AERIAL VEHICLES

Technical Field:

This invention relates to a system that can automatically perform battery replacement in unmanned aerial vehicles.

State of the Art:

It is extremely important for the efficiency of search activities that the UAVs stay in the air as long as possible in search and rescue activities. The most important factor affecting this is the battery capacity. Li-Po batteries are used in many UAVs today. The average flight time of commercial UAVs varies between 15 and 50 minutes, depending on their weight and the current drawn by the equipment on them. Batteries need to be changed frequently for long-term operations.

Various methods have been developed for battery replacement. The most well-known of these is the replacement of the battery by a human. People who are on the flight field as rovers or stationery in a certain center manually change the battery of the UAV. In this method, a certain number of people must be actively present in the field, which leads to a loss of labor force. Another method is the replacement of the battery by autonomously operating platforms. In this method, the UAV lands on a mobile or stationary platform, and battery replacement is performed using robotic mechanisms located on the platform. People who are mobile in the flight area or fixed in a certain center manually change the battery of the UAV. The power of the UAV is cut off in the non-operational switching method. This situation causes data loss during the change and delays the UAVs readiness for flight again. In the hot swapping method, on the other hand, the energy of the UAV is not cut off, so the UAV can return to the search mission without wasting time after the battery replacement is completed. There are few studies on autonomous battery replacement in the literature. Swieringa et al. (2010) has developed a battery exchange mechanism for a small-sized helicopter using the hot-plug method. However, the developed system is limiting because it makes it necessary for the helicopter to land at a certain point of the platform and only one battery can be replaced. Toksbz et al. (2011), similarly, has developed a system that has a hot plug-in feature and can charge the removed batteries. This system is also limiting in that only one battery can be replaced and it makes it necessary for the UAV to land at a certain point of the platform. Both of these methods cannot be used in multi -battery UAVs. Suzuki et al. (2012) have developed a mechanism that uses the insertion method when it is not working. Here, the battery on the UAV is removed with an electromagnet, the new battery is pushed with a plane and placed. The position and orientation of the UAV on the platform is also a limiting factor in this study. Fujii et al. (2013) have developed a mechanism that has the feature of wearing when it is not working. As in other studies, in this study, the system can replace a single battery. Also, in this work, the UAV has to land with an accuracy of 90% at a certain position on the platform. Otherwise, the exchange process cannot be performed.

KR20160002932A This application discusses battery replacement of a UAV. After the UAV lands on a linear moving platform, it is taken to the battery exchange platform. Here, the empty battery is removed and replaced with a full battery. An autonomous drone battery replacement system is described in the above-mentioned patent application. While the system is changing the battery, the power of the UAV is cut off, and when the power is cut off, the UAV can be restarted, resulting in data loss due to time loss and power cut. In addition, this system is valid for single type UAVs and can only replace the battery in a single location.

“Drone Charging Station” is described in the patent application numbered FR1903177A. In this application, a UAV lands at the landing point of an inactive platform with high precision. A rotating battery chamber coming out from under the platform is aligned with the battery chamber of the UAV. A pusher arm pushes the battery and positions it in the battery chamber of the UAV. In the above-mentioned patent application, the replacement of the battery of a UAV by autonomous systems is described. However, the system performs the battery change of a single type of UAV and the UAV cannot be controlled due to the inactive platform. In addition, power is cut during the change and data loss may occur.

Consequently, there is a need for a new technology that can overcome the disadvantages mentioned above.

Description of the Invention:

The main purpose of our system, which is the subject of the invention, is to ensure that more than one battery of the UAV, which lands in the QR code area on the platform in any way, can be exchanged without cutting the power of the UAV (hot swapping).

The mechanism that is the subject of the invention can change the battery of UAVs faster. UAVs can land in the data matrix area of the moving platform on the mechanism in any way and are aligned with the energy unit thanks to the moving platform. Therefore, the process takes place faster as the landing of the UAVs is more random. In addition, due to the fact that the system can replace a large number of batteries, more efficiency can be obtained than other systems.

In existing systems, when the battery is removed from the UAV, the power is cut off and this can cause data loss. However, thanks to the conductive arms in our system, even if the battery is removed from the UAV, since the power supply process continues, the UAV does not turn off and there is no data loss. All these processes are autonomous, saving manpower and cost. At the same time, the fact that the system is formed in 2 main parts provides an advantage in terms of portability.

It is easy to install thanks to the easy fixing of the parts that make up the invention, and the costs are low due to the short assembly time. Moreover, the invention has a solid construction.

Description of the Figures:

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying figures, so that the features of the invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated, but the purpose of this is not to limit the invention to these certain regulations. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, changes and equivalences that can be included in the area of the invention defined by the accompanying claims. The details shown should be understood that they are shown only for the purpose of describing the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are presented in order to provide the most convenient and easily understandable description of both the shaping of methods and the rules and conceptual features of the invention. In these drawings.

Figure 1 Perspective view of the system.

Figure 2 Perspective view of the system.

The figures to help understand the present invention are numbered as indicated in the attached image and are given below along with their names.

