US 6,604,711 B1 · Autonomous system for the aerial refueling or decontamination of unmanned airborne vehicles

Abstract

A motor with a variable speed controller is used to operate a hose reel for connecting a fuel source or decontaminant on a tanker plane to a fuel tank or other receptor on an unmanned vehicle. The hose reel is controlled to feed the fuel or other liquid through the hose and a drogue to a receiving probe on the unmanned vehicle and is also controlled to maintain the drogue in proper position. This end result is achieved by means of a controlling transponder on the unmanned vehicle which receives radio control signals from a communicating transponder on the tanker. A microcomputer processes the received control signals which are then fed to the motor controller. The motor controller not only controls the positioning of the drogue but also controls the motor so that excess hose is reeled in by the hose reel. The controller in addition controls the thrust power. A lidar tracker with a miniature video camera maintains a line of sight between the drogue and the receiver probe and tracks the drogue-probe.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An autonomous system for controlling the aerial feeding of a liquid decontaminant to an unmanned aircraft for decontaminating said aircraft having a probe for receiving said liquid from a liquid supply aircraft, said liquid supply aircraft having a drogue for feeding said liquid to said probe comprising:

a hose for feeding said liquid to said drogue,
a reel on which said hose is wound,
a motor on the liquid supply aircraft for driving said reel,
means for generating a laser beam which is fed to the surface of said unmanned aircraft,
means for receiving a signal back from said unmanned aircraft surface indicating contamination,
a radio transponder on the unmanned aircraft,
a radio transponder on the liquid supply aircraft for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the transponder on the unmanned aircraft, the signals received from the unmanned aircraft indicating the relative positions between the two aircraft, and
computer means on the liquid supply aircraft for processing the signals received by the transponder on the fueling aircraft and generating control signals for controlling the positioning of the drogue relative to the probe on the hose reel.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Autonomous system for the aerial refueling or decontamination of unmanned airborne vehicles

Life of this patent

Autonomous system for the aerial refueling or decontamination of unmanned airborne vehicles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8