Unmanned Systems

PLASMA FALCON  1.11 / 9 - 13 kg MTOW

Electrofluidsystems developed a novel swarm capable high-tech mini UAV with agile flight performance and the ability for high-altitude flights through heated pitot tubes, active flow control and plasma anti/de-icing or  electro-thermal heating film structures on the leading edges of the outer wings. The PLASMA FALCON is made of a laser-sintered, additive manufactured structure with a honeycomb core reinforced prepreg glass fiber composite hull.

The world's first plasma flow controlled flying wing UAV has an improved performance at flight conditions which usually would stop other drones from flying because of strong crosswind induced flow separation and instability effects. The vehicles durability to crosswinds was increased by more than 60% and is thus higher than for other mini flying wing UAVs. 

The high cruise speed and integrated plasma flow contol system makes the PLASMA FALCON system superior to existing flying wing drones. The sophisticated sliding discharge plasma actuators and generators were developed by our founder Berkant Göksel during his doctoral study at TU Berlin.

The 9 - 13 kg PLASMA FALCON 1.11 has a 2.7 - 3.9 kg payload volume (30%), a powerful 6.6 kW electric engine for vertical takeoff and climb, a 360° ultrazoom visual systems with several fisheye navigation cameras and an ultra light gyro-stabilized long range HD EO/IR camera. An optional update kit was developed for hand-launched electric VTOL operations.

A subclass of the PLASMA FALCON 1.11 is the plasma flow controlled CoronaBat 1.11 which can be delivered from High-Altitude Platforms (HAPS) in a drag reducing swarm formation of four to six vehicles and glide for many hours when necessary. 

For this purpose, the new vehicle uses the more powerful 1024-core NVIDIA AI computer Jetson Orin NX 16GB with six 220 degree fisheye navigation cameras based on Sony IMX 586 (686/786) image sensors with 48mp (64/108mp) to capture 360 degree videos with ultrazoom function. 

A swarm of four vehicles with a three wingspan distance in diamond formation has about 50% less total drag. So all following vehicles have a longer range. By repeated change of the lead position the range of all vehicles can be similarly extended. In a V-type formation with three vehicles the overall drag reduces by 35% followed by an echelon formation with two vehicles with about 25% drag reduction.

It is not widely known that bats keep the world record for the fastest level flight speed in the animal world. Brazilian free-tailed bats can reach 100 mph (160 km/h) in level flight. And this makes them faster than any bird on earth. 

Bird-hunting peregrine falcons are the masters or titans of the sky. They just kick their preys out of the sky with a slashing blow from their powerful feets. And they can reach speeds of up to 242 mph (389 km/h) when diving but are much slower in level or horizontal flight.

Then, peregrine falcons can be even outflown by ordinary pigeons which can reach speeds of up to 92 mph (148 km/h) in level flight. And today, most of our mini and even small tactical UAVs are much slower than pigeons.

So we need a paradigm shift and have to apply new flight control techniques and advanced aircraft designs. Bats and birds can flap and morph their wings. We cannot do so easily. And when we do, our drones are still slow flyers. But what we can already do is active flow control by flapping plasma fields.

There are four pre-serial prototypes for the PLASMA FALCON class with a cruise speed of 155 km/h (96 mph). The 9 kg system has a maximum endurance of 186 minutes at 142 km/h (88 mph) and a maximum range of 440 km (273 miles). The 12 kg interceptor version has a maximum endurance of 121 minutes and a range of 330 km (205 miles) at 164 km/h (102 mph) cruise speed.

The next bigger version PLASMA FALCON / Corona Bat 1.66 with 20 kg has a maximum endurance of 189 minutes and a maximum range of 447 km (278 miles) at 142 km/h (88 mph) cruise speed.

A fuel cell module makes only sense with liquid hydrogen tanks as the energy density of a 6.0 kg system with two standardard two-liter hydrogen tanks (1376 Wh) is not sufficient with 229 Wh/kg. The new batteries have now energy densities of up to 320 Wh/kg. So a complex hydrogen fuel cell system is more suitable for bigger Corona Bat variants with 2.22 and 3.33 m wingspan.

Electrofluidsystems selected the gyro-stabilized and ruggedized electro-optical-infrared (EO-IR) gimbal Merio Milvus 7HD-LP (270 g) camera to replace the previous NextVision NightHawk2 (250 g) for nose integration in the Corona Bat 1.11. The new camera with MIL-STD 461/810 certification has higher optical/IR resolutions and can withstand -40°C. The Merio Milvus 7HD-LP with optical camera (1920x1080, zoom x160), LWIR (1280x1025, zoom x8) and the NightHawk2-UZ with optical camera (1920x1080, zoom x40), LWIR (1280x720, zoom x4) are both available in the Plasma Falcon 1.11 with underbody gimbal integration.

Electrofluidsystems is once again setting new standards in drone technologies and also demonstrates for the first time the possible use of advanced satellite camera heads and ultrasonic sensors from automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems).

These camera heads have good day and night vision and also work in the most adverse weather conditions with temperatures ranging from -40°C to 85°C.  The camera systems are certified according to IP67K and are therefore dustproof and waterproof. The heated lenses even have an IP69K rating and are extremely robust even at very high pressures and speeds.

