TY - GEN
T1 - Hybrid fuel cell power for long duration robot missions in field environments
AU - Thangavelautham, Jekanthan
AU - Gallardo, Danielle
AU - Strawser, Daniel
AU - Dubowsky, Steven
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Mobile robots are often needed for long duration missions. These include search rescue, sentry, repair, surveillance and entertainment. Current power supply technology limit walking and climbing robots from many such missions. Internal combustion engines have high noise and emit toxic exhaust while rechargeable batteries have low energy densities and high rates of self-discharge. In theory, fuel cells do not have such limitations. In particular Proton Exchange Membrane (PEMs) can provide very high energy densities, are clean and quiet. However, PEM fuel cells are found to be unreliable due to performance degradation. This can be mitigated by protecting the fuel cell in a fuel-cell battery hybrid configuration using filtering electronics that ensure the fuel cell is isolated from electrical noise and a battery to isolate it from power surges. Simulation results are presented for a HOAP 2 humanoid robot that suggests a fuel cell powered hybrid power supply superior to conventional batteries.
AB - Mobile robots are often needed for long duration missions. These include search rescue, sentry, repair, surveillance and entertainment. Current power supply technology limit walking and climbing robots from many such missions. Internal combustion engines have high noise and emit toxic exhaust while rechargeable batteries have low energy densities and high rates of self-discharge. In theory, fuel cells do not have such limitations. In particular Proton Exchange Membrane (PEMs) can provide very high energy densities, are clean and quiet. However, PEM fuel cells are found to be unreliable due to performance degradation. This can be mitigated by protecting the fuel cell in a fuel-cell battery hybrid configuration using filtering electronics that ensure the fuel cell is isolated from electrical noise and a battery to isolate it from power surges. Simulation results are presented for a HOAP 2 humanoid robot that suggests a fuel cell powered hybrid power supply superior to conventional batteries.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84885647595&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84885647595&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84885647595
SN - 981437427X
SN - 9789814374279
T3 - Field Robotics - Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines, CLAWAR 2011
SP - 471
EP - 478
BT - Field Robotics - Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines, CLAWAR 2011
T2 - 14th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines, CLAWAR 2011
Y2 - 6 September 2011 through 8 September 2011
ER -