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Design of a Hand-Launched Solar-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System for Plateau

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Design of a Hand-Launched Solar-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System for Plateau applied sciences Article Design of a Hand-Launched Solar-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System for Plateau Xin Zhao 1, Zhou Zhou 1,*, Xiaoping Zhu 2 and An Guo 1 1 School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China; [email protected] (X.Z.); [email protected] (A.G.) 2 Science and Technology on UAV Laboratory, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 8 January 2020; Accepted: 7 February 2020; Published: 14 February 2020 Abstract: This paper describes our work on a small, hand-launched, solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) suitable for low temperatures and high altitudes, which has the perpetual flight potential for conservation missions for rare animals in the plateau area in winter. Firstly, the conceptual design method of a small, solar-powered UAV based on energy balance is proposed, which is suitable for flight in high-altitude and low-temperature area. The solar irradiance model, which can reflect the geographical location and time, was used. Based on the low-temperature discharge test of the battery, a battery weight model considering the influence of low temperature on the battery performance was proposed. Secondly, this paper introduces the detailed design of solar UAV for plateau area, including layout design, structure design, load, and avionics. To increase the proportion of solar cells covered, the ailerons were removed and a rudder was used to control both roll and yaw. Then, the dynamics model of an aileron-free layout UAV was developed, and the differences in maneuverability and stability of aileron-free UAV in plateau and plain areas were analyzed. The control law and trajectory tracking control law were designed for the aileron-free UAV. Finally, the flight test was conducted in Qiangtang, Tibet, at an altitude of 4500 m, China’s first solar-powered UAV to take off and land above 4500 m on the plateau in winter ( 30 C). The test data − ◦ showed the success of the scheme, validated the conceptual design method and the success of the control system for aileron-free UAV, and analyzed the feasibility of perpetual flight carrying different loads according to the flight energy consumption data. Keywords: solar-powered UAV; perpetual flight; conceptual design; aileron-free; flight control system; flight test 1. Introduction With the development of the world economy, energy crisis and environmental pollution are becoming a serious problem. In recent years, with the rapid improvement of technology of solar cell and secondary battery, solar-powered aircraft, due to the advantages of environmental protection and long endurance, following the ‘Pathfinder’ [1] and ‘Helios’ [2], the world set off a research upsurge of solar-powered UAV once again. Solar-powered UAV, which converts solar energy into electricity and stores it in secondary batteries during daytime flight, has better endurance than conventional aircraft and may even be able to fly permanently. The long-endurance capability of the solar-powered UAV platform is particularly important in rescue missions, forest fire prevention, communication coverage, and protection of endangered animals. In view of the extreme flight environment in the plateau region, this paper proposes a design method of small, solar-powered UAV suitable for low-temperature and high altitude areas, including a solar irradiance model that can reflect the geography and time and a Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 1300; doi:10.3390/app10041300 www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci Appl.Appl. Sci. Sci.2020 2020, 10, ,10 1300, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of2 28 of 26 can reflect the geography and time and a battery weight model that considers the impact of low batterytemperature weight on model battery that performance. considers the Based impact on ofthis, low a temperaturesmall aileron-free on battery UAV was performance. developed Basedfor onecological this, a small monitoring aileron-free and UAVanimal was protection developed in forplateau ecological areas. monitoringThis paper andalso animal developed protection the indynamics plateau areas. model This of paper aileron-free also developed UAV, analyzed the dynamics the characteristics model of aileron-free of UAV’s UAV, stability analyzed and the characteristicsmaneuverability of UAV’s in high-altitude stability and maneuverabilityflight, and designed in high-altitude the control flight, and and tracking designed system the control for andhigh-altitude tracking system flight. for Finally, high-altitude in Qiangtang, flight. Finally,Tibet, China’s in Qiangtang, first solar-powered Tibet, China’s UAV first took