Drones lost at sea

[Bekanne]

I wonder if all the drones and the batteries lost in bodies of water is a concern for toxicity or pollution.
It's small compared to the big picture, but something still.

 

[Bekanne]

There was a container ship, the MSC Zoe, that lost 280 containers just off the Dutch coast in January 2019.

One of the containers contained 1.5 tonnes of lithium batteries.

That's a lot of drones.

So tragic.
I like the batteries compared to the old kind but wish drones could fly solar.
That's be cool. ?

 

[Meta4]

I like the batteries compared to the old kind but wish drones could fly solar.

While that sounds nice, it's not going to be happening any time soon.
Some rough figures suggest that to provide enough power to run a Mavic 2 would need a 120 watt panel.
If you went out and bought one now, it would weigh about 18 pounds and cover about 8 square feet.
Plus .. It would only put out enough power when the sun is high in the sky and there are no clouds.

 

[Bekanne]

While that sounds nice, it's not going to be happening any time soon.
Some rough figures suggest that to provide enough power to run a Mavic 2 would need a 120 watt panel.
If you went out and bought one now, it would weigh about 18 pounds and cover about 8 square feet.
Plus .. It would only put out enough power when the sun is high in the sky and there are no clouds.

Yes. I figured. Solar is heavy for a little drone. Just dreaming a bit.

 

[sar104]

While that sounds nice, it's not going to be happening any time soon.
Some rough figures suggest that to provide enough power to run a Mavic 2 would need a 120 watt panel.
If you went out and bought one now, it would weigh about 18 pounds and cover about 8 square feet.
Plus .. It would only put out enough power when the sun is high in the sky and there are no clouds.

And to elaborate - that calculation clearly shows that with current technology a solar panel of any size cannot produce enough power to lift itself.

 

[sar104]

Well if the surface area of a MP is about 0.1m2, then in perfect conditions, it will receive about 100 watts of energy from the sun at the earth surface.

If we could greatly improve the tech, then it should be possible, in theory. If we could make something 50% efficient that weighs less than a MP battery, then it could fly. Although you would still need a battery of some sort.

Not sure how you measured that. The top surface of the Mavic Pro is approximately 0.015 m². Maximum incident solar power on a sunny day with the sun high in the sky is 1000 W/m², and that's across the entire spectrum. So you are never going to see more than around 14 W even with 100% efficiency.

 

[Skywatcher2001]

Yes. I figured. Solar is heavy for a little drone. Just dreaming a bit.

It doesn't seem like anyone gets you were just postulating a bit (but) I get you. "If", the efficiency of tech and solar (along with) reusing the energy from the props (like windmills) maybe . . . just maybe this idea isn't so far fetched. Years away but conceivable. Honestly, I believe battery technology will improve waaaay before my postulation becomes reality.

 

[sar104]

Not really the surface area but the "footprint" of a MP when folded out. From DJi website "Diagonal Size (Propellers Excluded) 335 mm"

Right - but you cannot receive solar power over that entire area - where would the props go?

 

[sar104]

It doesn't seem like anyone gets you were just postulating a bit (but) I get you. "If", the efficiency of tech and solar (along with) reusing the energy from the props (like windmills) maybe . . . just maybe this idea isn't so far fetched. Years away but conceivable. Honestly, I believe battery technology will improve waaaay before my postulation becomes reality.

I'm sure everyone understood it was just hypothetical. The problem is the size of the panels, even at 100% efficiency, would be prohibitive for a multirotor. Fixed wing maybe.

 

[Bekanne]

It doesn't seem like anyone gets you were just postulating a bit (but) I get you. "If", the efficiency of tech and solar (along with) reusing the energy from the props (like windmills) maybe . . . just maybe this idea isn't so far fetched. Years away but conceivable. Honestly, I believe battery technology will improve waaaay before my postulation becomes reality.

Thank you, yes.

 

[old man mavic]

the size and storage capacity of the battery,is the main governing factor when using electric propulsion in any type of vehicle,or aircraft the actual motor tech has shot forwards in development in recent times now all we need is for battery tech to catch up,there are drones now that use hybrid tech, but it is costly and difficult to downsize for consumer drones
while it is very nice to have a drone that can fly for an hour or so at one time ,i don't think that capability is necessary in our sort of drones,i think half an hour is more than enough but for commercial use that's another story