HIGH-EFFICIENCY, LIGHTWEIGHT SOLAR SHEETS

• US 20190322376A1
• Filed: 02/22/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MicroLink Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MicroLink Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Pan, Noren, Chan, Raymond, Miyamoto, Haruki, Wibowo, Andree, Osowski, Mark, Youtsey, Christopher, McCallum, David
• Application Number:
  US16/282,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20190322376A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/353 using solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/31 generated by photovoltaics
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/046 PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/40 Mobile PV generator systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/30 Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 : On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency

Abstract

Some embodiments include a high efficiency, lightweight solar sheet. Some embodiments include a solar sheet configured for installation on a surface of a UAV or on a surface of a component of a UAV. The solar sheet includes a plurality of solar cells and a polymer layer to which the plurality of solar cells are attached. Some embodiments include a kit for supplying solar power in a battery-powered or fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by incorporating flexible solar cells into a component of a UAV, affixing flexible solar cells to a surface of a UAV, or affixing flexible solar cells to a surface of a component of a UAV. The kit also includes a power conditioning system configured to operate the solar cells within a desired power range and configured to provide power having a voltage compatible with an electrical system of the UAV.

Claims

1. A kit for supplying solar power in a battery-powered or fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the kit comprising:

a plurality of solar cells configured to be installed on a surface of a battery-powered or fuel cell powered UAV, each of the plurality of solar cells having a specific power in a range of 1500-4500 W/kg under air mass coefficient 1.5 (AM1.5) light or a specific power in a range of 1870-5680 W/kg under AM0 light; and

a power conditioning system configured to operate the plurality of solar cells within a desired power range and configured to provide power in the form of a voltage compatible with an electrical system of the UAV.

2. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a specific power in a range of 2000-4500 W/kg under AM1.5 or a specific power in a range of 2520-5680 W/kg under AM0.

3. The kit of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a specific power in a range of 2500-4500 W/kg under AM1.5 or a specific power in a range of 3150-5680 W/kg under AM0.

4. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has an areal power in a range of 260-360 W/m² under AM1.5 or an areal power in a range of 325-450 W/m² under AM0.

5. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has an areal mass in a range of 70-280 g/m².

6. The kit of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the surface is disposed on a wing of the UAV.

7. The kit of claim 1, wherein the power conditioning system includes a power conditioning circuit.

8. The kit of claim 7, wherein the power conditioning system further comprises an electrical connection system configured to connect the power conditioning circuit with the plurality of solar cells and to connect the power conditioning circuit with an electrical system of the UAV.

9. The kit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solar cells is incorporated into at least one flexible solar sheet.

10. The kit of claim 9, wherein the at least one flexible solar sheet has a specific power in a range of 800-2350 W/kg under AM1.5 or in a range of 1020-3000 W/kg under AM0.

11. The kit of claim 10, wherein the at least one flexible solar sheet has a specific power in a range of 1000-2350 W/kg under AM1.5 or in a range of 1270-3000 W/kg under AM0.

12. The kit of claim 9, wherein the at least one flexible solar sheet has an areal mass in a range of 120-570 g/m².

13. The kit of claim 12, wherein the at least one flexible solar sheet has an areal mass in a range of 120-300 g/m².

14. The kit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solar cells comprises inverted metamorphic solar cells.

15. The kit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solar cells comprises solar cells produced using an epitaxial lift-off process.

16. The kit of claim 1, wherein the kit is configured to retrofit a previously-produced UAV.

17. The kit of claim 1, wherein the kit is configured for upgrading a UAV during production.

18. The kit of claim 1, wherein the kit is configured to provide between 40% and 99% of the average power consumed by the UAV during use.

19. The kit of claim 1, wherein the kit is configured to provide between 50% and 99% of the average power consumed by the UAV during use.

20. A kit for supplying solar power in a battery-powered or fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the kit comprising:

a component of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the component including a plurality of solar cells and the component configured to be installed on a battery-powered or fuel cell powered UAV, each of the plurality of solar cells having a specific power in a range of 1500-4500 W/kg under air mass coefficient 1.5 (AM1.5) spectrum light or a specific power in a range of 1870-5680 W/kg under AM0; and

a power conditioning system configured to operate the plurality of solar cells within a desired power range and configured to provide power in the form of a voltage compatible with an electrical system of the UAV.