According to a recent report by the German "Aerospace Magazine" website, at the end of last year, a German research team created a solar drone that could stay in the stratosphere for up to three months. According to the research and development progress, the solar drone will test flight soon after conducting related tests. Compared with traditional aircraft, solar drones do not need to carry any fuel. The electricity generated by solar cells can be used for long-distance flight, and at night, it can rely on solar energy stored during the day to continue flying. For this reason, solar drones have a very broad application prospect, and solar drones are just a microcosm of the foreign military's development in solar cell applications.
A solar cell is a device that utilizes the photovoltaic effect of a semiconductor to directly convert light energy into electrical energy, and is therefore also referred to as a "photovoltaic cell." The large-scale industrial application of solar cells is what people call the solar industry. In recent years, with the advancement and application of solar cell technology, the solar industry has developed rapidly. It is reported that by 2040, renewable energy will account for more than 50% of the total energy structure in the world. As the main energy source of renewable energy, solar photovoltaic power generation accounts for 20% of the world's total power supply. By the end of the 21st century, these two figures will increase to 80% and 60% respectively. It can be seen that photovoltaic power generation will occupy an important strategic position in the future energy field, and solar cells are a veritable "energy star of tomorrow."
Technological breakthroughs drive applications
Solar photovoltaic power generation is considered to be an important way to solve the battlefield and aerospace energy supply due to its advantages such as convenient use, environmental friendliness, simple maintenance and long service life. It is highly valued by the military of all countries. However, for a long time, the low conversion efficiency of various solar cells has become the main reason for restricting its large-scale promotion. In recent years, solar cells have made breakthroughs in many technical fields, greatly promoting the military application of photovoltaic power generation.
A major breakthrough in photoelectric conversion efficiency
The development of the use of solar cells by foreign military forces is mainly reflected in the improvement of its photoelectric conversion efficiency. In recent years, important breakthroughs have been made in the efficiency of various types of solar cells. In 2017, Japan developed a solar cell made of thin-layer silicon with a conversion efficiency of 26.3%, which refreshed the solar cell conversion efficiency record and cost less. In April 2018, German scientists discovered a new way to efficiently increase the absorbance of solar cells by emulating the nanostructures of butterfly wings, so that the absorbance of batteries can be increased by up to 207%.
Wearable portable batteries are favored
In recent years, in order to reduce the number of batteries that soldiers need to carry out their tasks, the foreign military has vigorously developed collapsible, portable solar cells to charge electronic devices that soldiers carry with them. The US military has developed solar cells that are shaped like thin copper wires. They can be bent at will. After weaving into combat suits, we can collect and store solar energy. After wearing these clothes, soldiers can collect solar energy during daytime walking, carrying mobile phones, sensors and Charging other devices eliminates the need for heavy batteries and greatly increases maneuverability. Japan has developed a new type of flaky organic solar cell with a thickness of only 3 microns. It can be used after being ironed and ironed and attached to clothes. It can maintain its performance at 100 °C. Japan plans to use it as a future. The power of the sensor is embedded in the “smart clothes”.
In addition to the above two, countries are also developing new structures for new batteries to improve the conversion efficiency of solar cells and promote industrial development.
From space to sea, from air to ground, new energy development and utilization are highly valued
At present, the military applications of solar cells are mainly concentrated in the field of field power supply, solar drones, high-altitude communication relay, space power generation, solar underwater autonomous vehicles, etc. Overall, its application prospects are very broad.
Building a solar photovoltaic power station to alleviate the voltage used in military bases
Solar photovoltaic power generation is considered to be the best energy source for military operations. At present, the foreign military is gradually increasing its use in front operations to improve the energy efficiency of the operational base, reduce the financial expenditure and logistics supply burden caused by energy consumption, and get rid of the dependence on traditional power sources.
The US military has established solar power plants in several military bases and has achieved good results. For example, the US Army built a solar power station with an annual capacity of 500 megawatts of electricity at the Fort Irwin military base in the Mojave Desert, California. Other military power stations are located in military bases in New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Las Vegas. These power plants can basically meet all of the base's power needs and provide protection for the expanding energy needs of the US military.
Develop solar drones to create an air multi-tasking mobile platform
The solar drone does not need to carry fuel, has the advantages of long battery life, flexible use, low operating cost, etc. It can quickly fly to the theater and become an ideal aerial platform for performing high-altitude reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence operations, communication relay and other tasks. At present, the United States, Russia, Britain, Japan and other countries have developed solar drones. The new solar drone developed by Switzerland, "Sunshine Power 2", lasted for 15 months and completed a one-week flight around the earth without any fuel.
In addition, solar drones carrying wireless communication devices will become satellite substitutes, providing a new way to construct a three-dimensional communication network. For example, the British Special Forces equipped a "Westerly" solar drone. Known as the "high-latitude pseudo-satellite", the aircraft can fly continuously for more than a month at an altitude of 19,500 to 21,000 meters, mainly for real-time monitoring and wireless communication. At present, Russia's first solar drone has also been successfully tested. The wireless call and video signal transponder equipped on the aircraft can transmit wireless network data.
Pay attention to the use of space solar power to expand the ground energy supply channel
The development and utilization of space solar energy is considered to be a new way to solve the human energy crisis: the solar satellite system absorbs solar energy outside the Earth's atmosphere, converts it into microwave transmission to the ground receiving antenna, and finally converts it into electricity for human use. Space solar power plants can work continuously and have high energy efficiency, which is considered to be a promising renewable energy system. It is predicted that before 2050, space solar power plants are expected to begin to meet the energy needs of the planet. In addition, the long-distance replenishment of traditional weapons and equipment depends on the ground energy. After the technology is realized, the orbital space station can directly provide power to the battlefield, which provides a strong energy support for military operations.
As early as 2003, the Japan Aerospace Agency developed a roadmap for the development of space solar power plants, and is currently developing a "space solar power system." The agency estimates that a solar panel with a diameter of 2,000 meters to 3,000 meters running on the track can generate 1 billion watts of electricity, equivalent to the electricity generated by a nuclear reactor.
Accelerate the development of solar maritime vehicles and serve as a "warrior" for sleeplessness at sea
The foreign military believes that solar-powered autonomous vehicles can work continuously for several months for ocean exploration, location and monitoring, and communicate with shore-based and underwater instruments in real time. The aircraft can be preset to dive to the water, sail on the designated route, and use the solar energy to charge when it is suitable for the conditions, realizing the true sense of non-fossil fuel and zero emissions. In addition, the use of solar energy to transport electricity to ships can also minimize the maintenance costs of ships.
At present, the foreign military is paying more and more attention to the research and development of solar-powered autonomous vehicles. It is expected to increase its application in the field of reconnaissance, surveillance and communication tasks at sea. In 2015, the United States demonstrated an automated long-range boat driven by a combination of ocean waves and solar energy. The boat can sail for a year at sea without any maintenance, performing tasks such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance missions, underwater terrain mapping, communication relay, and data transmission.