Energy Storage Systems for Very High Altitude Very Long Endurance Solar Aircraft

Electric propulsion aircrafts such is HALE (high altitude, long endurance) would need medium power fuel cells of high efficiency with very high specific energy. The fuel cells should also act as electrolyzers to convert the solar cell energy during daytime operation into fuel for the system for the night time operation. The system should be operational for many years delivering power over a long duration. A specific energy of >2kW-hr/kg would be very desirable for such a system. Fuceltech proposes a radically new technology approach for fuel cells which offers the potential for very high specific energy of >3kW-hr/kg. The cell is over 10x lighter weight and smaller volume compared to conventional technology fuel cells because of its architecture as it avoids the materials which contribute to most of the weight of the conventional fuel cells and uses very lightweight materials for its construction. The concept of the fuel cell has already been demonstrated and can be developed into long duration fuel cell/electrolyzer with a specific energy of over 3kW-hr/kg.