Method for controlling solar panels in a solar propelled aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9796478-B2
Application number	US-201615292563-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2016
Priority date	May 3, 2013
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A method of controlling solar panels in a solar propelled aircraft which has a wing having solar cell modules mounted therein. The solar propelled aircraft includes: first solar cell modules which are positioned in a main wing or a tail wing of the aircraft and receive solar energy directly from the sun; second solar cell modules which are positioned in a main wing or a tail wing of the aircraft and supplied with directed energy from the earth; and rotating shafts which rotate the first solar cell modules and the second solar cell modules so that the first solar cell modules and the second solar cell modules correspond to each other in both directions. The first solar cell module at the upper surface obtains solar energy from the sun, and the second solar cell module at the lower surface obtains directed energy transferred from the earth.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling solar panels in a solar propelled aircraft comprising:
a first panel and a second panel each having a first planar surface and a second planar surface, wherein the first planar surface of each panel is parallel and opposite to the second planar surface of each panel;
a first solar cell module which is positioned in a main wing or a tail wing of the aircraft, disposed on the first planar surface of the first panel, and receives solar energy directly from the sun;
a second solar cell module which is positioned in the main wing or the tail wing of the aircraft, disposed on the second planar surface of the second panel, and supplied with directed energy from a directed energy supply apparatus;
and a rotating shaft which is located between and connected to the first and second panels, wherein the rotating shaft is rotated by a controller so that the first and second panels are rotated by the rotating shaft, wherein the second planar surface of the first panel is directly connected to the rotating shaft, wherein the first planar surface of the second panel is directly connected to the rotating shaft, and wherein the second planar surface of the first panel and the first planar surface of the second panel are parallel to and face each other,
the method comprising:
rotating the rotating shaft using the controller to position the first and second solar cell modules in accordance with a position of the sun or the directed energy supply apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solar propelled aircraft includes a GPS which confirms its own position, a sensor which confirms a position of the sun, and a communication component which locates a position of a base station which transfers the directed energy.

3. A method of controlling solar cell modules in a solar propelled aircraft comprising:
a plurality of solar cell modules, each solar cell module comprising:
a first substrate and a second substrate each having a first planar surface and a second planar surface, wherein the first planar surface of each substrate is parallel and opposite to the second planar surface of each substrate;
a first solar cell panel which is positioned in a main wing or a tail wing of the aircraft, disposed on the first planar surface of the first substrate, and receives solar energy directly from the sun;
a second solar cell panel which is positioned in the main wing or the tail wing of the aircraft, disposed on the second planar surface of the second substrate, and supplied with directed energy from a directed energy supply apparatus;
and a rotating shaft which is located between and connected to the first and second substrates, wherein the rotating shaft is rotated by a controller so that the first and second substrates are rotated by the rotating shaft, wherein the second planar surface of the first substrate is directly connected to the rotating shaft, wherein the first planar surface of the second substrate is directly connected to the rotating shaft, and wherein the second planar surface of the first substrate and the first planar surface of the second substrate are parallel to and face each other,

the method comprising:
independently rotating each rotating shaft using the controller to position each solar cell module in accordance with a position of the sun or the directed energy supply apparatus.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the solar propelled aircraft includes a GPS which confirms its own position, a sensor which confirms a position of the sun, and a communication component which locates a position of a base station which transfers the directed energy.

5. A method of controlling solar panels in an energy supply system for an aircraft, the energy supply system comprising:
a solar propelled aircraft and a directed energy supply apparatus located on a ground lower than a flying altitude of the aircraft, wherein the solar propelled aircraft comprises:
a first panel and a second panel each having a first planar surface and a second planar surface, wherein the first planar surface of each panel is parallel and opposite to the second planar surface of each panel;
a first solar cell module which is positioned in a main wing or a tail wing of the aircraft, disposed on the first planar surface of the first panel, and receives solar energy directly from the sun;
a second solar cell module which is positioned in the main wing or the tail wing of the aircraft, disposed on the second planar surface of the second panel, and supplied with directed energy from the directed energy supply apparatus;
and a rotating shaft which is located between and connected to the first and second panels, wherein the rotating shaft is rotated by a controller so that the first and second panels are rotated by the rotating shaft, wherein the second planar surface of the first panel is directly connected to the rotating shaft, wherein the first planar surface of the second panel is directly connected to the rotating shaft, and wherein the second planar surface of the first panel and the first planar surface of the second panel are parallel to and face each other,
the method comprising:
rotating the rotating shaft using the controller to position the first and second solar cell modules in accordance with a position of the sun or the directed energy supply apparatus.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the solar propelled aircraft includes a GPS which confirms its own position, a sensor which confirms a position of the sun, and a communication component which locates a position of a base station which transfers the directed energy.

Assignees

• Korea Aerospace Res Inst

Inventors

• Ahn Hyo Jung

Classifications

• B64U50/31

  generated by photovoltaics · CPC title

• B64D27/353

  using solar cells · CPC title

• B64D31/00 Primary

  Power plant control systems; Arrangement of power plant control systems in aircraft · CPC title

• B64D31/06

  actuated automatically · CPC title

• H02S10/40

  Mobile PV generator systems · CPC title