Implications of longitude and latitude on the size of solar-powered UAV

Rajendran, Parvathy; Smith, Howard

doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2015.03.110

Cited by 47 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…As defined in a previous study [16], the parameters (see Figure 1) include aerodynamics, performance, stability and control, mass estimation, solar irradiance amount, mission profile, and electric propulsion systems [18]. Aerodynamics analysis determines the amount of lift and drag required for the UAV to fly, which are affected by the maximum take-off weight (WTOmax), working density (ρ), flying velocity (V), Oswald efficiency (ε), wing areas (S), span (b), and aspect ratio (AR) of the wing.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a solar-powered UAV, the solar module will supply power to the UAV, and the excess energy will be used to charge the battery for night operations [16]. A solar-powered UAV requires a large wing for solar module placement, which will directly increase the total weight of the UAV.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The total platform weight management, ratio of the solar module to the wing area, and solar module power are crucial factors to achieve a lightweight UAV that contributes to long flight endurance [16,17]. Hence, the power obtained from the solar module, which then charges the battery pack, must produce the required power, Prequired (see Equation (5)) to sustain a level flight.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As defined in a previous study [16], the parameters (see Figure 1) include aerodynamics, performance, stability and control, mass estimation, solar irradiance amount, mission profile, and electric propulsion systems [18]. Solar Impulse 1 is the largest solar-powered UAV built, with a wingspan of 63.4 m and a maximum take-off weight of 1600 kg.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The SI density varies widely [16,17] because every city has different climate conditions; thus, the optimal sizing of solar-powered UAVs also differs because of the number of required solar cells along the wingspan to supply the required power during the flight. No specific optimization design for solar-powered UAVs suitable for continuous flying at various SI intensity environments has been reported.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perpetual Solar-Powered Flight across Regions around the World for a Year-Long Operation

2017

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This study aims to promote the conventional solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to be used as a satellite known as a pseudo-satellite (pseudolite). The applications of UAV as a satellite are still in the initial stages because these proposed UAVs are required to fly for long hours at a specified altitude. Any solar-powered system requires extensive mission operation planning to ensure sufficient power to sustain a level flight. This study simulates the optimal UAV configurations at various global locations, and determines the feasibility of a solar-powered UAV to sustain a continuous mission. This study is divided into two different phases. An all-year operation of the average UAV (AVUAV) is simulated in Phase One and is designed specifically for each of 12 cities, namely, Ottawa, Honolulu, Quito, Tahiti, Brasilia, London, Riyadh, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Accra, Port Louis, and Suva. Phase Two is a simulation of a solar-powered UAV design model known as 1UAV, applicable to any city around the world for a year-long flight. The findings state that a single UAV design is sufficient to operate continuously around the world if its detailed mission path planning has been defined.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As defined in a previous study [16], the parameters (see Figure 1) include aerodynamics, performance, stability and control, mass estimation, solar irradiance amount, mission profile, and electric propulsion systems [18]. Solar Impulse 1 is the largest solar-powered UAV built, with a wingspan of 63.4 m and a maximum take-off weight of 1600 kg.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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