American technology startup Skydweller Aero is collaborating with French electronics company Thales, which specializes in defense systems, to develop a new maritime surveillance drone that will be able to stay in the air for much longer than existing systems.
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The Skydweller is powered solely by solar power and aims to fly continuously. The initial milestone is to stay in the air for 90 days, but the technology potentially allows for much longer flight.
The solar energy that powers the Skydweller drone is collected by more than 17,000 individual photovoltaic cells, which cover about 270 square meters of wing surface — over a wingspan of 72 meters, or 7.6 meters longer than that of a Boeing 747. Under ideal conditions, the photovoltaics can generate up to 100 kilowatts of power for the aircraft.
During the day, solar energy is used to maintain flight, power the electronic navigation systems, and charge the batteries. The Skydweller has over 1,400 pounds of batteries, which are used to power the aircraft during the night. This allows the Skydweller to maintain near-continuous flight.
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The Skydweller typically flies at altitudes between 7,500 and 10,500 meters, but can reach up to 13,600 meters during the day, before descending 1,500 to 3,000 meters at night to reduce energy consumption.
Despite its wingspan being comparable to that of a long-haul commercial airliner, the Skydweller weighs 160 times less than a “jumbo jet” — 2.5 metric tons at maximum capacity, compared to the 400 tons a Boeing 747 can carry fully loaded.
Solar-powered aircraft are not entirely new, but some past designs have experienced structural problems, including catastrophic failures during flight, particularly during climbs or descents at medium altitudes (around 2,000–10,000 meters or 6,500–32,800 feet).
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The Skydweller drone is specifically designed to operate in this altitude range, using automatic gust-decompression software in the flight control system, which reduces aerodynamic loads caused by turbulence. Additionally, it is made of carbon fiber and can carry a payload of up to 362 kg.
Source: livescience
