Towards Solar-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Improved Flight Performance

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have applications in military, reconnaissance, disaster management, communication support, geographical survey and photography among others. Their use in everyday life is increasing. A common shortcoming of UAV is limited endurance. Most UAVs make use of conventional fuel for their propulsion as well as for powering on-board equipment. Relative to the size of these UAVs, the amount of fuel they can carry limits their endurance. Hence, there is a need for alternative ways to enhance their endurance as well to free the environment from pollutants. Sub-Saharan Africa is endowed with abundant solar radiation in which solar-powered UAVs have the potential to achieve optimum flight performance. Therefore, this paper is focused on providing insight on the prospects of using a solar-powered UAV in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve optimum flight performance.