claim 21, in which providing electrical energy from an energy source comprises operating the hybrid energy generation system, the hybrid energy generation system including:

a rechargeable battery configured to provide electrical energy to the rotor motor;

the engine, the engine being configured to generate mechanical energy;

the generator, the generator being configured to convert the mechanical energy generated by the engine into electrical energy; and

a coupling device coupling a rotor of the engine to the generator, the coupling device including a flexible coupling and a fan.

30. The method of claim 21, in which operating the unmanned aerial vehicle in the second configuration includes causing the unmanned aerial vehicle to be airborne and causing the electronic device including the energy source to be disposed on a surface.