Exploiting solar energy during an aerial mapping mission on a lightweight UAV

Hrovatin, Dejan (author), Žemva, Andrej (author)

In this study, we present options for extending the endurance of a lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), along with their advantages and disadvantages. We present a developed solution based on the use of gallium–arsenide (GaAs) solar modules installed on a UAV and connected to a custom-made maximum power point tracker (MPPT) with an integrated perturb and observe (P&O) algorithm. The mathematical behavior required to calculate the electrical energy production from solar energy on the UAV from known UAV angles of rotation, the position of the sun in the sky, solar irradiance measurements, the solar module area and the solar modules efficiency is presented. A comparison of the calculated and actual measured electrical energy production results during an aerial mapping mission is presented. We perform a number of aerial mapping mission flights and the experimental results confirm an energy efficiency value of more than 96.27% for the MPPT and extended flight endurance by up to 21.25%. In addition, onboard measurements and other data captured during flights confirm the proposed electrical energy production calculation.

• Language: English
• Keywords: unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, solar energy, solar cells, endurance extension, maximum power point tracker, MPPT, electrical energy, rotation matrix, green energy
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FE - Faculty of Electrical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 21 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 10, iss. 22, art. 2876
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-136714
• UDC: 629.014.9:502.21:523.9
• ISSN on article: 2079-9292
• DOI: 10.3390/electronics10222876
• COBISS.SI-ID: 86024451
• Publication date in RUL: 17.05.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Electronics
• Shortened title: Electronics
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2079-9292
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523068953

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 22.11.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: brezpilotna letala, sončna energija, sončne celice, podaljšanje avtonomije, sledenje točki največje moči

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0197
• Name: Fotovoltaika in elektronika