US DOW backs PowerLight ARC laser system to recharge drones in flight
The US Department of War’s Operational Energy - Innovation Directorate has awarded PowerLight Technologies a contract to develop Aerial ReCharge, a laser-based power beaming system that recharges drones and payloads while in flight. According to TechRadar, ARC can deliver kilowatt-class power to units up to 5,000 ft away.
ARC relies on a wireless power beaming transmitter and a receiver mounted on the UAV. The transmitter directs lasers to the drone-mounted receiver, which charges the UAV’s battery and can also be used to charge a payload the drone may be carrying. PowerLight describes the approach as optical power beaming. It differs from the electromagnetic induction used on wireless phone chargers, and can charge UAVs while they and the transmitter are in motion.
The ARC transmitter unit is autonomous and can follow the drone, providing recharge while the UAV is in flight. PowerLight has released a demonstration of the technology in which a Kraus Hamdani Aerospace K1000ULE took to the skies equipped with a power beaming receiver. Development of the technology is taking place at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, and PowerLight has designed it to be usable with various drone classes. This includes Group 2 fixed-wing platforms and larger aircraft with heavier sensor or effects payloads.
Chris DePuma, OE-I Combat Power Portfolio Lead, said: “Power beaming means more time on mission and less time on the ground. By enabling autonomous, in-flight recharging, the Aerial ReCharge system reduces the need to land and swap batteries, extending mission endurance and reducing risk in contested environments.”
Tim Jenks, the CEO of PowerLight, said: “This new DOW award reflects confidence in where wireless power beaming is today and in the operators who are shaping it. Power beaming applies well beyond a single domain, from ground-to-ground, ground-to-air, air-to-air, and space-to-space, and that is the opportunity ahead.”
The notion of transmitting energy from one point to another has been a staple of science fiction for decades, TechRadar reported. With advances in laser technology, PowerLight’s system aims to make it practical for military drones. According to TechRadar, remote recharging capabilities allow drones to be deployed and retain use of the same battery without landing and recovery, which saves time and potentially even lives.