Some might argue that the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was the hot air balloon introduced by Montgolfier in 1783. However, the flight path of a free-floating hot air balloon was dictated entirely by the wind.

In 1892, Thomas Edison demonstrated a wire-guided torpedo, and in 1898, Nikola Tesla introduced his radio-controlled boat. Decades later, the first remote-controlled unmanned cars and planes entered the market. Today, UAVs are utilized for applications ranging from toys to autonomous, guided, or remote-controlled flying, driving, or diving vehicles.

Basic UAV Power Architecture – Examples of Power Solutions for UAV Systems

All these devices face several common challenges, the most important being safe operation to prevent collisions with people or objects and uncontrolled crashes. UAVs need to be lightweight yet powerful enough to carry significant payloads and operate for extended periods.

While applications often involve small quantities, specific configurations of sensors, manipulators, or monitoring devices may be required for different scenarios. Manufacturers can address this need using flexible modular platforms and off-the-shelf components to quickly and cost-effectively tailor solutions.

How are these vehicles powered?
The answer depends on the application and required operational time. For short-term operations, batteries or supercapacitors are sufficient. Modern fuel cells extend operation time, while internal combustion engines or tethered power supply systems are viable for long-term use.

Providing reliable power to onboard electronics is critical for ensuring safety, extended operation, and payload efficiency. With varying source voltages and the need for stable power supply voltages across loads, power delivery becomes a crucial challenge. P-DUKE’s power modules offer flexible and modular solutions to address these needs.

Onboard power architectures for UAVs—whether airborne, ground-based, or underwater—are similar. These systems typically comprise power supplies, DC-DC converters for various loads, speed controllers, and propulsion motors.

Key UAV Power Solutions and Examples

UAV Power Supply Architecture

In most applications, propulsion motors are directly powered by the power source to avoid additional conversion losses. UAV systems often use battery packs where voltage and capacity depend on system size and maximum power. Motors are typically powered directly by the batteries, while the remaining components require stable voltages.

For drones, lithium-polymer batteries connected in series deliver nominal voltages ranging from 11.1V (3S) to 59.2V (16S). For longer flight times, fuel cells may be used.

Modern warehouse robots—both autonomous (UAV) and guided (UGV)—use lithium-ion or LiFePO4 batteries with nominal voltages from 24V for smaller systems to over 100V for heavy-duty applications like forklifts.

Selecting the Right DC-DC Converters for UAV Power Systems

Designers seeking flexible, modular power solutions for various applications face a challenge with wide voltage ranges. P-DUKE offers a comprehensive range of DC-DC converters with input voltage ranges of 9–75V and 14–160V, single or dual output voltage options from 3.3V to 48V, and power levels from 10W to 200W.

High-efficiency, compact DC-DC converters also reduce overall weight and facilitate thermal management by distributing heat generation across the system, close to the load.

Case Studies in UAV Power Applications

Autonomous Factory Vehicles (Warehouse Robots)

These vehicles, operating in smart factories, use lasers and cameras for navigation and communicate directly with manufacturing systems. Their power architecture often features 24V or 48V batteries for motors and onboard electronics.

Key components include:

• P-DUKE’s HAE150W series for 12V power.
• UDH03 and PDL12W series for 5V loads.
• OSR03 series for 3.3V sensors and CPUs.

Supercapacitor-Based Robots

For low-power applications requiring short bursts of operation and fast charging, supercapacitors offer a viable alternative. These devices deliver high peak currents and boast over a million charge cycles with minimal performance degradation, making them cost-effective in the long run.

A typical power architecture for supercapacitor-powered robots includes:

• P-DUKE’s QAE100U series, which handles voltage swings from 12V to 48V.

Helicopter UAVs with Fuel Engines

Small unmanned helicopters with flight times exceeding four hours often rely on fuel engines. Typical architectures include a rotor-driven propulsion system and a 28V power bus for onboard electronics like LiDAR, 3D mapping systems, and geotagging tools.

For such applications, lightweight DC-DC converters like the P-DUKE HAE200W series are ideal. With an operational temperature range down to -40°C and MIL-standard shock and vibration resistance, these converters deliver up to 212W of power with minimal weight impact.

Remote Control Systems

Remote control units often require robust 28V RF amplifiers. Powering these systems involves:

• P-DUKE QAE100U series for main 28V bus.
• Low-power converters for downstream voltage requirements (12V, 5V, 3.3V).

Conclusion

Every UAV application presents unique challenges and requirements. However, common demands include compact size, lightweight design, high efficiency, reliability, modularity, and ease of use. Manufacturers like P-DUKE offer comprehensive power solutions to meet these challenges, enabling designers to create flexible and effective UAV systems.