Wireless charging is no longer limited to our smartphones, watches, or earbuds. Today, researchers are seeking to take this technology to the skies by developing a way to charge drones in flight by directing a laser beam beneath their wings.
According to a recent study published in the journal Matter and Light, led by scientists from the School of Aeronautical Engineering at the Civil Aviation University of China, the team designed a lightweight, solar-based receiver that captures laser beam energy and converts it into electricity. To keep the device cool and enhance its efficiency, it was strategically placed on aircraft wings and incorporated with an innovative heat-shielding technology.
A laser cell designed to handle heat
The new technology relies on an innovative dual device known as "PLC-TE," a type of solar cell optimized to handle laser beams instead of sunlight.
The device works through two integrated technologies. The first is the perovskite layer, which takes on the task of converting direct laser energy into electricity. The second is the thermoelectric layer, which captures the energy that would have been lost as heat and converts it into additional energy. The greater the temperature difference between the side facing the laser and the other cold side, the more electricity is generated.
However, the researchers faced a major challenge: powerful lasers significantly raise the device's temperature. The study showed that thermal imaging cameras detected temperatures reaching between 80 and 90 degrees Celsius, which led to a decline in efficiency and made heat accumulation a serious problem requiring an engineering solution.
To prevent the device from burning out internally, the researchers incorporated specialized nanocrystals that act as a thermal barrier, slowing the flow of heat.
Thanks to this modification, and under the influence of a green laser, the system achieved an efficiency of 38.49% in converting energy into electricity, which is among the highest efficiency rates recorded for this technology under similar conditions.
Various applications
Of course, this new technology has promising applications. For example, in cases of earthquakes, floods, or forest fires—where time is a matter of life or death—these aircraft, which do not need to land, can fly over disaster areas for days on end, to guide rescue teams, provide continuous nighttime lighting, or broadcast emergency communication networks to the affected areas.
For example, companies like Amazon suffer from the limited distance that drones can travel. By using laser beam stations distributed on the roofs of buildings or towers, drones can fly much longer distances to deliver parcels or urgent medical supplies (such as blood bags and medicines) to remote areas.
Of course, the military application is the most important, as spy drones can fly over enemy territory or sensitive areas for days or weeks without interruption, providing a continuous flow of data and live images to the military command, making them "eyes that never sleep" in the skies of the battle.
Securing long borders against smuggling or infiltration also requires continuous patrols. Instead of human patrols or drones that need frequent recharging, swarms of laser-guided drones can form a permanent, impenetrable aerial surveillance wall.
Despite the success of the laboratory experiment, the device has not yet been tested in a real flight. Future development plans include testing the system on a lightweight aircraft in open areas to confirm its reliability, developing precise mechanisms for tracking moving aircraft with laser beams, and ensuring the highest safety standards for this technology.
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