Abstract
This chapter discusses the generation of power and energy management (and harvesting) for unmanned aircraft. Implications for design as well as operation are discussed. Range and endurance for combustion-powered aircraft are compared with battery/electric aircraft; some design bounds for photovoltaic powered aircraft are described; and fuel cell powered aircraft are briefly discussed. Operationally, computation of energy-optimal flight speeds is described, and Monte Carlo simulations showing the utility of optimal flight speeds for small tactical unmanned aircraft are described. Finally, energy harvesting via autonomous soaring is presented.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Encyclopedia of Aerospace Engineering |
| Publisher | wiley |
| Pages | 1-20 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780470686652 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780470754405 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2010 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Engineering
