Aircraft gets an 11kW power supply the size of a tablet computer

Case study: Fixed-winged HALE UAV

Improved telemetry needed twice the power in the same space

An upgrade to a high-altitude long endurance (HALE) UAV platform included fitting a new, higher-resolution, longer-range radar and improving the telemetry. The upgrade effectively doubled the power required on the 28V internal bus to 11kW. Onboard power was from two separate power sources for redundancy. The key goals were to:

Double the power without allocating more space for the power supply
Keep aircraft as light as possible for longer flight times
Improve reliability and adapt to power needs in the future

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High-density solution doubling the power for new functions and future needs

The small size, low profile and low weight of the Vicor DCM DC-DC converters, module enabled the supply output power to be doubled without exceeding allocated space constraints. The high efficiency (96%) reduced the size of the heat sink required, saving more space. Key benefits were:

11kW solution in the size of a tablet computer weighing only 215g
DCMs easy to parallel for redundancy and future increased power needs
Low waste heat of DCM converter reducing cooling requirements, saving further space and weight

DCM DC-DC converters provided the power needed without increasing the size or weight

Three arrays of three 1.3kW DCM5614 VIA converters were paralleled to provide the regulated 28V bus. Inputs were split between two different generators to provide redundancy of power source. The arrays automatically power shared across all nine converters —though their input voltages differed — helping improve system reliability. To analyze this power chain, go to Vicor Whiteboard online tool.

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