JP2017036011A - Multiple rotor type helicopter and chemical agent aerial spraying method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To uniformly and efficiently spray a chemical such as a pesticide in a predetermined spraying region by using a multicopter having a simple structure. SOLUTION: A drug storage tank 7 and a nozzle are equipped in an airframe 3 to form a multicopter 1. The nozzle 8 is arranged directly under the rotor 4 of the multicopter 1, and the chemical is sprayed by ejecting the chemical from the nozzle into the airflow generated by the rotation of the rotor 4. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for spraying chemicals such as agricultural chemicals in the air using a multi-rotor type helicopter having three or more rotors (hereinafter referred to as “multi-copter”), and a structure of the multi-copter used for carrying out this method. About.

  An electric multicopter is simpler than a single-rotor helicopter and can be manufactured simply by controlling the number of rotations of the motor that drives the rotor. Multi-copters equipped with cameras instead of single-rotor helicopters are mainly used to collect ground information from the sky, such as surveying beaches and craters that cannot be accessed, and collecting information from the sky during disasters. It has been widely used (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2014-227016 A JP 2014-240242 A

As an application of multicopters outside the field of use for collecting information from the sky, use as an unmanned helicopter for spraying agricultural chemicals is being studied.
As shown in FIG. 5, the unmanned helicopter for spraying agricultural chemicals in this case usually has a tank 103 in which a medicine is stored at the center lower part or upper center part of the fuselage 101 of the multi helicopter 100 having a plurality of rotors 102. At the same time as when using a single rotor helicopter for spraying agrochemicals (see FIG. 6), the arm 104 is projected to the left and right below the fuselage 101 and fixed, and stored in the tank 103 below the arm 104. A plurality of nozzles 105 for ejecting the medicines are attached, and the medicines ejected from each nozzle 105 are configured to be distributed in a band shape with a width between both ends of the arm 104. A spraying of agricultural chemicals has been conducted on a trial basis using the multi helicopter 100 having such a configuration.

  When spraying pesticides by extending arms with nozzles to the left and right of the helicopter aircraft, the rotor diameter D is large in the single rotor type helicopter, as shown in FIG. It is possible to uniformly spread the medicine ejected from the nozzle 105 downwardly, hitting substantially the entire arm 104 without unevenness.

However, in the configuration of the multi helicopter 100 shown in FIG. 5, the nozzle 105 attached to the end portion of the arm 104 is not sufficiently exposed to the air flow blown down by the rotor 102, and is indicated by a broken line in FIG. As described above, the medicine ejected from the nozzle 105 is difficult to uniformly disperse, for example, by being scattered around and being sucked into the rotor 102 by riding on the airflow or wind blown up on the ground surface. .
If the nozzle 105 is arranged on the lower side of the rotor 102 arranged on the same circumference of the multi helicopter 100, it is possible to spread the medicine evenly. It takes a lot of time to spray pesticides on the surface.

  In view of such problems of the prior art, the present invention uses a multi-copter with a simple structure to uniformly and efficiently spread a chemical such as an agricultural chemical within a predetermined spraying area. The challenge is to be able to.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a method of spraying a drug in the air with a multicopter equipped with a drug storage tank,
The nozzle for ejecting the medicine stored in the tank is arranged so as to be positioned directly under the rotor, that is, in the airflow generated by the rotation of the rotor, and the medicine is ejected from the nozzle into the airflow of the airflow. And spraying the medicine.

A multicopter for carrying out the method may include a medicine storage tank and a nozzle for ejecting the stored medicine, and the nozzle may be arranged directly below one or more rotors.
That is, the multicopter has a plurality of rotors of the same number arranged in parallel on the left and right as viewed from the front of the aircraft along a virtual line extending through the center of the aircraft in the plan view to the left and right. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which the nozzles are respectively arranged in the downflowed airflow generated by the rotation of the respective rotors, which are directly below the respective rotors arranged in parallel on the left and right.

