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Electric Power System for High Altitude UAV Technology SurveyElectric powertrain technologies with application to high altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are assessed. One hundred twenty five solar electric UAV configurations and missions were simulated. Synergistic design opportunities were investigated with the premise that specific benefits may be realized, for example, if a single component can serve multiple functions, such as a battery being used for energy storage as well as for a structural component of the aircraft. For each UAV mission simulation, the airframe structure, powertrain configuration (type of solar cells, energy storage options) and performance baseline (1997 or 2001) were specified. It has been found that the use of the high efficiency (multijunction) solar cells or the use of the synergistic amorphous silicon solar cell configuration yields aircraft that can accomplish the majority of the missions of interest for any latitude between 0 deg and 55 deg, hence, a single versatile aircraft can be constructed and implemented to accomplish these missions.
Document ID
19980002722
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Contractor Report (CR)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
November 16, 1997
Subject Category
Electronics And Electrical Engineering
Report/Patent Number
NAS 1.26:206337
NASA/CR-97-206337
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS2-96011
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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