Case study: Media and entertainment UAVs Flexible, scalable power delivery networks can adapt to the right audio and video equipment Customer’s challenge Like most drones, media and entertainment drones must carry heavy payloads and be able to stay in the air for as long as possible. Whether on a film set or at a live event, these drones must also be extremely safe and reliable, and they must be as compact as possible to avoid getting in the way of the show or the scene. They carry expensive camera and video equipment that can be interchanged to reconfigure the drone for different functions and venues. The key goals were: Compact and lightweight solution Optimized power delivery for longer operation The Vicor solution To efficiently provide power to the drone’s wide array of equipment as well as sensors, gimbals, and high-speed communications, it was necessary to have a solution that is lightweight and with a very small footprint. The compact size would also allow for additional functionality in newer versions of the drone. The solution also needed to be capable of delivering high power to loads that require it. Key benefits Key benefits High efficiency High power density Power delivery network Vicor Zero-Voltage Switching (ZVS) Buck and Buck-Boost products are ideal for media and entertainment drones. They have wide input and output ranges and can be paralleled for high power applications. Vicor high-density modular power solutions not only consume minimal space, but they also help future proof drone power needs where flexibility is a key advantage. Inputs: 12V (8 – 18V), 24V (8 – 42V), 48V (30 – 60V) Output: 2.2 – 16V Peak efficiency: 97% Resources