SPECTRE - Silent Propulsion, Extended Range, Covert Transport and Resupply Engine

The United States Air Force (USAF) increasingly relies on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for contested logistics and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, which require silent, compact, long-range solutions with low thermal signatures. Traditional dual piston combustion engines, while providing the necessary range and payload capacity, are easily detected by their thermal signature, whereas battery-powered systems, though undetectable, lack the required range and payload capacity. Hydrogen-powered solutions with fuel cells offer a promising alternative, combining the range and payload of traditional engines with the undetectability of electrified platforms. Celadyne, in collaboration with Raytheon (RTX) and the University of Texas at Austin, aims to develop a fuel cell-powered UAV capable of carrying a 20 lb payload over a 150-mile round trip with low detectability. The project will leverage Celadyne’s advanced Dura™ fuel cells, which promise a tenfold improvement in power density compared to current fuel cell technology. This innovation will enable silent, persistent resupply missions in contested environments, significantly enhancing the USAF's operational reach and survivability while reducing the risk to personnel.In Phase I, Celadyne and UT Austin simulated the performance of Dura™ enabled fuel cells, demonstrating that simulations can accelerate development through user input, machine learning, and process optimization. Celadyne also scoped end-user mission parameters, outlined a long-term commercialization strategy, and performed internal R&D to meet materials-level targets for high power density fuel cells. They established a physics-based PEM fuel cell model with Celadyne Dura™ as a membrane, which was experimentally validated to predict cell performance accurately. Additionally, Celadyne successfully integrated Dura™ into a 100 W fuel cell, demonstrating a threefold reduction in hydrogen crossover and increased durability.Building on these achievements, Celadyne will start by fabricating and benchmarking Dura catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) at a 5 cm˛ scale, aiming to demonstrate improved performance compared to conventional PFSA membranes. Following this, Raytheon will conduct performance characterization and benchmarking of these CCMs. To optimize gas diffusion layers (GDLs), UT Austin will simulate fuel cell performance using computational fluid dynamics and multi-physics modeling. Once the initial benchmarks are established, Celadyne will scale up CCM production to full-scale size and validate their performance under real-world conditions. Raytheon will then integrate and test full-scale membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in air-cooled and liquid-cooled fuel cells. Finally, Celadyne and Raytheon will collaborate to integrate the optimized Dura CCMs into a multi-cell fuel cell stack for UAV applications, ensuring optimal performance under varied operational loads.