Multifunctional Structure-Battery Materials for Enhanced Performance in Small Unmanned Air Vehicles

Abstract

We have developed a new multifunctional structure battery material that replaces unifunctional structure in a micro-air vehicle (MAV) for the purposes of increasing the flight time endurance. Multiple layers of thin plastic lithiumion bicell battery material were combined with packaging and used as wing-skin in a developmental multifunctional MAV named WASP. This WASP vehicle has successfully demonstrated 107-minutes of continuous flight. Endurance flight time increases of ∼26% are predicted for multifunctional designs using the best available (highest specific energy) battery material as wing-skin.