Many years back the drone technology itself was a dream and with the
passage of time this technology has evolved and reached new horizons, and same
is the case for solar technology. But solar tech has revolutionized nearly
every aspect of human life and now it turns its attention to drone technology.
A couple of years back few companies came up with an idea of solar powered
drones in order to reduce the expenses of drone carried operations.
Titan Aerospace, a renowned technology company, will test a solar powered drone ‘Solara 50’. The drone will have a 50 meter wing span, will fly over 60,000 feet (15 miles) clear of weather
effects in bright sunlight, with
sunlight as its only and primary source of power. The results of this test are
far from known but eventually we may see the use of drones in civilian purposes
unlike in the past.
Advantages of Solar
Powered Drones:
Decreased Operational
Cost:
The biggest hurdle in the drone-carried operations is the high
operational cost. Operational hours of drones are limited mainly due to time
bound fuel availability in the fuel tank. With the help of solar powered
batteries, the fuel charges and operational cost can largely be minimized.
Imagine the possibilities, a drone flying in the sky without the need of
charging and refueling.
Increased Operational
Hours:
Fuel powered drones have a well known problem of limited operation
hours. The problem is that a drone can only have a limited amount of fuel in a
single flight, if a drone is designed to have increased number of flight hours
then it must have a fuel tank big enough to last for long hours but this poses
a problem to the stability of the system as the whole equilibrium and balance
of the plane is disturbed. Solar powered drones wouldn’t have such a problem
because they can operate for not only days but years. According to the reports,
Solara 50 may remain airborne for years.
Weather Warnings &
Updates:
Drones can fly well above the average height in contrast to a normal
aero plane, this is due to their stable and light weight structure. Solar
powered drones are more lightweight than the traditional and operational
military drones as they don’t have a heavy engine to keep it running. These
drones can easily assist us by tracking hurricanes, bad weather, approaching
storms and tsunami warnings.
Calamity Assistance:
Solar powered drones can easily spot the areas which are hard to
reach by human after a disaster. Increased flight hours can assist rescue teams
in reaching the target areas, survey damage and spot stranded victims.
Disadvantages of Solar
Powered Drones:
Battery:
The biggest challenge that we need to overcome is the life of the
battery. Smaller batteries mean limited flight hours. During the day light it
is not an issue because there is more than enough sunlight to keep the drone
moving but what about night? The answer is batteries but the battery storage is
major limitation because it means more weight.
Weight Issue:
Weight and battery issue are directly connected, if the scientists
opt out for increased battery life then it will definitely increase the weight
of the unmanned vehicle. This may disturb the overall weight shifting of the
plane or create imbalance among the structure.
Do you have anything to add to the pros and cons of solar powered
drones? Please comment below in the comment section.
About GreenShine: http://www.greenshine-solar.com/
Greenshine New Energy, LLC.
Specializes in developing and manufacturing customized solar powered lighting
systems for a wide range of lighting applications. At Greenshine we specialize
in solar street lights, garden lights, and lawn lights for outdoor
applications. Our lights can be installed anywhere, especially areas where grid
tied electricity is not available.
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