Micro-Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers for UAVs

Developing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with an electric propulsion system that combines photovoltaic modules with an energy storage system has been an ongoing goal of the aeronautics community. A closed-loop energy storage system using a fuel cell and electrolyzer will enable the UAV to operate at high altitudes (> 20 km) and for mission durations over a year. However, the specific energy of the energy storage system must be increased beyond present 150W-hr/kg levels. A high capacity fuel cell and electrolyzer unit under development at Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) is aiming to improve the energy storage capability to values much greater than 500 W-hr/kg.