Fuel cell powers 23 hour flight
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) powered primarily by a fuel cell has completed a 23 hour flight in the US.
The aircraft uses hydrogen to power an ultra lightweight proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system produced by Protonex that has a power to weight ratio of 1kW per kg.
Small UAVs are growing in importance as they provide capabilities ranging from surveillance collection to communication links. Electric UAVs have the additional feature of being nearly undetectable from the ground.
Fuel cells create an electrical current when they convert hydrogen and oxygen into water, with only water and heat as by-products. The 550W fuel cell onboard has about four times the efficiency of a comparable internal combustion engine and the system provides seven times the energy in the equivalent weight of batteries. The Ion Tiger weighs approximately 17kg and carries a 1.8 to 2.2kg payload.
Due to the high energy in the fuel cell system onboard the Ion Tiger, it is now possible to do long endurance missions with near silent UAVs, thus allowing a larger cruise range and reducing the number of daily launches and landings. This provides more capability while saving time and effort for the crew.
The long endurance flight was made possible following the research led by the US Naval Research Laboratory on high powered, efficient fuel cell systems, lightweight hydrogen gas storage tanks, improved thermal management, and the effective integration of these systems.
Fuel cell technology is likely to impact the operational spectrum of technologies including ground, air and undersea vehicles.
