• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2012.03a
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• pp.313-318
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• 2012

In the present study, the preliminary study on a small solar-powered RC airplane are performed for the development of a long-endurance solar-powered UAV. Solar energy enables the solar-powered UAV to fly longer or eternally. The solar-powered UAV transfers the solar energy to electric energy and this energy is used for the flight and the battery charge. To increase the flying time, the efficiency of the solar-cell power system must be increased and the required power for flight must be minimized. Hence, the system integration including solar cell and controller, the power system design, and the aerodynamic and structural designs of the UAV is very important. The present study have performed the design, manufacture, and flight test of the small solar-powered UAV for the preliminary study of the long-endurance solar-powered UAV. From this study, the system integration technology of the solar-powered UAV design is established, and the possibility and the issue points for the development of the long-endurance solar-powered UAV are discussed.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.59-66
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• 2011

Recently, an UAV using green energy for propulsion has been developed due to exhaustion of fossil fuel. This aircraft runs on electric motors rather than internal combustion engines, with electricity coming from fuel cells, solar cells, ultracapacitors, and/or batteries. Especially solar cells are installed in HALE UAV and flight tests are performed in the stratosphere. Although the solar powered UAV has the advantage of zero emission, its energy conversion efficiency is low and operation time is limited. Therefore, the solar powered UAV has been designed to operate with the secondary battery obtaining flexibility of energy management. In this study, we suggest the new operational concept of the solar powered UAV using directed-energy rayed from the surface of earth to UAV. An UAV is able to secure additional power through attaching solar cell to the lower surface of elevator. As a result, the additional energy supplied by directed-energy can improve the energy management and operational flexibility of the solar powered UAV.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.41 no.11
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• pp.908-914
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• 2013

This study has developed a small solar powered UAV and performed its flight tests. In daylight, a solar powered UAV flies by using some of electricity generated from solar cells, and stores the remainder into battery. At night it flies by using electricity from battery. A solar powered UAV should have aerodynamically efficient configurations, light-weight, strong wing and fuselage. Its electric propulsion system and solar power system should also be very efficient. In the present study the solar powered UAV and its solar power system are developed for 12 hour continuous flight and the flight tests are performed to verify its performance. The flight tests performed in fall and winter to prove the present solar powered UAV is successful in four-season 12 hour flight.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.433-440
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• 2022

High Altitude Long Endurance(HALE) solar powered UAV is the vehicle that flies for a long time as solar power energy sources. It can be used to replace satellites or provide continuous service because it can perform long-term missions at high altitudes. Due to the property of the mission, it is very important for HALE solar powered UAV to have maximum flight time. It is required for mission performance to fly at high altitudes continuously except a return for temporary maintenance. Therefore mission availability time analysis is a critical factor in the commercialization of HALE solar powered UAV. In this paper, we presented an analytic model and logic for available time analysis based on the design parameters of HALE solar powered UAV. This model can be used to analyze the possibility of applying UAV according to the UAV's mission in concept design before the UAV detail design stage.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.35-43
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• 2017

Research for solar-powered high altitude long endurance(HALE) UAV was conducted by Korea Aerospace Research Institute(KARI), and the EAV-3 with 19.5m wing span was developed. For HALE flight, aircraft should be lightly designed. Especially, airframe structure that accounts for a large portion of the total weight of aircraft should be lightweight. In this paper, development process of airframe structure for solar-powered HALE UAV, EAV-3, is described briefly. Domestic developed T-800 grade CFRP(Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) composite material with high modulus and strength was used to design main load carrying structures. Flightloads analysis that takes into account large structural deformation was carried out. Stress and flutter analyses for airframe structure sizing were conducted. Static strength test for main wing and aircraft ground vibration test were conducted successfully and structural integrity was secured.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.10-17
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• 2023

This paper describes the research and development of a 3.0 m Solar-Powered UAV system for mission flight that is based on the 4.2 m Solar-powered UAV. Both the Solar-Powered UAVs were lightened in weight by applying a composite fuselage and solar charging system. Also, a deep stall landing application and airbag module were installed for usability in mission performance. The flight performance of the Solar-Powered UAV system was verified through flight test. In particular, the 3.0 m Solar-Powered UAV performed continuous flight along the coastline of Jeju Island for 147 km in 3 hours and 50 minutes, and its performance as a mission flight was also confirmed.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.132-138
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• 2016

Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is developing an electric-driven HALE UAV in order to secure system and operational technologies since 2010. Based on the flight tests and design experiences of the previously developed electric-driven UAVs, KARI has designed EAV-3, a solar-powered HALE UAV. EAV-3 weighs 53kg, the structure weight is 22kg, and features a flexible wing of 19.5m in span with the aspect ratio of 17.4. Designing the main wing and empennage of the EAV-3 the amount of the bending due to the flexible wing, 404mm at 1-G flight condition based on T-800 composite material, and side wind effects due to low cruise speed, $V_{cr}=6m/sec$, are carefully considered. Also, unlike the general aircraft there is no center of gravity shift during the flight because of the EAV-3 is the solar-electric driven UAV. Thus, static margin cuts down to 28.4% and center of gravity moves back to 31% of the Mean Aerodynamic Chord (MAC) comparing with the previously designed the EAV-2 and EAV-2H/2H+ to upgrade the flight performance of the EAV-3.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.1-7
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• 2015

In the present study, we conducted the research on the high efficiency propulsion system for the development of long-endurance UAV with an electric propulsion system. For the long endurance UAV, fair aerodynamic characteristics with the high efficiency of the propulsion system is required because the flight power and the duration time of the long-endurance UAV vary greatly depending on the efficiency of the propulsion system. Therefore, in this study, the tracking program which records the performance of motor, propeller was developed because of their wide variation in the efficiency depending on the using condition, and records from the existing flight test program were utilized to check the accuracy of the program we had developed. For the development of future long-endurance solar UAV, we confirmed the applied voltage of motor, the optimal rotation of propeller and the gear ratio of reduction gear in order to get the highest efficiency on the propulsion system at the optimal flying condition.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.927-934
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• 2011

Design parameter analysis is performed for a solar-powered UAV, storing potential energy by climb flight. Parameters related to the flight for saving potential energy, i.e. minimum & maximum altitudes for level flight, gliding & climbing angle, design point speed & altitude, gliding & climbing start time are investigated as design parameters. Weight and size of the UAV are determined using a weight model for the components of the solar-powered UAVs. Produced energy and consumed energy are calculated using these weight and size, yielding the required weight of the battery for a given mission. Relationship between the total weight of the UAV and each parameter is investigated. For the parameters listed above, there exist their ranges only where the design is possible. And there exist optimal values of these parameters minimizing the total weight.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.479-487
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• 2022

This paper presents the control and guidance algorithm of a KAU-SPUAV(Korea Aerospace University - Solar Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) which is designed and developed in Korea Aerospace University. Aerodynamic coefficients are calculated using the vortex-lattice method and applied to the aircraft's six degrees of freedom equation. In addition, the thrust and torque coefficients of the propeller are calculated using the blade element theory. An altitude controller using thrust was used for longitudinal control of KAU-SPUAV to glide efficiently when it comes across the upwind. Also describes wind estimation technic for considering wind effect during flight. Finally, introduce some guidance laws for endurance, mission and coping with strong headwinds and autonomous landing.