Re:Solar Impulse lands in California after Pacific crossing
by Retric on Sunday April 24, 2016 @11:02PM
(#11562356)
Li-ion battery's are 0.265 kWh per kg. Over a 2 hour flight the lightest thin film solar cells produce 12kWh. Battery's might be improving but not 50x as good.
See 6w per gram:
http://news.mit.edu/2016/ultrathin-flexible-solar-cells-0226
You would probably want a thicker coating to protect the cell, but in 50 years solar can add very minimal weight.
Solar Impulse is a marvel of engineering, and the fact that during on of the legs of the flight a single person flew the damn thing for 6 days straight is an attestment to human ingenuity and courage but there is a very very big difference between flying 50 people using electric aircraft (again electric not specifically solar) in 50 years to flying 50,000 of lbs on solar power.
We already have electric aircraft capable of 1.5-2h of flight scaling those up on electric power alone without solar might actually be easier as you do not inherit the weight of the solar panels. Efficient fuel cells and ultra light batteries / nano super caps could potentially make electric flight possible within 50 years but again relying on solar to transport cargo long haul no sorry not happening.