Cooling Systems for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that includes: a front chassis defining an intake port; a rear chassis defining an exhaust port and providing a heatsink for the UAV; and a blower that is located immediately rearward of the intake port so as to facilitate unobstructed airflow through the intake port and into the blower. The blower is configured to direct air through the UAV along an airflow path that extends from the intake port to the exhaust port to thereby cool the UAV.
1 . An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
front arms;
front propellers supported by the front arms;
rear arms;
rear propellers supported by the rear arms;
a chassis including:
a front chassis defining a first port and supporting the front arms; and
a rear chassis defining a second port, wherein the rear chassis includes a heatsink for the UAV and supports the rear arms such that the front arms and the rear arms extend outwardly from the chassis; and
a blower located immediately rearward of the first port so as to facilitate airflow through the first port and into the blower, wherein the blower is configured to direct air through the UAV along an airflow path that extends from the first port to the second port to cool the UAV.
2 . The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the first port and the second port are spaced axially along an overall length of the UAV.
3 . The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the first port and the second port define openings extending in substantially perpendicular relation to an overall length of the UAV.
4 . The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the blower is positioned adjacent to the first port.
5 . The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the blower is configured to draw air into the first port along a first axis and redirect the air along a second axis oriented in substantially orthogonal relation to the first axis.
6 . The UAV of claim 5 , wherein the first axis is oriented in substantially parallel relation to an overall length of the UAV.
7 . The UAV of claim 6 , wherein the heatsink is configured to redirect the air along a third axis oriented in substantially parallel relation to the first axis and in substantially orthogonal relation to the second axis.
8 . The UAV of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one processor supported by the heatsink such that the heatsink distributes heat away from the at least one processor.
9 . The UAV of claim 8 , wherein the heatsink defines an internal chamber configured to receive the at least one processor such that the at least one processor is nested within the heatsink.
10 . The UAV of claim 9 , wherein the heatsink includes at least one cooling array with a plurality of fins extending outwardly from the heatsink, wherein the at least one processor is substantially aligned with the at least one cooling array.
11 . An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a chassis defining an intake port and an exhaust port spaced along an overall length of the UAV, wherein the chassis provides a heatsink for the UAV;
at least one processor supported by the heatsink such that the heatsink distributes heat away from the at least one processor; and
a blower located rearwardly of the intake port and configured to draw air into the intake port along a first axis extending in substantially parallel relation to the overall length of the UAV and redirect the air across the heatsink along a second axis to remove heat from the UAV.
12 . The UAV of claim 11 , wherein the blower is positioned adjacent to the intake port.
13 . The UAV of claim 11 , wherein the intake port and the exhaust port are configured such that the air is drawn into and is exhausted from the UAV in a rearward direction.
14 . The UAV of claim 11 , wherein the second axis is oriented in substantially orthogonal relation to the first axis.
15 . The UAV of claim 11 , wherein the heatsink is configured to redirect the air along a third axis oriented in substantially parallel relation to the first axis and in substantially orthogonal relation to the second axis.
16 . The UAV of claim 11 , wherein the heatsink includes:
a first cooling array including a first plurality of fins; and
a second cooling array including a second plurality of fins, wherein the first plurality of fins include a first material, and the second plurality of fins include a second material different than the first material.
17 . The UAV of claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor includes:
a first processor substantially aligned with the first cooling array; and
a second processor substantially aligned with the second cooling array.
18 . An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a chassis defining an intake port located at a front end of the UAV and an exhaust port located at a rear end of the UAV, wherein the intake port and the exhaust port are vertically offset along a height of the UAV; and
a blower located rearwardly of the intake port along a length of the UAV and configured to draw air into the intake port.
19 . The UAV of claim 18 , wherein the blower is configured to draw air into the intake port along a first axis extending in substantially parallel relation to the length of the UAV.
20 . The UAV of claim 19 , wherein the blower is configured to redirect the air along a second axis extending in substantially parallel relation to the height of the UAV.