RU2287910C1 - Method and overhead telecommunication platform for organizing regional wireless data-transfer networks - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: radio and communications engineering; organizing data transfer networks over direct-vision line in desired geographic region.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method for organizing regional wireless data transfer networks incorporating provision for automatic positioning and stabilization of platforms includes disposition of mentioned overhead telecommunication platforms at desired elevation by creating lifting force for holding them at desired points of regional network and stabilization of platform position at these points. Lifting force is created for each platform by means of remotely and/or separately handled flying vehicle using vertical component of its thrust vector; mentioned flying vehicle and platform are held at desired point of regional network by coupling them with desired point on geographic region surface by means of flexible rod used as energy supply channel for creating flying vehicle thrust vector. Platform is held in stabilized position due to inertial navigation of flying vehicle at desired point of regional network. Lifting force creating unit for overhead telecommunication platform is made in the form of fuselage with instrumentation section coupled with propelling device in the form of at least one pod accommodating geared electric motor and tractor propeller. Fuselage is coupled through gimbal suspension with cable line whose other end is fixed for varying its length at desired point of geographic region surface and is coupled with power supply at this point.

EFFECT: simplified design, facilitated in-service maintenance, enhanced reliability, uninterrupted operation period, and service life of regional networks provided with proposed platform.

11 cl, 6 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to the field of radio engineering and communications, and in particular to methods and air platforms used to form wireless networks for transmitting information along a line of sight in a given geographical area.

Currently, wireless broadband networks are practically beyond competition in terms of deployment speed, mobility, price and the breadth of possible applications, in many cases representing the only economically viable solution.

For geographical areas in which a large territory is combined with a low population density, broadband wireless solutions are of particular importance, as they allow the creation of telecommunication infrastructure in vast territories economically and quickly. This is especially important for informatization of remote and rural regions and solving one of the most important problems of information security - the problem of "information inequality" of the regions.

In recent years, intensive development of broadband wireless regional networks using air platforms has been underway. The use of air platforms provides telecommunication coverage of large geographical regions. Along with the creation of regional data, voice and video information networks, high-altitude platforms can be used for video surveillance within a radius of 70-80 km (for example, in border areas or monitoring traffic flows), forest fire detection, environmental monitoring using sensor networks, geological and geophysical intelligence, radiological monitoring, etc.

Helium airships located at an altitude of 20-22 km, platforms such as a flying wing, airplanes and helicopters are considered as such high-altitude platforms. With the long-term use of such high-altitude platforms, they turn out to be very expensive both during development, construction and launch, and during operation.

Known mobile communication system, including mobile telephones connected by radio to base stations, at least some of which are mobile, connected by radio to a fixed gateway gateway connected via a signal line to a telephone exchange, at least one of mobile base stations are located on an overhead mobile object made in the form of an aerostat (RF patent for utility model No. 28419, Н 04 В 7/26, 2002).

A omnidirectional high-altitude antenna is known, which is a single-wire transmission line, one end of which is loaded on a matched load and mounted on a balloon, and the other end is connected to a transceiver and is attached to the ground with an anchor, which allows to increase the communication range (RF patent No. 2099827, H 01 Q 1/28, 1994).

Known balloon antenna in the form of a metal container with radial conductors attached to its body, made in the form of a loop. In this antenna, position stabilization occurs when using at least four special files (RF patent No. 2097880, H 01 Q 1/28, 1995).

Known antenna wire for an antenna supported in an upright position by an aircraft, comprising a load-carrying cable of synthetic fibers and a conductive braid of aluminum conductors laid on the surface of the cable at an angle (RF patent No. 2030039, H 01 Q 1/00, 1991). The specified wire does not have sufficient reliability for prolonged use in wireless data transmission networks.

For all the above analogues, in addition to individual shortcomings, certain common disadvantages associated with the use of a balloon are inherent. In addition to insufficient functionality, these include:

1. The need to use bulky and relatively expensive berthing devices used to lower and hold the balloon on the ground during storm and lightning warnings.

