• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2019

This paper elaborates on the directional axis guidance and control algorithm used in mission flight for high altitude long endurance UAV. First, the directional axis control algorithm is designed to modify the control variable such that a strong headwind prevents the UAV from moving forward. Similarly, the guidance algorithm is designed to operate the respective algorithms for Fly-over, Fly-by, and Hold for way-point flight. The design outcomes of each guidance and control algorithm were confirmed through nonlinear simulation of high altitude long endurance UAV. Finally, the penultimate purpose of this study was to perform an actual mission flight based on the design results. Consequently, flight tests were used to establish the flight controllability of the designed guidance and control algorithm.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.59-66
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• 2011

Recently, an UAV using green energy for propulsion has been developed due to exhaustion of fossil fuel. This aircraft runs on electric motors rather than internal combustion engines, with electricity coming from fuel cells, solar cells, ultracapacitors, and/or batteries. Especially solar cells are installed in HALE UAV and flight tests are performed in the stratosphere. Although the solar powered UAV has the advantage of zero emission, its energy conversion efficiency is low and operation time is limited. Therefore, the solar powered UAV has been designed to operate with the secondary battery obtaining flexibility of energy management. In this study, we suggest the new operational concept of the solar powered UAV using directed-energy rayed from the surface of earth to UAV. An UAV is able to secure additional power through attaching solar cell to the lower surface of elevator. As a result, the additional energy supplied by directed-energy can improve the energy management and operational flexibility of the solar powered UAV.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.468-477
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• 2014

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.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.47-58
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• 2014

In this research, the initial sizing of a HALE(High Altitude Long Endurance) UAV which uses solar power and hydrogen fuel cell as an alternative energy was performed. Instead of a wing box type, a glider type was chosen since it is relatively easy to get a data thanks to many researches abroad. Maximum takeoff weight is around 150Kg and the propulsion system is composed of motor, propeller, solar cell, and hydrogen fuel cell which can be recharged through electrolysis. Maximum takeoff weight was estimated as aspect ratio, wing span, wing area change while considering energy balance of required energy which is necessary for flight during the entire day and available energy which can be taken from the solar cell.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.523-535
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• 2012

Solar powered aircraft are becoming more and more interesting for future long endurance missions at hight altitudes, because they could provide surveillance, earth monitoring, telecommunications, etc. without any atmospheric pollution and hopefully in the near future with competitive costs compared with satellites. However, traditional aircraft sizing methods currently employed in the conceptual design phase are not immediately applicable to solar powered aircraft. Hence, energy balance and constraint analyses were performed to determine how various power system components effect the sizing of a solar powered long endurance aircraft. The primary power system components considered in this study were photovoltaic (PV) modules for power generation and regenerative fuel cells for energy storage. To verify current research results, these new sizing methods were applied to HALE aircraft and results were presented.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.41 no.11
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• pp.908-914
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• 2013

This study has developed a small solar powered UAV and performed its flight tests. In daylight, a solar powered UAV flies by using some of electricity generated from solar cells, and stores the remainder into battery. At night it flies by using electricity from battery. A solar powered UAV should have aerodynamically efficient configurations, light-weight, strong wing and fuselage. Its electric propulsion system and solar power system should also be very efficient. In the present study the solar powered UAV and its solar power system are developed for 12 hour continuous flight and the flight tests are performed to verify its performance. The flight tests performed in fall and winter to prove the present solar powered UAV is successful in four-season 12 hour flight.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.927-934
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• 2011

Design parameter analysis is performed for a solar-powered UAV, storing potential energy by climb flight. Parameters related to the flight for saving potential energy, i.e. minimum & maximum altitudes for level flight, gliding & climbing angle, design point speed & altitude, gliding & climbing start time are investigated as design parameters. Weight and size of the UAV are determined using a weight model for the components of the solar-powered UAVs. Produced energy and consumed energy are calculated using these weight and size, yielding the required weight of the battery for a given mission. Relationship between the total weight of the UAV and each parameter is investigated. For the parameters listed above, there exist their ranges only where the design is possible. And there exist optimal values of these parameters minimizing the total weight.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.393-404
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• 2014

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been applied to not only military missions like surveillance and reconnaissance but also commercial missions like meteorological observation, aerial photograph, communication relay, internet network build and disaster observation. Fuel cells make UAVs eco-friendly by using hydrogen. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) show low operation temperature, high efficiency, low noise and high energy density and those characterisitcs are well fitted with UAVs. Thus Fuel cell based UAVs have been actively developed in the world. Recently, fuel cell UAVs have started to develope for high altitude UAVs because target altitude of UAVs is expanded upto stratosphere altitude. Long endurance of UAVs is essential to improve effects of the missions. Improvement of UAV endurance time could be fulfilled by developing a hydrogen fuel storage system with high energy density and reducing the weight of UAVs. In this paper, research trend and analysis of fuel cell UAVs are introduced in terms of their altitude and endurance time and then the prospect of fuel cell UAVs are shown.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 2015

태양광 고고도 장기체공형 무인기나 인간동력 항공기 등에 사용되는 높은 종횡비를 가진 유연날개는 공력 및 구조 상호작용으로 인하여, 구조적 비선형 처짐 및 양력감소 등의 문제가 발생한다. 본 연구에서는 저속 비행하는 높은 종횡비를 가진 날개의 단방향 공력-구조 연계해석을 수행하였다. XFOIL을 사용하여 공력천이현상을 포함한 저 레이놀즈수 익형 공력특성 자료 확보를 기반으로 3차원 양력선 이론을 사용하여 공력해석 연구를 수행했다. 구조해석은 상용소프트웨어 ANSYS를 사용하여 구조변형이나 응력해석 연구를 수행했다. 단방향 공력-구조 연계해석 결과를 바탕으로 인간동력 항공기 주 날개의 형상설계 연구를 수행했다.