Designing Regenerative and Sustainable High Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

In the realm of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), extending flight durations is crucial, and many battery powered UAVs have a limited twenty-minute flight-time. The BANSHEE UAV (Battery As iNtegrated Structural High Endurance Experimental Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) team focuses on enhancing UAV endurance through battery regeneration. Our approach integrates solar-equipped wing skins and induction coils for in-flight battery replenishment. A robotics ground station facilitates seamless battery replacement. The SINCHDrone (Solar and Induction Charged ultra-high endurance Drone) is our demonstrator, adapted from a Volantex ASW-28 RC airplane. It validates endurance techniques and helps refine the design, improve solar cell skin integration, induction coil technology, and enhance the ground station. After testing, the team will retrofit a commercial Baby Shark hybrid UAV. During flight tests of previous years, the team achieved a flight time of 14 minutes with the base Volantex, and around 15 minutes for the Baby Shark UAV. This integration of technologies holds promise for UAVs in sustainable development and environmental conservation.