Research on Thermal Characteristics of Photovoltaic Array of Stratospheric Airship

Solar energy is the ideal power choice for high-altitude long-endurance airships. Photovoltaic array and its operation is one of the most critical aspects to the stratospheric airship's design and capabilities, but the research on thermal characteristics of photovoltaic array for the airship's design is rare. This paper develops the thermodynamic models of photovoltaic array and airship, based on which the three-dimensional temperature profile and output power of photovoltaic array are presented, the effects of the latitude, time of the year, wind speed, and insulation on the power output of the photovoltaic array are investigated, and the effects of photovoltaic array on thermal characteristics of the airship are explored. The results indicate that the latitude, time of the year, wind speed, and insulation affect the quantity and distribution of output power of photovoltaic array, and that the photovoltaic array can aggravate the superheat or supercool of the airship, so that the airship's hull requires higher intensity, expandability, and ductibility.