DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF THE MECHANICAL STRUCTURE OF A SOLAR POWERED TRI-COPTER DRONE

This paper presents the design and analysis of a solar-powered Tri-copter drone aimed at enhancing flight duration using perovskite solar cells (PSCs) as the primary energy source.The research investigates the mechanical structure, focusing on reducing weight while maintaining structural integrity under thrust and impact forces.The design integrates PSCs for extended flight time, leveraging their high efficiency (up to 25.6%) compared to traditional silicon-based solar cells.Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is employed to simulate the structural performance of the drone frame and landing stand under various conditions.The study concludes that the proposed design can withstand the operational loads with minimal reinforcements needed in high-stress regions.Future work will explore optimization through active power management systems and autopilot settings to further increase flight endurance.