Solar Airplane Team 2022-2023

Many important industries are pushing to decarbonize amid worsening climate change, and aviation should not be an exception. While battery powered drones have recently undergone a dramatic increase in non-recreational roles, the biggest limitation to their practicality is their low endurance. The Solar Airplane project started at OSU to explore and demonstrate the feasibility of transforming a commercially available remote-controlled motor–glider into a long endurance, solar powered drone. The objective of the project was to extend the flight of the aircraft to two hours past its off-the-shelf endurance. The project was divided into three key tasks: 1) Solar power system design and installation with a focus on minimizing weight and airfoil disruption, as well as maximizing area coverage and efficient energy generation, 2) Design of a propulsion system including a custom propeller for maximizing efficiency in steady level flight as opposed to the rapid climbing of motor-gliders, 3) Implementation of an autopilot to facilitate long endurance flight. The final test flight which occurred in February 2023 ended in a crash, but with a record endurance of 37 minutes. Analyzing the battery charge state and considering a mathematical model indicated that a two-hour endurance could be surpassed in June (a time of higher solar irradiance). It can be concluded that incorporation of solar power generation dramatically improves the endurance of commercially available motor-gliders. The OSU Solar Airplane Team will continue for a second year with a 12-hour endurance goal.