socialmedian: Solar Impulse HB-SIA, 100% Solar Powered Airplane Gets Ready To Take Off

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Solar Impulse HB-SIA, 100% Solar Powered Airplane Gets Ready To Take Off

Submitted by Diordna from blog

Jul 09, 2009

Summary

Solar Impulse HB-SIA, the world’s first aircraft designed to fly around the clock completely with solar power was unveiled last week in Switzerland.
Four elecric motors will power this air plane and the motors get their juice from an array of lithium polymer battery cells which are charged by the high efficiency solar cells on the wings and stabilizer. The cells can turn about 22% of the total solar energy falling on the cell into electricity. These four solar powered electric motors produce power equivalent to a small motor scooter or the Wright brothers’ first air plane engine. I am really amazed as a Solar Energy buff and and an Air Plane buff. What a long way since Wright Brothers!

Omega, which designed the instrumentation panel for Concord was the creator of the instrumentation panel for the Solar Impulse HB-SIA.

Solar Impulse HB-SIA,
Images from Computerweek

Tags: Solar Impulse HB-SIA, Solar powerd air plane, HIT solar cell, high efficiency solar cells, omega instrumentation

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