Experimental investigation on the power generation for a hexacopter using a hydrogen fuel cell stack
Corresponding Author(s) : Gerardo Urdaneta
Future Energy,
Vol. 2 No. 2 (2023): May 2023 Issue
Abstract
Copter drone use has been on a steady increase over the last couple of decades. The main obstacle that has slowed down the widespread use of these systems is the limited flight time. This research paper will focus on implementing a hybrid system that includes a hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) along with a battery in a hex-copter configuration to determine its effectiveness and if possible, increase its flight time. Additionally, the different projects and studies that can be performed by students with this system were also discussed. The reason for the use of hydrogen relies on the fact that it has a higher energy density (120 kJ/g) than commercial lithium-ion polymer batteries (Li-Po), the type of batteries most commercial drones currently use, which only have an energy density of 1 kJ/g. This article was divided into two main experiments for its completion: testing the HFC and batteries with a parallel circuit composed of lightbulbs and testing both the HFC and LiPo batteries on the drone by spinning the motors without propellers. The data used for the analysis of the performance of the drone was the power drawn over the duration of each test. In addition, the fuel cell temperature and IV/IP curves were also studied. The results show a delay of less than 1 second between the transition from the fuel cell power to battery power. Additionally, it was found that both fuel cell and battery supplied energy at the same time, but the latter was almost negligible when the HFC was operating. However, the battery effectively supplied the drone with almost the same amount of power as the fuel cell when hydrogen was exhausted. Finally, it was found that the battery system plays an important role when the fuel cell is being turned on or off.
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- F. Zhang, J. Maddy, Investigation of the challenges and issues of hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cell applications in aviation., (n.d.).
- J. Wang, R. Jia, J. Liang, C. She, Y.P. Xu, Evaluation of a small drone performance using fuel cell and battery; Constraint and mission analyzes, Energy Reports. 7 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.11.225.
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- J.R. Nelson, T.H. Grubesic, The use of LiDAR versus unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to assess rooftop solar energy potential, Sustain Cities Soc. 61 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2020.102353.
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References
F. Zhang, J. Maddy, Investigation of the challenges and issues of hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cell applications in aviation., (n.d.).
J. Wang, R. Jia, J. Liang, C. She, Y.P. Xu, Evaluation of a small drone performance using fuel cell and battery; Constraint and mission analyzes, Energy Reports. 7 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.11.225.
Gerardo Urdaneta, Christopher Meyers, Lauren Elizabeth Rogalski, How do drones facilitate human life?, Future Technology . 1 (2022) 7–13.
J.R. Nelson, T.H. Grubesic, The use of LiDAR versus unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to assess rooftop solar energy potential, Sustain Cities Soc. 61 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2020.102353.
K.E. Swider-Lyons, J.A. Mackrell, J.A. Rodgers, G.S. Page, M. Schuette, R.O. Stroman, Hydrogen fuel cell propulsion for long endurance small UAVs, in: AIAA Centennial of Naval Aviation Forum “100 Years of Achievement and Progress,” 2011. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2011-6975.
A. Savvaris, Y. Xie, K. Malandrakis, M. Lopez, A. Tsourdos, Development of a fuel cell hybrid-powered unmanned aerial vehicle, in: 24th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation, MED 2016, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1109/MED.2016.7536038.
K.T. Møller, T.R. Jensen, E. Akiba, H. wen Li, Hydrogen - A sustainable energy carrier, Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 27 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnsc.2016.12.014.
H3 Dynamics, Aerostak 1000W-65 Cells Specifications & Operations: User Manual, (2021). https://www.h3dynamics.com/hydrogen-fuel-cell-systems-for-air-mobility (accessed October 31, 2022).
H3 Dynamics, Aerostak 1000-HV information sheet, n.d. https://www.h3dynamics.com/_files/ugd/3029f7_47d5b9c882d643cb878d6405ed2b4430.pdf (accessed August 21, 2022).