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Solar-powered aircraft - do they have a future?

Solar-powered aircraft - do they have a future?
The idea of ​​using solar energy to propel vehicles has always excited the minds of inventors and designers. And airplanes are no exception. For those who are interested in the development of the global aviation industry, a truly historic achievement of mankind is still fresh in their memory - the round-the-world flight of the Solar Impulse 2 apparatus, which traveled 42 thousand km on solar batteries and set 19 world-class records. However, besides this aircraft, which has become legendary, there are other aircraft that used and use solar energy today no less efficiently.


Solar Challenger


Particularly active interest in the development of aircraft powered by solar energy began to manifest itself in the 80s of the last century. A team of US enthusiasts led by Paul McCready developed the Solar Challenger project and made it a reality. The American inventor gained fame back in 1977, when he managed to lift an aircraft into the air due to the exclusively muscular strength of a person. Now he and a team of like-minded people have designed the Solar Challenger, the main technical data of which are:

  • ? engine power - 2500 W
  • ? number of solar cells - 16128 units
  • ? average (cruising) speed - 48 km / h
  • ? ceiling - 3700 m
  • ? wingspan - 14,3 m
  • ? weight - 95 kg


The "solar" plane was lifted into the sky by pilot Steven Ptacek in 1981. Takeoff took place from a small airfield near the French capital. The aircraft flew 258 km, crossing the English Channel and landing at a military base in the UK (Kent).

Solar Challenger in 1981 - heading for the English Channel! Photo: YouTube. com


Sunseeker Duo


Eric Raymond, who leads the Solar Flight team, is no stranger to developing solar-powered aircraft. He already has experience in creating Sunseeker I (1990) and 6 years later - Sunseeker II (translated as "sun hunter"). In 2012, the construction of the third interpretation of the aircraft began. A year and a half later, the car was already tested in real conditions. But first, the device was tested like an ordinary glider. Accumulators, batteries, engines were tested separately. Then the flight took place with partial use of the installed motor. Even when it was turned on, there was such silence in the cockpit that it was possible to talk without a headset. The plane, despite the huge wings, was capable of even some simple aerobatics, which indicates its good handling. During the construction of the apparatus, composite materials were used, which reduced the weight of the machine.

The implementation of the project took several hundred thousand "green".


The way of flying is special. The glider gains altitude, reaching maximum speed, and then slowly descends, charging the batteries along the way. The designer claims that two people can fly on the device for 12 hours. Main technical parameters:

  • ? number of batteries - 72 pieces
  • ? electric motor power - 20 kW (peak 25 kW)
  • ? onboard voltage - 300 volts
  • ? number of solar cells - 1510 units (generate 5 kW)
  • ? maximum speed (during planning) - 160 km / h
  • ? wingspan - 22 m


The aircraft, often referred to as a glider (a light aircraft with special qualities), has made successful flights in the Swiss Alps, Slovenia, Spain and over the Dolomites in Australia.

The Sunseeker Duo is also capable of aerobatics. Photo: YouTube. com


Zephyr Solar Plane


This is a "drone" built by Airbus. The first copies appeared back in 2003 by order of the British Defense Department. The device was constantly improved and in 2010 the new model Zephyr 7 set the official record for the duration of stay in the air - 14 days 22 minutes. and 8 sec. The manufacturer stated that theoretically the flight time could "stretch" for several months.

Zephyr confidently gaining altitude. Photo: YouTube. com


In 2018, the Zephyr S aircraft, which is powered exclusively by solar energy, updated the record. The use of GaAs panels from MicroLink Devices and lithium-ion batteries allowed the device to stay in the air for 25 days, 23 hours and 57 minutes. Some technical characteristics of Zephyr S:

  • ? ceiling - 21 thousand 562 m
  • ? cruising speed - 56 km / h
  • ? wingspan - 28 m
  • ? weight - 53 kg (of which batteries account for 24 kg)
  • ? payload - 5 kg


The ability of the device to be in the air due to solar energy for several months prompted the Airbus management to call their offspring a “pseudo-satellite”.

Odysseus Solar Plane


The same can be said about this UAV. It impresses with its ability to stay in the sky for at least five (!) years. The device, called a "pseudo-satellite" (HAPS, which stands for high-altitude pseudo-satellite), was designed by Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing. According to the head of the organization, Langford, the creation of such an aircraft will help solve the problem of atmospheric pollution, and at the moment it is an "ideal platform" for scientific research. In addition, the ability of the device to stay in the air for a long time makes it attractive in terms of being used as an intermediary for communication. Such an aircraft costs much less than a space satellite. The aircraft began to be built in 2018. The Odysseus Solar Plane made its first flight in 2019. The test turned out to be successful. Some Odysseus Solar Plane data:

  • ? wingspan - 74 m
  • ? length - almost 150 m
  • ? weight of transported cargo - up to 25 kg
  • ? ceiling - up to 27 thousand m
  • ? declared speed - 225 km / h
  • ? "Excess" energy that can be used to power the installed equipment - 250 W


Carbon fiber trusses were used to make the wings and hull. They were covered with Tedlar protective material. Solar panels are lightweight. There is very little information about other parameters of the device in the public domain, which suggests that the aircraft can also be used for military purposes.

Above the clouds, nothing prevents the batteries from being charged by solar energy. Photo: YouTube. com


Solar Impulse 2


And, finally, about the record holder - the Swiss project. When it was first developed, it was called science fiction: flying around the Earth without a drop of fuel was considered an unthinkable idea. However, it has been implemented. Why does the aircraft have the index "2"? The first model was also and made a test flight in 2009. However, it could stay in the air for no more than 36 hours and was suitable for an ambitious flight.

Solar Impulse is preparing for a world record. Photo: YouTube. com


Solar Impulse 2 is a private project that has nothing to do with the aviation industry. The investment amounted to $150 million. At the same time, more than 80 companies played the role of sponsors, including such as Google and the Swiss watchmaker Omega. By the way, the aircraft industry generally stated that they did not have the technology to implement the project.


Route


It consisted of twelve segments. Stops were planned in China, India, the USA and Africa. However, the flight from Nanjing to the Hawaiian Islands was interrupted due to bad weather and the plane had to land in Nagoya (Japan). As a result, the number of segments of the path increased. However, it was this flight of the Land of the Rising Sun to Hawaii that lasted 5 days, during which the device covered 8 thousand km, became the longest. Today, this is an absolute record for the duration of a human flight in a solar-powered aircraft, which was set by the organizer of the project, and “part-time” and pilot, Andre Borschberg. Features of Solar Impulse 2:

  • ? wingspan - 72 m
  • ? number of solar cells - 17 thousand 248 pieces
  • ? engines - 4 motors with a capacity of 17,5 liters. With.
  • ? ceiling - 12 thousand m
  • ? cruising speed - 140 km / h
  • ? weight - 2,3 t


The flight was supported by a special ground-based Center, similar to the Russian Mission Control Center, monitoring the spacecraft.


The aircraft control equipment is the most modern. Photo: YouTube. com


Prospects


It is interesting to hear the opinion of the project manager and pilot Andre Borshberg on this matter. He believes that it is premature to talk about the widespread use of such devices. The Solar Impulse project proves that alternative energy sources can be used for a variety of purposes. And in this regard, humanity is still ahead. This is evidenced by the current status of the aircraft: it was bought by Skydweller and made into a laboratory for scientific experiments.

Author:

Photos used: https://youtube.com

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