Unmanned aerial vehicles
Fuel cell power systems for unmanned aerial vehicles at 500 W to 6 kW, where endurance rather than range sets the mission radius.
Aerial fuel cells are usually constrained by endurance, not range. A cell that extends total flight time changes the mission profile more than any other modification.
The core constraint
Weight and volume. The converter has to fit around the stack and the tank without displacing payload, and it has to run at high power density. This is where the liquid-cooled high-density converters are designed — power density above 6 kW/L is what makes the packaging viable.
Power budget
UAV power profiles have sharp transients: high current at takeoff, variable during transitions, moderate in cruise. A converter with a wide control loop bandwidth maintains bus stability through these transitions; a slower one oscillates and the stack sees load swings that shorten its life.
Thermal management
Altitude reduces convective cooling. A converter specified for ground conditions will be thermally limited at cruise altitude. If the application involves flight, state the maximum altitude — it changes the cooling requirement.
Certification
Unmanned aircraft carry aviation or civil aviation authority requirements depending on gross weight and operation class. These propagate into the power system requirements. We supply to the system requirement your airframe team sets; raise the certification scope with us early, as it affects which components we can offer.
Design points for this application
- Weight and volume drive converter selection — power density is decisive
- Wide control loop bandwidth handles takeoff and transition transients
- State maximum flight altitude — it changes the thermal requirement
- Aviation requirements propagate from the airframe team into the power system
Typical power band: Typical 500 W – 6 kW
Discuss your application
Send us the stack rating and bus voltage for your unmanned aerial vehicles application and we will propose a configuration.