Design and development of solar powered glider - part c

• Main Author: Koh, JiaJian
• Other Authors: Ng Heong Wah
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/68852
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in both military and civilian applications has attracted interest on extending their flight range and endurance. Photovoltaic technologies have improved vastly in recent years and proved viable as a power source to integrate onboard UAVs for self-sustained flight. The ongoing research project aims to design and build a self-sustained solar powered UAV. An off-the-shelf powered glider was procured and assembled for integration of solar panels on the airframe. Phase 1 of the project focused on design and fabrication of solar panels and a cutting jig for solar cells. It culminated in a flight test with the integrated solar panels on the aircraft for data collection. Phase 2 of the project worked on improving the solar panel design and layout to increase efficiency. The wiring was also internalized and made more robust. Additional sensors were incorporated for data collection during flight. This Final Year Project seeks to evaluate the feasibility of integrating solar panels onto a model aircraft and provide a platform for future work on solar panel fabrication and integration into the electronics onboard the aircraft for charging the battery.