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Solar-Powered Flight For 81 Hours: a New Endurance World Record

Hallie Siegel writes: A team of researchers from ETH Zurich have just set a new endurance record for solar powered flight of an unmanned autonomous aircraft, achieving over four days of solar-powered flight in a range of weather conditions. Being able to demonstrate more than 24 hours of endurance is important because overcast skies can inhibit recharging and poor weather or high winds can effect power consumption. Nice achievement for this class of aircraft.

34 comments

  1. Battery and solar panel technology advances by Mostly+a+lurker · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This is yet another demonstration of the rapid advances taking place in both battery technologies and solar panel efficiency. A few years ago, I was not particularly optimistic about the medium term prospects for large scale replacement of coal, gas and nuclear power generation by solar. I am more hopeful today.

    1. Re:Battery and solar panel technology advances by sexconker · · Score: 5, Informative

      This isn't big news for solar or batteries.

      Just 2316 km over 81.5 hours is more like floating than flying, and the main advance came from the reduction in mass, not improved solar/battery tech.
      It's 6.5 kg while the prior record holder was 13 kg. If you look at the thing, it's not much more than a really large wing.

      The records it took were for longest flight among aircraft under 50 kg and longest flight for low-altitude, it doesn't have the overall longest flight, nor longest unmanned flight.

    2. Re:Battery and solar panel technology advances by ishmaelflood · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Um, no. The cells were 23% efficient, which is not exceptional, and the batteries had an energy density of 243W h kg1, which again is scarcely cutting edge.

      I think this project demonstrates maturity in the technologies used, not progress as such.

    3. Re:Battery and solar panel technology advances by DamonHD · · Score: 1

      All those numbers are better than they could have been a few years ago. Try doing it with lead-acid batteries, less clever charging strategies, and older heavier less efficient PV cells and tell me how that works.

      Thus it is progress. Incremental progress is still progress. 'Maturity' is still progress.

      Rgds

      Damon

      --
      http://m.earth.org.uk/
    4. Re: Battery and solar panel technology advances by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Depends on your timescale I suppose. We had batteries and panels this good 10 years ago. Believe me, despite the daily pronouncements about the new panel and battery technology that's going to revolutionize the world, there has been very little significant improvement outside of a lab environment for 10 years.

    5. Re:Battery and solar panel technology advances by tomhath · · Score: 3, Informative

      The record for an unpowered glider is 56 hours. He probably could have stayed up longer but the pilot was exhausted.

      TFA is a record for "solar powered flight of an unmanned autonomous aircraft", which really tells me the autonomous part is getting better, the solar powered part is just for show

    6. Re:Battery and solar panel technology advances by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

      It is an advance in making very niche, super lightweight airframes. That is about it.

  2. Google's Titan Aerospace did this in 2014... by Hadlock · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Google bought Titan Aerospace after their prototype flew for one solid year. In 2014. That was a drone... And then recently there was a 120 hour manned flight from Japan to Hawaii in a manned solar powered plane. They've flown about halfway around the world and plan on finishing the full round the world trip with the plane. 4 days flying time is not even notable at this point manned or drone. Airbus is already building and flying prototype 4 person consumer jets across the english channel.

    --
    moox. for a new generation.
    1. Re:Google's Titan Aerospace did this in 2014... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's one solid piece of bullshit you posted there.

    2. Re:Google's Titan Aerospace did this in 2014... by multimediavt · · Score: 1

      No, the solid piece of bullshit is the linked article from one of the kids on the design team. The Qinetiq Zephyr 7 holds the official endurance record for an unmanned aerial vehicle for its flight from 9 July to 23 July 2010, lasting 336 hours and 22 minutes (2 weeks / 14 days). And, 81.5 hours is NOT more than four days. It's three days, nine hours and 24 minutes. This kid that wrote the linked article is on the UAV team and is a PhD candidate in engineering! Not only did he lie about the record he can't count! Where the fsck are the "editors" on this one?!?!

