USA tested modified ScanEagle hydrogen fuel cell UAV

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The US company Insitu has successfully tested a modified version of the ScanEagle light reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle. Writes Aviation Week, instead of the usual 1,5 piston engine horsepower, the device received an electric motor, which was powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, transmits "Nplus1"

ScanEagle drones are used by the US Navy and Marine Corps for reconnaissance and reconnaissance. The device allows you to receive data on the positions of the enemy, however, due to the use of a piston engine on it, it makes a lot of noise and can be seen from a long distance. This limits the applicability drone.

USA tested modified ScanEagle hydrogen fuel cell UAV

Hydrogen ScanEagle


The use of electric motors allows to reduce the noise of unmanned vehicles. During the tests, the modified Insitu device recorded a significant reduction in the noise level of the device compared to the basic version of ScanEagle. Data on the recorded noise level is not disclosed. A less noisy machine will be able to fly closer to the positions of the enemy.

Modified drone ScanEagle received a hydrogen fuel cell developed by the American company Ballard Power Systems. An electric motor powered from it rotates a five-bladed propeller (in the basic version, a screw with two blades is used). Used screws with a large number of blades allowed to improve the flight performance of ScanEagle.

The basic version of ScanEalge is 1,7 meters in length and wingspan of 3,1 meters. The device with a maximum take-off weight of 22 kilograms is capable of carrying a payload of 3,4 kilograms. A drone can fly at speeds up to 148 kilometers per hour and be in the air for about 24 hours. ScanEagle is equipped with a high resolution camera and a thermal imager.
  • https://insitu.com/
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26 comments
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  1. +2
    10 May 2017 15: 13
    The arms race has not gone anywhere. Now it is an unmanned weapon.
    1. +5
      10 May 2017 15: 16
      It is rather an impetus to the arms race. And we are unfortunately catching up.
      Quote: oleg-gr
      The arms race has not gone anywhere. Now it is an unmanned weapon.
      1. +1
        10 May 2017 15: 23
        Quote: 210ox
        It is rather an impetus to the arms race. And we are unfortunately catching up.

        Beauty is among the running, the first are not and the lagging ...
        1. +1
          10 May 2017 15: 29
          Running on the spot is generally reconciling
          1. +2
            10 May 2017 15: 35
            Quote: oleg-gr
            The arms race has not gone anywhere. Now it is an unmanned weapon.


            Now the flywheel is spinning at full capacity, although this unit is more for civilian use.
            1. 0
              10 May 2017 18: 37
              Quote: cniza
              although this unit is more for civilian use.

              Why for civilians? A day can hang and equipment can decently carry for its class, the bonus is a reduction in noise. Such "toys" should be in every linear battalion, if not in the company.
  2. +1
    10 May 2017 15: 17
    Invalid spelling.
    If the author has in mind the installation on Fuel Cells, then this phrase is used only in the plural. In the original, this is a Fuel Cell. So, we decided to translate it as fuel cells.
    Well, a plane cannot fly on one fuel cell.
  3. +1
    10 May 2017 15: 22
    Given the current cost of producing hydrogen, one can only rejoice at the American taxpayer. It’s a pity, in Israel this wasn’t “developed”, for them I would be even more pleased ... lol
    1. +5
      10 May 2017 15: 25
      Quote: Sentence
      Given the current cost of producing hydrogen, one can only rejoice at the American taxpayer. It’s a pity, in Israel this wasn’t “developed”, for them I would be even more pleased ...

      And what is the cost?
      For the second year in the USA, production cars on the Fuel Cells of three leading automobile corporations have been sold. These cars can be bought by any American taxpayer. It remains only to be happy for them.
      1. +2
        10 May 2017 15: 55
        At the moment, the most affordable and cheapest process is steam conversion. According to forecasts, it will be used in the initial stage of the transition to a hydrogen economy to simplify overcoming the “chicken and egg” problem, when due to the lack of infrastructure there is no demand for hydrogen cars, and due to the lack of hydrogen cars, infrastructure is not being built. In the long run, however, a transition to renewable energy is necessary, since one of the main goals of introducing hydrogen energy is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Such sources may be wind energy or solar energy, allowing electrolysis of water.

