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

• US 9,650,148 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MicroLink Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MicroLink Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Chan, Raymond, Wibowo, Andree, Osowski, Mark, Youtsey, Christopher, McCallum, David, Pan, Noren, Miyamoto, Haruki
• Primary Examiner(s): DEBERADINIS, ROBERT L
• Application Number:
  US15/131,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20170015430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 307 43, 307150
• 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: 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 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 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. Another 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.

Claims

1. A solar sheet configured for installation on a surface of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or on a surface of a component of a UAV, the solar sheet comprising:

a plurality of solar cells each having a specific power in a range of 1000-4500 W/kg under air mass coefficient 1.5 (AM1.5) light or a specific power in a range of 1270-5680 W/kg under AM0 light; and

a polymer layer to which the plurality of solar cells is attached.

2. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells has a specific power in a range of 1500-4500 W/kg under AM1.5 or a specific power in a range of 1870-5680 W/kg under AM0.

3. The solar sheet of claim 2, 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.

4. The solar sheet of claim 3, 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.

5. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein the solar sheet has a specific power in a range of 400-2350 W/kg under AM1.5 or in a range of 510-3000 W/kg under AM0.

6. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein the 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.

7. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein the 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.

8. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein the solar sheet is configured to be attached to a wing.

9. The solar sheet 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.

10. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein the solar sheet has an areal power in a range of 200-330 W/m² under AM1.5 or an areal power in a range of 260-410 W/m² under AM0.

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

12. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein the solar sheet has an areal mass in a range of 120-570 g/m².

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

14. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein the solar sheet is a flexible solar sheet.

15. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer has a thickness in a range of 15 microns to 30 microns.

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

17. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells includes a metal backing layer.

18. The solar sheet of claim 17, wherein the metal backing layer has a thickness in a range of 2 to 30 microns.

19. The solar sheet of claim 18, wherein the metal backing layer has a thickness in a range of 2 to 15 microns.

20. The solar sheet of claim 1, further comprising a first adhesive layer configured to attach the solar sheet to a component of a UAV.

21. The solar sheet of claim 20, wherein the first adhesive layer is in contact with a bottom surface of each solar cell in the plurality of solar cells.

22. The solar sheet of claim 20, wherein the first adhesive layer has a thickness in a range of 8 microns to 15 microns.

23. The solar sheet of claim 20, wherein the first adhesive layer includes a plurality of cutouts, each of the plurality of cutouts corresponding to a position of a corresponding solar cell in the plurality of solar cells.

24. The solar sheet of claim 20, further comprising a second adhesive layer that attaches the plurality of solar cells to the polymer layer.

25. The solar sheet of claim 24, wherein the second adhesive layer has a thickness in a range of 8 microns to 15 microns.

26. The solar sheet of claim 1, further comprising a first adhesive layer in contact with a bottom surface of each solar cell in the plurality of solar cells.

27. The solar sheet of claim 26, further comprising a second polymer sheet attached to the plurality of solar cells by the first adhesive layer.

28. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of solar cells is an inverted metamorphic triple-junction solar cell.

29. The solar sheet of claim 28, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells comprises:

a top subcell including an AlInGaP layer;

a middle subcell including a GaAs layer;

a bottom subcell including an InGaAs layer; and

a metal backing layer in direct contact with the bottom subcell.

30. The solar sheet of claim 28, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells comprises:

a top subcell including an InGaP layer;

a middle subcell including a GaAs layer;

a bottom subcell including an InGaAs layer; and

a metal backing layer in direct contact with the bottom subcell.

31. The solar sheet of claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of solar cells is formed by an epitaxial lift off process.

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

providing a component of a UAV, the component including a plurality of solar cells, 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;

installing the component in a UAV; and

connecting a power conditioning system with an electrical system of the UAV, wherein the power conditioning system is 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 the electrical system of the UAV.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the component is at least a portion of a wing.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein installing the component in the UAV comprising replacing a previously-produced component in a previously-produced UAV with the provided component.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein installing the component in the UAV occurs during manufacturing of the UAV.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising providing the power conditioning system configured to operate the plurality of solar cells within the desired power range and configured to provide power in the form of a voltage compatible with the electrical system of the UAV.

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

attaching a plurality of solar cells to 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) spectrum light or a specific power in a range of 1870-5680 W/kg under AM0; and

connecting a power conditioning system with an electrical system of the UAV, wherein the power conditioning system is 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 the electrical system of the UAV.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein attaching the plurality of solar cells to the surface of at least a portion of the battery-powered or fuel cell powered UAV comprises attaching the plurality of solar cells to a surface of a wing of the UAV.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein attaching the plurality of solar cells to the surface of at least a portion of the battery-powered or fuel cell powered UAV comprises attaching the plurality of solar cells to a surface of at least a portion of a previously-produced battery-powered or fuel cell powered UAV.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein attaching the plurality of solar cells to the surface of at least a portion of the battery-powered or fuel cell powered UAV occurs during initial production of the battery-powered or fuel cell powered UAV.

41. The method of claim 37, further comprising providing the power conditioning system configured to operate the plurality of solar cells within the desired power range and configured to provide power in the form of a voltage compatible with the electrical system of the UAV.