Integration of high-efficiency, lightweight solar sheets onto unmanned aerial vehicle for increased endurance

• US 9,315,267 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): DeBeradinis, Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/769,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 307/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• 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: 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 20/30 for safety, e.g. with frangible components rotor guards B64U30/299
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/31 generated by photovoltaics
• 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: H02S 10/40 Mobile PV generator systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations

Abstract

Some embodiments include a kit for increasing endurance of a battery-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by incorporating flexible solar cells or applying flexible solar cells on a surface of a UAV or on a surface of a component of a UAV. The kit further include 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 increasing endurance of a battery-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 UAV, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a specific power of 1000-3000 W/kg; 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 the component is at least a portion of a wing.

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

4. The kit of claim 3, 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.

5. The kit of claim 1, wherein the power conditioning system is further configured to charge a battery of the UAV with power supplied by the plurality of solar cells.

6. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a thickness of less than 70 microns.

7. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a thickness of between 12 microns and 70 microns.

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

9. The kit of claim 8, wherein the at least one flexible solar sheet has a specific power of between about 100 W/Kg and about 2500 W/kg.

10. The kit of claim 8, wherein the at least one flexible solar sheet has a specific power of between about 400 W/kg and about 1200 W/kg.

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

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

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

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

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

16. The kit of claim 1, wherein the kit is configured to improve an endurance of the UAV by at least 50% as compared with an endurance of the UAV without the solar power source.

17. The kit of claim 1, wherein the kit is configured to increase an endurance of the UAV by at least 100% as compared with an endurance of the UAV without the solar power source.

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. The kit of claim 1, wherein the kit is configured for installation in a small UAV.

21. A kit for increasing endurance of a battery-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the kit comprising:

a plurality of solar cells configured to be attached to a surface of a battery-powered UAV, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a specific power of 1000-3000 W/kg; 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.

22. The kit of claim 21, wherein at least a portion of the surface is disposed on a wing of the UAV.

23. The kit of claim 21, wherein the power conditioning system includes a power conditioning circuit.

24. The kit of claim 23, 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.

25. The kit of claim 21, wherein the power conditioning system is further configured to charge a battery of the UAV with power supplied by the plurality of solar cells.

26. The kit of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a thickness of less than 70 microns.

27. The kit of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a thickness of between 12 microns and 70 microns.

28. The kit of claim 21, wherein the plurality of solar cells is incorporated into at least one flexible solar sheet.

29. The kit of claim 28, wherein the at least one flexible solar sheet has a specific power of between about 100 W/kg and about 2500 W/kg.

30. The kit of claim 28, wherein the at least one flexible solar sheet has a specific power of between about 400 W/kg and about 1200 W/kg.

31. The kit of claim 21, wherein the plurality of solar cells comprises inverted metamorphic solar cells.

32. The kit of claim 21, wherein the plurality of solar cells comprises solar cells produced using an epitaxial lift-off process.

33. The kit of claim 21, wherein the plurality of solar cells comprises inverted metamorphic solar cells produced using an epitaxial lift-off process.

34. The kit of claim 21, wherein the surface of at least a portion of a battery-powered UAV is disposed at least partially on a fuselage of the UAV.

35. The kit of claim 21, wherein the kit is configured to retrofit a previously-produced UAV.

36. The kit of claim 21, wherein the kit is configured for upgrading a UAV during production.

37. The kit of claim 21, wherein the kit is configured to improve an endurance of the UAV by at least 50% as compared with an endurance of the UAV without the solar power source.

38. The kit of claim 21, wherein the kit is configured to increase an endurance of the UAV by at least 100% as compared with an endurance of the UAV without the solar power source.

39. The kit of claim 21, wherein the kit is configured to provide between 40% and 99% of the average power consumed by the UAV during use.

40. The kit of claim 21, wherein the kit is configured to provide between 50% and 99% of the average power consumed by the UAV during use.

41. The kit of claim 21, wherein the kit is configured for installation in a small UAV.

42. A method of increasing an endurance of a battery-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

providing a component of a UAV, the component including a plurality of solar cells, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a specific power of 1000-3000 W/kg;

providing 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 a UAV;

installing the component in a UAV; and

connecting the power conditioning system with the electrical system of the UAV.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the component is at least a portion of a wing.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein installing the component in the UAV comprising replacing a previously-produced component in a previously-produced UAV with the provided component.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein installing the component in the UAV occurs during manufacturing of the UAV.

46. A method of increasing an endurance of a battery-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

attaching a plurality of solar cells to a surface of a battery-powered UAV, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a specific power of 1000-3000 W/kg;

providing 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; and

connecting the power conditioning system with the electrical system of the UAV.

47. The method of claim 46, attaching a plurality of solar cells to a surface of at least a portion of a battery-powered UAV comprises attaching the plurality of solar cells to a surface of a wing of the UAV.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein attaching a plurality of solar cells to a surface of at least a portion of a battery-powered UAV comprises attaching the plurality of solar cells to a surface of at least a portion of a previously-produced battery-powered UAV.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein attaching a plurality of solar cells to a surface of at least a portion of a battery-powered UAV occurs during initial production of the battery-powered UAV.