Designing Regenerative and Sustainable High Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

The endurance of electric propulsion unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in both hybrid configurations such as vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) quadcopters and airplanes, is one of the most important factors in the determination of mission effectiveness.<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[2] [3] [5]</sup> UAV systems suffer from weight constraints due to the limitations of power delivery from batteries.<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[7]</sup> The BANSHEE UAV (Battery As iNtegrated Structural High Endurance Experimental Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) team focuses on enhancing UAV endurance through rapid battery-swapping mechanisms with a Robotic Ground Station (RGS), the incorporation of solar cells for in-flight power generation, and aerodynamic optimizations to enhance flight efficiency.<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[6]</sup> These technologies and other subsystems, like a tracking capable camera gimbal, are tested using modified commercial drones. After proof of concept, the subsystems will be installed on a commercially available eVTOL UAV. Previous years of project work have accomplished a glider to VTOL conversion, fully autonomous flight, successful battery swapping with the RGS and testbed, and target tracking with the camera gimbal. This progress is the groundwork for future plans to complete a sustainably powered high endurance UAV.