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US 11,697,496 B2Granted
Hybrid seawater battery for powering an unmanned aerial vehicle
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsPeyton B. Cavaroc, Jordan Chase McMahan, Ray Austin Freeman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for a remote oceanic environment includes a float system, at least one electric motor, and a seawater battery. The float system allows the UAV to maintain buoyancy on a body of water. The electric motor or motors produce the required lift for the UAV to achieve and maintain flight. The flight includes the UAV landing on the body of water and takeoff from the body of water. The seawater battery directly or indirectly powers the electric motor or motors using seawater from the body of water while the UAV is floating on the body of water.
Claims18
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
- a float system for allowing the UAV to maintain buoyancy on a body of water;
- at least one electric motor for producing the required lift for the UAV to achieve and maintain flight, wherein the flight includes the UAV landing on the body of water and takeoff from the body of water;
- a seawater battery for powering the at least one electric motor using seawater from the body of water while the UAV is floating on the body of water;
- and
- a rechargeable battery for powering the at least one electric motor during the flight that includes a series of landings on and takeoffs from the body of water,
- wherein the seawater battery is for repeatedly recharging the rechargeable battery using the seawater from the body of water while the UAV is floating on the body of water after each one of the landings in the series, and
- wherein the seawater battery draws the seawater from the body of water after the one of the landings in the series, and the seawater battery expels the seawater before or during a succeeding one of the takeoffs in the series.
4 more elements
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
- a float system for allowing the UAV to maintain buoyancy on a body of water;
- at least one electric motor for producing the required lift for the UAV to achieve and maintain flight, wherein the flight includes the UAV landing on the body of water and takeoff from the body of water;
- a seawater battery for powering the at least one electric motor using seawater from the body of water while the UAV is floating on the body of water;
- and
- a rechargeable battery for powering the at least one electric motor during the flight that includes a series of landings on and takeoffs from the body of water,
- wherein the seawater battery is for repeatedly recharging the rechargeable battery using the seawater from the body of water while the UAV is floating on the body of water after each one of the landings in the series,
- wherein a weight of the UAV contacts the seawater with the seawater battery after the one of the landings, and the seawater drains away from the seawater battery during a succeeding one of the takeoffs in the series,
- wherein the seawater battery includes a reactant that reacts in at least one chemical reaction with the seawater, and the seawater draining away from the seawater battery carries away waste products from the at least one chemical reaction during the succeeding one of the takeoffs, such that a weight of the seawater battery decreases throughout the series of the landings and the takeoffs, and
- wherein an energy density of the reactant is greater than an energy density of the rechargeable battery.
6 more elements
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
- a float system for allowing the UAV to maintain buoyancy on a body of water;
- at least one electric motor for producing the required lift for the UAV to achieve and maintain flight, wherein the flight includes the UAV landing on the body of water and takeoff from the body of water;
- a seawater battery for powering the at least one electric motor using seawater from the body of water while the UAV is floating on the body of water;
- a rechargeable battery for powering the at least one electric motor during the flight that includes a series of landings on and takeoffs from the body of water;
- and
- a coupler for joining first and second portions of the UAV, wherein the first portion includes the at least one electric motor and the rechargeable battery, and the second portion includes the float system and the seawater battery,
- wherein the seawater battery is for repeatedly recharging the rechargeable battery using the seawater from the body of water while the UAV is floating on the body of water after each one of the landings in the series,
- wherein the series of the flight includes the first and second portions being coupled at the coupler and landing on the body of water, and the first portion decoupling from the second portion at the coupler and taking off from the body of water without the second portion, and
- wherein the series of the flight further includes the first portion landing back on the second portion on the body of water and coupling to the second portion at the coupler, and the first portion taking off from the body of water either with or without the second portion after the seawater battery recharges the rechargeable battery using the seawater.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.