Multi-rotor hydraulic drone
AssigneesUniversite de Technologie de Compiegne (UTC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
InventorsEric Noppe, Jérôme Demiras
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Multi-rotor hydraulic drone (1) comprising: —a plurality of hydraulic motors (6) each receiving a pressurised fluid, —propellers (5) driven by the hydraulic motors (6), —at least one hydraulic pump (10) driven by at least one motor (11) for pressurising the fluid, —a system for supplying the hydraulic motors (6) with pressurised fluid, —a flight controller (14) for controlling the supply system according to the desired rotation speed for the hydraulic motors (6), the supply system comprising several channels (35; 36; 37; 38) for adjusting the power of at least one portion of the hydraulic motors (6).
Claims17
A multi-rotor hydraulic drone comprising:
- hydraulic motors configured to receive a fluid;
- propellers configured to be driven by the hydraulic motors;
- a hydraulic pump configured to pressurize the fluid provided to the hydraulic motors;
- and
- a supply system comprising:
- paths configured to provide the pressurized fluid to respective hydraulic motors;
- and
- valves configured to control a flow rate of the pressurized fluid through the paths to the respective hydraulic motors, in order to control a speed of the respective hydraulic motors,
- wherein when the valves are in a first position, the pressurized fluid is provided to the respective hydraulic motors at a non-zero idle flow rate, and when the valves are in a second position of greater opening than the first position, the pressurized fluid is provided to the respective hydraulic motors at a flow rate that is greater than the idle flow rate.
A multi-rotor hydraulic drone comprising:
- propellers;
- hydraulic orientation motors and hydraulic lift motors configured to drive the propellers;
- a hydraulic pump configured to pressurize a fluid provided to the hydraulic orientation motors and the hydraulic lift motors;
- paths configured to provide the pressurized fluid to the hydraulic lift motors and the hydraulic orientation motors;
- valves configured to control a flow rate of the pressurized fluid through the paths to the hydraulic orientation motors, such that the pressurized fluid may be provided to the hydraulic orientation motors at a first flow rate when the valves are in a first position and at a higher second flow rate when the valves are in a second position of greater opening than the first position;
- and
- calibrated orifices configured to control a flow rate of the pressurized fluid through the paths to the hydraulic lift motors, such that the pressurized fluid is provided to the lift motors at a constant flow rate.
A method for operating a multi-rotor hydraulic drone comprising:
- hydraulic motors configured to receive a fluid;
- propellers configured to be driven by the hydraulic motors;
- a hydraulic pump configured to pressurize the fluid provided to the hydraulic motors;
- a supply system comprising:
- paths configured to provide the pressurized fluid to respective hydraulic motors;
- and
- valves configured to control a flow rate of the pressurized fluid through the paths to the respective hydraulic motors, in order to control a speed of the respective hydraulic motors;
- and
- a pressure limiter configured to limit the pressure of the pressurized fluid in the supply system to a predetermined limit value,
- wherein when the valves are in a first position, the pressurized fluid is provided to the respective hydraulic motors at a non-zero idle flow rate, and when the valves are in a second position, the pressurized fluid is provided to the respective hydraulic motors at a flow rate that is greater than the idle flow rate,
- the method comprising:
- during takeoff, operating the hydraulic pump at a speed that pressurizes the fluid to a pressure that exceeds a threshold pressure, and reducing the pressure of the fluid, such that the pressure limiter operates to reduce the pressure of the pressurized fluid to at least the threshold pressure, before the pressurized fluid is provided to the valves;
- and
- during the flight, operating the valves, so as to vary a flow rate of the pressurized fluid to the hydraulic motors and modify the orientation of the drone, while the pressure limiter maintains the pressure of the pressurized fluid provided to the valves at the threshold pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.