Corona Bat 1.11 is currently the most advanced high-tech mini reconnaissance drone and the world's first mini UAV with heated high-end pitot probes certified for flights up to 33,000 ft. The air data computers of the high-tech probes from the Swiss company Simtec AG usually only fit into tactical drones with a wingspan of more than 2 meters of classic fuselage-wing designs. Corona Bat 1.11 has integrated two redundant high-end pitot probes with separate heating units that are approved for high-altitude flights and temperatures as low as -55°C.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Corona Bat 1.11 also features a globally unique plasma anti-de-icing system, powered by two RF piezo plasma and two HV-DC DC voltage generators. This enables the efficient ignition of sliding discharges, which run several centimeters along the leading edge and thus also contribute to active flow and direction control. The drone can thus be controlled at high speed even without rudder deflection when necessary. These are usually technologies used on very advanced hypersonic guided missiles.

Corona Bat 1.11 also includes an alternative, electro-thermal anti-de-icing system based on innovative heating film structures, which can replace the plasma actuator films on the leading edges of the outer wings. For this purpose, the plasma generators are replaced by two additional heating units. These are identical heaters that are also used for the high-end heated pitot probes.

The additional battery power with 118 Wh is also used to heat the 835 Wh motor battery when necessary. The new battery has an energy density of 297 Wh/kg for the Corona Bat 1.11 and even 320 Wh/kg for the next bigger Corona Bat 1.66. That enables an extraordinary range at high cruise speeds going beyond what is available today with sailplane-type fuselage-wing configurations.

With CoronaBat UAS Electrofluidsystems redefines the next generation of swarm-capable, highly maneurable, high-speed mini UAV systems for real-time surveillance assisted by an AES-256 encrypted dual video telemetry system and the Mesh Rider Dual Radio from Doodle Labs with a handheld high-end GCS controller based on the ruggedized and robust Panasonic FZ-S1. 

The CoronaBat UAV system has two onboard DroneCore2 modules from Airvolute with the latest NVIDIA AI computer Jetson Orin NX. The main autopilot is based on the US-made hardware Cube Blue with ADS-B antenna from CubePilot with two additional Cube Blue units on the DroneCore2 modules for triple autopilot redundancy.

The Cube Blue is identical to the Cube Orange with the main difference being that it is manufactured in the USA. The Cube Blue is designed for operators that require a US-made flight controller option, such as government or military operators.

One of the two AI-computers is reserved for the SWARMPILOT with four navigation cameras and the optional blockchain platform SWARMCHAIN for more secure communication and coordination of swarming unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs).

Electrofluidsystems CoronaBat 1.11 with its huge payload bay is also a 1:20 (CoronaBat 22.2) and 1:27 (CoronaBat 30.0) scale model for a new generation of flying wing cargo aircrafts with ultra-efficient 550 PS RED AIRCRAFT A03 Diesel engines which can be also modified to work with hydrogen fuel using plasma combustion systems. The standard A03 high-altitude engine with 500 PS can provides 375 PS at 35,000 ft (10,668 m). 

At 45,000 ft (13,716 m) altitude, the CoronaBat 22.2 needs 460 PS to fly with a speed of 400 km/h. Otto Aviation uses advanced multi-stage turbo chargers and heat exchangers in the Celera 500L to compensate the dramatic power drop at altitudes from 10,668 m to 15,000 m where the standard engine only provides 170 PS (see for the US patent 9,446,835 B2 from William Otto).

The payload bay of both versions can be easily accessed through the front door and in case of the bigger 8,600 kg variant with 30.0 m span can carry different standard cargo containers like LD-1, LD-2 or LD-3 and also different bulk cargo packages on 463L master pallets (HCU-6/E) as shown in the concept visualization above. The CoronaBat 30.0 will have a rear clamshell door to release airdrop pallets.

Electrofluidsystems optionally piloted flying wing cargo UAV CoronaBat 22.2 can also fly with sustainable aviation fuel-powered GE Catalyst turboprop engines and reach a constant cruise speed of 507 km/h (272 kts) at 13,176 m (45,000 ft) altitude. The same engine can also power the upscaled CoronaBat 30.0. 

PLASMA RAY 1.11 / 11 - 18 kg MTOW

The stingray-shaped PLASMA RAY is an electric VTOL (eVTOL) UAV with 1.11 m wingspan and a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 11 - 18 kg. The deliverable payload weight is 4.0 - 8.2 kg. The near-term vision is to extend the product family to 1.66 m - 3.33 m wingspan until 2027. The AI swarm controller (SWARMPILOT) will enable coordinated flights in half-diamond and full diamond-shaped formations, reducing drag and increasing range by up to 50%.

The first pre-serial prototypes of the PlasmaRay with 1.11 m wingspan will use 12 electric ducted fan (EDF) jets from Schuebeler (DS-30-AXI HDS) and three kind of different brushless electric motors. There will be three basic versions for the PlasmaRay:

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

PLASMARAY 1.11 and H2PLASMARAY 1.11 UAV systems are plasma flow controlled, swarm capable eVTOL demonstrators for a new class of hydrogen fuel-cell powered, hyperfast air taxis with 6.66 m (900 - 1,000 kg), 8.88 m (1,850 - 2,000 kg), 11.1 (3,000 kg), 13.3 m (5,700 kg), 18.0 m (10,500 kg) and 19.9 m (13,500 kg) wingspan.

Electrofluidsystems also works on new heavy cargo BWB aircraft concepts based on the PlasmaRay design. A 4,700 kg PlasmaRay system would use 36 Vasyfan VF-570 lift fans (with each having 150 kg static thrust).