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ABSTRACT Organic solar cells (OSCs) offer unique advantages like flexibility and lightweight design, making them suitable for solar-extended unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs). However, conventional transparent electrodes limit their performance due to high sheet resistance. To address this, a flexible, transparent electrode with ultra-low sheet resistance (1 Ω/□) and 90% transmission was developed. Utilizing non-halogenated solvent processing and slot-die coating, a 1 cm2 single cell achieved 17.12% (certified 16.88%) power conversion efficiency (PCE), while a 42 cm2 module achieved 15.60%. Stability tests showed unencapsulated devices retained 90% efficiency after 1080 h (ISOS-D-1) and 97% after 1000 bending cycles. SUAVs equipped with the flexible OSC modules, combined with a lithium battery and power management system, demonstrated a flight time extension of 24.2%. Outdoor testing confirmed reliable sensor performance and data transmission. This study validates flexible OSCs for SUAV applications, advancing renewable energy solutions in lightweight mobile systems.
Tian et al. (Tue,) studied this question.