Fuel Cell Technology to extend Remote Pilot Aerial Systems (RPAS) in the City of Cape Town

Abstract

The technology of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), originally deployed in military and defence, is now emerging in the commercial space. Apart from military applications, civilian applications such as surveillance, weather monitoring, aerial mapping, infrastructure management farming, agriculture, horticulture, utility services, forestry, wildlife monitoring, aerial survey and others uses are being adopted. Propulsion systems for these aircraft currently include electric propulsion, batteries, solar as well as internal combustion engines. Battery powered electrical propulsion systems are common for smaller UAVs but lack the range of larger UAVs that are typically powered by internal combustion engines. Due to high electrical energy requirements for longer flight times of smaller UAVs, fuel cells as an alternative propulsion systems are currently being introduced offering longer endurance, improved efficiency, zero carbon emissions as well as low noise and thermal signatures. The aim of this research is to determine whether the City of Cape Town can benefit from the combination of RPAS and fuel cell technology in these smaller UAVs, typically weighing less than 20kg with payloads less than 5kg. This is done by researching different types of small UAVs available and how fuel cell technology extends the capabilities of the different aircraft configurations. Together with an overview of applications as identified by the City of Cape Town and the relevant key performance requirements, potential cost savings can be identified. This report shows that fleet operating costs and capital expenditure on the fleet could potentially be reduced by way of two example studies representing typical applications in the CCT future UAV fleet. Both RPAS/UAVs and fuel cells are an advanced, emerging technology that the Western Cape can benefit from and includes other benefits such as local skills development, training and acquisition of advanced technical know-how in the region was well as local industry development.