        Hydrogen production can be concentrated in centralized large enterprises, which lowers production costs, but requires additional costs for delivering hydrogen to hydrogen gas stations. Another option is small-scale production directly at specially equipped hydrogen gas stations.
        Hydrogen can be obtained in different purities: 95-98% or very pure. Depending on the further use, hydrogen is produced under various pressures: from 1,0 to 4,2 MPa. The raw material (natural gas or light oil fractions) is heated to 350-400 ° in a convection oven or heat exchanger and enters the desulfurization apparatus. The converted gas from the furnace is cooled in a recovery furnace, where steam of the required parameters is generated. After the stages of high-temperature and low-temperature conversion of CO, the gas enters the adsorption of CO2 and then to the methanation of the residual oxides. The result is hydrogen 95-98,5% pure with a content of 1-5% methane and traces of CO and CO2.

        In the event that it is required to obtain very pure hydrogen, the installation is supplemented by an adsorption separation section of the converted gas. In contrast to the previous scheme, the conversion of CO is single-stage. A gas mixture containing H2, CO2, CH4, H2O and a small amount of CO is cooled to remove water and sent to adsorption apparatus filled with zeolites. All impurities are adsorbed in one step at ambient temperature. The result is hydrogen with a purity of 99,99%. The pressure of the resulting hydrogen is 1,5-2,0 MPa.

        Currently, this method produces about half of all hydrogen. The cost of the process is $ 2-5 per kilogram of hydrogen. In the future, it is possible to reduce prices to $ 2- $ 2,50, including delivery and storage.
        1. 0
          10 May 2017 16: 10
          Well, now read and compare:
          The specific diesel fuel consumption of diesel power plants is approximately 0,184-0,220 kg / kW * h.
          Specific hydrogen consumption at rated power of EU Fuel cells approximately 0,042 kg / kW * h.
          1. +1
            10 May 2017 17: 20
            At the price of fuel, they are about the same.
            A liter of solariums (800g) costs about 1 euro for civilians. If you remove taxes, etc. then 800 g will cost about 0.4 euros. 200g - about 0.1 euro.
            A kilogram of hydrogen is about 2 euros. Then 0.05kg will also cost about 0.1 euros.
            The advantage in this case is not the cheapness of fuel, but the possibility of a "direct" conversion of chemical energy into electricity.
          2. +1
            10 May 2017 19: 38
            The widespread use of hydrogen as automobile fuel is hindered by many problems, and the most difficult of them is fuel tanks. A car can drive as much as 10 kg of hydrogen as much as 30 kg of gasoline, but such a quantity of hydrogen gas occupies a volume of 8000 liters, and to store it requires a durable tank weighing 1500 kg. This prompted designers to use liquefied hydrogen; then the same 10 kg of hydrogen are placed in a cylinder weighing 80 kg and a capacity of 160 liters. But in order to have hydrogen in a liquefied state, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of -2530 C. in a cylinder. It would be too expensive to use Dewar vessels. Perhaps the designers will be able to use some versions of the tanks that are currently widely used for storing liquid fuel, in which the daily evaporation loss does not exceed 1,5%. So, in the experimental car "Volga" mounted cryogenic hydrogen tank with a total mass of 140 kg. Experts have found another solution: the tank can be made from metal hydrides of magnesium, manganese, titanium and iron alloys, which have the advantage of absorbing part of the evaporated hydrogen, and when it is heated (even with exhaust gases) they are recovered. The mass of a hydrogen tank of metal hydrides exceeds 150 kg. Do you, my friend, have a good idea of ​​the value of all this pleasure?
            1. 0
              10 May 2017 20: 04
              Quote: Sentence
              The mass of the hydrogen tank of metal hydrides exceeds 150 kg. Do you, my friend, have a good idea of ​​the value of all this pleasure?

              My friend, please do not write anything about the Fuel Cells. Do not pull information from the Internet that you do not understand. 99,9% of commentators are capable of copy-paste here even without you. But your ignorance of the issue rushing out of each of your comments. Fire me from your quotes, please.
              1. 0
                10 May 2017 21: 40
                1. As for the comments, my friend, I dare to remind you that it was you who tried to give your comments on what I wrote.
                2. 99,9% of fools just believe that they understand something much better than other people.
                3. I beg you, even after you have cured your nerves, no longer enter into dialogue with me. I am not pleased to communicate with unbalanced people.
                4. I wish you a speedy recovery and all the best.
    2. +1
      10 May 2017 15: 33
      You’re laughing in vain. The Antonov Concern, now part of the Ukroboronprom state concern, announces the availability of successful tests of promising hydrogen-powered aircraft electric motors.
      1. 0
        10 May 2017 15: 47
        Is he still alive? I thought with him all the specialists fled to Russia ...
  4. +4
    10 May 2017 15: 28
    This "bird" was originally developed for the Fishermen and entered the market at a price of $ 200.000 per set. After the Pentagon drew attention to it and began to buy for the army, Boeing bought the company "Insitu" and the price immediately rose to two Lemons

    ScanEagle is equipped with a high resolution camera and thermal imager.

