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Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (9): 630964.doi: 10.7527/S1000-6893.2024.30964

• special column • Previous Articles    

Simulation research on thermal management system of fuel cell for liquid hydrogen powered UAV

Xiangyu YU(), Wen LI, Jie YAN, Shizhe LIANG   

  1. AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Industry (Group) Co. ,Ltd. ,Chengdu 610091,China
  • Received:2024-07-18 Revised:2024-08-28 Accepted:2024-10-18 Online:2024-11-04 Published:2024-11-04
  • Contact: Xiangyu YU E-mail:yuxiangyu@126.com

Abstract:

Fuel cell powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), characterized by long endurance, low infrared radiation, low carbon emission, has become a promising technology for future UAV designs. Considering the high heat loads and small temperature difference during heat exchange, the present study develops a thermal management system and the corresponding control strategy of fuel cell for liquid hydrogen powered UAV. Utilizing the cold energy of liquid hydrogen for fuel cell cooling, the proposed thermal management system effectively provides a new idea for the future design and optimization of UAV thermal management. Based on the proposed thermal management system, a simulation study is conducted on the operation process of thermal management system under typical flight phases. The results indicate that: Based on the developed thermal management model, the temperature of fuel cell is effectively controlled for each flight phase. The maximum and minimum outlet temperature of the liquid coolant is 70 ℃ and 14.6 ℃, respectively. The liquid coolant temperature at the fuel cell outlet can be maintained at 65 ℃ during cruise. Meanwhile, the internal pressure of liquid hydrogen tank is stably maintained at 0.5±0.04 MPa. For the takeoff phase which the heat loads reach the maximum value, the expendable hydrogen is applied as heat sink for thermal management. This method can reduce the air intake area, and subsequently avoid the liquid coolant freezing at high altitude. Under the premise of consistent minimum temperature in the thermal management system, ethylene glycol aqueous solution carries less mass than water, has a greater temperature difference between the solidification point that has lower solidification risk, but consumes more liquid hydrogen during the climbing phase. Based on the simulation results, the prediction model is proposed for the mass of consumed liquid hydrogen during takeoff. The model has significant guiding value in optimal design of fuel cell thermal management system for UAV.

Key words: liquid hydrogen, UAV, PEMFC, thermal management system, dynamic analysis

CLC Number: