Flare - A solar powered plane

Flare - A solar powered plane: On its construction and control

Cromjongh, Casper (TU Delft Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)
Rietveld, Jasper (TU Delft Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)

Isabella, Olindo (mentor)
Popov, Marjan (graduation committee)
Chandra Mouli, Gautham Ram (mentor)
Bastemeijer, Jeroen (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

2019-07-03

This BSc Thesis is about the construction and control elements of the airplane group of the Solar Drone project. The project aims to improve the flight time of aerial vehicles, using solar energy. This document is delves into the possibility of applying solar cells to small model aircrafts. It outlines the challenges and solutions involved in building and controlling such a system. A ready-available airframe and fitting components will be used, in combination with a custom photo-voltaic and energy system, to create a prototype. The prototype takes the form of an unmanned aerial vehicle, making it capable of extended flights without requiring extensive monitoring. It will serve as a testing platform for the performance of the PV modifications done to the aircraft.

Included in this document are simulations for calculating optimal solar panel placement inside a transparent wing with opaque ribs, in addition to software and hardware modifications that were required to make the other systems work well in combination with the custom energy system.

Solar
PV
RC plane
UAV
airplane
control
construction

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:973af1a6-7410-44e1-b8c9-7f482a985dbe

Student theses

bachelor thesis

© 2019 Casper Cromjongh, Jasper Rietveld