초록 ▼

A refueling drogue adapted to connect to a refueling hose extending from a refueling aircraft. The refueling drogue may include an active control system, wherein, in an exemplary embodiment, the active control system is adapted to regulate the position of the drogue to maintain a substantially fixed

A refueling drogue adapted to connect to a refueling hose extending from a refueling aircraft. The refueling drogue may include an active control system, wherein, in an exemplary embodiment, the active control system is adapted to regulate the position of the drogue to maintain a substantially fixed orientation relative to a refueling aircraft.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A refueling drogue comprising: a refueling drogue body including a refueling probe receptacle; and an active control system; wherein the refueling drogue body is adapted to be connected to a refueling hose, and wherein the active control system further comprises a control sys

What is claimed is: 1. A refueling drogue comprising: a refueling drogue body including a refueling probe receptacle; and an active control system; wherein the refueling drogue body is adapted to be connected to a refueling hose, and wherein the active control system further comprises a control system to regulate an angle θ and an angle ψ of an axis through the center of the refueling hose with respect to at least one of (i) an air stream velocity vector of the air stream in which the refueling drogue is located and (ii) a gravitational vector, at the location where the refueling hose connects to the refueling drogue body, while the refueling drogue body is being drug through the atmosphere. 2. The refueling drogue of claim 1, wherein the active control system is adapted to regulate the vertical and horizontal position of the drogue to maintain a substantially fixed orientation relative to a refueling aircraft. 3. The refueling drogue of claim 2, wherein the active control system is adapted to regulate the vertical and horizontal position of the drogue to maintain a substantially fixed orientation relative to a refueling aircraft when the refueling aircraft is flying at a substantially constant altitude, airspeed and heading. 4. The refueling drogue of claim 1, wherein the active control system comprises a plurality of control surfaces located on the refueling drogue. 5. The refueling drogue of claim 4, wherein the plurality of control surfaces are located on a refueling drogue hose connector. 6. The refueling drogue of claim 1, wherein the active control system comprises two pairs of control surfaces orthogonal to one another. 7. The refueling drogue of claim 6, wherein the active control system is adapted to actively regulate the location of the refueling drogue at substantially any rotation angle of the control surfaces from at least one of a horizontal plane and a vertical plane. 8. The refueling drogue of claim 7, further comprising a sensor adapted to measure the rotation angle γ. 9. The refueling drogue of claim 1, further comprising a refueling hose connector rigidly connected to the refueling hose, wherein at least a portion of the refueling hose connector is adapted to move relative to the refueling drogue body, and wherein the angle θ and the angle ψ of the axis through the center of the refueling hose is regulated by regulating angles of the refueling hose connector. 10. The refueling drogue of claim 1, wherein the control system is adapted to substantially maintain the angle θ and the angle ψ of the axis through the center of the refueling hose at respective reference angles. 11. The refueling drogue of claim 10, wherein a yaw angle of the axis of the refueling drogue is measured in a horizontal plane and is substantially zero degrees from a direction of the air stream, and wherein a pitch angle of the axis of the refueling drogue is measured in a vertical plane and is a non-zero angle from a reference plane corresponding to the horizontal plane. 12. The refueling drogue of claim 1, further comprising: a rotatable mass; wherein the rotatable mass is adapted to effectively stabilize the refueling drogue via a gyroscopic effect of the rotating mass on the refueling drogue when the refueling drogue is placed in an airstream. 13. The refueling drogue of claim 1, wherein the active control system comprises: a sensor adapted to measure a varying angle between an axis through the center of the refueling hose at a location where the refueling hose is connected to the refueling drogue and a direction of the air stream. 14. The refueling drogue of claim 1, further comprising: a first sensor adapted to measure a first varying angle between an axis through the center of the refueling hose and the velocity vector of the air stream; and a second sensor adapted to measure a second separate varying angle between an axis through the center of the refueling hose and the the velocity vector of the air stream; wherein the active control system is adapted to regulate the location of the refueling drogue based on the measured first varying angle and the measured second varying angle. 