Lifetime-Optimized Energy Management Strategy for Fuel Cell Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle Hybrid Power System

To improve the durability of the fuel cell unmanned aircraft vehicle hybrid power system, a model predictive control based energy management strategy with minimum energy loss is presented in this article. The proposed algorithm can effectively reduce the internal loss and power stress of the hybrid power system, which can help to extend fuel cell lifespan. Specifically, a calculation formula with observable parameters is proposed to predict the internal loss of the battery in both the charging and discharging mode. Besides, to increase the hybrid UAV adaptability under complex flying conditions, the fuel cell operating trajectory is also defined in the algorithm to increase the system dynamic performance and efficiency. To verify the effectiveness of the strategy, the hardware-in-the-loop experimental test platform is built. Compared to the conventional equivalent consumption minimum strategy, the proposed strategy can effectively alleviate the voltage degradation of the fuel cell and decrease the energy loss of the battery. The proposed strategy can help to contribute to the applications of fuel cell hybrid power system in the aviation fields.