Fuel cells (FCs) are clean and green power sources. The reported FCs in vehicle applications include three types: (1) hydrogen FCs, (2) methanol FCs, and (3) solid oxide FCs. In terms of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications, using the hydrogen FCs to achieve the power supply is the easiest and most commonly used scheme. In addition, the methanol and solid oxide FCs also have their special applications as major or auxiliary power sources in UAVs. This chapter focuses on the related technologies and crucial issues of the commonly used FCs in UAV applications. The discussions include the simplified working principles and analyses of the above three types of FCs, onboard hydrogen fuel storage styles, auxiliary or complementary power sources, topologies and power control of FC hybrid power systems, and crucial issues of current FC technologies. At last, conclusions and future breakthrough directions are given, which would be very useful for developing novel and high-performance FC power systems for UAVs.
Fuel Cells for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Sustainable aviat.
2022-09-24
27 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
Unmanned aerial vehicles , Fuel cells , Onboard hydrogen fuel storage , Auxiliary power source , Topologies and power control Engineering , Aerospace Technology and Astronautics , Energy Materials , Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering , Mechanical Engineering , Sustainable Development , Energy