  3. U Racist by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    You have forgotten to put the article in context of the underprivileged inner city urban African American Black Youth. You must place all articles within this context. What is happening to your white guilt. Is /. joining the clam. I think it is. You overpriveleged white people make me sick. Wont anyone think of the children. I hope President Obama and the National Public Radio round all you faggoty fascist up and anal rape you.

    Death to /.

  4. One solid year? by ishmaelflood · · Score: 2

    A flight lasting one solid year seems a bit of a well kept secret, got a cite for that?

    1. Re:One solid year? by Macman408 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Perhaps OP was thinking of what they promised (a 5-year flight), or perhaps my quick googling is insufficient... I was able to find a 14-day unmanned solar-powered flight in 2010 from Qinetiq's Zephyr craft.

      Following the link to the article (I know, I know, this is slashdot, we don't do that here), there's an important qualifier missing from the summary; this is a record for an aircraft *in its class*. Specifically, that class is aircraft under 50 kg total mass. They do cite the Zephyr (now as an Airbus property) as the longest UAV flight, and Solar Impulse 2 as a longer flight by a (manned) solar airplane. It is also notably different than the Zephyr because it is a "low-altitude" vehicle. From one of the research papers on their website (OK, I realize this is getting out of hand... I mean, following the link is one thing, but doing a google search for the company involved???), it looks like they're staying below 1,000 meters. The Zephyr is intended to fly between about 60,000 and 70,000 feet, where winds are weaker and there is less drag. On the other hand, apparently this craft has an IR camera to help it find thermals that it can ride to help reduce the power requirements.

      That said, given the additional requirements of transporting a human, I give the award for most impressive achievement to the Solar Impulse team. Their pilot outweighs not only the payload of the AtlantikSolar and Zephyr crafts (0.8 kg and 2.5 kg, respectively), but probably also the whole UAV itself (6.8 kg/15lb and 53kg/117lb, respectively - I'll assume that their pilots don't have a second job as a jockey). Add to that about 5 pounds of food and 7 pounds of water/drinks *per day*, plus some bottled oxygen so the pilot can breathe at 40,000 feet... And apparently the sensor and data downlink package from Solar Impulse consumes up to 50W - that's as much as the craft in this article uses for all its needs, including propulsion. There's a lot of stuff required to keep us silly humans alive.

      I'll grant them that it's an impressive feat in a small package - but I still think the bigger package with the bigger payload (a human) is more impressive.

  5. Alternative energy is for cows. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    You are all cows. Cows say moo. MOOOOOOOOO! MOOOOOOOOOO! Moo cows MOOOOOOOO! Moo say the cows. YOU COWS!!

    1. Re:Alternative energy is for cows. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      This is ETHZ, and in Switzerland cows don't say MOOOOOOOOO. They speak kuhdutsch. Sie sind alles Schweizerische Kuehe. Schweizerische Kuehe sagen MOOOOOOOOOEEEEGGI! MOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEGGGGII MOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEGGGGGGI! Moooeggi Schweizerische Kuehe MOOOOEEEEGhttp://hardware.slashdot.org/story/15/08/01/2240214/solar-powered-flight-for-81-hours-a-new-endurance-world-record#GI! Mooooeeeggi sagen die Schweizerische Kuehe! SIE SCHWEIZERISCHE KUEHE!

    2. Re:Alternative energy is for cows. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Heb pfrrrrässe du tobel!
      Be eus sägeds: MUH!
      Frogsch nögschmol lieber zersch de Kari.

  6. I'm a black & white cow. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    I’m a black & white cow and I moo all day,

    Standing in the pasture while my tail sways,

    I love to eat grass and I love to eat hay,

    I’m a black & white cow and I moo all day!

  7. This is a song about cows. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    This is a song about cows;
    This is a song about cows
    There are so many colors; no one like the other
    Yes, this is a song about cows
    Holsteins are black and white; And Jerseys are brown, they said
    Guernseys are fawn and white and Ayreshires are white and red
    Belgians can look red or blue; And Angus cows are black
    There are lots more kinds of cows
      to name but let me take you back

    Now a young female is a Heifer; And a male cow’s name is a Bull
    A baby cow is a Calf: But none give any wool!
    Cows can walk right on up the st
    airs; but have no knees to come down
    A cow can live 25 years; And has four stomachs round!

