Feasibility study for a fuel cell-powered unmanned aerial vehicle with a 75 kg payload

• Autorzy: Desantes José M. , Novella Ricardo , García-Cuevas Luis M. , Lopez-Juarez Marcos

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.2478/tar-2022-0008

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Among the possible electric powerplants currently driving low-payload UAVs (up to around 10 kg of payload), batteries offer certain clear benefits, but for medium-payload operation such as aerotaxis and heavy-cargo transportation UAVs, battery capacity requirements restrict their usage due to high weight and volume. In light of this situation, fuel cell (FC) systems (FCS) offer clear benefits over batteries for the medium-payload UAV segment (> 50 kg). Nevertheless, studies regarding the application of FCS powerplants to this UAV segment are limited and the in-flight performance has not been clearly analysed. In order to address this knowledge gap, a feasibility analysis of these particular applications powered by FCS is performed in this study. A validated FC stack model (40 kW of maximum power) was integrated into a balance of plant to conform an FCS. As a novelty, the management of the FCS was optimized to maximize the FCS efficiency at different altitudes up to 12500 ft, so that the operation always implies the lowest H₂ consumption regardless of the altitude. In parallel, an UAV numerical model was developed based on the ATLANTE vehicle and characterized by calculating the aerodynamic coefficients through CFD simulations. Then, both models were integrated into a 0D-1D modelling platform together with an energy management strategy optimizer algorithm and a suitable propeller model. With the preliminary results obtained from the FCS and UAV models, it was possible to ascertain the range and endurance of the vehicle. As a result, it was concluded that the combination of both technologies could offer a range over 600 km and an endurance over 5 h. Finally, with the integrated UAV-FCS model, a flight profile describing a medium altitude, medium endurance mission was designed and used to analyse the viability of FC-powered UAV. The results showed how UAVs powered by FCS are viable for the considered aircraft segment, providing competitive values of specific range and endurance.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle; fuel cell; hydrogen; optimization

• Wydawca: Wydawnictwa Naukowe Sieci Badawczej Łukasiewicz - Instytutu Lotnictwa
• Czasopismo: Transactions on Aerospace Research
• Rocznik: 2022
• Tom: Nr 2 (267)
• Strony: 13--30
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 20 poz., rys., tab., wykr., wzory

Twórcy

autor

Desantes José M.

• CMT-Motores Térmicos. Universitat Politècnica de València. Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4124-9393

autor

Novella Ricardo

• CMT-Motores Térmicos. Universitat Politècnica de València. Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5123-6924

autor

García-Cuevas Luis M.

• CMT-Motores Térmicos. Universitat Politècnica de València. Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain

• https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9340-0617

autor

Lopez-Juarez Marcos

• CMT-Motores Térmicos. Universitat Politècnica de València. Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain

• https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9886-4728

Bibliografia

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Uwagi

1. This research has been partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and University through the University Faculty Training (FPU) program (FPU19/00550). This work is part of the project PID2020-11946RA-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/ . Part of the research was also funded by Generalitat Valenciana and by “ERDF A way of making Europe” through grant number IDIFEDER/2021/039, as part of the program “Subvenciones para Infraestructuras y Equipamiento de I+D+i”. It was also partially funded by the Conselleria d’Innovació, Universitats, Ciència i Societat Digital of the Generalitat Valenciana through grant with expedient number GV/2021/069 of the program for “Grupos de Investigación Emergentes GV/2021”. The hydrogen activities were also funded by grant EQC2019-005968-P funded by MCIN/AEI/ and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”.

2. Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MEiN, umowa nr SONP/SP/546092/2022 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2022-2023).