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TECHNOLOGY DATES TO 2021
SP-Drone is enabling of 24/7 solar-powered flight,
redefining what is attainable in this decade!
Latest tech --> LINK
TECHNOLOGY DATES TO 2021
SP-Drone is enabling of 24/7 solar-powered flight,
redefining what is attainable in this decade!
SUMMARY AND REVIEW
SP-Drone is a novel Solar Platform drone. Solar cells are on towed platforms.
The competition, like NASA’s HELIOS, uses large wingspans to hold solar cells.
SP-Drone is more efficient, more robust, faster, less expensive, and scalable.
SP-Drone Trains – More platforms can be added to form highly efficient streamlined trains.
An Enabling Technology – Like other solar planes, SP-Drone can provide 24/7 electronics like communication systems.
Also – Because SP-Drone is faster and more efficient, it can be a 24/7 flying power source, including umbilical power delivery.
The upside potential is HUGE due to the endless applications!
3.5X to 10X Solar Productivity - A flying platform in the stratosphere has 3.5X to 10X the solar productivity solar panels on Earth's surface. This is a result of the leveraging of the following factors: a) no clouds, b) higher solar radiation, c) ability to orient panels optimally throughout the day, and d) traveling with/against the sun to lengthen the day and shorten the night. At this high level of productivity, the cost of photovoltaic cells that can harvest 2X to 3X the available solar energy become affordable/optimal; and so, the solar productivity per area is 7X to 30X that on Earth's surface.
HUGE UPSIDE POTENTIAL – Above the clouds, with higher solar radiation, and able to fly against Earth’s rotation at night, solar cells on SP-Drone has 2.5X to 10X the solar productivity of solar cells on Earth’s surface! Applications include 100% solar/renewable:
SP-Drone is a novel Solar Platform drone. Solar cells are on towed platforms.
The competition, like NASA’s HELIOS, uses large wingspans to hold solar cells.
SP-Drone is more efficient, more robust, faster, less expensive, and scalable.
- More Efficient – The platforms are like canvases on frames, with lift on both the upper and lower surface of a single sheet/board.
- More Robust – A front hinge joint makes it flexible and robust. Lift and load torques balance about the hinge joint, enabling single-sheet construction.
- Faster – The drag on a well-designed towed platform actually decreases with increasing velocity, this enables faster fight. This is related to how the pitch angle (θ) decreases with increasing velocity. Details are provided in a paper, see the “Papers” tab. Also, the platform’s higher efficiency (power collected per mass) frees up more energy for higher speeds. Whereas wing-based solar planes have upper speeds of about 65 mph, SP-drone can go faster than 300 mph.
- Less Expensive and Scalable – More solar power collection per mass (efficiency) allows smaller aircraft to have more energy for use by the payload.
SP-Drone Trains – More platforms can be added to form highly efficient streamlined trains.
An Enabling Technology – Like other solar planes, SP-Drone can provide 24/7 electronics like communication systems.
Also – Because SP-Drone is faster and more efficient, it can be a 24/7 flying power source, including umbilical power delivery.
The upside potential is HUGE due to the endless applications!
3.5X to 10X Solar Productivity - A flying platform in the stratosphere has 3.5X to 10X the solar productivity solar panels on Earth's surface. This is a result of the leveraging of the following factors: a) no clouds, b) higher solar radiation, c) ability to orient panels optimally throughout the day, and d) traveling with/against the sun to lengthen the day and shorten the night. At this high level of productivity, the cost of photovoltaic cells that can harvest 2X to 3X the available solar energy become affordable/optimal; and so, the solar productivity per area is 7X to 30X that on Earth's surface.
HUGE UPSIDE POTENTIAL – Above the clouds, with higher solar radiation, and able to fly against Earth’s rotation at night, solar cells on SP-Drone has 2.5X to 10X the solar productivity of solar cells on Earth’s surface! Applications include 100% solar/renewable:
- Airborne electronics (communications, surveillance).
- Direct light payload delivery.
- Indirect passenger and freight service without limit on size.
- Stratospheric hydrogen production with delivery – much lower costs!
- Stratospheric chemical production.
- Stratospheric space launch platforms.
- HAPS and HALE! (Google the terms).
Interesting Artifact:
An Aerial Towed Platform has excellent performance as a platform for applications like holding solar panels. However, use of a platform as a fuselage on which propellers are fastened to create an airplane is a bad idea, that rectangular airplane would have both pitch and yaw stability issues.
This is similar to the way a single-axle trailer pulls well behind a pickup, but it is a bad idea to put a motor on that trailer and attempt to turn it into a viable vehicle.
An Aerial Towed Platform has excellent performance as a platform for applications like holding solar panels. However, use of a platform as a fuselage on which propellers are fastened to create an airplane is a bad idea, that rectangular airplane would have both pitch and yaw stability issues.
This is similar to the way a single-axle trailer pulls well behind a pickup, but it is a bad idea to put a motor on that trailer and attempt to turn it into a viable vehicle.