INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE TCNICA AEROESPACIAL

FUEL CELLS for UAV Applications

Maria
Maria Pilar
Pilar Argumosa
Argumosa

November
-14th 2014(
November 12th
12th-14th
2014( Lithuania
Lithuania ))

Index
1. UAV. Introduction. S&TO activities.
2. UAV Categories
3. Power Systems on UAVs
4. Current Fuel cell technologies on the market
5. FC power System
1. Mini UAV FC power system
2. Regular UAV FC power system
6. Conclusions

UAVs

TR-AVT-103 (2004)
S&TO activities on Fuel cells and UAVs

TR-SET-126 (2011)
TR-SET-173 (2014)

UAVs

Remotely controlled
Aerial powered platform with no onboard human operator

Autonomous

UAVs
There is a wide range of UAV
types, classified by
missions;,performance and by
weight or flight altitude.

Three groups have been selected from the general classification:

Micro UAVs: mostly portable, hand launched, very law altitude.
Payload weight < 1 kg. TOW < 9 kg. Total Power < 100 W
(Group 1: RAVEN RQ / PUMA / WASP)
Mini UAVs: short range, law altitude. Payload weight 1 - 3 kg.
TOW < 20 kg. Total Power < 10 kW
(Group 2: ALO / BOOMERANG / AZIMUT / ION TIGER)
Regular UAVs: medium range, medium altitude. Payload weight
< 150 kg. TOW < 400 kg. Total Power 10 50 kW
(Group 3: SIVA / LUNA / HERMES)

Power systems
Function: to provide the thrust to propel the vehicle and the electricity to
power the electronic devices (control and payload)

Power technologies:
ICE (pistons, rotary and
turbine engines)
Electric Propulsion
(Rechargeable batteries, PV
panels, Fuel Cells, capacitors)
Scramjets
Reciprocating chemical muscles
Beamed power
Nuclear isotopes

Power system improvements:

Longer endurance
Higher power extraction
Lower signature design
Lower specific fuel consumptions
(SFC)
More efficient Electrical power
generation
Lower cost

Power systems
Do not forget that:
To get both thrust and electricity from an ICE engine you
need also an electric generator
To get both trust and electricity from a ELECTRIC propulsion
system you need also an electric motor

Conventional Technologies
Micro UAVs:

Mini UAVs:

Regular UAVs:

Electric propulsion

Electric propulsion / Small

ICE (2 Strokes)

ICE

Energy stored in
Batteries

Energy stored in Batteries /

gasoline

Looking for:
Higher Specific Power (SP)
Lower Specific Fuel
consumption (PFC)
Higher Energy Density

Energy stored in
Hydrocarbons &
Batteries

Power systems

PV

FC

ICE

BAT

2011 80 kW FC stack SP = 0,75 hp/lb (1.2 kW/kg)

2020 80 kW FC stack SP = 1.25 hp/lb (2 kW/kg)

Power systems
x

Electric
Propulsion

Electric motor

Battery

2 kw/Kg

150 wh/kg

FC System

Electric motor

Fuel

600 W/kg - 90 gr/kwh

2 kw/Kg

446 wh/kg

PV

Electric motor

Battery

70 W/kg

2 kw/Kg

150 wh/kg

Engine

Electricity
Generator

Fuel + Battery

Higher SPC

1200 W/Kg _ 500

gr/kwh

2 kw/Kg

9000 wh/kg+150
wh/kg

Lower cost,

ICE Propulsion

Fuel Cell Stacks

PEMFC

SOFC

Reliability, low signature, no emissions

Higher Range
Reliability, low signature, no emissions,
continuous power
Higher Range
low signature, no emissions

Improvements on Auxiliary
components are required:
80-160C
quick start
Pure H2
700 1000C
Higher efficiency; lower SP
Reformed Hydrocarbons fuel

Innovative electric motors

Fuel storage systems
Electronic power modules
miniaturization
Advance cooling

Fuel Cell technologies

Let's look for commercial fuel cells that may fit for any of our UAV
Micro FC. 300 mW DMFC modules are commercially
available but they are still to heavy to be onboard a MAV
as the Delft DELFLY of 17 gr that requires only 2 w to
fly.
Mini FCs that provid continuous power from
200 to 400 w are wide available, but its SP
for only the stacks is under 200 w/kg.
Only three lighter commercial
systems were found, reaching a
total system SP around 80 w/kg
with 900 wh of stored energy.

