FlexHALE project: Helping Solar Drone Research
ESTACA researchers are involved in the FlexHALE (Flexible High-Altitude Long-Endurance) project alongside other schools from the ISAE Group. The aim is to help develop next-generation solar-powered drones that could ultimately replace satellites. The project has been selected for funding by the French National Research Agency (ANR).
Developing high-altitude solar UAVs with virtually unlimited endurance
New generation high-altitude UAVs with virtually unlimited endurance are the subject of active research, as they represent an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional satellites. These pseudo-satellites would have almost unlimited endurance and would require far less energy to put into orbit than rockets. A sort of unmanned aircraft capable of flying autonomously for several months at very high altitude. They could also outperform conventional satellite models in terms of positioning flexibility, area persistence and reparability.
However, some technological hurdles remain for these drones to be able to fly. Low propulsive power, due to their solar energy source, means that they need a special type of wing. They need to be large and light to enable them to fly in rarefied air and capture solar energy efficiently. Their size and flexibility make them particularly sensitive to aeroelastic instabilities, which tend to destabilize their flight. The FlexHALE (Flexible High-Altitude Long-Endurance) project aims to predict and prevent the aeroelastic risks for these solar UAVs or HALE pseudo-satellites.
A project in collaboration with the ISAE Group and selected by the ANR (French National Research Agency)
The FlexHALE project is funded by a consortium of five partners: ESTACA, Ecole de l’Air (CREA laboratory), SUPMECA (QUARTZ laboratory), Institut d’ALEMBERT and INRIA. It has passed the ANR’s various selection stages and is one of 24 projects to be funded in the “Collaborative Research Project (CRP)” category. This is the first time that an ESTACA research team has taken part in a project selected by the ANR.
It is a recognition of the laboratory’s expertise and opens the way to new development opportunities in the aeronautics and ecological transition sectors.
The FlexHALE project will kick off in early 2025 and run for 48 months. This will enable ESTACA researchers and their partners to conduct joint studies to address the issue of UAV instability.
