Patents Assigned to Orbital Australia Pty Ltd
  • Publication number: 20220356856
    Abstract: A dual-fluid injection system for an internal combustion engine, and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) powered by an engine having the dual-fluid injection system. The dual-fluid injection system comprises a liquid fuel metering device and a fluid delivery device operating in tandem. A gas supply system comprising an air compressor and an air delivery path extending between the air compressor and the fluid delivery device is provided to supply pressurised air to the fluid delivery device. The gas supply system comprises an air compressor and an air delivery path extending between the air compressor and the fluid delivery device. A fuel supply system is adapted to deliver liquid fuel to the liquid fuel metering device. A fuel-air regulator is provided for regulating fuel pressure with reference to air pressure to establish and maintain a requisite pressure differential between the fuel pressure and the air pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: David James CALEY, John Howard TUBB, Mario Charles MUSCAT, Arminta CHICKA
  • Publication number: 20220274714
    Abstract: A compact muffler (40) for an engine exhaust system, which is particularly applicable for use with small, reciprocating piston two-stroke engines of the type used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The compact muffler (40) comprises an exhaust gas flow path (67) between an inlet (61) and an outlet (63). The exhaust gas flow path (67) comprises a plurality of adjacent flow passages (65), wherein at least two of the adjacent flow passages (65) are fluidly connected in series to enable the flow of exhaust gas from one to the other along the flow path (67). The adjacent flow passages (65) are configured for fluid flow therealong in opposed directions. A bypass passage (70) is provided between the two adjacent flow passages (65) for further communication between the two flow passages and to promote an equalisation of fluid pressure within the two adjacent passages (65). A UAV having an internal combustion engine (31) fitted with an exhaust system comprising the compact muffler (40) is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: John Howard TUBB, Pouria MEHRANI, Christian Chandrakumar ZAVIER, Mario Charles MUSCAT, Gary John BONE, Trenton John HARVEY
  • Publication number: 20220243638
    Abstract: A muffler (40) devised particularly for use with an engine of the type used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and a UAV (10) having an engine (30) fitted with the muffler (40). The muffler (40) comprises a body (51) having an interior chamber (60). The muffler body (51) has a first end section (53) and a second end section (55). The first end section (51) is adapted for mounting onto the engine (31) by way of a first mount (81), with the interior chamber (60) in communication with an exhaust outlet of the engine (31) to receive exhaust flow therefrom. The second end section (53) is adapted to be mounted by way of a second mount (82) in a manner resisting movement with respect to the engine (31). In one arrangement, the second mount (82) is configured to yieldingly resist movement with respect to the engine (30). In another arrangement, the second mount (82) is configured to mount the second end section (55) under a preload resisting movement of the second end section with respect to the engine (30).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: John Howard TUBB, Geoffrey Paul CATHCART, Pouria MEHRANI, Mario Charles MUSCAT
  • Publication number: 20220205396
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of controlling an internal combustion engine (102) of a UAV (100), and also disclosed is a UAV engine system (101), The engine (102) has a fuel delivery means (123) operable to deliver a fuel to a combustion chamber of the engine, and an air flow control means (107) for regulating air flow to the combustion chamber. The method comprises controlling the engine (102) through control of fuelling by way of the fuel delivery means (123) independently of the air flow control means (107), including determining a fuelling requirement for the engine based on a request from a flight control system, and determining an air flow requirement based on or with reference to the fuelling requirement. This provides for fuel-led control of the engine system (101). Specifically, a fuelling requirement for the engine (102) is determined and implemented, and the corresponding air requirement is then determined contingent upon the fuelling requirement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventor: Richard Albert George WOOLFORD
  • Patent number: 11274613
    Abstract: A control system and method relating to operation of an internal combustion engine, particularly an engine for powering an unmanned aerial vehicle. The engine has a combustion chamber and a throttle for regulating fluid flow to the combustion chamber, the throttle being operable under the control of an electronic control unit. With the control system and method there are first and second modes optionally available for operation of the engine. In the first mode the engine is operable at a throttle setting set by a request from a first remote controller (e.g. a ground-based controller) via a second on-board controller. In the second mode the engine is operable at a prescribed minimum throttle setting asserted by the electronic control unit which limits the authority of the on-board controller. The engine is caused to operate in the second mode if a particular throttle setting determined from a request of the remote controller is less than the prescribed minimum throttle setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: Callan Murray Bleechmore, John Howard Tubb, Andrew Michael Tilmouth, Richard Albert George Woolford, Geoffrey Paul Cathcart
