Implications of longitude and latitude on the size of solar-powered UAV

• We studied solar irradiance and daylight implication on solar-powered UAV design.
• We explored for perpetual UAV flight for 12 cities around the world.
• All year round solar-powered UAV operation possible for cities near equatorial line.
• Cities in latitudes of ±35° are the optimal for solar-powered UAV.
• Longitudinal coordinates and elevation have a minor effect on UAV design.

The implication of solar irradiance and daylight duration on the design of a small solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is capable of operating perpetually in various cities around the world was investigated. Solar data in 2013 on 12 cities distributed around the world was collected. The effects of the available solar irradiance and daylight of the city on the maximum take-off weight and wing span of a small solar-powered UAV were studied. The analysis indicates that daylight duration is as important as the available solar irradiance to the performance of the solar-powered UAV. Longitudinal coordinates and elevation have a minor effect on the estimation of daylight duration. Areas considerably high in solar irradiance and daylight duration are more conducive to the effective performance of solar-powered UAVs than other areas. Therefore, cities closer to the equator have an advantage in utilizing solar-powered UAVs; where smaller and lighter solar-powered UAV can be designed.