    - Plain Sony Handycam on Turrets
  5. 0
    10 May 2017 16: 09

    Maybe you should not bother with hydrogen? Look, the Swiss Solar Impulse 2 plane generally stupidly flies on solar panels for an unlimited time and is silent. The truth is probably like an airliner.
    1. +1
      10 May 2017 16: 36
      Quote: Altona
      Won Swiss Solar Impulse 2 aircraft generally stupidly flies on solar panels for an unlimited time and silently.

      Does not fly. It was a promotional project. The plane completed the task and immediately went to the museum.
  6. 0
    10 May 2017 16: 57
    Oh, but there was a time when we were ahead of the rest with the fuel cells.
    1. Waf
      +1
      10 May 2017 19: 36
      And they stole this car from us, and even with the fuel cells! "They are dumb"! Where can they think of such a thing! wink
  7. 0
    10 May 2017 18: 49
    During the conflict, the steam engine is the most, as well as a scout in peacetime, but only very expensive. See how bearded gas cylinders are thrown, and especially technological equipment is not needed.
  8. +3
    10 May 2017 22: 02
    For those who are really interested in this topic, and who do not imagine themselves to be an outstanding expert in the issue of producing hydrogen as such, it does not matter why, for Fuel Cells or for other industrial needs, I highly recommend reading this article:
    Toyota recently announced that it is transferring all of its patents related to fuel cell vehicles to public space, and now they are available for use completely free of charge. The news is touching with the fact that there were already 5 patents, think only how corporate lawyers tried, patenting everything down to roundness on buttons. But this is not the only point, because last year it was Tesla who became the first to open its patents in the world of patent trolls and endless courts. By the way, the company that produces the most famous electric car had less than three hundred of them. Toyota Mirai is the first hydrogen fuel cell car in the world that can be bought rather than leased.
    But I want to talk not so much about this event, but about why even the appearance of the first fuel cell car that can be bought does not change anything for hydrogen cars, and why this development branch is absolutely dead end. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, calls fuel cells “fool cells”, battery experts agree that everyone in the industry knows that fuel cells are nonsense, just not everyone recognizes this, I’ll focus on the facts. Due to falling oil prices, the cost of a gallon (3.76 liters) of gasoline in the US fell
    to $ 2, but even during expensive oil, the price did not rise above $ 4.
    1. Hydrogen is expensive.
    This is just a fact. Now the market price for gas is $ 8.96 per equivalent gallon of gasoline, 0.997 kg (data for October 2014). Toyota Mirai tank holds 5 kg of hydrogen. Thus, one refueling would cost you $ 45 and it was enough for 480 km according to the EPA testing methodology (data has not yet been verified by the EPA, but this figure is unlikely to be more), which translates into $ 9.38 per 100 km. For comparison, the Toyota Prius will travel the same 100 km, spending $ 2.76, and the Tesla Model S - $ 2.99, if you use the same EPA methodology and current average US prices. By 2017, Toyota plans to bring the annual production of Mirai to 2 units. Although there are many estimates suggesting that with large volumes of production, the cost of hydrogen will drop to $ 100 per kg (and approach the current price for gasoline), even Toyota itself is less optimistic in its forecasts: the cost of the tank for Mirai will drop to $ 3 in the future. Currently, the United States produces 30 million kg of hydrogen per day, about 7.31 million kilograms per year. With an average annual mileage of about 2 km, it would be enough for 600 million cars, that is, even if hydrogen cars in the United States sold 21% of all new cars within 500 years, production would only double, which would not result in such a drastic reduction in prices.
    2. Hydrogen production is “dirtier” than electricity generation
    Now 95% of hydrogen is produced from hydrocarbons using a steam reforming reaction or partial oxidation. Remains from natural gas or hydrocarbons, CO2, the same with which all countries are together fighting the development of alternative energy and alternative cars. If we recall that in Europe and Asia, unlike the United States, there is no natural gas in order to make hydrogen from it, then everything becomes even sadder. Now the use of hydrogen makes it directly dependent on the price of gas, which is not much different from oil dependence, while electricity is generated from a dozen different sources. Theoretically, hydrogen can be obtained by electrolysis, but now such a gas for the United States will be 3 times more expensive than that obtained from methane. Moreover, since the generation of electricity is not an environmentally friendly process, but the conversion of electricity to hydrogen, then back from hydrogen to electricity in fuel cells has a low total efficiency, emissions will be significantly higher than for electric vehicles.
