Integration of Solar Cells in a Composite Wing for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

作为加拿大主要的航空航天供应商，Record Technology & Development（RTD）正在扩大其复合材料制造专业知识。特别是先进的无人机（UAV）的设计将需要设计和制造嵌入其他元件的复合材料部件，例如雷达天线或太阳能电池。复合材料和其他材料的直接界面通常会带来挑战，例如由于弹性变形或热膨胀的不同行为。为了 ** 继续为现有客户群提供服务并拓展新市场，RTD需要在先进复合材料结构的设计和制造方面扩展其专业知识 **。拟议研究项目的直接目标是设计和制造一种结合太阳能电池的复合材料机翼。这种机翼是为一种具有超长飞行耐力的小型无人机设计的，它使用放置在机翼上表面的太阳能电池为其推进系统提供动力，并为机翼内部的电池充电。机翼的后续重量和结构要求是 ** 相对严格的，因为太阳能电池不能适应复合弯曲，即，沿着主轴，例如 ** 由于上表面机翼弯曲和翼展方向机翼弯曲。拟议研究项目的目标是探索不同的方法，并通过制造演示机翼来验证所选设计 **。验证机机翼的适用性将在 ** 结构和飞行试验中进行评估。随后的经验将是非常宝贵的RTD在他们的愿望，扩大 ** 进入市场的小型先进的无人机。预期的客户需求对RTD非常重要。**随后，Record Technology & Development将能够继续成长为一家成功的加拿大 ** 公司，为迅速扩大的全球无人机市场提供服务。

As a major Canadian aerospace supplier, Record Technology & Development (RTD) is expanding its**manufacturing expertise with composites materials. Especially the design of advanced unmanned aerial**vehicles (UAV) will require the design and fabrication of composite parts that have other elements embedded,**for example radar antennas or solar cells. The direct interface of composites and other materials often creates**challenges, for example due to different behaviors in elastic deformation or thermal expansion. In order to**continue to serve its current customer base and expand into new markets, RTD needs to expand its expertise**with the design and fabrication of advanced composite structures.**The immediate objective of the proposed research project is to design and fabricate a composite wing that**incorporates solar cells. The wing is designed for a small unmanned aerial vehicle with an ultra-long flight**endurance that uses solar cells placed on its upper wing surface to power its propulsion system and to charge**batteries that are located inside the wing. The subsequent weight and structural requirements of the wing are**relatively rigorous, since solar cells cannot accommodate compound bending, that is, along to major axes, for**example due to upper- surface wing camber and spanwise wing bending.**The objective of the proposed research project is to explore different approaches and validate a chosen design**with the fabrication of a demonstrator wing. The suitability of the demonstrator wing will be assessed in**structural and flight tests. The subsequent experience will be invaluable for RTD in their aspirations to expand**into the market of small advanced UAVs. The anticipated customer demand is significant for RTD.**Subsequently, Record Technology & Development will be able to continue to grow as a successful Canadian**company that serves a rapidly expanding worldwide market of unmanned aerial vehicles.