According to the present invention, by disposing the nozzle for ejecting the medicine directly under the rotor of the multicopter, the medicine ejected from the nozzle is mixed in the airflow generated by the rotation of the rotor, and the rotor The medicine can be uniformly sprayed directly below. By disposing the nozzle directly under the rotor, most of the sprayed medicine is mixed downward in the blown-down air stream, and the amount of the medicine scattered toward the periphery of the rotor is reduced, so that it is sprayed downward. The spraying density of the drug to be maintained can be kept constant.
By arranging multiple rotors on the left and right sides of the aircraft, and arranging nozzles that spray the drugs directly under each rotor, the width of spraying drugs with a multicopter is widened, and pesticides are spread over a wide agricultural land. Even if it exists, it becomes possible to spray a chemical | medical agent efficiently with a uniform spraying density.

It is the top view (A) and front view (B) of one Embodiment of the multicopter of this invention. It is the top view (A) and front view (B) of other embodiment of the multicopter of this invention. It is the top view (A) and front view (B) of other embodiment of the multicopter of this invention. It is the figure which showed an example of the form which spreads a chemical | medical agent using the multicopter of this invention. It is the top view (A) and front view (B) of the multicopter comprised for the conventional agricultural chemical spraying. It is a plane of a single rotor type helicopter configured for spraying conventional agricultural chemicals.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a multicopter according to an embodiment of the present invention. The multicopter 1 is an electric motor in which a rotor 4 is fixed to a rotating shaft at four end portions of a frame 2 formed in a cross shape in plan view. Each motor 5 is attached, and a control unit 6 that controls each motor 5 is installed at the center of the frame 2 to constitute the machine body 3. A tank 7 and a nozzle 8 that store a chemical agent as an agrochemical are provided below the machine body 3. The medicine stored in the tank 6 can be sprayed while flying over.

  Specifically, the four rotors 4 of the multicopter 1 are supported on the rotation axis of the motor 5 attached to each end of the frame 2 and arranged on the same circumference, and a steering signal from a prop (not shown) Is received by the control unit 6, and the control unit 6 drives each motor 5 based on the steering signal and is disposed on the front rotor 4 a and the rear rotor 4 b disposed on the front side and the rear side of the body 3 and on both the left and right sides. By controlling the number of rotations of each of the left rotor 4c and the right rotor 4d, the airframe 3 can be raised and lowered and can be made to fly in the front-rear and left-right directions. A battery for driving the motor 5 is provided integrally with the control unit 6.

The tank 7 for storing medicines installed in the lower part of the multicopter 1 has a medicine storage area for storing liquid, powdery or granular medicines in an appropriate volume, and the stored medicines are supplied to the nozzles 8. It is formed with a medicine delivery mechanism for delivery and a control unit for receiving the control signal from the transmitter and controlling the operation of the medicine delivery mechanism, and is integrally attached to the lower center of the machine body 3.
The nozzle 8 is disposed on the lower side of the frame 9 projecting from the side of the tank 7 to the left and right sides, directly below the left rotor 4c and the right rotor 4d of the multicopter 1, and is delivered from the tank 7. Is attached so as to be ejected downward.

