Optimization of the use of hybrid multirotor drones for atmospheric research in vertical takeoff mode

DOI: 10.34759/trd-2022-126-25

Аuthors

Javadov N. H.^*, Aslanova A. B.^**

National Aerospace Agency of Azerbaijan Republic, NASA, 1, Suleyman Sani Akhundov str., Baku, AZ1115, Azerbaijan Republic

*e-mail: Anasa@yahoo.com
**e-mail: aslanova.a.b.@mail.ru

Abstract

With the advent of drones, it became possible to use unmanned aerial devices to study the pollution of the atmosphere with aerosol, various gases and water vapors. For these purposes, the method of radiometric probes operating in vertical lift mode is still widely used. At the same time, the successful performance of this function with the help of UAVs depends on a number of factors, one of which is the limited time of their flight. For example, the typical flight time of multirotor battery-powered drones is 20-50 minutes. One of the ways to solve this problem is the use of a hybrid hydrogen fuel cell (FCHS) system containing a fuel cell and an electric battery The question of using a drone equipped with a hydrogen cell of a hybrid power supply system and electric batteries to study the vertical profile of the atmosphere has been investigated.

The problem of finding the optimal dependences of the energy of the power supply system and the power consumption on the altitude is solved, at which, taking into account the limitation on the average height of the power consumption, the flight time can be minimized. This minimization of flight time is explained by the need to eliminate the influence of changes in the atmosphere on the overall result of the study of the structure of the atmosphere.

Taking into account the obtained solution, as well as the known dependence of the drone’s power consumption on mass, acceleration of free fall, air density and the area of the propeller disk, a formula for calculating the mass in the optimal mode is obtained. It is shown that in the optimal mode, the condition of mass constancy is provided if the energy of the power supply system increases exponentially. In the absence of such growth, the discharge mode of spent batteries is recommended for the implementation of the described optimal flight mode.

Keywords:

unmanned aerial vehicle, atmosphere, optimization, energy supply, hydrogen fuel cell

References

1. Zaitseva N.A. Aerologiya (Aerology.), Leningrad, Gidrometeoizdat, 1990, 325 p.
2. Thorne P.W., Lanzante J.R., Peterson T.C., Seidel D.J., Shine K.P. Tropospheric temperature trends: history of an on going controversy, Climate Change, 2011, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 66-68. DOI:10.1002/wcc.80
3. Roy N. Covert. Meteorological Instruments and Apparatus Employed by the United States Weather Bureau, Journal of the Optical Society of Amerika, 1925, vol. 10, pp. 299-425. URL: https://opg.optica.org/josa/abstract.cfm?URI=josa-10-3-299
4. Darack E. UAVs: The new frontier for weather research and prediction, Weatherwise, 2012, vol. 65 (2), pp. 20-27. DOI: 10.1080/00431672.2012.653935
5. Li X., Wang D.S., Lu Q.C., Peng Z.R., Lu S.J., Li B., Li C. Three-dimensional investigation of ozone pollution in lower troposphere using an unmanned aerial vehicle platform, Environ Pollut, 2017, vol. 224, pp. 107-116. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.01.064
6. Chernetskaya I.E., Spevakova S.V. Trudy MAI, 2020, no. 114. URL: https://trudymai.ru/eng/published.php?ID=119001. DOI: 10.34759/trd-2020-114-14
7. Eremin E.O., Kharlamov G.Yu. Trudy MAI, 2019, no. 104. URL: https://trudymai.ru/eng/published.php?ID=102231
8. Smirnov A.A. Trudy MAI, 2019, no. 105. URL: https://trudymai.ru/eng/published.php?ID=104214
9. Nuriev M.G. Trudy MAI, 2018, no. 102. URL: https://trudymai.ru/eng/eng/published.php?ID=99074&
10. Bradley T.H., Moffitt B.A., Mavris D. Encyclopedia of electrochemical power sources, Amsterdam, Elsevier, 2009, pp. 186-192.
11. Bradley T. H., Moffitt B. A., Fuller T. F. Comparison of design methods for fuel-cell-powered unmanned aerial vehicles, Journal of Aircraft, 2009, vol. 46 (6), pp. 1945-1956. URL; https://doi.org/10.2514/1.41658
12. Gong A., Verstrate D. Fuel cell propulsion in small fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles: current status and research needs, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2017, vol. 42 (33), pp. 21311-21333. URL:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.06.148
13. Pratt J.W., Brouwer J., Samuelsen G.S. Peformance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell at high-altitude conditions, Journal of Propulsion and Power, 2007, vol. 23, no. 2. URL: https://doi.org/10.2514/1.20535
14. Lei T., Wang Y., Jin X., Min Z., Zhang X. An optimal fuzzy logic-based energy management strategy for a fuel cell battery hybrid power unmanned aerial vehicle, Aerospace, 2022, vol. 9, no. 115. URL: https://doi.org/10/3390/aerospace9020115
15. Shamardina O., Chertovich A., Kulikovsky A.A., Khokhlov A. R.A. Simple model of high temperature PEM fuel cell, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2010, vol. 35 (18), pp. 9954-9962. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2009.11.012
16. Faddeev N., Anisimov E., Belichenko M., Kuriganova A., Smirnova N. Investigatio n of the ambient temperature influence on the PEMFC characteristics: modeling from a single cell to a stack, Processes, 2021, vol. 9, pp. 2117. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9122117
17. Apeland J., Pavlou D., Hemmingsen T. Suitability analysis of implementing a fuel cell on a multirotor drone, Journal of Aerospace Technology and Management, 2020, vol. 12. DOI: 10.5028/jatm.v12.1172
18. Barrett S. Intelligent energy powers two multirotor UAVs to new records, Fuel Cells Bulletein, 2019, vol. 2. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1464-2859(19)30051-3
19. El’sgol’ts L.E. Differentsial’nye uravneniya i variatsionnye ischislenie (Differential equations and calculus of variations), Moscow, Nauka, 1974, 472 p.
20. Marichev V. N., Bochkovkii D. A. Optika atmosfery i okeana, 2013, vol. 36, no. 7, pp. 553-563.

Download