Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Powered Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) For Extended Endurance and Long-Range Missions

摘要

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) have great potential for many different applications [1-5]. The small UASs are lightweight, man-portable, and capable of carrying payloads. For militaryapplications, these systems provide valuable intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targetacquisition (ISRTA) capabilities for units at the infantry battalion, company, and platoon levels. The powersystem is a key component for small UASs to perform extended and long-range missions. We have selected,examined, developed, and evaluated several cutting-edge power and energy technologies to power smallUASs. Currently, the capabilities of a small UAS are limited by its power source. Small UASs are mainlypowered by advanced batteries, which cannot sustain extended operations. Small engine generators are nota viable solution because they generate pollutants and can be noisy, which could be detected by theadversary. Solar cells are not efficient enough to be used as the primary power system and are limited byweather conditions. Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) still have the same technicalconstraint, the source of hydrogen, as they did many years ago. The objective of this work is to develop,demonstrate, and integrate a highly efficient, lightweight 350 W Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) system forsmall UAS applications. The result of this developmental effort will be a power system to support increasedmission duration, power, and reliability of the small UAS, resulting in improved situational awareness.Improved situational awareness capabilities will specifically benefit Department of Defense convoys, routeclearance missions, base/defense patrols, and other reconnaissance objectives. The research anddevelopment efforts presented here not only apply to small UASs but can also help extend missionoperations for unmanned ground vehicle systems and Soldier-portable power application.