Conceptual Design of Fuel Cell Based Hybrid Unmanned Air Vehicle

Abstract

Unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) are used successfully in many different fields mainly various military and civilian applications. Recently electric powered UAVs have become more preferable due to their better accessibility, cost, transportation and silence. However, the batteries used in electric UAVs still do not have enough energy density for long endurance flights. Due to the difficulty of using piston and gas turbine engines in small-sized UAVs, hydrogen fuel cells are seen as one of the considerable options to increase endurance and range. In this study, conceptual design of hybrid UAV including fuel cell, solar unit and battery is presented. Small, light and high endurance UAV was designed using aerodynamic calculations and minimum power requirement for cruise flight was determined. 100 W fuel cell produced by Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies and 3S, 5 Ah of battery were used for main power supplies, moreover solar cells to charge the battery were designed to mount on the surface of the wings. Also, a new power management system is designed for switching between the energy sources. As a result of this work, it is determined that fuel cells and solar units are the significant options which can increase the endurance of UAV up to 8 times depending on the design, solar flux, hydrogen capacity etc.

Keywords

• UAV
• propulsion
• hybrid
• fuel cell
• solar cell
• battery

References

1. Liu, P., Chen, A.Y., Huang, Y.N., Han, J.Y., Lai, J.S., Kang, S.C., et al., (2014). A review of rotorcraft unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developments and applications in civil engineering. Smart Structures and Systems. 13(6): 1065–94. doi: 10.12989/sss.2014.13.6.1065.
2. Bozhinoski, D., Di Ruscio, D., Malavolta, I., Pelliccione, P., Crnkovic, I., (2019). Safety for mobile robotic system: A systematic mapping study from a software engineering perspective. Journal of Systems and Software. 151: 150–79. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.02.021.
3. Gong, A., Verstraete, D., (2017). Design and bench test of a fuel-cell/battery hybrid UAV propulsion system using metal hydride hydrogen storage. 53rd AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference. doi: 10.2514/6.2017-4867.
4. Stroman, R.O., Swider-lyons, K.E., Stroman, R., Kellogg, J.C., Swider-lyons, K., (2006). Testing of a PEM Fuel Cell System for Small UAV Propulsion Testing of a PEM Fuel Cell System for Small UAV Propulsion. Power, 60 (80).
5. Moffitt, B., Bradley, T., Parekh, D., Mavris, D., (2006). Design and Performance Validation of a Fuel Cell Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. 44th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit.: 1–20. doi: 10.2514/6.2006-823.
6. Lapeña-Rey, N., Blanco, J.A., Ferreyra, E., Lemus, J.L., Pereira, S., Serrot, E., (2017). A fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicle for low altitude surveillance missions. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 42(10): 6926–40. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.01.137.
7. Kim, K., Kim, T., Lee, K., Kwon, S., (2011). Fuel cell system with sodium borohydride as hydrogen source for unmanned aerial vehicles. Journal of Power Sources. 196(21): 9069–75. doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2011.01.038.
8. Swider-Lyons, K., Stroman, R., Page, G., (2010). The Ion Tiger fuel cell unmanned air vehicle. In Proceedings of the 44st Power Sources Conference. Vol. 25, pp. 561-563.

9. Verstraete, D., Cazzato, L., Romeo, G., (2012). Preliminary design of a fuel-cell-based hybrid-electrical UAV. In Proceedings of the 28th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, Brisbane, Australia (pp. 23-28).
10. Kim, T., Kwon, S., (2012). Design and development of a fuel cell-powered small unmanned aircraft. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 37(1): 615–22. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.09.051.
11. Verstraete, D., Lehmkuehler, K., Wong, K.C., (2012). Design of a fuel cell powered blended wing body UAV. ASME 2012 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE 2012. 1(November): 621–9. doi: 10.1115/IMECE2012-88871.
12. Stroman, R.O., Schuette, M.W., Swider-Lyons, K., Rodgers, J.A., Edwards, D.J., (2014). Liquid hydrogen fuel system design and demonstration in a small long endurance air vehicle. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 39(21): 11279–90. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.05.065.
13. Kim, T., (2014). NaBH4 (sodium borohydride) hydrogen generator with a volume-exchange fuel tank for small unmanned aerial vehicles powered by a PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell. Energy. 69: 721–7. doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2014.03.066.
14. Renau, J., Sánchez, F., Lozano, A., Barroso, J., Barreras, F., (2017). Analysis of the performance of a passive hybrid powerplant to power a lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle for a high altitude mission. Journal of Power Sources. 356: 124–32. doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.04.090.
15. Yang, C., Moon, S., Kim, Y., (2016). A fuel cell/battery hybrid power system for an unmanned aerial vehicle. Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology. 30(5): 2379–85. doi: 10.1007/s12206-016-0448-3.
16. Gang, B.G., Kwon, S., (2018). Design of an energy management technique for high endurance unmanned aerial vehicles powered by fuel and solar cell systems. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 43(20): 9787–96. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.04.049.
17. Swider-Lyons, K.E., Stroman, R.O., Gould, B.D., Rodgers, J.A., Mackrell, J., Schuette, M., et al., (2014). Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Small Unmanned Air Vehicles. ECS Transactions. 64(3): 963–72. doi: 10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004.
18. McConnell, V.P., (2007). Military UAVs claiming the skies with fuel cell power. Fuel Cells Bulletin. 2007(12): 12–5. doi: 10.1016/S1464-2859(07)70438-8.
19. Smeenk, R.M., Bruin, S.C., van Velthuysen, M.L.F., Verwaal, V.J., (2008). In Brief. Current Problems in Surgery. 45(8): 522–5. doi: 10.1067/j.cpsurg.2008.04.002.
20. Lee, B., Park, P., Kim, K., Kwon, S., (2014). The flight test and power simulations of an UAV powered by solar cells, a fuel cell and batteries. Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology. 28(1): 399–405. doi: 10.1007/s12206-013-0936-7.
21. Gong, A., Verstraete, D., (2017). Fuel cell propulsion in small fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles: Current status and research needs. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 42(33): 21311–33. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.06.148.
22. Mobariz, K.N., Youssef, A.M., Abdel-Rahman, M., (2015). Long endurance hybrid fuel cell-battery powered UAV. World Journal of Modelling and Simulation. 11(1): 69–80.
23. Marta, A.C., Gamboa, P. V., (2013). Long Endurance Electric Uav for Civilian Surveillance Missions. St. Petersburg: International Council of Aeronautical Science, 19.
24. Depcik, C., Cassady, T., Collicott, B., Burugupally, S.P., Li, X., Alam, S.S., et al., (2020). Comparison of lithium ion Batteries, hydrogen fueled combustion Engines, and a hydrogen fuel cell in powering a small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Energy Conversion and Management, 207, 112514. doi: 10.1016/j.enconman.2020.112514.
25. Baroutaji, A., Wilberforce, T., Ramadan, M., Olabi, A.G., (2019). Comprehensive investigation on hydrogen and fuel cell technology in the aviation and aerospace sectors. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 106, 31-40.