Flight Endurance Extension of Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAV Based on Solar Energy System

Abstract

In recent years, solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have received a lot of attention, but limited research has been done on the use of solar energy to power Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (MALE UAVs). This paper investigates the effect of replacing conventional fuels with solar energy on the weight reduction and endurance of a MALE UAV. After selecting a fuel-powered MALE UAV as the initial model, keep the mission and size of the UAV unchanged, use solar energy to power the MALE UAV and discuss changes to the MALE UAV’s flight duration. By estimating the energy efficiency, calculating the solar energy obtained, and comparing it with the fuel usage, it can be found that the endurance of the solar-powered MALE UAV is significantly enhanced, proving the development potential of solar energy as the energy source of MALE UAVs.