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Initial Climb Mission Analysis of a Solar HALE UAV

태양광 고고도 장기체공 무인기의 초기 상승 임무 분석

  • Shin, Kyo-Sic (Department of Aerospace Engineering, Graduate School, Sejong University) ;
  • Hwang, Ho-Yon (Department of Aerospace Engineering, Sejong University) ;
  • Ahn, Jon (Department of Aerospace Engineering, Sejong University)
  • Received : 20140229
  • Accepted : 2014.05.20
  • Published : 2014.06.01

Abstract

In this research, how a solar powered HALE (high altitude long endurance) UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) can climb and reach mission altitude, 18km, starting from the ground using only solar energy. A glider type aircraft was assumed as a baseline configuration which has wing area of $35.98m^2$ and aspect ratio of 25. Configuration parameters, lift and drag coefficients were calculated using OpenVSP and XFLR5 that are NASA open source programs, and climb flights were predicted through energy balance between available energy from solar power and energy necessary for a climb flight. Minimum time climb flight was obtained by minimizing flight velocities at each altitude and total time and total energy consumption to reach the mission altitude were predicted for different take off time. Also, aircraft moving distances due to westerly wind and flight speed were calculated.

본 연구에서는 태양광 고고도 무인항공기가 어떻게 태양광 에너지만을 이용해서 지상에서 이륙, 상승비행을 하여 임무고도인 18 km 지점까지 도달할 수 있는지에 관한 연구를 수행하였다. 주익면적 $35.98m^2$와 가로세로비 25의 글라이더 형태의 항공기가 기준 항공기 형상으로 사용되었다. 미국 나사의 공개 프로그램인 OpenVSP와 XFLR5을 사용하여 형상변수 및 양력계수와 항력계수를 계산하였으며, 태양광으로부터의 가용에너지와 상승비행에 필요한 에너지 균형을 통해 항공기의 상승비행을 예측하였다. 각 고도에서 비행속도를 최소화하여 최소시간 상승비행이 가능하도록 하였고 이륙시간에 따른 임무고도 도달까지의 총소요시간과 소모되는 에너지량을 예측하였다. 또한 편서풍과 비행속도에 의한 항공기의 이동거리를 계산하였다.

Keywords

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  1. Regional Alternative Navigation Using HALE UAV, Pseudolite & Transceiver vol.19, pp.6, 2015, https://doi.org/10.12673/jant.2015.19.6.499