  FIG. 2 shows a multicopter according to another embodiment of the present invention. This multicopter 1 has rotors 4e and 4f on the outer sides of left and right rotors 4c and 4d corresponding to the embodiment shown in FIG. The nozzles 8 are disposed and sprayed immediately below these four rotors 4c, 4d, 4e, and 4f, respectively, so that the drug is sprayed on a wide surface.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the frame 2 of the multicopter 1 of this embodiment is long to the left and right along an imaginary line L that extends to the left and right of the body 3 through the center O of the body 3 in plan view. Motors 5 and 5 are mounted on the outer frame 2 of the left and right rotors 4c and 4d, respectively, and the rotors 5e and 4f are attached to the left and right sides of the rotor 3c. 4e, the rotors 4d and 4f are arranged in parallel on the right side, and the nozzles 8 are respectively arranged directly below the rotors 4 so that the medicine can be sprayed.
Note that the rotational speeds of the front rotor 4a and the rear rotor 4b arranged on the front side and the rear side of the airframe 3 and the rotors 4c, 4d, 4e, and 4f arranged on both the left and right sides are determined for each rotor 4. Controllable is the same as in the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a multicopter according to still another embodiment of the present invention. The multicopter 1 has two front rotors 41a and 4a2 and rear rotors 4b1 and 4b2 arranged on the same circumference, respectively. Similarly to the above-described embodiment, four motors 5 are mounted at equal intervals on a frame 2 extending left and right along a virtual line L extending left and right of the body 3 through the center O of the body 3 in plan view. The left and right rotors 4c, 4d, 4e, and 4f are pivotally attached to the motors, and the lower side of the frame 9 that protrudes from the side of the tank 7 disposed on the lower center side of the frame 2 to the left and right sides. The nozzles 8 are respectively arranged directly below the left and right rotors 4c, 4d, 4e, and 4f, and are jetted from the nozzles 8 into the downdraft generated by the rotation of the left and right rotors 4c, 4d, 4e, and 4f. It is configured to be able to spray mix an agent.
Also in this embodiment, the number of rotations of the front rotor 4a1.4a2 and the rear rotors 4b1 and 4b2 arranged on the front side and the rear side of the body 3 and the rotors 4c, 4d, 4e and 4f arranged on the left and right sides. Is provided for each rotor 4 in a controllable manner.

According to the present invention, by disposing the nozzle 8 that ejects the medicine directly under the rotor 4 of the multicopter 1, the medicine ejected from the nozzle 8 is mixed in the downflowed airflow generated by the rotation of the rotor 4. The medicine can be uniformly sprayed directly under the rotor 4.
Further, by arranging a plurality of rotors 4 on the left and right sides of the machine body 3 and disposing the nozzles 8 directly below the rotors 4, the multi-copter 1 can spread the medicine, which is efficient for a wide farmland. It becomes possible to spray agricultural chemicals.

That is, four motors 5 are attached to the frame 3 projecting to the left and right of the airframe 2 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the rotors 4 c, 4 d, 4 e, 4 f are respectively attached to the shafts 3 and directly below the rotors 4. When using the multicopter 1 in which the nozzles 8 are arranged to spray the medicine in the rectangular spray area 10 shown in FIG. 4, the arrangement of the four rotors 4 is orthogonal to the traveling direction of the multicopter 1. The airframe 2 is controlled so as to be oriented, and the drug is sprayed while flying the multicopter 1 along one end of the spraying area 10 (arrow (1) in FIG. 4). If the medicine is sprayed to the other end, the multicopter 1 is moved to the center of the spraying area 10 and the multicopter 1 is allowed to fly to the end on the near side to spray the medicine (arrow (2)), Wide in spray area 10 It is possible to spray an agent to the area.
Then, the machine body 2 is controlled so that the arrangement of the four rotors 4 is in the same direction as the traveling direction of the multicopter 1 in the non-spraying region remaining at the other end of the spraying region 10. By changing the direction of flight 1 and spraying medicine while flying along the unsprayed area (arrow (3)), it is not necessary to spray fields, private houses, roads, etc. adjacent to the spray area 10 The medicine can be efficiently sprayed in a short time on the wide spraying area 10 while preventing the medicine from being sprayed inadvertently in such a region.

  In addition, when spraying the drug by flying the multicopter 1, by increasing the number of rotations of each rotor 4 in which the nozzle 8 is disposed immediately below, the adhesion of the drug to the crops is improved and the spray quality is increased. It is possible. When each rotor 4 has a variable pitch structure, it is possible to improve the spraying quality by spraying the medicine by controlling the pitch of each rotor 4 arranged immediately below the nozzles 8 to be high.

