Publication

Technology and Manufacturing of Ultralight Micro Air Vehicles

2009
Book Chapters

Abstract

Recent advances in Micro Air Vehicles have produced impressive results for platform weighing below 50 g. The lightest platforms to take flight with a minimum of functionality are below 0.5 g, but researchers dream of flying at insect size. However many difficulties occur when scaling down existing technologies. Aerodynamic laws equate to decreased efficiency at smaller sizes and hence more power per weight is required. Current energy storage technologies do not have the required capacity and power-trains are no longer efficient enough. Construction is difficult due to small size and low weight requirements. This chapter surveys the status of current technology and its prospects in miniaturization, and shows several examples to illustrate the state of the art and the difficulties in reaching ever-smaller platform sizes.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/82d637de-ac9d-4664-ae02-3f1be2546e2a

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2009
Book Chapters

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/82d637de-ac9d-4664-ae02-3f1be2546e2a

About this result

Related concepts (32)

Energy storage

Energy storage is the capture of energy produced at one time for use at a later time to reduce imbalances between energy demand and energy production. A device that stores energy is generally called an accumulator or battery. Energy comes in multiple forms including radiation, chemical, gravitational potential, electrical potential, electricity, elevated temperature, latent heat and kinetic. Energy storage involves converting energy from forms that are difficult to store to more conveniently or economically storable forms.

Compressed-air energy storage

Compressed-air energy storage (CAES) is a way to store energy for later use using compressed air. At a utility scale, energy generated during periods of low demand can be released during peak load periods. The first utility-scale CAES project has been built in Huntorf, Germany, and is still operational. The Huntorf plant was initially developed as a load balancer for fossil fuel-generated electricity, the global shift towards renewable energy renewed interest in CAES systems, to help highly intermittent energy sources like photovoltaics and wind satisfy fluctuating electricity demands.

Grid energy storage

Grid energy storage (also called large-scale energy storage) is a collection of methods used for energy storage on a large scale within an electrical power grid. Electrical energy is stored during times when electricity is plentiful and inexpensive (especially from intermittent power sources such as renewable electricity from wind power, tidal power and solar power) or when demand is low, and later returned to the grid when demand is high, and electricity prices tend to be higher.

Related publications (9)

Technology and Manufacturing of Ultralight Micro Air Vehicles

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