POLNOR - LEADER Project
Project number: 10/60/ZZB/153
Implementation period: 01.07.2020 r. – 01.07.2023 r.
Project implementing by: Silesian University of Technology,SkyTech eLab LLC (STE),University of Warsaw, NORCE
Project manager at the Silesian University of Technology: Prof. dr hab. Wojciech Moczulski
Faculty ofMechanical Engineering e-mail: wojciech.moczulski@polsl.pl
Project website: https://polnor-leader.eu/
Brief description of the project:
The international project: Long-Endurance UAV for assessing atmospheric pollution profiles- LEADER is financed by the “Applied Research” program under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 / POLNOR 2019.
The development of unmanned aerial vehicles is taking place at a very rapid pace and new applications pose a challenge to the technical possibilities. One of these challenges is extending flight time to complete autonomy of the power system and unlimited flight durability and range. Achieving unlimited flight time is associated with a completely different approach to UAV design, in particular gaining energy autonomy, drastically reducing the weight of the UAV, changing the form of the object, in particular the aerodynamic concept and structural elements, adapting to the autonomous operation of devices implementing operational needs during the flight, searching for new power sources during the flight in the UAV operating environment. Such UAVs can be used in completely new fields, such as tasks taken over from satellite technology by HALE class UAVs or HAPS (High Altitude Long Endurance, High Altitude Pseudo Satellites), or it is possible to patrol and observe for UAV LALE (Low Altitude Long Endurance) significantly extending the flight time in the UAV VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) class. One such application is the study of macro-scale smog distribution over a wide range of space and flight altitudes for long-term measurements. Increasing the capabilities of these UAVs beyond the limits of existing publicly available UAVs includes solving the following research problems:
- Achieving energy self-sufficiency or at least extended flight time.
- Development of the airframe supporting structure with high tensile strength in order to achieve the appropriate functional parameters.
- Obtaining the appropriate load capacity while drastically minimizing the weight of the load-bearing structures.
- Development of functional UAV systems that allow maximum use of specific flight parameters, high altitude variability and low cruising speed.
- Development of various types of sensors for measuring atmospheric pollution both during the day and at night.
More information on projects implemented under the EEA or Norway Grants can be found at: www.eeagrants.org / www.norwaygrants.org
