This paper aims to present the ongoing research effort on hybrid-propulsion unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) carried out at the University of Victoria Centre for Aerospace Research (UVIC-CFAR). The study involves the development and updating of an optimization framework capable of evaluating vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hybrid propulsion performances, with a recent focus on more unconventional configurations mounting fuel cells onboard. A preliminary sizing and mass analysis for the hybrid propulsion system of a UAV with VTOL capabilities was accomplished. A similar analysis was also performed for a CTOL configuration powered by hybrid fuel cell schemes. Finally, a hybrid test bench used to validate the models and test the components is presented. The paper concludes with the general statement that for small UAVs, a hybrid power plant can lead to improvements in endurance, fuel consumption, and efficiency along the mission.
Design Considerations for Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Systems for FW-VTOL Aircraft
Sustainable aviat.
International Symposium on Electric Aircraft and Autonomous Systems ; 2021 December 16, 2021 - December 18, 2021
2023-08-22
8 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
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