Application of photovoltaic cells as a source of energy in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – case study

Abstract

During last years, renewable energy sources (RES) find their way into the transportation industry. Among the units which may be powered directly with renewable energy, the UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) market is undergoing a rapid development. In this case mainly the solar energy is used. Photovoltaic modules are mainly located on the wings, so it is often necessary to use flexible PV cells which have lower efficiency than the flat ones. This study proves that airfoil geometry modifications by partial flattening are not beneficial from the aerodynamic point of view. The lower energy conversion on photovoltaic panels must be balanced by energy storage and energy management systems. The performance of exemplary installation mounted on AGH Solar Plane has been modelled with TRNSYS software. Obtained results allowed to establish the amount of produced, stored and used energy in six different months.