Lightweight and Efficient Manifold Design for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Islam, Sophia; Purtell, Avery; Bonito, Michael; Cassidy, Jack; Hemmerling, Liam

Student Work

Lightweight and Efficient Manifold Design for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

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This paper explores various strategies used to optimize the design of a manifold for housing a hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cell system for Honeywell Aerospace’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). By leveraging a manifold design, our team aimed to enhance power efficiency, while minimizing weight and volume. Nodes and pathways between nodes were analyzed by comparing weight and length, which guided informed design decisions for the manifold. Eventually, the manifolds were 3D printed using multi-jet printing with nylon to be tested on a Honeywell 600W UAV. Compared to the original system, our final design significantly reduced the weight, maximum extent volume, part count, and assembly time. With the rise in demand for sustainable energy solutions, hydrogen fuel cells offer promising prospects for mitigating climate change. Through meticulous investigation of component placement and pathway functionality, this project contributes to easier assembly of the fuel cell system, thus advancing clean energy applications.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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