Abstract
Selecting an aerial platform for an application typically requires compromise. A choice must be made between the flight time and long-range capabilities of a fixed-wing aircraft or the maneuverability and stationary characteristics of a multi-rotor platform. Recent developments of small-scale solar-powered UAVs have leveraged the advances in solar cell, energy storage, and propulsion system technology to reach extended flight times capable of all-day and multi-day flight This paper presents the concept of a small-scale hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle capable of augmenting the maneuverability of a quad-rotor with the energy collection and supply of a solar-powered fixed-wing aircraft. An investigation into the aircraft design, transforming mechanism, and energy management of the multi-state system is presented. A proof-of-concept prototype has been constructed to demonstrate the airframe operating in a quad-rotor configuration. Power electronics capable of simultaneous battery charging and power loading from a solar array have been validated. Additional work in optimization of the propulsion system and airframe needs to be completed to maximize the performance of the hybrid system..
| Original language | English (US) |
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| Title of host publication | 2016 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, ICRA 2016 |
| Publisher | Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. |
| Pages | 3288-3294 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781467380263 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 8 2016 |
| Event | 2016 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, ICRA 2016 - Stockholm, Sweden Duration: May 16 2016 → May 21 2016 |
Publication series
| Name | Proceedings - IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation |
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| Volume | 2016-June |
| ISSN (Print) | 1050-4729 |
Other
| Other | 2016 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, ICRA 2016 |
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| Country/Territory | Sweden |
| City | Stockholm |
| Period | 5/16/16 → 5/21/16 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation through grants IIP-0934327, IIS- 1017344, IIP-1332133, IIS-1427014, IIP-1432957, OISE- 1551059, CNS-1514626, CNS-1531330, and CNS-1544887. Ruben D'Sa was supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship No. 00039202.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 IEEE.
