Fuel Cell Power Pack Layout for Longer Drone Flight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drones have limited flight times due to high power consumption from propeller operation, and increasing battery capacity leads to increased size and weight, compromising mobility and payload capacity.
Innovation Solution
A drone equipped with a fuel cell power pack that integrates a fuel cell unit, gas tank, and auxiliary power supply, featuring a streamlined design for reduced weight and enhanced air circulation, along with a tilting mounting structure for easy gas tank handling and efficient gas supply, to provide stable and extended operation.
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 of the moving object increases
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 generates electricity through electrochemical reactions, providing sustained power output without the weight penalty of large-capacity batteries, thereby extending flight time while maintaining acceptable drone weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electrical battery storage system with a fuel cell electrochemical system. This substitution eliminates the need for heavy battery packs while providing continuous power generation, directly addressing the contradiction between flight duration and weight by changing the underlying power supply mechanism.
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 moving object increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the power supply parameter from battery storage to fuel cell generation, which has different volumetric characteristics. The fuel cell unit with its gas tank provides sustained energy supply in a more space-efficient manner compared to large-capacity battery packs, extending flight time without proportionally increasing drone volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel cell power pack is divided into separate functional components: the fuel cell unit for power generation and the gas tank for fuel storage. This segmentation allows for optimized spatial arrangement within the drone, reducing overall volume while maintaining extended flight capability.
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 payload value decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing from battery storage to fuel cell generation, the patent reduces the mass allocated to power supply components. This parameter change frees up weight capacity that can be reallocated to payload, thereby extending flight time while maintaining or improving payload capacity.
4Duration of action of moving object
If a large-volume, high-capacity battery or a large number of batteries is indiscriminately installed to increase flight time, then the duration of operation is improved, but the mobility of the moving object decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the power supply system from heavy battery packs to a fuel cell unit with gas tank, which provides sustained power without the excessive weight that compromises mobility. This parameter change maintains drone agility and speed while enabling extended flight operations.
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 enables longer drone operation with improved payload capacity and reduced weight, maintaining a stable operational environment and minimizing air resistance, while the tilting structure enhances user convenience and gas supply efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel cell unit (400) placed in the module frame with a weight balance... The fuel cell unit may include a manifold part (420) placed in the module frame and connected to a regulator valve (320) connected to the gas tank (300), and a stack part (410) placed in the module frame and connected to the manifold part (420) to receive fuel gas
Implementation Method 2
a case (200) having a streamlined shape in which a fuel cell power pack is integrally mounted
Implementation Method 3
the improved air circulation structure of the exemplary embodiments can maintain a stable operational environment temperature of a stack
Data Source
AI summary
A drone equipped with fuel cell power pack capable of reducing weight by supplying power from a fuel cell while enabling long-term operation of a drone is provided. The drone equipped with fuel cell power pack may include a case including a wing part placed along an outer circumference of the case, a module frame placed in the case, a fuel cell unit placed in the module frame with a weight balance; and a gas tank mounted on the module frame and connected to the fuel cell unit. Because an overall weight balance of the fuel cell power pack itself can be maintained, even if it is integrally mounted inside the drone, the stable operation of the drone can be achieved.