Bahrain 110 m, 90 kW tethered power system

I. Details

• Product Overview

The GLC200-90K tethered power system is compatible with multirotor drones weighing 200 to 360 kg at takeoff and supports flight altitudes of up to 100 meters or more.

The tethered power system primarily comprises a tether box, a power supply unit, and an onboard power source. The tether box—encompassing both the tether cable box and the power supply box—integrates an AC/DC conversion power supply, a tether cable, a cable‑reeling mechanism, servo motors, a communication module, a thermal management system, and a control‑management system. The tether box converts alternating current from grid power, generators, or other external sources into high‑voltage direct current, which is transmitted via the tether cable to the onboard power source. The onboard power source then steps down this high‑voltage DC to low‑voltage DC to power the UAV and mission payloads such as floodlights, enabling continuous flight durations of 24 hours or longer. 

Tethered drones, when equipped with mission payloads such as gimbal cameras, loudspeakers, payload launchers, communication modules, and high-pressure water cannons, can perform a wide range of functions, including long-duration video recording, area surveillance, search-and-rescue illumination, public‑address broadcasting, relay communications, firefighting, and curtain‑wall cleaning. They are extensively employed across numerous sectors, including film and television production, emergency lighting, command and control communications, aerial monitoring, public security and counterterrorism, traffic management, disaster relief and rescue operations, emergency fire response, news reporting, scientific research, and national defense and military industries.

• Typical characteristics

• Automatic cable retraction and deployment, with simple operation: The system automatically adjusts the tension as the drone takes off, lands, and flies, enabling seamless cable management. Throughout the entire takeoff, landing, and flight sequence, no manual intervention is required for cable handling, nor are any torque, speed, or gear‑related adjustments or settings necessary. 
• Superior protection, unfazed by wind and rain: The airborne power supply features a fully enclosed circuitry and waterproof connectors; the upper‑level electrical components of the tethered pod are partially enclosed with an inclined upward‑flowing heat‑dissipation air duct; and the structural parts are mounted using extruded rubber gaskets, effectively preventing siphon‑induced water ingress. This design ensures reliable operation in rainy and snowy conditions, making it suitable for a wide range of harsh operating environments. 
• Constant voltage regulation and battery protection: The onboard power supply features a wide input voltage range and constant‑voltage output, ensuring that the drone’s battery, connected in parallel, remains off‑line and serves solely as a safety backup. Regardless of how long the tethered flight lasts, the drone’s battery is never allowed to drop below 90% capacity, thereby preserving its backup function and preventing damage from repeated charge–discharge cycles. 
• Human–machine interaction and remote communication: The device’s display, the handheld display, and the client-side host computer can all display information, configure settings, and execute control commands, with audible and visual alarm functions. It supports viewing, saving, and downloading operational data, as well as firmware upgrades. 
• Ultra-long endurance and sustained operation: According to long-term testing, under the operating conditions of this product, the drone can maintain uninterrupted stationary hovering for 24 hours or more. 

1. II. Technical Parameters

• Overall parameters 

1. Supported takeoff weight: 200–360 kg. Drone performance varies by model; this figure is an empirical estimate and provided for reference only. 
2. Supported flight altitudes: 100 m, 200 m, or 300 m; cable lengths available in 110 m, 220 m, or 330 m, with a safety margin built in. 
3. Supported flight duration: >24 hours; the actual flight duration depends on the external power supply. 
4. Security Features: 
   1. Supports long-distance, contactless high-voltage switching on and off, eliminating the need to approach the tethered enclosure and reducing risks associated with working near high-voltage equipment. 
   2. Automatic cable reeling and deployment: the high-voltage cable automatically deploys and retracts in sync with the drone’s takeoff and landing, requiring no manual intervention. 
   3. When external power is interrupted, the drone can continue to fly and land safely, and its tether can automatically retract to prevent it from scattering and damaging the propellers upon landing. 
   4. It features alarm functions for cable breakage, detachment, and short circuits, as well as high-voltage shutdown protection, thereby mitigating the risk of high-voltage electric shock to personnel. 

• Power Supply Box (Ground-Side Equipment) 

1. Input voltage: 380 V ± 10% VAC, three-phase five-wire system, frequency 50 Hz 
2. Output voltage: 600–1000 VDC, with 1000 VDC as the factory default. 
3. Output Power: Rated continuous output 120 kW, short-term peak output 144 kW. 
4. Control methods: Supports display, configuration, and control via cabinet-mounted buttons, a mobile app, a remote host computer, and a drone remote controller. 
5. Protection Features: Equipped with over‑voltage, under‑voltage, over‑current, and over‑temperature protection; also includes protections against power loss, excessive cable payout, and cable breakage. 
6. Alarms and Alerts: When a device malfunctions, the display screen shows the fault details, while a loud buzzer provides an audible alert. 
7. Interface: Input E350 × 3+E120 × 2, Output E70 × 2+LP16 
8. Dimensions: Depth 580 × Width 306 × Height: 352 mm, excluding casters and handles. 
9. Weight: 60 kg, excluding casters 

• Mooring Box (Ground-Side Equipment) 

1. Cable length: Standard configuration is 110 m; optional lengths of 220 m or 330 m are available, with custom cable lengths also supported. 
2. Pay‑out and take‑up line speed: 0–3 m/s, with intelligent dynamic continuous adjustment and variable acceleration control. 
3. Tension range: 0–50 N; supports adjustable torque limit settings, with intelligent continuous adjustment of both the torque output value and the torque slope. 
4. Communication Capabilities: Equipped with both wired and wireless communication, supporting multi-device interconnection and intelligent display/control; optional fiber-optic communication link available. 
5. Display functions: operating data such as voltage, current, temperature, power consumption, cable length, and runtime, along with operating status and fault logs. 
6. Control methods: Supports display, configuration, and control via cabinet-mounted buttons, a mobile app, a remote host computer, and a drone remote controller. 
7. Protection Features: Equipped with protection functions such as power failure, over‑winding, and cable breakage; maintains automatic retraction and extension in the event of a power outage. 
8. Alarms and Alerts: When a device malfunctions, the display shows the fault details, while a loud buzzer provides an audible alert. 
9. Tether cable material: silver‑plated copper wire + Teflon insulation + single‑mode optical fiber + tensile‑resistant film jacket + high‑strength, tensile‑resistant aerospace‑grade fiber braided outer layer 
10. Interface: Input E70 × 2+LP16, output E70 × 2. Power switch, antenna, communication network port, grounding post 
11. Dimensions: Depth 592 × Width 762 × Height: 400 mm, excluding casters and handles. 
12. Weight: 49.8 kg for the airframe (excluding the tether cable), 118 g/m for the tether cable 
13. Packaging: Four-wheel aviation case with brakes, capable of storing the tethered drone pod, accessories, and documentation. 

• Airborne Power Supply (Sky-End Module) 

1. Input voltage: 800–1000 VDC, wide input voltage range 
2. Output voltage: 58.5 VDC, constant regulated output 
3. Output Power: Rated continuous output 90 kW, short-term peak output 120 kW. 
4. Installation method: Replace the two drone batteries; install and secure them by plugging in and locking, just as with the original batteries. 
5. Protection features: input undervoltage and overvoltage protection; output overvoltage, overcurrent, short-circuit, and overtemperature protection; fault‑clearing with auto‑recovery. 
6. Interface: Input E70, Output Battery Interface × 2. XT60 × 4 Load interfaces 
7. Size: 370 × 270 × 115 mm, single-piece size, used in pairs 
8. Weight: Two units weigh a total of 25.6 kg, replacing the two drone batteries that together weigh 32 kg.