{"72744":{"#nid":"72744","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hydrogen Fuel Cells Power Unmanned Aerial Vehicle","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology researchers have conducted successful test flights of a hydrogen-powered unmanned aircraft believed to be the largest to fly on a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell using compressed hydrogen. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fuel-cell system that powers the 22-foot wingspan aircraft generates only 500 watts. \u0022That raises a lot of eyebrows,\u0022 said Adam Broughton, a research engineer who is working on the project in Georgia Tech\u0027s Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL). \u0022Five hundred watts is plenty of power for a light bulb, but not for the propulsion system of an aircraft this size.\u0022  In fact, 500 watts represents about 1\/100th the power of a hybrid car like a Toyota Prius.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA collaboration between ASDL and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), the project was spearheaded by David Parekh, GTRI\u0027s deputy director and founder of Georgia Tech\u0027s Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EParekh wanted to develop a vehicle that would both advance fuel cell technology and galvanize industry interest. While the automotive industry has made strides with fuel cells, apart from spacecraft, little has been done to leverage fuel cell technology for aerospace applications, he noted. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A fuel cell aircraft is more compelling than just a lab demonstration or even a fuel cell system powering a house,\u0022 Parekh explained. \u0022It\u0027s also more demanding. With an airplane, you really push the limits for durability, robustness, power density and efficiency.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn November, the researchers will present details of the project at the Society of Automotive Engineers\u0027 Power System Conference in New Orleans.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFuel cells, which create an electrical current when they convert hydrogen and oxygen into water, are attractive as energy sources because of their high energy density. Higher energy density translates into longer endurance.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough fuel cells don\u0027t produce enough power for the propulsion systems of  commercial passenger aircraft, they could power smaller, slower vehicles like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and provide a low cost alternative to satellites. Such UAVs could also track hurricanes, patrol borders and conduct general reconnaissance.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFuel cell powered UAVs have several advantages over conventional UAVs, noted Tom Bradley, a doctoral student in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Mechanical Engineering who  developed the fuel cell propulsion system. For starters, fuel cells emit no pollution and unlike conventional UAVs, don\u0027t require separate generators to produce electricity for operating electronic components. \u0022Another plus, because fuel cells operate at near ambient temperatures, UAVs emit less of a heat signature and would be stealthier than conventionally powered UAVs,\u0022 he said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreaking new ground\u003C\/strong\u003E \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA few other research groups have also demonstrated hydrogen-powered UAVs, but these aircraft were either very small or used liquid hydrogen. \u0022Compressed hydrogen, which is what the automotive industry is using, is cheaper and easier to work with,\u0022 said Bradley, \u0022so our research will be easier to commercialize.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn contrast to the smaller UAVs, which had no landing gear and had to be hand launched, Georgia Tech\u0027s demonstrator vehicle operates like a full-sized aircraft, requiring no auxiliary batteries or boosters for take-off. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile little information has been released about other hydrogen-powered UAVs,  outreach is an important part of Georgia Tech\u0027s project. \u0022We are laying the groundwork in design development that others can use to develop hydrogen-powered aircraft,\u0022 explained Dimitri Mavris, ASDL director and Boeing Professor in Advanced Aerospace Systems Analysis in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Aerospace Engineering. \u0022By documenting the technical challenges we\u0027ve encountered - as well as our solutions - we provide a baseline for others to follow.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers hope to see many other aircraft take to the skies on power from fuel cells.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022As significant as it is, we are not merely developing a one-of-a-kind airplane,\u0022 added Parekh. \u0022We\u0027re working to define a systems engineering approach for fuel-cell powered flight. We\u0027re seeking to blaze a trail that others can follow.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to their upcoming presentation at the Society of Automotive Engineers meeting, the researchers presented papers earlier this year at meetings held by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The project is supported with internal funding from GTRI, along with grants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDifficult design game\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Hydrogen power requires a drastically different approach to aircraft design compared to conventional planes powered by fossil fuels,\u0022 observed Blake Moffitt, a doctoral student in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Aerospace Engineering who designed much of the aircraft.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo construct the fuel cell power plant, researchers bought a commercial fuel cell stack and modified it extensively, adding systems for hydrogen delivery and refueling, thermal management and air management. They also built control systems, such as data acquisition so information could be transmitted during flight. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong design challenges:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- \u003Cem\u003ESlim performance margins\u003C\/em\u003E. Researchers developed innovative computer tools to analyze performance, which enabled them to optimize the propulsion system and aircraft design. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- \u003Cem\u003EWeight management\u003C\/em\u003E. Creative methods were used to trim pounds, such as using carbon foam for the power plant\u0027s radiator.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- \u003Cem\u003EReducing drag\u003C\/em\u003E, which the team achieved via long, slender wings (spanning 22 feet), a streamlined fuselage, a rear-mounted propeller and an inverted V-shaped tail. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- \u003Cem\u003EMiniaturization\u003C\/em\u003E. The fuselage measured 45 inches in length with a maximum width of 9.75 inches and maximum height of 7.25 inches. Finding components small enough to fit in this space required some ingenuity, such as using a pump from a liquid-cooled computer and a hydrogen tank designed for a paintball gun. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn June, researchers tested the vehicle at the Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.  Hot, humid, windy weather made testing conditions less than ideal and reduced thrust. Yet researchers were able to conduct four flights, with the aircraft traveling between 2.5 and 3.7 meters above ground for up to a minute at a time. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Especially important, the data generated during these flights validated our design methodologies,\u0022 said Moffitt. \u0022The data also indicated the aircraft is capable of longer, higher performance flights.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the next few months, the team will continue to test and refine the aircraft, making it more reliable and robust. Ultimately, they plan to design and build an UAV capable of a trans-Atlantic flight - something that Parekh believes will be possible within the next five years. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gateh.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gateh.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: T.J. Becker\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers conduct flight tests using compressed hydrogen"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have conducted successful test flights of a hydrogen-powered unmanned aircraft believed to be the largest to fly on a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell using compressed hydrogen.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have test flown a fuel-cell aircraft"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2006-08-28 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2006-08-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2006-08-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72745":{"id":"72745","type":"image","title":"Getting fuel cell aircraft ready","body":null,"created":"1449177954","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:54","changed":"1475894663","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:23"},"72746":{"id":"72746","type":"image","title":"Fuel cell aircraft in flight","body":null,"created":"1449177954","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:54","changed":"1475894663","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:23"},"72747":{"id":"72747","type":"image","title":"Refueling the aircraft","body":null,"created":"1449177954","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:54","changed":"1475894663","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:23"}},"media_ids":["72745","72746","72747"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/","title":"Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.fcbt.gatech.edu\/","title":"Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.asdl.gatech.edu\/","title":"Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}