Investigating PEM Fuel Cells as an Alternative Power Source for Electric UAVs: Modeling, Optimization, and Performance Analysis

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become an integral part of modern life, serving both civilian and military applications across various sectors. However, existing power supply systems, such as batteries, often fail to provide stable, long-duration flights, limiting their applications. Previous studies have primarily focused on battery-based power, which offers limited flight endurance due to lower energy densities and higher system mass. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells present a promising alternative, providing high power and efficiency without noise, vibrations, or greenhouse gas emissions. Due to hydrogen’s high specific energy, which is substantially higher than that of combustion engines and battery-based alternatives, UAV operational time can be significantly extended. This paper investigates the potential of PEM fuel cells as an alternative power source for electric propulsion in UAVs. This study introduces an adaptive, fully functioning PEM fuel cell model, developed using a reduced-order modeling approach and optimized for UAV applications. This research demonstrates that PEM fuel cells can effectively double the flight endurance of UAVs compared to traditional battery systems, achieving energy densities of around 1700 Wh/kg versus 150–250 Wh/kg for batteries. Despite a slight increase in system mass, fuel cells enable significantly longer UAV operations. The scope of this study encompasses the comparison of battery-based and fuel cell-based propulsion systems in terms of power, mass, and flight endurance. This paper identifies the limitations and optimal applications for fuel cells, providing strong evidence for their use in UAVs where extended flight time and efficiency are critical.