Description of References:

10. Chassis

11. Moving platform

12. Compression Arm

13. 1 ^st Servo Motor

14. First Ball Screw

15. Chassis Rail

16. Moving Motor

17. Second Ball Screw

20. Energy Unit Base

21. Vertical Table

22. Movable Body

23. Ejector Piston

24. Push Rod

25. Battery Chamber

26. 2 ^nd Servo Motor 27. Connecting Rod

28. 3 ^rd Servo Motor

29. 4 ^th Servo Motor

Description of The Invention:

In the system of the invention where the profiles are located on the parts of the UAV hosts and chassis (10) formed from Sigma, where the UAV and the moving platform (11) are located on the data in the Matrix, the moving platform (11) located on the drone, the two pieces that secure the compression arm (12) compression arm (12) that provides movement of opening and closing of the 1 ^st servo motor (13), the moving platform (11) on the Y-axis is moving the first ball screw (14), the chassis (10) is mounted to the edges and two bearing the chassis rail (15) along the Y axis, chassis rails (15) positioned on the moving motor (16), the moving motor (16) is mounted on the movable platform (11), and which moves on the X axis, a second ball screw (17), battery, and battery replacement on a bracket that holds the energy unit base (20) , the energy unit base (20) is mounted on a vertical plate in a vertical table (21), a movable body (22) that can move on the Z axis on the Y-axis push the battery gives the power to the ejector piston (23), from the ejector piston (23) is the received power with the push rod (24) push the battery, the drone into the battery where the battery is empty, or that have been removed from the battery chamber (25), which is positioned behind the vertical table (21) and allows the movable body (22) to move on the z axis, the 2 ^nd servo motor (26) has a connecting rod (27) that connects the 2 ^nd servo motors (26) to the moving body (22), 3 ^rd servo motors (28) that move the manipulator part that changes the battery on the z axis, and 4 ^th servo motors (29) that move the manipulator on the y axis.

The movable platform (11) mentioned in the invention has a motor mounted on its lower surface and provides circular rotation movement by applying torque relative to the z axis.

The inventive system includes a compression arm (12) made of conductive material that provides external power transmission so that the UAV, whose battery has been removed, can continue to operate without loss of power. The invention has a movable body (22) structure that can move on the z-axis according to the battery socket position of the UAV. The battery chamber (25) in the invention contains slots that allow the empty and full batteries to be accommodated. In the system that is the subject of the invention, there is a sensor that provides location information by following the markers on the UAV. The invention consists of a two-piece body structure that facilitates assembly and disassembly and facilitates the transportation process. This body structure; It consists of the chassis (10) on which the equipment is carried and the energy unit base (20).

Detailed Description of The Invention:

Basically, with the part constituting the invention; chassis (10), movable platform (11), clamping arm (12), 1 ^st servo motor (13), first ball screw (14), chassis rail (15), movable motor (16), second ball screw (17) , energy unit base (20), vertical table (21), movable body (22), ejector piston (23), push rod (24), battery chamber (25), 2 ^nd servo motor (26), connecting rod (27 ), the 3 ^rd servo motor (28) and the 4 ^th servo motor (29).

The UAV, which needs a battery change in the product subject to the invention, lands on the moving platform (11). By means of the QR code on the moving platform (11), it provides a more comfortable landing by adjusting the landing position of the UAV and moving it away from the energy units. It can be used in another special sign instead of the QR code. During landing, the UAV can be positioned on the moving platform (11) according to different directions. In this case, the movable platform (11) can move the batteries to the position of the battery chamber (25) by making a circular movement by means of the motor located under it relative to the z axis. The movable motor (16), to which the second ball screw (17) is connected, provides the motion of the movable platform (11) in the x-axis.

There is an energy unit base (20) on which the energy unit is built. The vertical table (21), which is fixed perpendicularly behind this base (20), is positioned. There is a movable body (22) that wraps around the vertical table (21) and battery chambers (25) are located on the front side of this movable body (22). Manipulator apparatuses that perform battery exchange are positioned on the front side of the vertical table (21). The main parts that make up the manipulator are the pusher piston (23), the push rod (24), 3 ^rd servo motor (28) and there is a 4 ^th servo motor (29). In the system, the system that provides the up and down movement of the moving body (22) there is a 2 ^nd servo motor (26) and a connecting rod (27).

The working principle of the inventive system is as follows; The UAV lands on the QR code area on the moving platform (11). The moving platform (11) brings the UAV to the desired position. In order to fix the UAV on the moving platform (11), the compression arms (12) apply pressure. Then, since the battery replacement will be performed while the electronic functions in the UAV are still operating, an external electrical power input is applied to the UAV by the compression Arm (12) with conductive material. With the movement provided by the 2 ^nd servo motor (26), the movable body (22) to which the connecting rod (27) is attached is moved. It is brought to the level of the battery socket in order to receive the empty battery of the UAV from the battery chambers (25) located on the front of the movable body (22). The push rod (24) positioned at the end of the ejector piston (23) locks the battery socket structure on the UAV and positions the empty battery in a slot of the battery chamber (25). Then, the moving body (22) moves again and the full battery is brought to the level of the socket.

With the movement provided by the ejector piston (23), the push rod (24) pushes the full battery into the battery compartment of the UAV and performs the exchange. If the UAV has more than one battery, the moving platform (11) adjusts the position of the UAV by performing the necessary movements and the same operations are performed. When all batteries are replaced, the flight command is given to the UAV and the process is concluded. All these processes occur through the microprocessor to be integrated into the system and the software in the microprocessor.