Hydrogen Fule Cell Propulsion for Long Endurance Small UVAs

Hydrogen fuel cells are demonstrated as the propulsion system for long-endurance, small, electric unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). Flight times of >24 hours were demonstrated for the 35-lb Ion Tiger fuel cell UAV while carrying a 5-lb payload. This paper describes the design criteria and development process used to meet these performance goals, including setting the specifications for the vehicle, fuel cell, cooling, and fueling systems.