Thermal control of a hydrogen-powered uncrewed aerial vehicle for crossing the Atlantic Ocean

The Drone Mermoz project aims to evaluate the feasibility of an uncrewed aircraft system powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, designed to traverse the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft must complete a journey of 3000 km with a minimum endurance of 36 hours. In addition to ensuring sufficient onboard energy, a critical requirement is the stable operation of the entire propulsion system throughout the journey. This paper outlines the developmental stages, theoretical modeling, and experimental testing of a thermal management system designed for a long-range uncrewed aircraft system equipped with hydrogen fuel cell-based propulsion. The 4-meter, sub-25 kg aircraft is engineered to undertake a 3000 km journey from Dakar, Senegal to Natal, Brazil. A critical challenge in developing this hydrogen-powered drone is designing an efficient thermal management system to ensure continuous ventilation of the fuselage. While one side of the system involves the fuel cell generating electricity for aircraft propulsion, the other side must effectively dissipate a substantial amount of heat to ensure the stable operation of the entire system.