    To obtain one kilogram of hydrogen requires 52.5 kWh on an electrolyzer with 75% efficiency. Thus, Toyota Mirai, using hydrogen obtained by electrolysis will spend 54,69 kWh per 100 km. Even the huge, more than 2-ton Model S consumes 23.75 kWh per 100 km, while the Mirai is noticeably smaller and can not boast of acceleration to hundreds in 4 seconds. Add to this the transportation of hydrogen, compression, the construction of electrolyzers, the construction of hydrogen gas stations and it will become clear that even theoretically this is not the way to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere. A hydrogen gas station costs $ 2 million and can only refuel 30 cars per day.
    3. Hydrogen infrastructure is very expensive and not developed.
    One hydrogen gas station costs $ 2 million. California has already spent $ 100 million on hydrogen gas stations. European sources also confirm the high price of the station, for example, only state support per station in the UK is £ 1 million. Do you think that such a station can serve hundreds of cars? No, the stations are designed to refuel a maximum of 30 cars per day. On the one hand, it’s not necessary anymore, where even two can come from, but on the other hand, Tesla Motors supercharging with 6-12 racks costs the company $ 100k - $ 150k, and the more advanced version with solar panels on the roof and batteries for 500kWh for conserve solar energy in the "whole" $ 300k. Is it necessary to add that such a station can actually serve more than a hundred cars a day.
    There are 13 hydrogen gas stations in the United States. In 2015, they plan to open a couple more dozen. I think I will not be mistaken if I say that these plans follow hydrogen cars over the past 10 years. True, Tesla Motors alone, using part of the profit from the sale of its electric vehicles without state grants, in one month, December 2014, opened 54 of its supercharges, 12 of them in the United States, each with 6-8 charging racks. Over a year, over 120 supercharges were opened in Europe, the same number of hydrogen stations would cost a quarter of a billion dollars. Hyundai Tucson hydrogen costs $ 144, and even such a high
    the price does not mean that it is not subsidized by the manufacturer.
    4. Hydrogen cars are expensive. Although Toyota Mirai will be sold on the American market for $ 62, most experts agree that this price is subsidized by the manufacturer (000, 1) There are no exact figures from Toyota itself, but this is indirectly confirmed by the statement of the head of the R&D company that cars are powered by fuel cells could be competitive in price with electric vehicles by 2 and the cost of fuel cells. The manufacturer's subsidies also support the $ 2030 fuel cell Hyundai Tucson sold in South Correa. But even with such a large subsidy from the manufacturer, buyers have been slow to buy fuel cell vehicles. Carbon fiber tanks with hydrogen compressed under a pressure of 144 atmospheres are located under the bottom of the Toyota Mirai.
    5. There are no advantages of hydrogen cars over electric cars.
    I have already listed most of the shortcomings. I’ll leave safety behind: although I would be afraid to ride on two hydrogen tanks under the bottom, the manufacturer claims that it is safe, so let's believe it. Let’s try to find at least some advantages of hydrogen cars over electric cars. Power reserve? Toyota Mirai has 480 km, Tesla Model S has 424 km, Tesla Roadster will be able to drive almost 640 km after an update next year, all the numbers using the same EPA testing methodology, “apples and apples”, as they say. And there is also plug-in hybrids that give a symbiosis of the efficiency of electric vehicles with the ability to travel on conventional fuel over long distances. In general, the power reserve after the appearance of Tesla is no longer an argument. The Tesla Model S P85D accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 3.3 seconds, while
    hydrogen cars are content only with the dynamics of the weakest "diesels".
    1. +1
      10 May 2017 22: 37
      Cool! Probably not worth reading your comment (interesting, informative, reasonable) before going to bed! For downloaded !!!! I started thinking about what kind of cars we will drive (if we are alive) in '30!
    2. +1
      11 May 2017 14: 26
      Dear Sentence, something in your analytical commentary may be true but against the background of your reasoning (hydrogen cars are content only with the dynamics of the weakest "diesels") -
      your comment in connection with the COMPLETE understanding of the physics of the Hydrogen Element does not find my approval. You better study the topic and then you can write such a long one. This is to say that both Tesla and Toyota have identical engines (electric) according to the physical principle of action, and accordingly the dynamics are approximately the same. Do not mislead people. And if we talk about the Hydrogen-Oxygen engines of the hot conversion, it is closer to rockets and astronautics. Sincerely .

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