Drone Fuel Cell Power Pack Layout for Longer Flight and Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drones have limited flight times due to power consumption, and increasing battery capacity leads to increased size and weight, compromising mobility and payload capacity, especially in delivery drones where reducing size and weight is crucial.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell power pack that integrates a fuel cell unit, gas tank, and auxiliary power supply in a balanced configuration to reduce weight while enabling long-term operation, with an air circulation structure for stable temperature and lift force generation, and a gas supply system for easy installation and removal of the gas tank.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a large-volume, high-capacity battery or a large number of batteries is installed to increase flight time, then the duration of operation is improved, but the weight and size of the drone increase, compromising mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from battery-based power storage to fuel cell-based power generation, fundamentally changing the energy supply parameter. The fuel cell unit (400) generates electricity through electrochemical reactions, providing sustained power without the weight penalty of large battery packs, thereby extending flight time while maintaining acceptable drone weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the heavy battery system from the drone configuration and replaces it with a fuel cell unit that provides equivalent or superior duration without the associated weight. The fuel cell system separates the power generation function from the heavy energy storage requirement of batteries.
2Duration of action of moving object
If a large-volume, high-capacity battery or a large number of batteries is installed to increase flight time, then the duration of operation is improved, but the size of the drone increases, reducing payload capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the power supply parameter from battery-based to fuel cell-based, achieving extended flight time with a more compact system. The fuel cell unit (400) with its gas tank (300) and stack part (410) occupies less volume than the large battery packs required for equivalent duration, thereby preserving payload capacity.
3Duration of action of moving object
If a large-volume, high-capacity battery or a large number of batteries is installed to increase flight time, then the duration of operation is improved, but the mobility of the drone decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the power supply system from heavy battery packs to a fuel cell unit, improving the power-to-weight ratio. This enables sustained flight operations without compromising acceleration, maneuverability, or overall mobility performance.
4Reliability
If the gas tank is fixed permanently to achieve stable fuel supply, then the reliability of fuel supply is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficult installation and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gas tank (300) as a separate, removable component from the fuel cell unit (400), allowing independent handling. The gas tank mounting and removing part (210) provides a standardized interface that ensures reliable connection during operation while enabling easy detachment when needed, such as for refueling or maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas tank transitions from a fixed state during operation to a removable state for refueling or maintenance. The mounting and removing mechanism (210) enables this dynamic change, providing both secure attachment for reliable fuel supply and easy removal for operational flexibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The fuel cell power pack provides superior power-to-weight performance, enabling extended drone operation, maintaining weight balance, and enhancing payload capacity while minimizing air resistance and mobility impact, with a convenient gas supply system for efficient hydrogen management.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel cell unit placed in the case in a weight balance with the gas tank... a stack part connected to the manifold part to receive fuel gas
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell power pack is provided. The fuel cell power pack may include a case, a gas tank placed in a gas tank mounting and removing part formed in the case, and a fuel cell unit placed in the case in a weight balance with the gas tank. According to the fuel cell power pack, it is possible to reduce weight by supplying power from a fuel cell while enabling long-term operation of a flying object such as a drone, to maintain an overall weight balance and achieve a stable operation of the drone, even if integrally mounted in the drone, to maintain a stable operating environment temperature of a stack by improving an air circulation structure, and to enhance the user's convenience with a gas supply structure that is easy to attach and detach the gas tank.