By Kalwinder Kaur
Protonex Technology declared that UAV-H500 fuel cell power system for ground vehicles and unmanned aerial is commercially available.
The UAV-H500 is a commercial variant of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s power system. It allows flight endurance record on the Ion Tiger, which is a small, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The Ion Tiger was set off in the air for over 26 h. It created an endurance record for Protonex power system-driven fuel cell powered flight.
Tranquil operation can be achieved with electric propulsion for small UAV. It also ensures low cost of ownership. Ion Tiger flight’s 26+ hour duration promises seven-fold advancement in endurance over the existing advanced batteries. High efficiency, ultra-light proton exchange membrane [PEM] fuel cell system has been adopted by the Protonex UAV power system. Advanced balance of plant components when integrated with stack technology, creates a power density of up to 1,000 W/kg.
Advanced defense-proven capability reaches the UAV market following the commercial availability of the UAV-H500. Previously, large and costly UAVs platforms can only deliver long endurance. The UAV-H500 is a less-complicated powerful system, through which the operator can have reduced operational costs and extended maintenance intervals compared to other combustion engines. Small, affordable Protonex advanced power system-integrated UAV platforms ensure critical missions.
The new UAV-H500 is being demonstrated by the company at the AUVSI trade show from August 6 to 9, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Protonex Technology designs and produces advanced intelligent power management and portable fuel cell products for commercial and military markets. The company is based in Southborough, Massachusetts.
Source: http://www.protonex.com/