Abstract Development prospects of electric power systems for aeronautic complexes

Аuthors

Ivlev A. N.

Aeronautical test center of troop unit of 15650, Volsk, Saratov region, troop unit of 15650-10, 412913, Russia

e-mail: alex_iv.74@mail.ru

Abstract

A problem of on-board equipment electric power supply always arises during prospective aeronautical complexes design. Judicious and justified selection of electric power system contributes to substantial time saving during design and realization of new airship.

Validation of electric power system type selection for aeronautical complexes, based on automated aerostats or unmanned airships, is generally carried out by expert analysis main mass-energy characteristics of power sources. Basis of such comparison and selection of optimal electric power system is relied on the condition of maximum values of energy performances with minimum weight and costs.

Prospective aeronautical complex assigned missionsuccess requires high altitude and flight duration, as well as heavy payload weight. Prolonged flight duration requires protracted operating time of on-board equipment and purpose-oriented payload. The necessity of new types of electric power systems application onboard prospective aeronautical complexes stems from the fact that these complexes will include aerostatic aircrafts utilizing carrying gas heating. This heating is performed by thermodynamic processes in enclosed gas volume using a heat source, heated by chemical-electric method.

Due to poser sources, small storage capacity present-day electric power systems cannot provide required flight duration and power loading of an aerostatic aircraft.

Moreover, increasing the number of power sources certainly leads to addition to flight weight and correspondingly to payload weight reduction. Prevailing conflict resolution is provided with prospective electric on-board power systems application, and in particular such systems that can maintain on-board equipment operation of an aerostatic aircraft, as well as operation of purpose-oriented payload. These systems should have, herewith, improved energy characteristics and light load.

Prospective aeronautical complex assigned mission

We carried out analysis of main mass-energy criterions of power sources for aeronautical complexes electric power systems in comparison with home-produced chemical current sources, as well as prospective electrochemical generators and photovoltaic power systems.

The results of the analysis show:

1. Chemical current sources, namely batteries, do not meet the requirements imposed by prospective aeronautical complexes power systems, due to low energy characteristics and heavy load. In addition, for extended operation at altitudes higher than 16 kilometers chemical current sources need heat insulation by way of water heat storages. Implementation of heat insulation leads to 30% increase in electric power system weight, which is limited by payload weight and mass balance of an airship.

2. Electrochemical generators to a certain extent meet the requirements to aeronautical complexes energy characteristics and operational capacity. However, we need to allocate a stock of fuel cells (reagents) that also results in unacceptable increase in weight of electric power system. Thus, it imposes the same limitations as chemical current sources.

3. Photovoltaic system is best suited as a basis for prospective aeronautical complexes electric power system. Photovoltaic systems, namely solar batteries, enable electric power generation directly from Solar light energy. It compares favorably with energy characteristics, high-altitude flight capability and relatively low weight. To provide on-board equipment operation in the nighttime the photovoltaic system includes battery charge-discharge controller, as well as batteries themselves. It, somehow, burdens the whole system. However, due to implementation of thin-film solar batteries the total weight of the system is not very high.

Thus, the possibility to generate electric power almost in every point of the Globe, stability of performances, high reliability, and long service life without maintenance in all climatic zones combined with absence of give-away factors include photovoltaic power system among prospective electric power sources. Photovoltaic power system combined with batteries offers necessary and sufficient electric power system for prospective aeronautical complex.

Keywords:

airship, automated aerostat, unmanned airship, electric power system, autonomous power sources

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