Feasibility of Laser Power Transmission to a High-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

摘要

High-altitude, long-endurance aircraft have long been a topic of interest for the U.S. Air Force and for the RAND Corporation. In 2007, RAND undertook a study to determine whether there was any practical merit to the admittedly speculative concept of transmitting power to such an aircraft by photovoltaic conversion of a laser beam, thus recharging the aircraft in midair and potentially keeping it aloft indefinitely.