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Transient Characteristics of a Fuel Cell Powered UAV Propulsion System

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Abstract

In this paper, the transient characteristics of a fuel cell powered UAV propulsion system are investigated through effective time constants and step command responses. A fuel cell powered UAV configuration is obtained by modifying the Aerosonde UAV with a properly sized fuel cell powered UAV propulsion system. The influence of the model parameters on the transient response characteristics of a fuel cell powered UAV propulsion system is studied through parametric studies. In addition, the linearized longitudinal model of the fuel cell powered UAV configuration is compared with that of the conventional gas powered configuration to illustrate the impact of the significant time delay associated with a fuel cell system.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgia Institute of Technology, 270 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0150, USA

    Min Zhou & J. V. R. Prasad

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  1. Min Zhou
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  2. J. V. R. Prasad
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Correspondence to Min Zhou.

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Zhou, M., Prasad, J.V.R. Transient Characteristics of a Fuel Cell Powered UAV Propulsion System. J Intell Robot Syst 74, 209–220 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-013-9903-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-013-9903-x

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