Now boarding the flight to the future, flying lower emissions Ampaire hybrid-electric planes
Ampaire is developing hybrid-electric aircraft that will lead the industry to an all-electric future with net-zero emissions and a greener future
Surveillance UAVs
Effective surveillance requires uninterrupted sensing and communication to ensure the safety and security of valued property, equipment, and assets. UAVs are used to surveille wide areas that may be hard to reach or when those spaces are not in a fixed location. The best surveillance UAVs stay in the air for as long as possible to maximize productivity while also being able to carry high performance cameras, sensors, and communication links. This places the burden on having a high-density power delivery network that can support power-hungry functions without adding unnecessary size and weight to the UAV, thereby extending flight times.
The power delivery network
Power dense Vicor DCM DC-DC converter modules are ideal for surveillance UAVs. They convert the high-voltage battery to a manageable voltage that can be matched to the UAV system loads using compact zero voltage switching (ZVS) Buck and Buck-Boost regulators. The DCM converter modules can also keep the UAV backup battery charged to ensure safety through redundancy.
Input: 9 – 420V
Output: 3.3, 5, 12, 13.8, 15, 24, 28, 36, 48V
Power: Up to 1300W
Efficiency: Up to 96%
As small as 24.8 x 22.8 x 7.21mm
Inputs: 12V (8 – 18V), 24V (8 – 42V), 48V (30 – 60V)
Output: 2.2 – 16V
Current: Up to 22A
Peak efficiency: Up to 98%
As small as 10.0 x 10.0 x 2.56mm
Input: 8 – 60V
Output: 10 – 54V
Power: Up to 150W continuous
Efficiency: Over 98%
10.5 x 14.5 x 3.05mm
Resources
Resources for the design engineer
How is Dragonfly’s new hover-in-place tethered UAV defying maritime communication limits?
DPI tethered UAV lifts communication antennas up to 500+ feet and can increase line of site communication at sea 3x, from 8 to nearly 30 miles
Where fixed-ratio converters fit in high-power delivery systems
The density and efficiency of a fixed-ratio converter plays a critical role in enabling PDN architecture to deliver high performance
Life-saving tethered drones get a power and comms boost
The initial DC-DC converter design was heavy & consumed too much space. The lightweight DCM by Vicor provided the ideal power & weight for the application