Solar powered airship-challenge and chance

Author

Knaupp, Werner ; Schäfer, Ingolf

Author_Institution

Zentrum fur Sonnenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung, Stuttgart, Germany

fYear

1993

fDate

10-14 May 1993

Firstpage

1314

Lastpage

1319

Abstract

In this project the total new construction of a small ultra lightweight solar powered airship was realized within 16 months. The objective was to demonstrate the feasibility and with that to show one possible ecological alternative within some areas of air traffic. Several technical challenges had to be overcome. A high efficient lightweight photovoltaic generator with foil modules of crystalline silicon cells could be realized and examined regarding the behaviour under various mechanical load conditions. The static and dynamic load tests at the photovoltaic modules are very promising regarding the application of lightweight crystalline silicon foil modules on bent and flexible surfaces. This offers the chance to develop new application areas for photovoltaics, not least for the development of a zero emission transport system or vehicle

Keywords

aerospace propulsion; aircraft; elemental semiconductors; foils; project engineering; silicon; solar cell arrays; solar cells; Si; air traffic; application; bent surfaces; construction; crystalline semiconductor; development; feasibility; flexible surfaces; foil modules; photovoltaic generator; project; solar cell array; solar powered airship; ultra lightweight; zero emission transport system; Cameras; Crystallization; Photovoltaic systems; Pressure control; Silicon; Solar power generation; Teamwork; Testing; Vehicle dynamics; Vehicles;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1993., Conference Record of the Twenty Third IEEE

Conference_Location

Louisville, KY

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1220-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1993.346929

Filename

346929