The disclosure relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the fuel cell provides a structural component of the vehicle.

A hybrid wing autonomous aircraft having, an airframe, at least one hybrid wing member having an airframe end and an extended end, and having leading and trailing edges and a plurality of control structures, the airframe end coupled to the airframe, and the extended end further configured with a wing extension device, the wing extension device configured to extend a supplemental lifting surface from the extended end, an airframe actuator configured to cause the extension end of the hybrid wing member to move from a first position relative to the airframe to a second position relative to the airframe, wherein the second position is greater in distance from the airframe than the first position.

A tethered uni-rotor network of multiple tethered satellite vehicles; each having lifting airfoil surfaces, stabilizers, control surfaces, fuselages, and propulsion systems, operating in persistent state of rotation, driven by propulsion units on each satellite vehicle, where airfoils generate lift which supports aerial system. As system rotates, centrifugal forces pull satellite vehicles outwards, which keeps tethers taught. The tethers are attached to inboard portions of each lifting surface, which places their structural members under tension, thereby eliminating an adverse bending moment common to all traditional fixed-wing aircraft. Tethers provide large spatial separation eliminating rotor downwash field interactions, slowing system rotation rate, and permitting an ideal elliptic load distribution across wings. This reduces weight within structural members, uses higher aspect ratio wings to minimize induced drag, and employ thin-thickness high-camber airfoil profiles for superior lift-to-drag ratios, resulting in a more aerodynamically efficient aircraft, requiring less power than fixed-wing without sacrificing hover capability.

A system and a method for providing service on a golf course using a fuel cell drone using a hydrogen fuel cell as a power source to provide various services while preventing a rounding delay of golfers are provided. A fuel cell drone of a system for providing service on a golf course may include a hydrogen fuel tank in which hydrogen is charged, a power pack configured to generate power to drive the fuel cell drone using the hydrogen in the hydrogen fuel tank, and a controller configured to move the fuel cell drone to a docking station or a gas supply place in response to determining that an amount of hydrogen remaining in the hydrogen fuel tank is below a set value.

Autonomous craft capable of extended duration operations as lighter-than-air craft, having the ability to alight on the surface of a body of water and generate hydrogen gas for lift via electrolysis using power derived from a photovoltaic system, as well as methods of launching an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a deployable envelope from a surface of a body of water.

An integrated multimode thermal energy transfer system, method and apparatus for full-scale clean fuel electric-powered multirotor aircraft with automatic on-board-capability to provide sensor-based temperature awareness and adjustment to critical components and zones of the aircraft. Automatic computer monitoring, including by a programmed triple-redundant digital autopilot computer, controls each motor-controller and motor to produce pitch, bank, yaw and elevation, while simultaneously measuring, calculating, and adjusting temperature and heat transfer of aircraft components and zones, to protect critical components from exceeding operating parameters and to provide a safe, comfortable environment for occupants during flight. By using the results of the measurements to inform computer monitoring, the methods and systems can use byproducts including thermal energy disparities and differentials related to both fuel supply systems and power generating systems to both add and remove heat from different aircraft zones to improve aircraft function, comfort, and efficiency.

Methods and apparatus for cryogenic fuel bayonet transfers are disclosed. A disclosed example fuel transfer system includes a fuel tank. The example fuel transfer system also includes a bayonet receptacle extending into an internal volume of the fuel tank, where the bayonet receptacle is to receive a fuel transfer bayonet to fill the fuel tank with fuel and a fuel discharge bayonet to discharge the fuel.

An assembly and a method for powering an electric aircraft by way of a supplementary energy-supplying device. The electric energy delivered by such device reduces the energy drawn from the battery and recharges the battery when the supplementary electrical power exceeds that consumed. A greater extension of the flight time may be achieved by defining a number of energy profiles that can be automatically activated by energy management components. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the supplementary energy-supplying device is a photovoltaic film covering at least a portion of a frame of the aircraft. The invention relates also to an electric aircraft equipped with the assembly.

A fuel cell power pack for a drone and a state information monitoring method thereof are provided. The fuel cell power pack for a drone may include a power pack main body coupled to the drone, a fuel cell stack module disposed in the power pack main body to receive fuel and air to supply a power to the drone, a state information detector configured to detect state information of the fuel cell stack module, a power pack communicator configured to transmit information to an outside of the power pack main body or receive the information from the outside thereof by wire or wirelessly, and a power pack controller configured to control the power pack communicator to transmit the state information of the fuel cell stack module detected by the state information detector to the outside of the power pack main body.

An energy management system for an aircraft, wherein the energy management system comprises a fuel cell configured to convert chemical energy into electric energy, at least one energy source configured to provide electric energy, at least one electrical load, an electric bus electrically coupled to the fuel cell, the at least one energy source, and the at least one electrical load, and a controller configured to control the at least one electrical load in such a manner that a minimum load to the fuel cell is ensured. Furthermore, an aircraft comprises such energy management system. A method for managing energy in a system comprises electrically coupling a fuel cell, at least one energy source, and at least one electrical load by an electric bus, and controlling at least one electrical load in such a manner that a minimum load to the fuel cell is ensured.