Boeing/DARPA Contract to fuel cells for ultra-long endurance aircraft

摘要

According to Versa Power Systems CEO Bob Stokes, the company has been selected as one of the key suppliers to The Boeing Co. under a US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program to develop and fly a very long endurance unmanned aircraft. Stokes says/The technology will enable an aircraft to remain on station at stratospheric altitudes for at least five years, will perform persistent communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions from altitudes above 60,000 feet. In the project, DARPA's Vulture program, Boeing pairs Versa Power's specialized solid state SOFC technology with solar equipment that together serve as the aircraft's on-board source of electricity. Combining a fuel cell with solar power provides continuous energy, making long-term propulsion and flight operations possible."