Selected Aspects of Designing Modular PEMFC Stacks as Power Sources for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

Two types of air-cooled modular polymer membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) stacks with full equipment were constructed and investigated as components of hybrid power sources. The first, a 2-kW PEMFC stack, was assembled from two 1-kW PEMFC modules electrically connected in parallel and compared with a commercial PEMFC stack built from one 2-kW PEMFC module. The second, a 500-W PEMFC stack, was assembled with three modules connected in parallel. It was found that the two-module PEMFC stack was capable of operation with nominal power of 2 kW. Analysis of the distribution of the air cooling system in both modules was also conducted. The two-module PEMFC stack reduced hydrogen consumption compared to the reference 2-kW PEMFC stack consisting of only one module. The elaborated two-module PEMFC stack was successfully tested in a propulsion system designed to supply an electrical engine with a propeller. The electrical performance of the three-module PEMFC stack was tested separately as well as in a hybrid system in connection with a 5 s Li-Pol battery. It was found that the elaborated PEMFC stack was capable of operation with nominal power of 500 W and variable rapid dynamic electrical loads. It was also successfully tested as a power source to supply servomechanisms and other auxiliary devices.

Keywords

• PEMFC fuel cell stack
• hydrogen
• unmanned aerial vehicles
• modular power source