An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a fuselage, electronics disposed with the fuselage, a heat sink, and a solar shield. The heat sink is thermally connected to the electronics and includes a cooling plate disposed on or extends through an exterior surface of the fuselage. The cooling plate is exposed to an external environment of the UAV to conduct heat from the electronics to the external environment via convection. The solar shield extends over the cooling plate and defines an air scoop within which the cooling plate is disposed. The air scoop directs airflow from the external environment across the cooling plate. The solar shield shades the cooling plate from solar radiation to prevent or reduce solar heating of the cooling plate.

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least one rotor motor configured to drive at least one propeller to rotate. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a data center including a processor; a data storage component; and a wireless communications component. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a hybrid generator system configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor and to the data center, the hybrid generator system including a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor; an engine configured to generate mechanical power; and a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical power from the mechanical power generated by the engine. The data center may include an intelligent data management module configured to control power distribution and execution of mission tasks in response to available power generation and mission task priorities.

In one embodiment, a controller instructs an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) docked to a landing perch to perform a pre-flight test operation of a pre-flight test routine. The controller receives sensor data associated with the pre-flight test operation from one or more force sensors of the landing perch, in response to the UAV performing the pre-flight test operation. The controller determines whether the sensor data associated with the pre-flight test operation is within an acceptable range. The controller causes the UAV to launch from the landing perch based in part on a determination that UAV has passed the pre-flight test routine.

A system and method for converting onboard battery-powered, free-flight drones into ground-powered tethered drones that overcome the impediments designed into safeguarded free-flight drones. In combination with a ground-sourced power supply for the drone, power being delivered to the drone through a tether, the system comprises a battery emulating module that provides false signals to the drone's battery circuit board such that the onboard batteries may be removed and the alternative ground-based power source utilized without causing the drone's main circuit board to initiate a systems shutdown.

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least one rotor motor configured to drive at least one propeller to rotate. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a data center including a processor; a data storage component; and a wireless communications component. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a hybrid generator system configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor and to the data center, the hybrid generator system including a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor; an engine configured to generate mechanical power; and a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical power from the mechanical power generated by the engine. The data center may include an intelligent data management module configured to control power distribution and execution of mission tasks in response to available power generation and mission task priorities.

The present invention discloses a multi-shaft power source unmanned flight equipment, and belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles. The multi-shaft power source unmanned flight equipment comprises a frame (1), a plurality of rotor sets (2) and a power device (3). The plurality of rotor sets (2) are rotatably fixed on the frame (1), and the power device (3) is correspondingly movably connected with each rotor set (2) respectively. Power is provided for flight of the unmanned flight equipment by the power device (3) with oil drive characteristics, mechanical kinetic energy is generated by burning a combustion material pre-injected in the power device (3), and rotors (21) in each rotor set (2) correspondingly connected with the power device are driven to rotate, thereby replacing the traditional electric multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle structure adopting electric modes such as batteries, electronic speed controllers and the like to supply power and provide power for the rotation of the rotors (21); and the unmanned flight equipment has the characteristics of long duration and strong loading capacity.

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes a plurality of arm units, each having a rotary wing, a motor, and an arm main body and detachably coupled to a main body; the main body having a plurality of receptacles for coupling to the arm units; and a battery unit detachably coupled to the main body to be exposed to outside, in which at least a part of the battery unit is exposed to outside when the battery unit is coupled to the main body.

The present invention disclosed a cooling system for unmanned aerial vehicle, which includes a main body, four arms disposed on the main body, two clockwise rotating propellers and two counterclockwise rotating propellers disposed on the arms respectively; wherein at least one air guide hole on each of the arms, which guide air to a middle of the main body; the two clockwise rotating propellers are disposed diagonally and the two counterclockwise rotating propellers are disposed diagonally; a clockwise rotating propeller is on a left-front arm; each of the clockwise and the counterclockwise rotating propellers rotates to generate an airstream which is configured to sweep towards the arm, the airstreams are configured to flow to an internal part of the main body by the air guide hole. The cooling system is able to cool down the whole unmanned aerial vehicle.

One variation of a system for generating thrust at an aerial vehicle includes: a primary electric motor; a rotor coupled to the motor; an internal-combustion engine; a clutch interposed between the motor and an output shaft of the internal-combustion engine; an engine shroud defining a shroud inlet between the rotor and the internal-combustion engine, extending over the internal-combustion engine, and defining a shroud outlet opposite the rotor; a cooling fan coupled and configured to displace air through the engine shroud; and a local controller configured to receive a rotor speed command specifying a target rotor speed, adjust a throttle setpoint of the internal-combustion engine according to the target rotor speed and a state of charge of a battery in the aerial vehicle, and drive the primary electric motor to selectively output torque to the rotor and to regeneratively brake the rotor according to the target rotor speed.

One variation of a system for generating thrust at an aerial vehicle includes: a primary electric motor; a rotor coupled to the motor; an internal-combustion engine; a clutch interposed between the motor and an output shaft of the internal-combustion engine; an engine shroud defining a shroud inlet between the rotor and the internal-combustion engine, extending over the internal-combustion engine, and defining a shroud outlet opposite the rotor; a cooling fan coupled and configured to displace air through the engine shroud; and a local controller configured to receive a rotor speed command specifying a target rotor speed, adjust a throttle setpoint of the internal-combustion engine according to the target rotor speed and a state of charge of a battery in the aerial vehicle, and drive the primary electric motor to selectively output torque to the rotor and to regeneratively brake the rotor according to the target rotor speed.