An oxygen supply apparatus and method for a fuel cell of an aircraft are provided. The oxygen supply apparatus includes a compressor that generates compressed air by compressing air in the atmosphere and supplies the compressed air to a fuel cell stack, an oxygen tank having a predetermined amount of oxygen stored therein. An aircraft monitoring device monitors the aircraft and determines whether oxygen supply from the oxygen tank is required, and an oxygen supply means switching device switches an oxygen supply means for the fuel cell stack from the compressor to the oxygen tank, or vice versa depending on an outcome of the monitoring.

A lightweight, high power density, fault-tolerant fuel cell system, method, and apparatus for full-scale clean fuel electric-powered aircraft having a fuel cell module including a plurality of fuel cells working together to process gaseous oxygen from air compressed by turbochargers, superchargers, blowers or local oxygen supply and gaseous hydrogen from liquid hydrogen transformed by heat exchangers, with an electrical circuit configured to collect electrons from the plurality of hydrogen fuel cells to supply voltage and current to motor controllers commanded by autopilot control units configured to select and control an amount and distribution of electrical voltage and torque or current for each of the plurality of motor and propeller assemblies, wherein electrons returning from the electrical circuit combine with oxygen in the compressed air to form oxygen ions, then the protons combine with oxygen ions to form H.sub.2O molecules and heat.

A method of fuel desulfurization comprises receiving fuel from a source of fuel in a gaseous phase and condensing the fuel in the gaseous phase in a fuel condenser to convert at least a portion of the fuel into a liquid phase. The method further comprises delivering the fuel in the liquid phase directly to a reformer and returning the uncondensed portion of the fuel in the gaseous phase to the source of fuel to inert the source of fuel.

An air system includes a fuselage, a motor supported by the fuselage, a propeller coupled to the motor, a fuel cell-based power generator supported by the fuselage and the motor, and a satellite communication system coupled to the fuel cell system. The generator includes a hydrogen generator, a fuel cell having an anode and a cathode, a cathode loop configured to provide oxygen to the cathode, an anode loop configured to provide hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generator to the anode, and an electrical connector coupled to the fuel cell to provide electricity generated by the fuel cell to the motor.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for a hydrogen-powered hybrid electric powertrain and the associated hydro-electro-aero-thermal management system (HEATMS).

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for producing a hydrogen storage vessel that is lightweight. The hydrogen storage vessel may comprise an inner body and an outer body structured as concentric rings with a conic interface. The vessel may have four material layers, including a barrier layer, an insulation layer, a fiber knit, and an abrasion layer. The fiber knit may be braided to trap the hydrogen, as the barrier layer may not be completely impermeable. Additionally, the fiber braid may be clamped to the outer body, enabling pressure pushing on the inner body to wedge and seal the storage vessel.

The present disclosure pertains to an unmanned aerial vehicle system. Some exemplary implementations may include: a mounting frame (110) onto which at least a payload (30) is affixed; a plurality of fuel cell stacks (50) operable in a predefined configuration, each of the plurality of stacks (50) being in a separate package; one or more tanks (60) configured to supply hydrogen tot the plurality of stacks; a propulsion system (70, 80) configured to receive an out put power generated from the plurality of stacks (50); and a power controller (40) configured to couple the plurality of stacks in the predefined configuration.

Disclosed are systems and methods for a power control system for a vehicle having multiple power sources. The power control system may include a plurality of sensors associated with one or more power sources and a microcontroller configured to receive a plurality of signal inputs, wherein the microcontroller selects a power state for the power control system based at least in part on the plurality of signal inputs from the plurality of sensors. The power state may be selected from a group including a first power state, wherein power is provided to a critical power subsystem, an essential power subsystem, and an auxiliary power subsystem, a second power state, wherein power is provided to the critical power subsystem and the essential power subsystem of the vehicle, and a third power state, wherein power is provided only to the critical power subsystem of the vehicle.

An electric propulsion system of an aircraft includes an electrical generator and a cooling device of the electrical generator. It further includes at least one thermoacoustic engine and a heat transfer circuit configured to transport heat dissipated by the electrical generator to the thermoacoustic engine. The cooling device of the electrical generator is at least partially powered by energy from the thermoacoustic engine.

A fuel-cell system for powering an electrical load, the system having first and second fuel cells, each having a positive node and a negative node. The positive node of the second fuel cell is electrically coupled to the negative node of the first fuel cell, and the positive node of the first fuel cell and the negative node of the second fuel cell are electrically coupled to the electrical load. Each fuel cell is electrically coupled to the electrical load without a power converter.