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Case study: Advanced C5ISR capabilities
Supporting more functionality, increased payload and longer run time
Customer’s challenge
Tethered drones provide warfighters with the unique ability for rapid deployment with greater flexibility and C5ISR capability than legacy solutions. The provide the capabilities of today’s advanced tethered drones and allow for greater payload options to support mission success. Key goals were:
- Capabilities that can be transported by smaller or fewer vehicles
- Provide increased payload
- High efficiency for more extensive missions
The Vicor solution
Vicor compact, high-performance power modules significantly reduced weight and size both in the ground power supply as well as on board the UAV. This allows for more complex missions with longer time in the air. Utilizing an efficient 48V bus on board the UAV, the power delivery network employs high density power modules to power the various reconnaissance capabilities.
Key benefits
Key benefits
Smaller ground supply unit and thinner, lighter tether
High-performance power conversion to and from high voltage and SELV
Lightweight solutions to power on board loads
Power delivery network
Enabling a truly optimized SWaP performance, the Vicor high voltage BCM® bus converter is 1.8kW and 98% efficient, operating from a 500 – 800V bus to deliver an isolated 31.3 – 50.0V in a remarkably small 4.4 x 1.4 x 0.4in package. The power architecture utilizes the bidirectionality of the BCM to create a single-phase or 3-phase AC ground supply that generates an output between 400 and 800V for the lightweight tether and then employs another BCM to convert the 800V back down to 48V in the UAV. Inside the UAV, the 48V bus is efficiently down converted to power the loads using Vicor DCMTM or PRMTM/VTMTM combination.
MIL-COTS BCM® bus converter modules
Input: 200 – 400V, 400 – 700V, 500 – 800V
Current: Up to 35A
Efficiency: Up to 98%
As small as 1.28 x 0.86 x 0.26in
Input: 28, 30, 270V
Output: 3.3, 5, 12, 15, 24, 28, 48V
Power: Up to 1300W
Efficiency: Up to 96%
As small as 0.98 x 0.90 x 0.28in
Input: 14 – 50V, 38 – 55V
Output: 1.08 – 50V
Current: Up to 80A
Efficiency: Up to 96.5%
As small as 22.0 x 16.5 x 6.7mm (each)
Resources
Resources for the design engineer
Efficiently powering the growing suite of advanced on-board sensors
Learn how Vicor delivers high power with efficiency and reduced weight air-to-surface (ASM) missiles
Providing well-regulated 48V at over 1kW
Learn how Vicor delivers power at 1kW with efficiency and reduced weight
Compact, efficient power solutions enable improved countermeasure capabilities
Explore Vicor's efficient and reduced weight power delivery network for electronic warfare countermeasures systems