    A cow’s milk can make butter; A cow’s milk makes cheese
    The milk comes from an utter
    that hangs between the “feet”
    But the feet are really hooves an
    d on each they have two toes
    Don’t get close enough to see or she’ll push you, I suppose.

    Some cows are raised for beef
      and others are milkers born
    At birth they weigh some 80 pounds; Full grown, 1,000 or more!
    But the best thing about cows, I’ve heard some farmers say
    You can tell a secret to a cow and it keeps it safe away!

    This is a song about cows;
    This is a song about cows
    There are so many colors; no one like the other
    Yes, this is a song about cows
    Yes, this is a song about cows

  8. Not a record by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It isn't a record, the QinetiQ Zephyr (now owned by Airbus) flew for 14 days a few years ago.

  9. Cows with guns by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Fat and docile, big and dumb
    They look so stupid, they aren't much fun
    Cows aren't fun

    They eat to grow, they grow to die
    They die to be eaten at the hamburger fry
    Cows well done

    Nobody thunk it, nobody knew
    No one imagined the great cow guru
    Cows are one

    He hid in the forest, read books with great zeal
    He loved Che Guevera, a revolutionary veal
    Cow Tse Tongue

    He spoke about justice, but nobody stirred
    He felt like an outcast, alone, in the herd.
    Cow doldrums

    He mooed we must fight, escape or we'll die
    Cows gathered around, cause the stakes were so high
    Bad cow pun

    But then he was captured, stuffed into a crate
    Loaded onto a truck, where he rode to his fate
    Cows are bummed

    He was a scrawny calf, who looked rather woozy
    No one suspected he was packing an Uzi
    Cows with guns

    They came with a needle to stick in his thigh
    He kicked for the groin, he pissed in their eye
    Cow well hung

    Knocked over a tractor and ran for the door
    Six gallons of gas flowed out on the floor
    Run cows run!

    He picked up a bullhorn and jumped up on the hay
    We are free roving bovines, we run free today

    We will fight for bovine freedom
    And hold our large heads high
    We will run free with the Buffalo, or die...
    Cows with guns

    They crashed the gate in a great stampede
    Tipped over a milk truck, torched all the feed
    Cows have fun

    Sixty police cars were piled in a heap
    Covered in cow pies, covered up deep
    Much cow dung

    Black smoke rising, darkening the day
    Twelve burning Mcdonald's, have it your way

    We will fight for bovine freedom
    And hold our large heads high
    We will run free with the buffalo, or die
    Cows with guns

    The President said "Enough is Enough!
    These uppity cattle, it's time to get tough"
    Cow dung flung

    The newspapers gloated, folks sighed with relief
    Tomorrow at noon, they would all be ground beef
    Cows on buns

    The cows were surrounded, they waited and prayed
    They mooed their last moos,
    They chewed their last hay
    Cows out-gunned

    The order was given, turn cows to Whoppers
    Enforced by the might of ten thousand coppers
    But on the horizon, surrounding the shoppers
    Came the deafening roar, of chickens, in choppers!

    We will fight for bovine freedom
    And hold our large heads high
    We will run free with the buffalo, or die
    Cows with guns

  10. Doo the Moo Cow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    What cha know about this brand new style
    It’s a brand new dance called the Moo Cow
    Hands out like this then dip down
    You know what to do now
    Do the Moo Cow - Moo Moo
    Do the Moo Cow - Moo Moo
    Do the Moo Cow

    If you wanna be strong and you want to be built
    With strong bones and muscles drink milk
    If you wanna be strong and you want to be filled
    To the brim with energy ya need milk

    It’ll give you the energy and power to play
    Milk or some dairy
    3 times a day
    Milk or some dairy
    3 times a day
    Milk or some dairy
    3 times a day

    Check it out now it’s our friend the cow
    And the milk she produces makes us go WOW!
    This is just what we need to be and do well
    So just chill for a minute
    Listen for the cowbel

  11. I am cow. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    I am cow hear me moo
    I weigh twice as much as you
    And I look good on the barbecue
    Yogurt, curd, cream cheese, and butter's
    made from liquid from my udders
    I am cow, I am cow, hear me moo!

