An aircraft power plant comprising novel air management features for high-power fuel cell applications, the features combine supercharging and turbocharging elements with air and hydrogen gas pathways, utilize novel airflow concepts and provide for much stronger integration of various fuel cell drive components.

An aircraft, such as a rotorcraft, may have (an) area(s) designated to house (a) fuel cell(s) and (an) aircraft structure(s) that may translate, during a drop impact of the aircraft, into the area(s) designated to house the fuel cell(s). (A) shaped fuel cell(s) may be provided and deployed therein, in accordance with the present systems and methods. Each respective shaped fuel cell may define (a) respective through-void(s) defined through the respective shaped fuel cell, and/or (an) respective edge cavit(y)(ies) defined along an edge of the shaped fuel cell, wherein the respective through-void(s) and/or the respective edge cavit(y)(ies) correspond to the respective aircraft structure(s) that may translate, during the drop impact of the aircraft, into the area(s) of the aircraft designated to house the respective fuel cell(s) to receive and accommodate the respective structure(s) during the drop impact.

To provide a fuel cell system capable of discharging a fuel gas in an emergency while suppressing complication and an increase in cost of the system. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a fuel gas tank, a fuel gas supply channel, a fuel gas supply unit, a main stop valve that controls opening and closing of the fuel gas tank, a fuel gas discharge channel, an exhaust drain valve that controls discharge of the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell to an outside of the system, and a control unit. The control unit controls the exhaust drain valve, the fuel gas supply unit, and the main stop valve to open so as to discharge the fuel gas from the fuel gas tank when receiving an emission command of the fuel gas.

A drive system of an aircraft, including a fuel cell, which can be supplied with hydrogen from a hydrogen tank and with air from a blower, the fuel cell being configured to provide drive power for operational flight after takeoff and before landing dependent on a hydrogen mass flow supplied by the hydrogen tank and dependent on an air mass flow supplied by the blower, and an electrical energy store, which is configured to provide additional drive power for takeoff and landing, wherein an additional hydrogen tank and an air or oxygen tank are configured to interact with the fuel cell such that the fuel cell can be supplied with an additional hydrogen mass flow and with an additional air or oxygen mass flow, thereby compensating at least partially for a loss of the additional drive power provided by the electrical energy store for landing.

Certain aspects relate to a blended wing body aircraft with a fuel cell and methods of use. An exemplary aircraft includes a blended wing body, at least a propulsor mechanically affixed to the aircraft and configured to propel the aircraft, at least a first fuel store configured to store a first fuel, and at least a fuel cell configured to combine the first fuel with oxygen to produce electricity.

To provide a fuel cell system configured to prevent the freezing of the gas and water discharge valve of the fuel gas system even at high altitude. A fuel cell system for air vehicles, wherein the fuel cell system comprises: a fuel cell, a fuel gas system for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell, a cooling system for controlling a temperature of the fuel cell, an altitude sensor, a temperature sensor, and a controller, and wherein, when the controller detects an altitude increase measured by the altitude sensor, and when a temperature of the gas and water discharge valve measured by the temperature sensor is less than a predetermined temperature, the controller increases a temperature of the refrigerant by controlling the three-way valve to circulate the refrigerant in the heating flow path and operating the circulation pump and the water heater to heat the refrigerant.

Provided is a flight vehicle which makes it possible to more reliably retain the sealability of a sealing member of a valve provided on a hydrogen tank even in continuous supply of hydrogen or a low-temperature environment. The flight vehicle having a fuel cell, and a hydrogen tank in which hydrogen for generation of electricity by the fuel cell is stored includes: a valve including a sealing member, the valve being disposed on the hydrogen tank, via the valve hydrogen being taken out from a body of the tank; and a warming unit in which fluid conducts part of waste heat from any portion of the flight vehicle to the sealing member.

To provide a fuel cell system configured to charge a battery with maintaining the independence and redundancy of a fuel cell and a battery as power sources. A fuel cell system for air vehicles, wherein the fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell, a battery, a motor and a controller; wherein the fuel cell and the battery are connected to the motor as independent power sources, and the motor includes a double three-phase winding that uses a double inverter; and wherein, when normal output is requested from the motor, the controller operates the motor by a predetermined first output from the fuel cell, and the controller charges the battery by a torque generated in the motor.

To provide a fuel cell system configured to increase fuel cell performance even at high altitude. A fuel cell system for air vehicles, wherein the fuel cell system comprises: a fuel cell, an oxidant gas system for supplying oxidant gas to the fuel cell, an altitude sensor, and a controller; wherein the oxidant gas system comprises an air compressor and a bypass flow path bypassing the fuel cell; wherein the bypass flow path comprises a bypass valve; and wherein, when the controller detects an altitude increase measured by the altitude sensor, the controller increases a rotational speed of the air compressor, and the controller increases an opening degree of the bypass valve.

Provided is a flight vehicle having a weight reduced by reducing the number of driving devices. The flight vehicle including a fuel cell, and a motor to drive a propeller, the flight vehicle includes: a pump by which cooling water for cooling the fuel cell is circulated, the pump being driven by the motor to drive a propeller.