Experimental Evaluation of UAV Energy Management Using Solar Panels and Battery Systems

Solar-electric propulsion offers a practical way to lengthen the endurance of small fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles while removing the noise, emissions, and upkeep that come with combustion engines. This work describes and tests a lightweight platform that couples a flexible thin-film photovoltaic array, a high-efficiency power-tracking controller, and a lithium–polymer battery to an electric brushless drivetrain. A ground-based flight emulator reproducing steady cruise allows continuous logging of the electrical flows between panel, battery, and motor. The results show that the solar subsystem can sustain most of the cruise demand, so the battery is called on only sparingly and is even able to recharge when sunlight is higher than a specific threshold. This balance translates into a clear endurance gain without upsetting the aircraft’s weight or handling.