In-Flight Solar Radiation Intensity Measurement Using a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Abstract

Recently, the Small Low-Altitude Long Endurance (LALE) solar-powered aircraft gained significant attention in the community. A reliable mathematical model of the aircraft and solar radiation should be available to design such a plane. This paper addresses the problem of measuring solar radiation in flight and validating its model. The configuration of the measurement system was described in detail. Moreover, the Multiplex Funcub NG was used as the intermediate research platform. The results of flight tests in two different geographic locations in Poland confirmed that the proposed models allow for the precise prediction of the amount of harvested energy. The maximum solar radiation intensity measured in September at around noon was 829,3 W/m². Achieving perpetual flight functionality is possible in these conditions, provided that the aircraft has very low power consumption and a high wing aspect ratio. The obtained data can be used in the design process of the AZ-5 solar-powered plane.