Portable Propane Fueled HT-PEM Fuel Cell System with High Power and Energy Densities

The most common primary propulsion power plant technologies used for small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (sUAVs), such as Insitu’s ScanEagle, are battery or engines. Both of these technologies suffer from some combination of low energy densities, poor durability or noisy operation, ultimately limiting their potential for critical missions. Fuel cells are touted as a potential solution to these limitations by providing higher gravimetric and volumetric energy densities.  Standard fuel cell technologies have their own problems, including long startup times, components made from brittle materials, or need pure hydrogen that is difficult to store on-board and is impractical to obtain in the field. Previous research conducted by Falcon Fuel Cells indicates that a fuel cell system utilizing high temperature proton exchange membrane (HT-PEM) technology has the potential to meet the power and energy densities required for sUAVs, but without the drawbacks experienced with standard fuel cell technologies.  Falcon’s HT-PEM operates at relatively low temperatures (160-200oC), is made from durable polymers, and can be fueled with hydrocarbon fuels instead of pure hydrogen.  In Phase I, we will identify the primary specifications for several military and commercial sUAVs and develop a complete design for an integrated HT-PEM fuel cell system to meet those requirements.