What

Alta Devices will introduce the new “Solar for UAV Index” which is designed to assess solar technologies for fixed wing UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) applications. This new index accounts for many of the issues that a designer must consider. Included in the new measurement system are power to weight; properties of the solar cell plus encapsulate; and power to surface area. This new index is needed because the traditional measurement for solar technologies based on conversion efficiency alone is insufficient for applications where weight and flexibility are equally critical. In addition to speaking about this new index at the upcoming Commercial UAV UK Show, Alta Devices is making a whitepaper available at http://www.altadevices.com/applications/unmanned-systems/.

Where

The Commercial UAV Show (October 20-21, 2015)
ExCeL London, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London

When

Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 3:00pm
Seminar Theater 2 “The World’s Most Efficient Solar meets UAV’s”
Presented by Rob Parenti, Technical Marketing Engineer, Alta Devices

Why

Small UAVs and high-altitude, long-endurance UAVs, sometimes referred to as HALE or pseudo-satellites, are increasingly important for many applications ranging from agriculture, surveillance, inspection, communications, and many other civil uses. These all require flight times that can approach days, months, or be unlimited. In order to accomplish these long flight times, batteries installed as the primary power source must be able to be extended and recharged. But this extension needs to come without impairing the aerodynamics. Solar technology is perfect for this, if it meets the required integration, power to weight ratios, conversion efficiency, and energy yield needs. To date, the only standardized metric for solar power has focused on conversion efficiency. Alta Devices’ new proposed index creates a rating system based on a more representative complement of variables that must be considered in choosing a solar technology for these types of applications.