Hello, I'm planning on building a drone with a tethered power source and I would like some feedback on my plan and power supply selection.

The plan is to have a powered ground station (like an ecoflow delta power station) carry 120VAC power up through a thin cable to the drone, where an AC to DC converter converts it to 12V for the drone.

I currently have a DIY drone that can hover at 12V and ~12A with a 500g battery.

I was thinking of this power supply: https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/MEAN-WELL/RPS-300-12?qs=wHeJta5ht8C9aJqZCPQO3w==
12V output, 300W rated, and 350g which seems fairly light for this power output.

I'm still on the search for a lightweight cable, but I was thinking something along the lines of a 20-gauge two-conductor cable to carry the 120VAC up to the drone.

I see some commercial DJI tether products use 400VAC up to the drone, possibly to reduce the wire size even more.

I am also in search of a safety system for use on the ground station, in case the cable snaps and shorts or something. Maybe some kind of in-line breaker with a relatively low trip current of maybe like 10A?

I'd appreciate feedback on my plans. Thanks

 

How high and how far do you plan to fly the drone from the power station?
I mean everything is doable these drones do exist but how strong will the drone propeller have to be, to compensate for the weight of the cable?

From dynamic point of view, a static 500g battery built in the drone is a lot easier to handle than 500g of cable waving around.
(0 experience with drones, purely an observation)

 

Welcome to AAC!
Have you considered that the tethered drone will make an excellent lightning conductor?

 

If you can get a similar power supply with a 240 volt AC input you can add a step up transformer at the ground level base and use thinner wire.

 

I am also in search of a safety system for use on the ground station

Certainly a circuit-breaker of the appropriate current rating, along with a GFCI outlet to protect against electrocution.

 

The weight of insulation on the wires is also an issue. BUT think very carefully about shock prevention, because when the power stops the air-born devices falls out of control.

 

Those tricky logistics for getting the power up to the drone are the reason that we don't see many tethered drones these days.

 

Hi, your tethered drone plan looks solid and very interesting!


Just a quick note: using 20AWG wire for 12A at 120VAC might be a bit close to the cable’s limit—consider checking the cable’s current rating carefully or using a higher transmission voltage to reduce current and cable weight.


The Mean Well RPS-300-12 power supply you chose is a good match for your 12V/12A drone load.


Also, definitely add a fast-acting breaker or fuse on the ground station side for safety, especially to handle cable shorts or breaks.


If you want, I have some technical articles about power adapters and cable selection that might help you optimize your design. Feel free to ask!


Good luck with your project!

 

Probably #24 wire could work for the "up" power feed , and still be able to handle the current, which would be about one amp with an efficient step-down inverter in the drone end. But handling that cable will be a serious challenge, and the shock hazard if it is allowed to fall out of the air if it breaks, is real.
Since the airborne part of the cable is air-cooled, the published data about current handling does not apply, but the resistance data still is valid..
Once again, this is why we do not see many ground powered drones.