    I am cow, eating grass
    methane gas comes out my ass
    and out my muzzle when I belch
    o the ozone layer is thinner
    from the outcome of my dinner
    I am cow, I am cow, I've got gas

    I am cow, here I stand
    far and wide upon this land
    and I am living everywhere
    from B.C. to Newfoundland
    You can squeeze my teats by hand
    I am cow, I am cow, I am cow
    I am cow, I am cow, I am cow!

  12. I love the cows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    bang, pow! look at me now.
    don't let the cows stray off too far.
    come down, take a good look around.
    see how the cows start to shine like light bulbs.

    I love the cows.
    I love the cows.
    I love the cows, yeah.
    I love the cows.

    rain comes, strikes you dumb.
    re-seed the meadow so the cows don't starve.
    mud puddle's a fine place to cuddle.
    you're a mosquito or a mosquito's baby.

    I love the cows.
    I love the cows.
    I love the cows.
    I love the cows.

    they're smiling in your face.
    all the time they wanna take your place.
    yeah you know who I mean,
    talkin' about those cow-machines.

    I love the cows.
    I love the cows.
    I love the cows.
    I love the cows.

  13. "Effect" Power Consumption? by Dialecticus · · Score: 2

    You know, I was all set to point out that it would affect power consumption (meaning to alter it), not effect power consumption (meaning to bring it about), when it occurred to me that the usage of effect can just squeak by, provided you divide overall power consumption into discrete sections, each with its own cause.

    Sometimes it's not easy being a grammar nazi.

    1. Re:"Effect" Power Consumption? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Sometimes it's not easy being a grammar nazi."

      I know, man. I've been scratching my head over whether "nazi" should be capitalised in the context you used it in. I think I'll let it pass, since you're funny.

    2. Re:"Effect" Power Consumption? by dbIII · · Score: 1

      You are preaching to a crowd that think "loose" and "lose" are the same word. Just be happy it has two "f"s in it and ends in "t".

      Lat every felawe telle his tale aboute. - G. Chaucer

    3. Re:"Effect" Power Consumption? by PPH · · Score: 1

      Sometimes it's not easy being a grammar nazi.

      You forgot the obligatory video link.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  14. Key Point : Record IN IT's Weight Class ( 50kg) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The key bit of information is that this is a light-weight drone, so it goes to show how miniaturization is advancing. Also, they stopped the flight with full batteries and were just showing how it could survive multiple days. They could have kept going longer with better weather.

  15. Re:Key Point : Record IN IT's Weight Class ( 50kg) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Key point: it's means it is. So you just shouted IN IT IS weight class.

  16. Time travel by Bad+Science+2 · · Score: 1

    Isn't four days equal to 96 hours? I'm pretty sure it is on Earth. Sorry for nitpicking.

    1. Re:Time travel by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Isn't four days equal to 96 hours? I'm pretty sure it is on Earth.
      Sorry for nitpicking.

      That ain't nitpicking. Somebody either screwed up with the headline, or someone is being misleading.

    2. Re:Time travel by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      FTFA:

      Take-off was performed via hand-launch at 09:32 on July 14th, and after 2316km and 81.5 hours – 4 days and 3 nights – of flight, the aircraft landed safely and with fully charged batteries at 18:56 on July 17th.

      The guy that wrote the article is a Swiss PhD. How the eff does a PhD not know how to count days properly? The actual duration was 3 days, 9 hours and 24 minutes.

    3. Re:Time travel by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perhaps they were using metric days. Or maybe it was a rounding error, during, you know, the conversion.

  17. ORLY? by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    then perhaps you should update wikipedia. Then again, that means you have to cite some sources that aren't your ass.

    The Zephyr 7 holds the official endurance record for an unmanned aerial vehicle for its flight from 9 July to 23 July 2010, lasting 336 hours and 22 minutes (2 weeks / 14 days).[3][4] Record claims have been verified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) for both duration[4] and altitude, at 21,562 meters. It more than doubled the previous endurance record for unmanned flight.[5][6][7]

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.