Design of an Inflight Power Generation and Storage System for Use in UAVs

This paper describes the design of an inflight power generation, management and storage system applicable to Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV). Emerging UAV, drones and other aircraft can use electrical propulsion systems. To extend battery charge and aircraft range, power can be generated from multiple sources during flight including aero-elastic vibrations from gusts and flutter, and bending movements and sunlight. These sources of "free" energy can be summed and used during flight operation. This research will employ the aero-elastic vibrations of the wing that will be captured using motor generator created devices that uses vibrations to generate electricity. Stress flexing piezoelectric devices will be attached at the root of the wing, where the most bending strain occurs. Flexible solar panels are collocated to the top of UAV wing to enhance energy harvesting. These three sources will be summed together to power the propeller of an aircraft. A Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) board is utilized to adjust the input voltage to harvest power from the wing vibration phenomenon and transform this power to supply the voltage requirements of the battery or graphene super-capacitors under load.