Enhancing the flight performance of a quadcopter mini-UAV with ahybrid PEMFC/battery design

The increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has brought about a growing demand for energy efficiency and environmentally friendly power systems. Extending flight duration is one of the most critical aspects due to the diverse usage scenarios. This thesis aims to enhance energy efficiency and flight duration. In the study, Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) was chosen for its environmentally friendly structure, high energy density, and reliability. A hybrid design incorporating a Lithium Polymer (Li-Po) battery was developed to ensure continuous energy supply during high power demands. The dynamic characteristics of the proposed design can be evaluated based on environmental changes and the control strategies of primary components. By selecting optimized components for the fuel cell and other elements used in the hybrid design, the total weight was reduced to 6,536 kg. The system was modeled using Simulink Simscape, which provided detailed analyses through the advantages it offers over traditional Simulink modeling. The energy management of the hybrid system was addressed using a rule-based strategy grounded in engineering expertise. This approach has significantly contributed to extending flight duration. To achieve efficient results for the hybrid system, a rule-based energy management strategy, designed to allocate power based on engineering experience, was implemented. For better comprehension of the results, a comparative analysis was conducted between a quadcopter powered solely by batteries and one with the proposed hybrid design. The analyses revealed that, while the battery-powered quadcopter has a flight duration of approximately 25 minutes, the proposed hybrid system design extends the flight time to approximately 165 minutes. These findings demonstrate the significant advantages of the hybrid design in terms of energy efficiency and extended flight durations. Additionally, the study examined the dynamic characteristics of the hybrid system, its adaptability to environmental changes, and the control strategies of its components.