FUEL CELL DEMONSTRAT OR AIRPLANE

As environmental concerns mount, fuel efficiency and emissions are desirable a reas for commercial aircraft to improve upon. The energy and automotive industries have recently focused on fuel cells to help address these issues. Fuel cells show sufficient promise to eventually be used to supply electrical power on future commercial airplanes. As such, an exploratory study was undertaken to learn more about the technology by demonstrating its capability as a source of power for an electrically powered small airplane. The objective of this project was to design, develop and demonstra te an advanced, efficient, clean energy power system. This demonstrator airplane uses a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell. This fuel cell type has a relatively high power density (kW/kg) as compared to other current fuel cells. The PEM fuel cell uses gaseous hydrogen and compressed air as its energy source. An efficient, current production motor -glider is used as the platform for the fuel cell powered demonstrator. The airplane is propelled by a conventional propeller that is coupled to an electri c motor. The propulsion motor is powered by a fuel cell/battery hybrid configuration; the fuel cell supplying electricity to power the electric motor during cruising. The battery supplies startup and takeoff assist power to the electric motor and also se rves as a backup supply. The electric propulsion motor and fuel cell system are fairly heavy, so an aircraft with good performance (e.g. low thrust requirements) was chosen as the platform. Even so, the weight of the propulsion system significantly reduc ed the payload capability of the aircraft. Construction of the airplane is continuing and it is scheduled to make its maiden flight in 2004.