Hybrid Electric Demonstration Engine for Heavy-Lift UAV

The range and payload capacity of current UAVs are constrained by battery energy density limitations. This project addresses this challenge by building and testing a scalable hybrid-electric system that combines a combustion engine with electric propulsion to achieve the power-to-weight ratio required for cargo missions. The team began by simulating the powertrain in MATLAB Simulink to evaluate performance under flight conditions. Although the test system was not flyable, it was designed to scale to a UAV with a 2,200 lb. gross takeoff weight including a 1,000 lb. payload capacity with a two-hour runtime.

The team delivered two main components: a tabletop powertrain and a Simulink simulation. The powertrain is hybrid-electric with a complex data acquisition system connected to the powertrain that monitors diagnostics in real time. The simulation allows a user to customize the powertrain configurations and analyze performance over various flight profiles. Key subsystems include the power distribution system for efficient power management and the data acquisition system for user control and data collection. This proof-of-concept demonstrates the feasibility of hybrid-electric systems for heavy-lift UAVs and paves the way for future development.