Design and experiments for a transformable solar-UAV

D'Sa, Ruben; Henderson, Travis; Jenson, Devon; Calvert, Michael; Heller, Thaine; Schulz, Bobby; Kilian, Jack; Papanikolopoulos, Nikolaos

doi:10.1109/icra.2017.7989451

Cited by 14 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Although LTAs, rotorcrafts, and FWAVs already have solar versions built in, fixed-wings are preferable as they are more efficient in forward-level flight, resulting in higher endurances [22]. Fixed-wings can also carry heavier payloads and provide excellent platforms, such as wings for PVC installation [23].…”

Section: Airframe Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Study to Increase the Autonomy of a UAV by Incorporating Solar Cells

Sampaio Saloio,

Cruz,

Coelho

et al. 2023

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Solar energy is recognized as an alternative to combustion engines to reduce the environmental impact and increase the endurance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This work aims to present a project for a solar UAV to contribute to the mission of the Air Force Academy Research Center and test the energy system on the ground. To achieve this study’s objectives, a literature review on photovoltaic cells (PVCs), batteries, and maximum power point tracking algorithms was conducted. The most appropriate airframe and wing designs for this particular type of flight are then investigated. Following that, the project requirements and mission profile were defined, and the copper indium gallium selenide eFilm cells, a solar power management system (SPMS), avionics, and payload required for the mission were chosen based on them. A methodology for ground testing of solar systems was created and used, achieving an endurance of 7 h and 34 min on an April day. The SPMS achieved an efficiency of around 96%, while PVCs ranged from 11.3 to 14.1%.

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Section: Airframe Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Study to Increase the Autonomy of a UAV by Incorporating Solar Cells

Sampaio Saloio,

Cruz,

Coelho

et al. 2023

Vehicles

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“…Alternative propulsion based on environmentally friendly energy sources is rapidly growing to minimize carbon dioxide emissions. Accordingly, the applications of electric UAVs powered by electric power sources are expected to have more expansions, especially for the photovoltaic (PV)-powered UAVs that became widely popular due to their increased flight endurance [5][6][7]. Advanced applications of electric UAVs in advanced remote sensing techniques using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) as a payload [8,9] introduce more challenges for the design of UAVs power system, which is required to supply the high-power pulses consumed by these payloads whilst being restricted by the weight/volume limits imposed on UAVs' subsystems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Novel Multiport DC-DC Converter for Enhancing the Design and Performance of Battery–Supercapacitor Hybrid Energy Storage Systems for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

2022

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This paper proposes an integrated multiport non-isolated DC–DC converter system for integrating battery–supercapacitor hybrid energy storage with photovoltaics for solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles applications. Compared to the traditional topologies used, the proposed converter allows a size reduction of at least 20% of the supercapacitor by maximizing the utilization of the rated energy capacity. In addition, by proposing to use a phase-shifted carrier modulation technique, the inductors’ current ripple is reduced, which enables a further reduction in the inductor size. These improvements in capability and performance of the proposed topology are experimentally validated on a 500 W PV/battery–supercapacitor integrated power system prototype.

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