  • Patent number: 11181053
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling operation of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle (such as a remotely operable unmanned aerial vehicle) to perform or implement a control strategy for controlling operation of the engine. The method and system comprises providing first and second modes optionally available for operating the engine, and changing operation of the engine from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation following a determination that a characteristic of the operation of the engine (such as engine speed) has been requested to be modified to beyond a predetermined threshold or level. The method and system further comprises reverting control of operation of the engine from the second mode to the first mode once the requested characteristic is no longer beyond the predetermined threshold or level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: Richard Albert George Woolford, John Howard Tubb, Callan Murray Bleechmore
  • Patent number: 10844819
    Abstract: A method of operating an internal combustion engine system having a fuel injection system including a fluid delivery means operable to deliver a fuel entrained in gas directly into a combustion chamber. The method comprises supplying pressurised gas to the fluid delivery means from a gas supply system, and regulating gas pressure in the gas supply system. The gas pressure in the gas supply system may be regulated during a lag period between commencement of engine cranking and the delivery of fuel at a requisite fuel pressure to the fuel injection system. Regulating gas pressure in the gas supply system comprises opening the fluid delivery means to selectively allow gas to pass into the combustion chamber to relieve pressure in the gas supply system. Optionally, regulating gas pressure in the gas supply system may also comprise opening the fluid delivery means to selectively allow pressurised gas to flow from the combustion chamber to the gas supply system so as to pressurise the gas supply system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventor: Richard Albert Woolford
  • Publication number: 20200256301
    Abstract: A method of operating an internal combustion engine system having a fuel injection system including a fluid delivery means operable to deliver a fuel entrained in gas directly into a combustion chamber. The method comprises supplying pressurised gas to the fluid delivery means from a gas supply system, and regulating gas pressure in the gas supply system. The gas pressure in the gas supply system may be regulated during a lag period between commencement of engine cranking and the delivery of fuel at a requisite fuel pressure to the fuel injection system. Regulating gas pressure in the gas supply system comprises opening the fluid delivery means to selectively allow gas to pass into the combustion chamber to relieve pressure in the gas supply system. Optionally, regulating gas pressure in the gas supply system may also comprise opening the fluid delivery means to selectively allow pressurised gas to flow from the combustion chamber to the gas supply system so as to pressurise the gas supply system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventor: Richard Albert WOOLFORD
  • Patent number: 10717541
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle has an internal combustion engine, and a fuel and lubrication system comprising a fuelling system for fuelling the engine and a lubrication system for delivering lubricating oil to the engine. The fuelling system comprises a fuel reservoir from which fuel can be delivered to the engine. The fuel reservoir comprises a main tank and a header tank. The lubrication system comprises an oil tank. The oil tank is accommodated internally within the main tank to provide an integrated assembly. The arrangement provides for warming of lubrication oil for the UAV engine using several available heat sources. Further, the arrangement facilitates a configuration and layout intended to minimise or negate any undesirable moments of inertia for the UAV during flight as fuel and oil is consumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul Cathcart, Stephen John Karay, Nicholas Coplin, John Howard Tubb, Callan Murray Bleechmore, Donald Andrew Railton, Mario Charles Muscat
  • Patent number: 10711670
