New in-flight recharging tech could keep US Army drones in air forever

In a bid to revolutionize unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations, the US Army has patented a new technology that can keep its drones in the air forever.

The US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Army Research Laboratory, based in Adelphi, Maryland, has developed a new drone tethering system.

This system can extend drone capabilities by creating new recharging systems using other UAVs.

The idea is simple: recharge a drone or multiple drones during their flights, just like mid-air refueling for jets.

Tethered drones

Based on the patent document, the new technology includes a system for deploying a powered drone tether.

Various mechanisms are included to connect and disconnect rechargeable drones during flight.

A top drone can carry a special rope to extend it from a base station supplying power. This allows one or more rechargeable drones to connect for charging and then detach to perform independent flights.

Tethered drones are one or more drones connected to fixed-length ropes or cables and then to a ground-based anchor.

Tethered drones can perform long-duration surveillance because they receive power from the rope.

Rechargeable drones in flights

The US Army stated that a connected drone can receive power from the rope through a docking point connection.

It can then disconnect, move relative to the tether, and reconnect at a different point on the tether, which has multiple separate docking points along its length.

A system for recharging drones mid-flight, consisting of several coupling/decoupling mechanisms, will be able to tether or deploy drones.

A first tether, or lead drone, carries the drone rope to extend the powered tether from a base station.

The base station supplies power to one or more drones attached to the coupling/decoupling mechanisms. This allows the drones to charge and then detach to perform independent flight tasks.

A drone tether cable has power input connectors that connect to a power source. Along the cable, there are multiple docking points.

Each docking point has elements that connect to the drone and establish the electrical connection. The orientation of the coupling elements determines the orientation of the power connection elements.

The docking point and drone coupling elements may have magnetic and other parts.

Using multiple UAVs on a shared tether has several benefits. These include having continuous surveillance from different perspectives, navigating through complex environments, concealing the ground station location, and more.

The breakthrough concept aims to significantly increase drone flight duration, addressing the critical issue of battery life in electric aviation.

The US military has shown interest in extending the effective flight duration of UAVs by investing in or allowing many long-range drones.

Most drones are electrically powered, so they struggle over long distances, where gasoline, diesel, or aircraft-fuel-powered UAVs can fly further.

Various countries and companies are currently researching tethered drone technology.

Elistair, a company specializing in long-endurance, tethered unmanned aircraft systems, has recently partnered with Rheinmetall Canada Inc.

The partnership aims to provide military customers with an on-the-move Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) solution.

The solution will combine Elistair’s fully automated KHRONOS tethered drone with Rheinmetall’s Mission Master family of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs).