Design and development of solar powered glider - part b

The technological enhancements of photovoltaic cells sparks new ideas for solar panel applications, from household power supplies, to solar powered ground vehicles as well as solar unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This project aims to build a solar UAV, and perform in-flight data logging to obtain experimental results in order to deduce the possibilities of self-sustaining flight. This student project focuses on planning the solar panel layout to be mounted on a commercial-off-the-shelf UAV, the fabrication of solar cells as well as integrating the solar cell wiring connections onto the UAV. The UAV electrical components are to be planned in order to meet power and weight requirements for flight worthiness. The project also aims to produce the best possible solution for fabrication of solar panels, limited by the lack of precise machinery for the encapsulation process. In additional, in-flight telemetry and various sensors are to be integrated into the UAV fuselage and wired into the electrical system to provide live data for optimal flight and data to be analysed to better evaluate solar panel efficiency and power consumption during the various phases of flight.Bachelor of Engineering (Aerospace Engineering