2. The need to carry out the descent-lifting of the aerostat twice a month in order to pump helium into the aerostat shell.

3. Dependence on helium refueling centers, as helium is lost even when stored in steel cylinders.

4. The need to prepare a large landing area (50 × 50 m) for lifting and lowering the balloon and the need for a significant number of operating personnel (6-8 people).

5. The shortest service life of the balloon shell is about 2 years.

6. Feeding the balloon on a tethered cable-cable makes it necessary to use a swivel designed to protect the cable from twisting and to provide electrical and optical connections when turning at an arbitrary angle, which degrades and limits the parameters and quality of the optical channel in the cable-cable.

The closest technical solutions from the point of view of ensuring individual maneuverability of the transmitting and receiving network elements is a combination of airborne communication platforms and the method of their use for the formation of wireless information transmission networks. The set of drifting platforms includes many individual platforms lighter than air, spaced over a continuous geographical area within a predetermined range of heights, so that ubiquitous coverage is provided along the line of sight of a given geographical area. Each of the multiple platforms contains a shell for filling with an adjustable volume of low density gas to ensure buoyancy of the platform and a signal transmission device attached to the shell (RF patent 2257016, H 04 Q 7/20, 2000).

The disadvantages of these technical solutions are the limited range of functionality of the method of forming a network and device of air platforms due to the inability to automate the process of orientation and stabilization of the position of the platforms, the complexity of design and maintenance during their operation, insufficient reliability due to the use of low density gas, lack of continuity and the duration of the use of a separate platform in the regional network.

The technical result of the proposed inventions is the expansion of the functionality of the method of forming a network and device of air platforms by providing the ability to automate orientation and stabilize the position of the platforms, simplifying the design and maintenance during their operation, while increasing the reliability, continuity and duration of the use of regional networks with the proposed platform.

The specified technical result is achieved in a method of forming regional wireless information transmission networks, including placing airborne telecommunication platforms at predetermined heights by creating a lifting force to hold them at predetermined points of the regional network of a geographical region and stabilizing the position of the platforms at these points so that the lifting force for each platform create using a remotely and / or autonomously piloted aircraft due to the vertical component of its thrust vector, and the retention of this aircraft and platform at a given point in the regional network of a geographic region is carried out by linking them to a given point on the surface of a geographic region with flexible traction, which is used as a channel for supplying energy to provide the creation of a traction vector for the aircraft.

In addition, stabilization of the position of the platform can be achieved through inertial navigation of the aircraft at a given point in the regional network of the geographical region.

The specified technical result for a telecommunication air platform containing a node for generating a lifting force and an associated station for receiving and transmitting signals in a given geographical region is achieved by the fact that the node for forming a lifting force is made in the form of a fuselage with an instrument compartment associated with a screw propeller in the form at least one nacelle in which an electric motor with a gearbox and a traction screw is installed, the fuselage being connected via a biaxial cardan suspension to a cable the second end of which is fixed with the possibility of changing the length of the cable at a given point on the surface of the geographical region and is connected with a source of electrical energy at this point.

In addition, the instrument compartment may contain an autonomous control system consisting of a microprocessor with a strap-in inertial unit connected to its inputs, an altimeter, a magnetometer, a GPS receiver, and to its outputs, elements of control of the electric motors of the screw propeller and changing the direction and magnitude of its thrust vector .

In addition, the strapdown inertial block may contain micromechanical gyroscopes and accelerometers oriented with their axes of sensitivity in the direction of three mutually orthogonal coordinate axes.

In addition, a station for receiving and transmitting signals in a given geographical region can be made in the form of a base station of a wireless broadband access system and is located in the instrument compartment, which also contains a battery, voltage converters, and secondary power sources.

In addition, the instrument compartment may include a surveillance camera.