    Abstract: A muffler devised particularly for a small, reciprocating-piston two-stroke internal combustion engine of the type used on unmanned aerial vehicles. The muffler comprises a body incorporating an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of chambers for exhaust gas flow from the inlet to the outlet. The body is configured to present a compact profile for installation on the engine. The chambers are so configured that adjacent chambers communicate to facilitate exhaust gas flow from the inlet to the outlet via flow passages. The various chambers comprise an inner chamber, an outer chamber, and one or more intervening chambers disposed between the inner and outer chambers. The various chambers are disposed one about another in annular formation. This arrangement creates a long flow path from the inlet to the outlet incorporating various directional changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: Stephen John Karay, Mario Charles Muscat, Pouria Mehrani
  • Patent number: 10253707
    Abstract: Redundancy in engine timing position sensing maintains a UAV operational in the event of failure of a primary engine timing position sub-system. The redundancy avoids duplication of the primary crankshaft timing position sensing components, and avoids adding weight, cost and component complexity. Conditioned (square) waveform(s) (102) is/are created from respective sinusoidal waveform(s). Each consecutive leading edge (103a) and trailing edge (103b) of the pulses of the square waveform (102) is derived from the crossing of the zero voltage value by consecutive sinusoidal waveforms A,B,C (e.g. Voltage (V) vs Time (t) or angular degrees). The square pulse waveform (102) is output (104) to a microcontroller (106) to create and output a pseudo crankshaft timing position signal (108) to be used by an ECU to determine ignition and fuel injection events in the event that the primary timing signal from the crankshaft position sensor (CPS) has failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: Tyron Dean Utley, Nicolass Harry Buters, Jayesh Narayan
  • Publication number: 20190101088
    Abstract: A dual fluid injection system which comprises a liquid fuel metering device, a fluid delivery device, and apparatus providing an interface therebetween. The interface conveys liquid fuel along a flow path from the metering device to a mixing zone for mixing with air from a pressurized supply to provide an air-fuel mixture for injection by the fluid delivery device into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The flow path may involve a directional change by way of a turn section. The flow path is sized such that liquid fuel is retained therein by virtue of capillary action, whereby a quantity of liquid fuel is retained after a delivery event such that the flow path remains substantially filled with liquid fuel in readiness for the next delivery event during operation of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicant: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul CATHCART, Stephen John KARAY, David James CALEY
  • Publication number: 20190024548
    Abstract: A muffler devised particularly for a small, reciprocating-piston two-stroke internal combustion engine of the type used on unmanned aerial vehicles. The muffler comprises a body incorporating an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of chambers for exhaust gas flow from the inlet to the outlet. The body is configured to present a compact profile for installation on the engine. The chambers are so configured that adjacent chambers communicate to facilitate exhaust gas flow from the inlet to the outlet via flow passages. The various chambers comprise an inner chamber, an outer chamber, and one or more intervening chambers disposed between the inner and outer chambers. The various chambers are disposed one about another in annular formation. This arrangement creates a long flow path from the inlet to the outlet incorporating various directional changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Applicant: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: Stephen John KARAY, Mario Charles MUSCAT, Pouria MEHRANI
  • Patent number: 10184367
    Abstract: A system and method for delivering lubrication oil to an internal combustion engine. The engine lubrication system (10) comprises a lubrication oil reservoir (13), a pump (15) to deliver lubrication oil to the engine from the reservoir (13), and a pressurization system (17) for pressurizing oil received by the pump from the reservoir for delivery to the engine. The pressurization establishes a positive pressure at the pump inlet to assist delivery of oil having entrained vapor cavities to the engine for lubrication thereof. The pump (15) comprises a solenoid actuated positive displacement pump, whereby operation of the pump may be selectively controlled by the manner in which the solenoid is operated. The engine lubrication system (10) further comprises a pressure release system (46) comprising pressure relief valve (47) for relieving excess fluid pressure within the oil reservoir (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul Cathcart, Donald Andrew Railton
  • Patent number: 10184440
    Abstract: A method for fuelling an internal combustion engine, and a fuel system (10) for delivering a variety of fuel types to the engine, with selected fuel types typically being chosen according to theft availability. The fuel system (10) can be configured to accommodate liquid fuels such as gasoline, ethanol or a blend thereof, and gaseous fuels such as CNG, LNG or LPG. The engine is configured to operate on any of the designated liquid fuels, and can switch between the liquid and gaseous fuels. The fuel system (10) includes a respective common delivery arrangement (11) for selectively delivering fuel into the combustion chamber of each cylinder of the engine. The common delivery arrangement (11) comprises at a fluid delivery device (12) and a liquid metering device (31) configured for operation in concert. The fluid delivery device (12) comprises a fluid delivery injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventor: David James Caley