AEROPAK

FUELcartridge

FUELCELLsystem

TOSHIBA

Fuel Cell technologies

Regular FC, FC stacks on the range of 20-50 kW are off the shelf, their SP are
under 1200 w/Kg, and it may increase up to 2 kw/kg on 2020. These figures are
promising but what about the balance of plant and H2 storage weight?

Fuel Cell Power System

Two different scenarios have been chosen to set up a power system prototype
based on Fuel Cell technology, the target is to examine the advantages of this
technology using off the shelf products.
MINI UAV
Aerial Platform Description
Max Take-off Weight = 4.5 kg
Platform Weight = 1.7 kg
Wingspan = 4 m
Wing surface = 58 dm2
Mission Description
Flight Ceiling = 2000 m
Environmental conditions= ISA 35 to
ISA +25
Launching altitude = 0 500 m
Start up = 60 sg
Take off = By catapult
Climbing = 2 min. R/C 3 m/s 90% Max P
Cruise = 700 m. 1 h. Flight speed 12 m/s.
Electrical extracted power = 100 W

REGULAR UAV
Aerial Platform Description
Max Take-off Weight =300 kg
Platform Weight = 190 kg
Wingspan = 5,81m
Wing surface = 300 dm2
Mission Description
Flight Ceiling = 4000 m
Environmental conditions= ISA 35 to ISA +25
Launching altitude = 0 1000 m
Start up = 60 sg
Take off = 2 min. 5 degrees, 100% Max P
Climbing = 20 min. R/C 3.3 m/s 90% Max P
Cruise = 3000 m. 1h30. Flight speed 40 m/s.
Observation =2500m. 6h. Flight speed 40 m/s
Electrical extracted power = 1.5 kW

Fuel Cell Power System

MINI UAV
Power Demand:
Take off = 0 (Launched by Catapult)
Climbing = 300 W during 2 min
Cruise = 100 W for 1 h.
Auxiliary systems = 100 W
Energy Demand: 300 Wh
Syst. Weight: 2.8 kg
Energy Density:

110 Wh/kg

DOE Technology Status (2011) Syst:

COMPONENTS

250 Wh/kg
WEIGHT (g)

Fuel cell stack +Li-Po batteries

700

Hydrogen and oxygen system (with 1 litre of fuel)

1570

Total power system weight

2270

Electric motor with propeller

170

Avionics

100

TOTAL WEIGHT

2540

PEM FC Stack
200 W _ 600 W peak
Eff. 50% 2.2 l/min

Fuel Cartridge
NaBh4 + H2O
1 l _ 900Wh
Air
2000 l/min

Electric motor
& Propeller
Light composite p.
Brushless m.
No gearbox

Autonomy 1 h
3h
Payload 260 gr.
Energy Density
400 Wh/kg

Avionics
Receptor & servo
FCS & GPS
Radio modem

Fuel Cell Power System

REGULAR UAV
Power Demand:
Take off = 27 kW during 2 min
Climbing = 21 kW during 20 min
Cruise = 16 kW for 6 h.
6 hours
Auxiliary systems = 1.5 kW
Energy Demand: 114 kWh
Syst. Weight: 180 kg
Energy Density:

640 Wh/kg

DOE Tec Status (2011) Sys_wo fuel: 400Wh/kg

COMPONENTS

WEIGHT (Kg)

Fuel cell stack

18,5

Hydrogen and oxygen lines (without fuel storage)

3,0

Cooling lines

10,0

Electro technical parts

40,0

Mechanical parts

10,0

Total FC system weight

81,5

Electrical motor system

60,0

Total Power system weight without fuel

141,5

Hydrogen storage

18,5

Oxygen Storage

15,0

TOTAL WEIGHT

175,0

PEM FC Stack
& Battery
20 kW _27 kW peak
0.3 gr/sg

H2 Cylinders
4 bottlesl
660 gr. _ 300 b
O2
5350 gr

Electric motor
Brushless.
35m kw, 380 Nm
Eff 90%

FC Auxiliary Syst
Cooling & DC converters
Control system
Wires & fittings

Energy Density

85 Wh/kg
Autonomy 6h 0.5 h
NO Payload

Fuel Cell Power System

CONCLUSIONS

FC System
400 Wh/kg

Li ion Battery
145 Wh/kg

FC System
50 Wh/kg

ICE
1000 Wh/kg

Fuel cell technology may be a good way to improve the UAVs performance, but it depends on the
mission. Environmental factors are also Important.
It is necessary to calculate in each scenario, whether fuel cells have better performance than batteries or
internal combustion engines. In general, fuel cells will be favoured above batteries in longer missions
and lower average power demands.

M. PILAR ARGUMOSA
argumosa@inta.es