In addition, the cable cable can be made coaxial with a carrier rod sequentially located from the center to the periphery, a qivlar carrier layer, an information fiber-optical layer, an insulation layer and a layer of external climatic and mechanical protection, while in the insulation layer along the entire length of the cable the cable has at least two electrically insulated conductive conductors for supplying electrical energy from the surface of the geographic region to the electric motors of the lifting force generating unit.

In addition, at least two nacelles with electric motors installed in them with gearboxes and traction screws can be placed on opposite sides of the middle part of the fuselage and connected with it via corresponding radial rods.

In addition, at least one deflector can be attached to the peripheral ends of the rods to protect the rotor blades.

In addition, the peripheral ends of the rods can be equipped with flashing beacons.

The invention is illustrated by drawings.

Figure 1 shows a General diagram illustrating the invention;

figure 2 presents a structural diagram of a platform with a single-screw propulsion;

figure 3 presents a structural diagram of a screw propulsion platform with four screws;

figure 4 presents a block diagram of an autonomous control system of the aircraft platform;

figure 5 shows a block diagram of a strapdown inertial block;

figure 6 presents a structural diagram of a cable cable.

Telecommunication air platform 1 (figure 1) contains a node forming a lifting force (aircraft) 2, associated with this node station 38 receiving and transmitting signals in a given geographical region. The node forming the lifting force 2 is made in the form of a fuselage 3 (figure 2) with the instrument compartment 4 and is connected with a screw mover 5 in the form of at least one nacelle 6, in which an electric motor 7 with a gearbox and a traction screw 8 is installed. Fuselage connected via a biaxial gimbal 9 with a cable 10, the second end of which is fixed with the possibility of changing the length of the cable, for example, on a cable reel 11 at a given point on the surface of a geographical region and is connected to an electric energy source 12 at this point .

An autonomous control system 13 is located in the instrument compartment, consisting of a microprocessor 14 and a strapdown inertial block 15, an altimeter 16, a magnetometer 17, a GPS receiver 18 connected to its inputs, and also elements for controlling the electric motors of the screw propeller and direction changing connected to the microprocessor outputs 19 and the magnitude of the vector of its thrust. These elements 19 can be of different designs, for example in the form of steering machines 37 for turning the axes of rotation of electric motors and screws, when they are installed in a gondola or fuselage on a cardan suspension, or frequency converters of electric motors and screws controlled by a microprocessor.

The strapdown inertial block 15 contains micromechanical gyroscopes 20 and accelerometers 21 oriented with their sensitivity axes in the direction of three mutually orthogonal coordinate axes.

A station 38 for receiving and transmitting signals in a given geographical region is made in the form of a base station of a wireless broadband access system 22 and is located in the instrument compartment, which also contains a battery 23, voltage converters 25, secondary power sources 26. The instrument compartment also contains a surveillance camera 27.

The cable cable 10 is made coaxial with the support rod 28 sequentially located from the center to the periphery, the kivlar carrier layer 29, the information fiber-optic layer 30, the insulation layer 31 and the layer of external climatic and mechanical protection 32. In the insulation layer along the entire length of the cable at least two electrically insulated conductive conductors 33 are arranged for supplying electric energy from the surface of a geographic region to the electric motors of the lifting force generating unit.

In the case of the screw propulsion 5 with more than one traction screw 8 of the nacelle 6 with electric motors 7 installed in them with gearboxes and traction screws 8 are placed on opposite sides of the middle part of the fuselage 3 and are connected with it through the corresponding radial rods 34. To the peripheral ends the rod 34 is attached to at least one deflector 35 to protect the blades of the screw 8 and flashing beacons 36.

The operation of the telecommunication air platform is as follows.

The lifting force is created by the traction screw 8, driven by an electric motor 7, the power for which is the electricity supplied through the cable conductors from the surface of a geographical region, or a battery. To create the horizontal component of the thrust of the screw 8, the electric motor 7, mounted in a gimbal, is tilted in the desired direction with the help of two steering machines 37.

