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Power managements of a hybrid electric propulsion system for UAVs

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Abstract

Power managements of a UAV’s hybrid electric propulsion systems are described. Three electric propulsion systems with different power sources, i.e. solar cells, fuel cells, and batteries are considered. Each power source is modeled in Matlab/Simulink and integrated into the power system. For fuel cells and batteries, the simulation process is verified via comparison between the simulation results and available flight test results of UAVs. Two types of power control logics are investigated: passive and active. The passive power management simulation shows that the behavior of each power source and its integrated system is adequate for the overall flight envelope. In addition, the active power management simulation demonstrates that active power management yields more efficient power distribution and better system safety than passive power management does. Also, a power simulation of a hybrid electric power system allows for estimation of the output behavior of the power source. Therefore, it can be a valuable tool for development of a power control logic that ensures efficient power distribution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aeropropulsion System Department, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Deajeon, 305-333, Korea

    Bohwa Lee, Poomin Park, Chuntaek Kim, Sooseok Yang & Seokmin Ahn

Authors
  1. Bohwa Lee
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  2. Poomin Park
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  3. Chuntaek Kim
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  4. Sooseok Yang
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  5. Seokmin Ahn
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chuntaek Kim.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Tong Seop Kim

Bohwa Lee received her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Korea Advanced Institute Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea in 2006. In 2005, she joined the Aeropropulsion System Team, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea.

Poomin Park received his Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from Korea Advanced Institute Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea in 2001. In 2003, he joined the Aeropropulsion System Team, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea.

Chuntaek Kim received his Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering from Korea Advanced Institute Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea in 2007. In 1995, he joined the Aeropropulsion System Team, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea.

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Lee, B., Park, P., Kim, C. et al. Power managements of a hybrid electric propulsion system for UAVs. J Mech Sci Technol 26, 2291–2299 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0601-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0601-6

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