关键词: 太阳能无人机, 航迹优化, 太阳能电池, 储能电池, 高斯伪谱法

Abstract: In order to enhance the flight performance and load capacity of high-altitude solar-powered UAV, a three-dimensional optimal path planning model that examines the interaction between flight status, energy acquisition, storage, and consumption was established. The Gauss pseudo-spectral method was employed to transform the optimal control problem into a nonlinear programming problem through approximating the state variables and control variables on discrete points and satisfying the constraints of dynamic equations on a set of collocation points. Then optimization and simulation were carried out for a typical point-to-point mission and the optimum path was compared with current constant-altitude constant-velocity path. The results indicate that appropriate changes of flight attitude angle increase the net energy of solar-powered UAV by 9.2%. By comprehensive utilization of changing flight attitude angle and flight altitude, the proposed optimum path brings more energy profits, which improves the battery pack final state of charge by 18.8%.

Key words: solar-powered UAV, optimal path planning, solar cell, battery pack, Gauss pseudo-spectral method