Platform 1 control (lifting mode) can be carried out both from a special remote control and using a portable personal computer. The flight mission includes the coordinates: altitude and heading angle of platform 1, set on the ground by the operator using the keyboard of a portable personal computer or remote control. After that, control of the platform 1 is entrusted to an autonomous control system consisting of a strapdown inertial unit 15, an altimeter 16, a magnetometer 17, a GPS receiver 18 and a microprocessor 14.

Take-off platform 1 is carried out automatically, from a special slipway or from the surface of the earth. Having made the climb, the platform 1 is stabilized relative to the horizon and course with a given accuracy and held in this position during its operation. The stabilization of the telecommunication switching platform 1 during operation is carried out automatically.

The autonomous control system has three stabilization channels: heading, roll and pitch. Micromechanical vibration gyroscopes 20 and linear acceleration micromechanical accelerometers 21 were used as angular velocity meters. A micromechanical barometric altimeter (altimeter) was used as a height sensor. To improve the accuracy of stabilization along the channel of the course, a three-component magnetometer is used.

Control laws are formed using a microprocessor and allow stabilization of heading, roll and pitch (stabilization of angles relative to the center of mass) and coordinated turns on the course.

Compensation of the drift of platform 1 due to the wind (stabilization of the center of mass) is carried out using the receiver of the global navigation system (GPS receiver) and accelerometers 21.

An automated control system monitors the current parameters of platform 1, supply voltage, temperature, pressure, etc. In addition, the control system includes a diagnostic unit, which ensures the operability of platform 1 in case of failure of any two traction motors 5.

In case of cable breakage 10, an automatic emergency landing mode of platform 1 is provided using the energy of the onboard battery.

One of the main advantages of the proposed technical solution is the possibility of using a well-developed technology for the transmission of electric energy and information flows using a kivlar cable-cable 10. The presence of 10 copper wires in the cable ensures reliable power supply of platform 1 electric motors and their operation for a long time without lowering the platform 1 to land (at least one year); the optical fiber in the cable cable 10 allows you to transmit at high speed (100 Mbit / s) large amounts of information from board to ground and from ground to board.

In addition, these platforms 1 can provide video surveillance functions and a number of other functions that have been described previously.

The following are the preliminary requirements that Telecommunication Aerial Platform 1 must meet:

- the mass of radio equipment placed on platform 1, not less than 8 kg;

- platform hover height 1 to 200 meters;

- weight of cable cable 12 kg;

- power consumption of radio equipment 600 W;

- supply voltage of radio equipment 5 V and 12 V DC;

- the time of continuous operation of the equipment without maintenance for at least a year;

- the performance of the device in all climatic zones of the region;

- range of operating temperatures of radio equipment (-35) - (+ 55) ° С;

- wind speed up to 20 m / s.

To satisfy the above requirements, it is necessary to choose a rational scheme for constructing a telecommunication platform 1, which has the best overall dimensions.

The presence of high-speed and torque electric motors that differ in the nature of the rotor movement, the type of energy source, as well as the sequence of their location in the kinematic scheme determines the variety of design and layout schemes that can provide specified technological requirements.

A preliminary study of the types of aircraft shows that the most advantageous currently is a vector design with more than 3 screws.

Single-screw, twin-screw coaxial, twin-screw longitudinal, three-screw, four-screw and six-screw aircraft construction schemes were examined to identify the advantages and disadvantages of each design, taking into account the requirements for the platform.

The six-screw circuit makes it possible to ensure the operability of the telecommunication rotorcraft with any two supporting engines. Therefore, on the basis of reliability considerations, for further development it is necessary to choose a scheme for constructing a telecommunication switching air platform 1 with six screws.

The automatic telecommutation six-screw platform 1 significantly increases the characteristics of handling, maneuverability and load capacity. It consists of a fuselage 3, which includes an instrument compartment housing 4 connected to six engine nacelles 6. Electric motors 7 with gearboxes and screws 8 are installed in the nacelles 6. Flashing beacons 36 are also located on the periphery of the nacelles 6. A battery 23, voltage converters 25 and secondary power sources 26, a base station of the wireless broadband access system 22 are installed in the housing of the instrument compartment 4 surveillance camera 27 and the automatic control system of the telecommunication switching platform 1. Platform 1 is connected to the cable cable 10 by means of a biaxial gimbal.