solar-powered off and UAVlanded took at off anand altitude landed ofat more an altitude than 4500 of morem. The than experiment 4500 m. Theverified experiment the correctness verified of the the correctness design of themethod design and method the control and themethod, control and method, analyzed and the analyzed feasibility the of feasibility the perpetual of the flight perpetual with different flight with loads according to the flight energy consumption data (Figure 1). different loads according to the flight energy consumption data (Figure1). (a) (b) (c) FigureFigure 1. The1. The solar-powered solar-powered unmanned unmanned aerial aerial vehicle vehicle (UAV) (UAV) used used forecological for ecological monitoring monitoring and animaland protection:animal protection: (a) Mini-Phantom (a) Mini-Phantom (MP) solar-powered (MP) solar-powered UAV, (b) infrared UAV, ( podb) infrared for ecological pod for monitoring, ecological (c) Tibetanmonitoring, antelopes (c) Tibetan photographed antelopes by photogra optical camera.phed by optical camera. InIn recent recent years, years, solar-powered solar-powered aircraftaircraft havehave been developed in in both both manned manned and and unmanned unmanned aircraft.aircraft. In termsIn terms of mannedof manned solar solar aircraft, aircraft, ‘Solar ‘Sol Impulsear Impulse 2’, the 2’, world’s the world’s largest largest solar-powered solar-powered airplane, successfullyairplane, successfully completed completed the world’s the first world’s solar-powered first solar-powered flight around flight around the world the onworld 26 Julyon 26 2016 July [ 3]. On2016 the other[3]. On hand, the manyother hand, researchers many focusresearchers on employing focus on large-scaleemploying solar-poweredlarge-scale solar-powered high-altitude long-endurancehigh-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAVs as(HALE) atmospheric UAVs as satellites. atmospheric Typical satellites. examples Typical are ‘Solara’examples [4 ]are and ‘Solara’ ‘Zephyr S’,[4] the and latter ‘Zephyr of which S’, the has latter broken of wh theich previous has broken record the of previous 14 days record set by theof 14 ‘Zephyr days set 7’ by prototype the ‘Zephyr [5] with7’ prototype [5] with approximately 25 days and 23 h of flight on 11 July 2018 [6]. In contrast, approximately 25 days and 23 h of flight on 11 July 2018 [6]. In contrast, smaller-scale, solar-powered smaller-scale, solar-powered UAVs are mostly designed for low-altitude long-endurance (LALE) UAVs are mostly designed for low-altitude long-endurance (LALE) applications. In 2008, ‘sky sailor’, applications. In 2008, ‘sky sailor’, a small solar-powered UAV from Switzerland, flew for 27 h. The a small solar-powered UAV from Switzerland, flew for 27 h. The structural design of the UAV referred structural design of the UAV referred to the glider for competition and it weighed only 780 g [7]. The to the glider for competition and it weighed only 780 g [7]. The ‘AtlantikSolar’ small UAV from ‘AtlantikSolar’ small UAV from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich completed a flight theof Swiss 81.5 h Federal in July 2015, Institute setting of Technologyan endurance Zurich record completed for an aircraft a flight under of 81.550 kg. h Compared in July 2015, with setting large an endurancesolar-powered record aircraft, for an aircraftsmall solar-powered under 50 kg. UAV Compared have higher with largestructural solar-powered weight coefficient aircraft, and small solar-poweredlower load UAVcapacity, have so higher theystructural are suited weight for low-altitude coefficient and and lower long-endurance load capacity, missions. so they are Noth suited forproposed low-altitude a matching and long-endurance parameter mo missions.del of energy Noth and proposed power afor matching perpetual parameter flight [7] modelof small of solar energy andUAV power in 2008. for perpetualBased on the flight energy [7] of system small model, solar UAV Philipp in 2008.Oettershagen Based onproposed the energy an energy-robust system model, Philippdesign Oettershagen method that proposedallows design an energy-robust of solar-powe designred UAVs method for energetically that allows robust design perpetual of solar-powered flight UAVsin sub-optimal for energetically meteorological robust perpetual conditions flight [8]. inIn sub-optimal both methods, meteorological the solar irradiance conditions model [8]. was In both a methods,simplified the solarsinusoidal irradiance model. model Small was solar-powere a simplifiedd sinusoidalUAVs fly model.mostly Small at low solar-powered altitudes, so UAVs most fly mostlyprevious at low studies altitudes, did not so consider most previous the effect studies of low did temperatures not consider on battery the effect performance. of low temperatures on batterySection performance. 2 presents the conceptual design method of perpetual flight suitable for flight on low temperatureSection2
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