Surveillance vehicles take flight using alternative energy (3/31/2009)

Eugen Leitl eugen at leitl.org
Tue Mar 31 12:43:22 PDT 2009


http://www.cyberneticsnews.com/research/Surveillance_vehicles_take_flight_using_alternative_energy.asp

Surveillance vehicles take flight using alternative energy (3/31/2009)

Tags:

robotics, power sources

This photo shows the Ion Tiger. - US Naval Research Laboratory

Nearly undetectable from the ground, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are
widely used by the military to scan terrain for possible threats and
intelligence. Now, fuel cell powered UAVs are taking flight as an Office of
Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored program to help tactical decision-makers
gather critical information more efficiently? and more quietly.

Piloted remotely or autonomously, UAVs have long provided extra "eyes in the
sky" especially for missions that are too dangerous for manned aircraft. This
latest technology is showcased by Ion Tiger, a UAV research program at the
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) that merges two separate efforts - UAV
technology and fuel cell systems.

In particular, the Ion Tiger UAV tests a hydrogen-powered fuel cell design,
which can travel farther and carry heavier payloads than earlier
battery-powered designs. Ion Tiger employs stealthy characteristics due to
its small size, reduced noise, low heat signature and zero emissions.

"Pursuing energy efficiency and energy independence are core to ONR's Power
and Energy Focus Area," said Rear Admiral Nevin Carr, Chief of Naval
Research. "ONR's investments in alternative energy sources, like fuel cell
research, have application to the Navy and Marine Corps mission in future
UAVs and vehicles. These investments also contribute directly to solving some
of the same technology challenges faced at the national level."

Fuel cells create an electrical current when they convert hydrogen and oxygen
into water and are pollution-free. A fuel cell propulsion system can also
deliver potentially twice the efficiency of an internal combustion engine -
while running more quietly and with greater endurance.

"In this size range, we are hopefully able to conduct very productive
surveillance missions at low cost with a relatively small vehicle, and a
high-quality electric payload," says NRL Principal Investigator Dr. Karen
Swider-Lyons.

This spring, Ion Tiger's flight trial is expected to exceed the duration of
previous flights seven-fold.

"This will really be a 'first of its kind' demonstration for a fuel cell
system in a UAV application for a 24-hour endurance flight, with a 5 pound
payload," says ONR Program Manager Dr. Michele Anderson. "That's something
nobody can do right now."

In 2005, NRL backed initial research in fuel cell technologies for UAVs.
Today, says Swider-Lyons, it's paying off with a few lessons learned from the
automotive industry.

"With UAVs, we are dealing with relatively small fuel cells of 500 watts,"
she explains. "It is hard to get custom, high-quality fuel cell membranes
built just for this program. So we are riding along with this push for
technology from the automotive industry."

"What's different with fuel cell cars is that developers are focused on
volume?so they want everything very compact," adds Swider-Lyons. "Our first
issue is weight, our second issue is weight and our third issue is weight!"

Besides delivering energy savings and increased power potential, fuel cell
technology spans the operational spectrum from ground vehicles to UAVs, to
man-portable power generation for Marine expeditionary missions to meeting
power needs afloat. In fact, it's technology that Marines at Camp Pendleton
are using today to power their General Motors fuel cell vehicles.

Across the board, the Navy and Marine Corps are seeking more efficient
sources of energy. ONR has been researching and testing power and energy
technology for decades. Often the improvements to power generation and fuel
efficiency for ships, aircraft, vehicles and installations yield a direct
benefit to the public.

"ONR has been a visionary in terms of providing support for this program,"
says Swider-Lyons.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by the Naval
Research Laboratory





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