With the required thrust of the 500 N group of screws, the total mass of the engines is Mq = 10 kg, respectively, and the power consumption is 5 kW.

The device’s construction uses DC motors developed by the aviation industry based on SmCo magnets, which have characteristics that meet the specified requirements for operating the telecommunication switching platform 1.

At the stage of semi-natural modeling, the principles of building platform 1 were checked on a specially made mock-up of an apparatus with four rotors, including real sensitive elements and executive bodies and an information-computer complex. In addition, a specialized mechanical stand was used, providing the conditions of the angular and linear motion of the telecommunication switching platform 1, as close as possible to the real ones.

Thus, the technical result of the invention is provided, which consists in expanding the functionality of the method of forming the network and device of the air platforms 1 by providing the ability to automate orientation and stabilize the position of the platforms 1, simplifying the design and maintenance during their operation, while increasing reliability, continuity and duration of use regional networks with the proposed platform 1.

Claims (11)

1. A method of forming regional wireless information transmission networks, including placing airborne telecommunication platforms at predetermined heights by creating lifting force to hold them at predetermined points of the regional network of the geographical region and stabilizing the position of the platforms at these points, characterized in that the lifting force for each platform is created using a remotely and / or autonomously piloted aircraft due to the vertical component of its thrust vector, and the retention of this aircraft the apparatus and platform at a given point in the regional network of a geographic region are carried out by linking them to a given point on the surface of a geographic region by flexible traction, which is used as a channel for supplying power to the aircraft to create an aircraft traction vector. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the stabilization of the position of the platform is ensured by inertial navigation of the aircraft at a given point in the regional network of the geographical region. 3. Telecommunication aerial platform containing a node for generating a lifting force and an associated station for receiving and transmitting signals in a given geographical region, characterized in that the node for forming a lifting force is made in the form of a fuselage with an instrument compartment associated with a screw propeller in the form of at least at least one nacelle, in which an electric motor with a gearbox and a traction screw is installed, while the fuselage is connected by means of a biaxial cardan suspension with a cable rope, the second end of which is fixed van with the ability to change the length of the cable at a given point on the surface of a geographic region and is connected to a source of electrical energy at this point. 4. The platform according to claim 3, characterized in that the instrument compartment contains an autonomous control system consisting of a microprocessor with a strap-in inertial unit connected to its inputs, an altimeter, a magnetometer, a GPS receiver, and to its output, controls for the electric motors of the screw propeller and changes in the direction and magnitude of its thrust vector. 5. The platform according to claim 4, characterized in that the strapdown inertial block contains micromechanical gyroscopes and accelerometers. 6. The platform according to claim 3, characterized in that the station for receiving and transmitting signals in a given geographical region is made in the form of a base station of a wireless broadband access system and is located in the instrument compartment, which also contains a battery, voltage converters, secondary power sources. 7. The platform according to claim 3, characterized in that the instrument compartment contains a surveillance camera. 8. The platform according to claim 3, characterized in that the cable is coaxial with a support rod, a kivlar carrier layer, an information fiber-optic layer, an insulation layer and a layer of external climatic and mechanical protection, sequentially arranged from the center to the periphery, while at least two electrically insulated conductive conductors are placed on the insulating layer along the entire length of the cable cable to supply electric energy from the surface of the geographic region to the electric motors of the lifting unit oh power. 9. The platform according to claim 3, characterized in that at least two nacelles with installed electric motors with gears and traction screws are placed on different sides from the middle part of the fuselage and are connected with it via corresponding radial rods. 10. The platform according to claim 9, characterized in that at least one deflector is attached to the peripheral ends of the rods to protect the rotor blades. 11. The platform according to claim 9, characterized in that the peripheral ends of the rods are equipped with flashing beacons.

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