Abstract
This work discusses design of the complete solution of innovative energy storage system designated to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s). First part of a study describes a possibility of battery and Thin Film Photovoltaics integration with composite structure of the aircraft i.e. structure of the wing skin. Mechanical and electrical aspects of the multifunctional material are described. The next section is devoted to the design of the battery management system (BMS). Key issues and challenges related to safety and efficiency of the UAV are thoroughly considered. BMS also provides state of health verification and estimation both of the photovoltaic material and the battery. Subsequently complete solution containing multifunctional material and BMS is the subject of the simulation that contains prediction of the solar power input depending on weather conditions and BMS operation verification. Last part of the paper presents design of the complete energy storage system in the exemplary application. Presented energy storage system contributes to increase of the UAV fuselage storage capacity at the cost of a slight displacement of the mass towards the wing tip. In high efficiency electric UAV and with favorable weather conditions, applied thin film photovoltaics can be sufficient to accommodate enough energy even for overnight mission. High integrity of the system with the structure and design scalability ensures wide spectrum of implementation and further development possibilities.
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