It was my pleasure to sit with Michael during the AUVSI show in Atlanta earlier this year and talk about his Doctoral research at Rochester Institute of Technology. His official title is Fuel Cell & Solar Energy Engineer (right off his business card). Michael did a nice job speaking in terms that I could understand and hopefully make sense to my readers.
Michael: I live in Rochester NY, currently attending RIT. We are developing a fuel cell system that can be use in unmanned applications. The System takes propane on one end and generates electricity on the other end. (I know he is trying to dumb it down for me, and that is OK). It is capable of being much more efficient than a combustion engine, with a much higher energy density, or specific energy, than batteries.
Me: You mentioned this will be used in small UAVs....how small?
Michael: We are targeting drones up to 55 lbs. (aha, right within the FAA rules). It would produce 250 Watts to 5KW. We are working on a prototype that is a 55W system that can run on a 1lb propane tank that you can buy just about anywhere. This would give you about 5 hours of flight time.
Me: Flight Time is a critical factor with these UAVs, straight battery powered vehicles seem very limited currently.
Michael: Yes, Run Time is a big limiting factor, but what has surprised me after talking to many people here at the conference is the concern over Ease of Use.
Me: I have flown RC fixed wing craft, enough to know that is can be difficult while flying line of sight. They move so fast you don't have a lot of time for corrections. The multi-rotors tend to be easier to fly out of the box. Which airframe are you pursuing with this technology?
Michael: It is nice to start with a Fixed Wing because they consume only about 1/4 of the power of a Multi-Rotor. There will be an ease of integration with our system onto any vehicle though.
Me: I come from an Automotive Design background, where fuel cells have been under development for quite some time. Is there any knowledge to be gained from their advancements?
Michael: There is quite a bit of overlap whether it is membrane technology or fuel cell stack design. (you're losing here a little Mike, sorry).
Afterthoughts: Very bright young man, he is the type of thinker/scientist that will help advance the UAV UAS Drone industry for years to come. Michael hinted that the main "buzz" right now is all about the vehicles themselves, but once that dies down a bit you will discover that other technologies such as this will rise to the top and become the main industry focus. If you would like to learn more about this topic, here is a link to RIT and their Fuel Cell Research: Propelling Fuel Cell Technology
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