  • Patent number: 9976526
    Abstract: A fuel injection system (10) for delivering metered amounts fuel into the combustion chamber or cylinder of an engine. The fuel delivered can selectively comprise a gaseous fuel, a liquid fuel or a fuel mixture comprising the gaseous fuel and the liquid fuel. When the fuel delivered comprises a mixture of the gaseous fuel and the liquid fuel, the quantity of liquid fuel comprises a metered quantity. The quantity of gaseous fuel also comprises a metered quantity, with the metering of the gaseous fuel being regulated by prediction. The injection event involves delivering the liquid fuel and the gaseous fuel, with the metering of the gaseous fuel delivered being adjusted to allow for the quantity of liquid fuel delivered with the gaseous fuel. The injection system (10) comprises a liquid fuel circuit (11) and a gaseous fuel circuit (13), both communicating with a fuel delivery injector (15) that delivers fuel to the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: David James Caley, Thomas Gerlach, Simon Christopher Brewster
  • Publication number: 20180057185
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle has an internal combustion engine, and a fuel and lubrication system comprising a fuelling system for fuelling the engine and a lubrication system for delivering lubricating oil to the engine. The fuelling system comprises a fuel reservoir from which fuel can be delivered to the engine. The fuel reservoir comprises a main tank and a header tank. The lubrication system comprises an oil tank. The oil tank is accommodated internally within the main tank to provide an integrated assembly. The arrangement provides for warming of lubrication oil for the UAV engine using several available heat sources. Further, the arrangement facilitates a configuration and layout intended to minimise or negate any undesirable moments of inertia for the UAV during flight as fuel and oil is consumed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul CATHCART, Stephen John KARAY, Nicholas COPLIN, John Howard TUBB, Callan Murray BLEECHMORE, Donald Andrew RAILTON, Mario Charles MUSCAT
  • Patent number: 9726130
    Abstract: A fuel injection assembly comprising a fuel injector (19) having an injection outlet (19) and a fuel rail (17) in which the fuel injector is adapted to be supported. The fuel injector (19) has a tip (37) having an end from which fuel issuing from the outlet of the fuel injector is discharged. The tip (37) is adapted for location in an injection port (21), the tip being of flexible construction to accommodate some misalignment between the fuel rail (17) and the injection port (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Orbital Australia Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Steve Karay
  • Publication number: 20170138312
    Abstract: A fuel rail assembly for direct injection of a gaseous fuel into an internal combustion engine comprises a fuel rail defining a flow passage for receiving gaseous fuel and a delivery injector for directly injecting fuel received from the fuel rail into a combustion chamber of the engine. The delivery injector is arranged having a selectively openable delivery port for delivery of gaseous fuel into the combustion chamber when the delivery port is in an open condition. The fuel rail assembly further comprises a valve operable so as to interrupt the flow of gaseous fuel to the delivery injector for delivery into the combustion chamber. A containment zone is defined between the valve and the delivery port when the delivery port is in a closed condition, whereby the containment zone is selected so as to be a prescribed volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventors: David James CALEY, Nicholas COPLIN, Thomas GERLACH
  • Patent number: 9518522
    Abstract: For an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) engine, an exhaust gas temperature control method is provided during operation of the UAV engine to protect exhaust components, particularly lightweight aluminium components, from overheating or melting. The engine is operated with a leaner than stoichiometric air-fuel ratio during low or part engine load conditions. Transition to a richer than stoichiometric air-fuel ratio is made as engine load or engine speed, or both engine load and engine speed, increase(s). At sufficiently low engine loads, the air-fuel ratio can be maintained in a lean ratio region. As demand on the engine causes engine speed and load to increase, the amount of excess air available reduces. The ability to operate lean is reduced and the exhaust gas temperature increases as the mixture becomes richer. In order to obtain the demand power, and keep exhaust temperature below an exhaust gas temperature limit, the air-fuel ratio is transitioned to a richer than stoichiometric region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: ORBITAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD.
    Inventors: Terran Ambrose Barber, Geoffrey Paul Cathcart, John Howard Tubb, Callan Murray Bleechmore