Researchers at the U.S. Nautical Appraise Laboratory flew their fuel cell mechanical Ion Tiger UAV for 48 hours and 1 microscopic on April 16-18 by by blend hydrogen fuel in a new, NRL-developed, cryogenic fuel carry on pool and receipt system. This journey shatters their ultimate free of 26 hours and 2 minutes set in 2009 by the vastly sedan, but through gaseous hydrogen stored at 5000 psi.
The NRL journey stripe holds the Ion Tiger unmanned airborne sedan (UAV). From no more to right: Dan Edwards, Mike Baur, Steve Carruthers, Joe MacKrell, Twist Stroman, Mike Schuette (Sotera Defence), Drew Rodgers and Chris Bovais.
Photo: U.S. Nautical Appraise Laboratory
Juice hydrogen is three era denser than 5000-psi compacted hydrogen. The cryogenic blend is stored in a watery pool, allowing greater hydrogen to be carried onboard to generate journey guts. Completion in journey requires naive a trance feature, watery insulated journey dewar for the cryogenic fuel, onset melodious the chef off of the cryogenic hydrogen to the sedan fuel abuse.
"Juice hydrogen fixed through fuel-cell technology has the secure to raise the perform of small unmanned systems by incalculably on the increase guts however yet affording all the benefits of electric propulsion," assumed Dr. Karen Swider-Lyons, NRL dominant investigator.
Fueled by blend hydrogen (LH2), the Ion Tiger unmanned airborne sedan (UAV) completes a free journey living of 48 hours and 1 microscopic. The electric fuel cell propulsion system onboard the Ion Tiger has the low tumult and inscription of a battery-powered UAV, however sack instant of high-energy hydrogen fuel and the trance electric effectiveness of fuel cells.
Photo: U.S. Nautical Appraise Laboratory
Excluding want guts is attainable through regular, hydrocarbon-fueled systems, these are readily raucous, negligent, and erratic in this plane variety. Likewise, small, electric, battery-powered systems are private to endurances of track an assortment of hours.
To communication the logistics of in-theater supply of blend or gaseous hydrogen, NRL proposes in-situ add up to of LH2 for use as fuel. An electrolyzer-based system would plea track tube for feedstock, and electricity, conceivably from solar or wind, to electrolyze, clamp together, and refrigerate the fuel.
The NRL LH2 journey capacity is staple full-grown by NRL's Tactical Electronic Dispute and Chemistry Divisions, and is sponsored by the Study of Nautical Appraise.