15. The refueling drogue of claim 14, wherein the drogue is adapted to permit the first sensor and the second sensor to rotate relative to the horizontal plane and the vertical plane. 16. The refueling drogue of claim 14, wherein the first varying angle lies on a plane that is substantially orthogonal to a plane on which the second varying angle lies. 17. The refueling drogue of claim 14, wherein the first varying angle lies on a plane that is not substantially orthogonal to a plane on which the second varying angle lies. 18. The refueling drogue of claim 16, further comprising a pair of control surfaces orthogonal to another pair of control surfaces, wherein the plane on which the first varying angle lies is on a plane through an axis of symmetry of the refueling drogue and orthogonal to a plane on which one of the pairs of control surfaces lies. 19. The refueling drogue of claim 16, further comprising a first pair of control surfaces orthogonal to a second pair of control surfaces, wherein the plane on which the first varying angle lies is on a plane through the first pair of control surfaces and wherein the plane on which the second varying angle lies is on a plane through the second pair of control surfaces. 20. The refueling drogue of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor includes a rotary vane adapted to pivot about a vane axis and a sensor adapted to output a signal indicative of the angle of pivot about the vane axis. 21. The refueling drogue of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second sensors is located substantially at a refueling hose-refueling drogue pivot point. 22. The refueling drogue of claim 1, wherein the active control system is adapted to reduce displacement of the refueling drogue to about 12 inches or less when exposed to moderate turbulence. 23. The refueling drogue of claim 2, wherein the active control system is adapted to reduce displacement of the refueling drogue to about 6 inches or less when exposed to moderate turbulence. 24. The refueling drogue of claim 1, wherein the active control system is adapted to reduce displacement of the refueling drogue to a few inches or less when exposed to moderate turbulence. 25. The refueling drogue of claim 1, wherein the active control system is adapted to compute a pitch angle θ' and a yaw angle ψ' of an axis through the center of the refueling hose with respect to the air stream velocity vector at a location where the refueling hose connects to the refueling drogue. 26. The refueling drogue of claim 25, further comprising a computer adapted to calculate at least one of a displacement and a position of the refueling drogue based on the measured pitch angle and the yaw angle of the axis through the center of the refueling hose. 27. The refueling drogue of claim 25, further comprising a computer adapted to calculate at least one of a displacement and a position of the refueling drogue based on the measured pitch angle and the yaw angle of the axis through the center of the refueling hose and a proportionality constant. 28. The refueling drogue of claim 27, wherein the displacement and the position of the refueling drogue is calculated utilizing an algorithm based on the equations: description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"y=f(θ'), anddescription="In-line Formulae" end="tail" description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"z=g(ψ'), wheredescription="In-line Formulae" end="tail" y=a distance in the plane in which the angle θ lies; z=a distance in the plane in which the angle ψ lies, θ'=the pitch angle of the refueling hose, and 104 '=the yaw angle of the refueling hose, and f and g are functions that describe the relation between y and θ' and z and ψ'. 29. The refueling drogue of claim 1, further comprising an autonomous docking system. 30. The refueling drogue of claim 12, further comprising an autonomous docking system. 31. The refueling drogue of claim 29, wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to vary the position of the refueling drogue so that a centerline of the refueling drogue remains substantially coaxial with a centerline of a refueling probe of a receiver aircraft that is not yet in contact with the refueling drogue. 32. The refueling drogue of claim 31, wherein the autonomous docking system comprises a sensor, and wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to vary the position of the refueling drogue based on information received by the sensor indicative of the position of an end of the refueling probe of the receiver aircraft. 33. The refueling drogue of claim 31, wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to measure an angle η and an angle λ between the refueling drogue and a point on the refueling probe of the receiver aircraft, and wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to vary the position of the refueling drogue based on the measurements of these angles. 