With each passing day, researchers across the world are coming up with greener and cleaner technologies to ensure that modern warfare gets a green makeover. Cutting down on emissions, suggesting perforated wing designs and increased precision to avoid unnecessary destruction are some of them. Targeted primarily at military purposes, Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (Ascent Solar) looks forward to contribute its share in devising and including its flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules in the primary designs of the Silent Sentinel, an unmanned hybrid aircraft (H-UAV). It will allow Bye Aerospace, a privately held Nevada corporation with a mission to integrate clean energy solutions with innovative designs in order to revolutionize aviation, to exploit Ascent’s expertise in obtaining 1.5 megawatts’ worth of panels per year.
As Joseph Armstrong, chief technical officer of Ascent Solar puts it:
Our flexible, monolithically integrated CIGS PV technology offers the ideal combination of low weight, higher voltage, and high performance that makes it ideal for applications such as the Silent Sentinel, and we look forward to providing Bye Aerospace the materials they require for their vehicle.
Accordingly, it will supply Bye Aerospace with panels from its current 1.5-megawatt line.
The Silent Sentinel (H-UAV):
The Silent Sentinel aims at improving on its emissions via stored electric power, thin film solar PV and other technologies. The panels once installed will partake in increasing Silent Sentinel’s flight-time capability, make it stealthier, and lower the emissions as well. Other advantages include better border patrol, search and rescue, scouting, air control, while the indirect civilian purposes contain in traffic control, pipeline and power-line inspection, law enforcement, forest-fire detection and aerial photography.
An advanced Williams International FJ33 turbofan for primary propulsion will enhance the hybrid UAV’s efficiency. It will also ensure remarkable climb rates and high altitude access to areas where surveillance is required.
Ascent Solar, the leader in suggesting solar solutions:
Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. develops thin-film photovoltaic modules with substrate materials making them more flexible and affordable than most traditional solar panels. Ascent Solar modules’ adaptability to electronics, military and consumer portable power products, transportation systems, building elements, and space / near-space applications make them the pioneer-solar-solutions-provider.
Since 1994, Ascent Solar has carried out roughly 35 contracts in advanced PV technologies. Government sponsors of these contracts include The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Missile Defense Agency and NASA, are some of its government sponsors.
Via: Earth2Tech