Session: ASME Undergraduate Student Design Expo

Paper Number: 173117

Extended Endurance U a v : Design and Evaluation of a Composite Airframe With Hydrogen Fuel Cell System 

Global warming and increasing environmental pollution caused by fossil fuel consumption have urged the development of alternative and sustainable energy solutions. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), increasingly used in both civil and defense sectors, require longer flight times, higher payload capacities, and greener propulsion systems. However, battery-powered UAVs are often limited by their low energy density and short endurance. This requires innovative approaches to extend flight duration while maintaining structural efficiency and minimizing environmental impact.
This study presents the design, analysis, and flight validation of an innovative UAV prototype that combines a hydrogen fuel cell system and a fully composite hydrogen storage tank into a fully composite airframe. The UAV is designed to overcome endurance limitations inherent in lithium-ion battery systems by taking advantage of hydrogen’s superior specific energy and the structural advantages of composite materials.
The UAV platform incorporates a hybrid energy system consisting of a battery to meet the initial power demand and a hydrogen fuel cell for sustained cruise and hovering phases. The fuel cell stack system used in this study provides extended mission durations beyond 120 minutes under standard operating conditions.
A custom-designed lightweight composite airframe was designed in SolidWorks and SpaceClaim, while structural validation was performed using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in ANSYS. Without compromising mechanical integrity or exceeding maximum takeoff weight limits, the composite structure provided high strength-to-weight performance, allowing for the seamless integration of fuel cell components.
The UAV is considered to have two mission profiles, average and maximum performance endurance. In the average performance scenario (15 kg), the UAV consumed 2473.67 Wh over 122.2 minutes, while in the maximum profile (16 kg), it consumed 2483 Wh over 104.8 minutes. The hydrogen fuel cell accounted for the majority of energy consumption during the planned mission. These results show the system’s strength in real-world conditions and its advantage over battery-only systems, especially for missions over 40 minutes.
This research contributes a complete design-to-validation workflow for hydrogen-powered UAVs, highlighting propulsion innovation and structural optimization through composites. The harmony between the lightweight composite body and the high-energy-density fuel cell system highlights the UAV’s capability for both civilian and tactical applications that require long endurance, lightweight design, and operational resilience.
Future work will focus on establishing reliable supply chains for type 5 hydrogen storage tanks and developing standardized tank geometries compatible with UAV platforms, due to the limited availability and high cost of commercial Type-5 hydrogen tanks. Besides, the feasibility of mobile or deployable hydrogen refueling units to support field operations, particularly in defense or disaster-response scenarios, will be investigated.

Presenting Author: Zuleyha Savci ANKARA YILDIRIM BEYAZIT UNIVERSITY

Presenting Author Biography: Züleyha SAVCI is a senior Aerospace Engineering student at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, focusing on propulsion systems and hydrogen storage technologies for UAV applications. Her current projects include the design of hydrogen-powered UAVs and lightweight composite hydrogen tanks. Züleyha has contributed to various aerospace-related projects and conferences, with a particular interest in sustainable energy solutions for aerial platforms.

Authors:

Zuleyha Savci ANKARA YILDIRIM BEYAZIT UNIVERSITY
Enes Baskavak ANKARA YILDIRIM BEYAZIT UNIVERSİTY
Furkan Baskose ANKARA YILDIRI BEYAZIT UNIVERISTY