Abstract: A method of migrating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations between geographic survey areas, including: uploading a first plurality of flight missions into a first UAV pod; deploying the UAV pod; autonomously launching the UAV from the UAV pod a plurality of times to perform the first plurality of flight missions; providing first survey data from the UAV to the UAV pod; autonomously migrating the UAV from the first UAV pod to a second UAV pod; receiving a second plurality of flight missions in a second UAV pod; providing the UAV with one of the second plurality of flight missions from the second UAV pod; autonomously launching the UAV from the second UAV pod a plurality of times to perform the second plurality of flight missions; and providing a second survey data from the UAV to the second UAV pod; where the autonomous migrating of the UAV to accomplish the first and second survey data happens autonomously and without active human intervention.

Abstract: An electrical power conversion system that supplies the maximum available output power from a power source such as a solar array to a plurality of loads such as rechargeable batteries. The output power of the solar array peaks at an optimum current that is less than is maximum available output current. The system includes a controller and a plurality of dc-to-dc converters that charge the batteries. The controller monitors the solar array's output power and adjusts the battery charging by generating a current control signal that tracks a peak of the solar array's available output power and sets a current limit such that the combined current draw of the plurality of dc-to-dc converters is substantially equal to the solar array's optimum current at which it provides its maximum available power. The electrical power and control signals are transmitted from the power source and controller to the power converters on three bus bars, including a power bus, a control bus, and a common bus.