  The illustrated form is an example, and the multicopter 1 of the present invention can be configured in other suitable forms by appropriately setting the arrangement of the rotors, provided that it is equipped with three or more rotors. Is possible. The medicine storage tank 7 is integrally attached to the center lower side of the machine body 3, but may be installed on the center upper side of the machine body 3. Alternatively, two or more medicine storage tanks 7 may be installed in the body 3 so that medicines are sent from each tank to each nozzle.

1 Multicopter, 2 frames, 3 bodies, 4 (4a-4f) rotor, 5 motor, 6 control unit, 7 medicine storage tank, 8 nozzles, 9 frames, 10 spraying area

The present invention relates to a method of spraying chemicals such as agricultural chemicals in the air using a multi-rotor type helicopter having three or more rotors (hereinafter referred to as “multi-helicopter” or “multi-copter” ), and implementation of this method. It relates to the structure of the multicopter used.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a multicopter provided with a medicine storage tank and a nozzle for ejecting the stored medicine ,
On one imaginary line that extends to the left and right of the aircraft through the center of the aircraft in plan view, the same number of rotors are arranged in parallel on the left and right as viewed from the front of the aircraft,
At least the rotors arranged side by side on the left and right sides of the machine body have a configuration in which the nozzles are respectively disposed in a downdraft generated by rotation of the rotors .

The present invention, in the method of spraying the drug in the air using the multicopter of the above configuration ,
It is generated by rotating the rotor while flying over the spraying area of the medicine by controlling the aircraft so that the arrangement direction of the plurality of rotors arranged in parallel on the left and right of the aircraft is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the multicopter. It is characterized in that the medicine is sprayed from a nozzle in a down-flowing air current .

That is, four motors 5 are attached to the frame 2 projecting to the left and right of the airframe 3 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the rotors 4 c, 4 d, 4 e, 4 f are respectively attached to the shafts 4 and directly below the rotors 4. When the medicine is sprayed in the rectangular spray area 10 shown in FIG. 4 using the multicopter 1 in which the nozzles 8 are arranged, the arrangement direction of the four rotors 4 is orthogonal to the traveling direction of the multicopter 1. The aircraft 3 is controlled so as to be in the direction of spraying, and the drug is sprayed while flying the multicopter 1 along one end of the spraying area 10 (arrow (1) in FIG. 4). If the medicine has been sprayed to the other end, the multicopter 1 is moved to the center of the spray area 10, and the medicine is sprayed while the multicopter 1 is flying to the end on the near side (arrow (2)). , In spraying area 10 It is possible to spray an agent in large area.
And in the area | region where the chemical | medical agent non-spreading which remained at the other end part of the spreading | spreading area | region 10, the body 3 is controlled so that arrangement | positioning of the four rotors 4 may become the same direction as the advancing direction of the multicopter 1, and a multicopter By changing the direction of flight 1 and spraying medicine while flying along the unsprayed area (arrow (3)), it is not necessary to spray fields, private houses, roads, etc. adjacent to the spray area 10 The medicine can be efficiently sprayed in a short time on the wide spraying area 10 while preventing the medicine from being sprayed inadvertently in such a region.

Claims (2)

A method of spraying drugs in the air with a multi-rotor helicopter equipped with drug storage tanks,
The nozzle for ejecting the medicine stored in the tank is provided so as to be positioned in the downflow airflow generated by the rotation of the rotor, and the medicine is sprayed from the nozzle into the downflow airflow to spray the medicine. A method of spraying medicine in the air using a multi-rotor type helicopter. A multi-rotor type helicopter equipped with a medicine storage tank and a nozzle for ejecting the stored medicine, passing through the center of the aircraft in a plan view of the aircraft, along a virtual line extending to the left and right of the aircraft, from the front of the aircraft A plurality of the same number of rotors are arranged in parallel on the left and right sides, respectively, and at least the rotors arranged in parallel on the left and right sides of the airframe are arranged in the downflow airflow generated by the rotation of the rotors. A multi-rotor helicopter characterized by having a configuration.

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