34. The refueling drogue of claim 33, wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to measure a plurality of angles η and average the plurality of angles η and an a plurality of angles λ and average the plurality of angles λ between the refueling drogue and a point on the refueling probe of the receiver aircraft, and wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to vary the position of the refueling drogue based on the averages of these angles. 35. The refueling drogue of claim 33, wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to position the refueling drogue so that the average of the of the measured plurality of angles η and average the plurality of measured angles η are substantially reduced to zero. 36. The refueling drogue of claim 31, wherein the autonomous docking system comprises a radiation receiver, and wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to vary the position of the refueling drogue based on received radiation indicative of the position of an end of the refueling probe of the receiver aircraft. 37. The refueling drogue of claim 36, further comprising a radiation emitter located on the refueling drogue. 38. The refueling drogue of claim 36, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive radiation emitted from a receiver aircraft. 39. The refueling drogue of claim 36, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive at least one of a microwave beam and an optical beam. 40. The refueling drogue of claim 36, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive an identification code, and wherein the autonomous docking system is configured to compare the identification code to a code in a database. 41. The refueling drogue of claim 36, wherein the receiver is adapted to sense at least one of a varying signal and a varying field, wherein the at least one of a varying signal and a varying field varies based on the location of the receiver aircraft. 42. The refueling drogue of claim 29, wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to automatically maneuver the refueling drogue to the refueling probe of the receiver aircraft. 43. The refueling drogue of claim 29, wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to measure a first angle between the refueling drogue and the refueling probe of the receiver aircraft measured on a first plane and to measure a second angle between the refueling drogue and the refueling probe of the receiver aircraft measured on a second plane. 44. The refueling drogue of claim 43 wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to regulate the location of the refueling drogue relative to the refueling probe of the receiver aircraft so that the first and second angles are reduced. 45. The refueling drogue of claim 44, wherein the autonomous docking system is adapted to adjust the location of the refueling drogue relative to the refueling probe of the receiver aircraft so that the first and second angles are reduced to substantially zero degrees. 46. The refueling drogue of claim 45, further comprising a control circuit utilizing an error signal input to regulate the location of the refueling drogue so that the first and second angles are reduced to substantially zero degrees, wherein the circuit is adapted to convert the first and second angles to error signals. 47. The refueling drogue of claim 1, further comprising an autonomous docking system, wherein the autonomous docking system is in communication with the control system to vary the position of the refueling drogue so that a centerline of the refueling drogue remains substantially coaxial with a centerline of a refueling probe of a receiver aircraft that is not yet in contact with the refueling drogue. 48. The refueling drogue of claim 1, further comprising an autonomous docking system, wherein the autonomous docking system is in communication with the control system and adapted to maneuver the refueling drogue to a refueling probe of a receiver aircraft. 49. The refueling drogue of claim 1, wherein the active control system comprises an autonomous docking system, adapted to maneuver the refueling drogue to a refueling probe of a receiver aircraft. 50. A refueling drogue comprising: a refueling drogue body including a refueling probe receptacle; and an active control system; wherein the refueling drogue body is adapted to be connected to a refueling hose, and wherein the active control system further comprises a control system to regulate an angle θ and an angle ψ of an axis through the center of the refueling hose with respect to an air stream velocity vector of the air stream in which the refueling drogue is located at the location where the refueling hose connects to the refueling drogue body, while the refueling drogue body is being drug through the atmosphere. 51. A refueling drogue comprising: a refueling drogue body including a refueling probe receptacle; and an active control system; wherein the refueling drogue body is adapted to be connected to a refueling hose, and wherein the active control system further comprises a control system to regulate an angle θ and an angle ψ of an axis through the center of the refueling hose with respect to a gravitational vector at the location where the refueling hose connects to the refueling drogue body, while the refueling drogue body is being drug through the atmosphere.