Considerations in design of low altitude long endurance solar powered unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

This paper presents design considerations for a low altitude long endurance solar powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The considerations addressed include the determination of the available solar power, the design of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle wing for long endurance flights and the determination of the electrical power and energy balance of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Using these considerations, a solar powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle was designed and a long endurance night simulated. Based on the simulation results it is in principle possible to design and build a solar powered low altitude long endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.