fuel cell unmanned air vehicle (UAV), flew 23 hours and 17 minutes,
setting an unofficial flight endurance record for a fuel-cell powered
flight during a test Oct. 9-10 at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
The Ion Tiger fuel cell system development team is led by NRL and
includes Protonex Technology Corporation, the University of Hawaii, and
HyperComp Engineering. The program is sponsored by the Office of Naval
Research (ONR).
"The long endurance flight was made possible by the team's research on
high power, efficient fuel cell systems, lightweight hydrogen-gas
storage tanks, improved thermal management, and the effective
integration of these systems," said NRL researcher Karen Swider-Lyons.
The electric fuel cell propulsion system on board the Ion Tiger has the
low noise and signature of a battery-powered UAV, while taking
advantage of hydrogen, a high-energy fuel. Fuel cells create an
electrical current when they convert hydrogen and oxygen into water,
with only water and heat as byproducts. The 550-watt (0.75 horsepower)
fuel cell on board the Ion Tiger has about four times the efficiency of
a comparable internal combustion engine and the system provides seven
times the energy in the equivalent weight of batteries. The Ion Tiger
weighs approximately 37 pounds and carries a four to five pound payload.
Small UAVs are growing in importance for naval missions, as they
provide capabilities ranging from surveillance collection to
communication links. Electric UAVs have the additional feature of being
nearly undetectable from the ground. Due to the high energy in the fuel
cell system on board the Ion Tiger, it is now possible to do long
endurance missions with an electric UAV, thus allowing a larger cruise
range and reducing the number of daily launches and landings. This
provides more capability while saving time and effort for the crew.
In 2005, NRL backed initial research in fuel cell technologies for
UAVs.
Fuel cell technology is being developed to impact the operational
spectrum of technologies including ground, air and undersea vehicles
and man-portable power for Marine expeditionary missions.
"The Ion Tiger successfully demonstrates ONR's vision to show how
efficient, clean technology can be used to improve the warfighter's
capabilities," said ONR Program Manager Michele Anderson.
Donna McKinney (NNS)
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