Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The ability to maintain aloft for extended periods of time is an important and desired attribute in many aerial vehicle missions. While endurance can be extended through improvements in vehicle aerodynamics, propulsion, and fabrication materials, it is equally important to examine operational strategies that can enhance the vehicle flight characteristics. One way to extend the vehicle's endurance while saving its own internal energy is to take advantage of atmospheric phenomena, such as wind-gradients (dynamic soaring), rising masses of air (thermal soaring), and gusts of air (gust soaring) to gain altitude. This research explores the modelling and formulation of optimal energy management flying strategies which take advantage of such atmospheric conditions to minimize the vehicle's internal energy expenditure allowing it to enhance or extend its operational capabilities.