Energy Harvesting Micro Air Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020002015-A1
Application number	US-201816022144-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2018
Priority date	Jun 28, 2018
Publication date	Jan 2, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for charging an electrical storage system in a vehicle. The vehicle comprises a support frame, a propulsion, an electric storage system, an extendable structure, and a power management unit. The propulsion system, the electrical storage system, and the power management unit are physically coupled to the support frame. The electrical storage system supplies the electrical energy to the propulsion system. The group of thermoelectric modules physically is physically coupled to the extendable structure and generates a current in response to a heat being transferred through the group of modules. The power management unit is electrically coupled to the electrical storage system and the group of thermal thermoelectric modules and controls storing the electrical energy in the electrical storage system using the current from the group of thermoelectric modules and supplying the electrical energy to the propulsion system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a support frame; a propulsion system physically coupled to the support frame, wherein the propulsion system operates using an electrical energy; an electrical storage system physically coupled to the support frame, wherein the electrical storage system supplies the electrical energy to the propulsion system, an extendable structure; a group of thermoelectric modules physically coupled to the extendable structure, wherein the group of thermoelectric modules generates an electrical current in response to a heat being transferred through the group of thermoelectric modules in which a transfer of the heat is caused by a temperature differential; and a power management unit physically coupled to the support frame, wherein the power management unit is electrically coupled to the electrical storage system and the group of thermoelectric modules, and controls storing the electrical energy in the electrical storage system using the electrical current from the group of thermoelectric modules and supplying the electrical energy to the propulsion system.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the extendable structure comprises:
an extendable member having a proximal end physically coupled to the power management unit and a distal end that is positionable to one of a heat source and a heat sink such that the temperature differential is present causing the heat to be transferred through the group of thermoelectric modules.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the extendable structure further comprises:
a heat concentrator physically coupled to the distal end; and a malleable heat transfer member physically coupled to the heat concentrator, wherein the malleable heat transfer member has a coefficient of friction sufficient to reduce sliding of the malleable heat transfer member when the malleable heat transfer member is in contact with a surface of one of a heat source and a heat sink.

4 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the heat concentrator is configured to pivot about the distal end.

5 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the group of thermoelectric modules is located at the proximal end adjacent to the power management unit and wherein the extendable member conducts heat in a direction selected from a first direction from the heat source to the group of thermoelectric modules and a second direction from the group of thermoelectric modules to the heat sink.

6 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the group of thermoelectric modules is located at the distal end and wherein the extendable member conducts an electrical current from the group of thermoelectric modules to the power management unit.

7 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the group of thermoelectric modules is located between the distal end and the proximal end of the extendable member, wherein a first portion of the extendable member from the distal end to the group of thermoelectric modules conducts heat and a second portion of the extendable member from the group of thermoelectric modules to the proximal end conducts the electrical current generated by the group of thermoelectric modules.

8 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the power management unit controls a length of the extendable member.

9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the group of thermoelectric modules operates using at least one of a Seebeck effect, a Peltier effect, or a Thomson effect.

10 . The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:
a payload physically coupled to the support frame and electrically coupled to the electrical storage system, wherein the payload comprises at least one of a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, or a sensor.

11 . The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:
a navigation system configured to control the propulsion system to move the vehicle in response to receiving commands; and
a recharge management system in communication with the navigation system and the group of thermoelectric modules, wherein the recharge management system is configured to detect a level of the electrical current from the group of thermoelectric modules, detect a rate of use of the electrical energy stored in the electrical storage system, determine a net rate of charge of the electrical storage system using the level of the electrical current detected from the group of thermoelectric modules and the rate of use, and compare the net rate of charge with a minimum desired charge rate and a maximum charge rate, and send a command to the navigation system selected from a group comprising:
a seek command when the net rate of charge is below the minimum desired charge rate, a stay command when the net rate of charge equal to or above the minimum desired charge rate, a positioning command that causes the vehicle to move relative to a heat source to increase the net rate of charge when the net rate of charge is above the minimum desired charge rate and below the maximum charge rate.

12 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the navigation system includes a thermal sensing unit configured to detect at least one of the heat source or a heat sink.

13 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the navigation system controls the propulsion system to move the vehicle such that a distal end of the extendible structure moves in a dithering pattern to find one of a hot region or a cold region.

14 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the extendable structure is selected from a group comprising an extendable member, a telescoping member, a telescopic cylinder, and a folding beam.

15 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the electrical storage system comprises at least one of a battery, a lithium ion battery, a capacitor, or an electrical accumulator.

16 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is selected from a group comprising a cyclocopter, a micro aerial vehicle, an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle.

17 . A charging system comprising:
a group of thermoelectric modules configured to generate an electrical current in response to a temperature differential; a power management unit having a power output configured to be connected to a user device and to output the electrical current to the user device, wherein the power management unit is electrically coupled to the group of thermoelectric modules; and an extendable structure physically coupled to the power management unit and the group of thermoelectric modules.

18 . The charging system of claim 17 , wherein the extendable structure comprises:
an extendable member having a proximal end physically coupled to the power management unit and a distal end that is positionable to one of a heat source and a heat sink such that the temperature differential is present causing heat to be transferred through the group of thermoelectric modules.

19 . The charging system of claim 18 , wherein the group of thermoelectric modules is located at the proximal end adjacent to the power management unit and wherein the extendable member conducts the heat in a direction selected from one of the heat source to the group of thermoelectric modules and the group of thermoelectric modules to the heat sink.

20 . The charging system of claim 18 , wherein the group of thermoelectric modules is located between the distal end and the proximal end of the extendable member, wherein a first portion of the extendable member from the distal end to the group of thermoelectric modules conducts the heat and a second portion of the extendable member from the group of th

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Hiller Nathan D
• Cousins Clifford G

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• H02J7/345

  using capacitors as storage or buffering devices · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title

• B64C2201/12

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C2201/042

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic