A gliding technique, known as dynamic soaring (DS), replicates the flight pattern of the wandering albatross bird to enable energy neutral, repeatable flight trajectories. This study investigates the potential for DS to act as a basis for UAV battery power regeneration by means of a windmilling propeller placed on the nose of the aircraft. In order to give an indication of the type of atmospheric and environmental conditions necessary to perform regenerative dynamic soaring (RDS), trajectories were optimized for the DT-18 drone. The optimal flight paths for varying amounts of energy regeneration, surface conditions and periodic constraints are presented and compared to a base, energy neutral DS case. The findings suggest that by slightly altering the DS flight pattern, RDS is possible with significant battery recharge levels being reached for the DT-18 depending on wind strength and surface conditions.
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