Murat Kayaoglu

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell–battery hybrid power systems provide an effective solution to overcome the limited endurance of battery-powered multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles. However, the highly transient power demands of quadcopter platforms, combined with balance-of-plant losses and operational constraints, create significant challenges for reliable energy management. This study proposes a degradation-aware stress-mitigation model predictive control-based energy management framework to maximize mission endurance under realistic conditions. A control-oriented, physics-consistent model is developed using manufacturer polarization data from a 500 W Aerostak proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The model captures polarization behavior, balance-of-plant loads, battery dynamics, and direct current-bus power balance. The model predictive control strategy optimally allocates power by maintaining direct current-bus stability, regulating battery state-of-charge within safe limits, and constraining fuel cell power ramp rates to mitigate degradation. High-fidelity simulations are conducted under stochastic wind disturbances and mission-dependent load profiles, including takeoff, climb, cruise, and maneuvering phases. The results show continuous power delivery without unmet load demand. The hybrid system achieves a flight endurance of 220–224 min, consuming a total of 89.99 g of hydrogen at an average rate of 0.398–0.412 g/min, indicating a notable reduction under the considered operating conditions. Additionally, long-term analysis indicates that over 97% of initial endurance is preserved after 100 cycles, demonstrating robustness against fuel cell aging. An analytical real-time feasibility assessment further indicates that the control-oriented formulation is compatible with the computational resources of typical unmanned aerial vehicle-class onboard processors, while the integration of adaptive and robust predictive control techniques is identified as a direction for future work.

Electric vehicles (EVs) have increasingly become central to modern transportation systems due to their advantages in environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. In this development process, electric drive motors play a decisive role in key criteria such as performance, range, energy consumption, and production costs. In this study, three primary motor types commonly used in electric vehicles the Wound Rotor Synchronous Motor (WRSM), Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM), and Induction Motor (IM) are evaluated in a multidimensional manner in terms of their technical performance, energy efficiency, and application segments. Comparative analyses reveal that PMSM motors, in particular, provide an optimal power-to-weight ratio for mid-range vehicles due to their high torque generation and low energy consumption. The compact structure and high efficiency levels of these motors have made them the standard choice for many manufacturers today. On the other hand, WRSM motors offer a strong alternative for long-term sustainability goals by eliminating dependence on rare-earth elements and providing field weakening capability. The high-temperature tolerance, low maintenance requirements, and wide speed range operating capability of WRSM motors indicate their potential for broader adoption in the future. Segment-based evaluations have determined that vehicles in the economic class offer longer range per unit of energy due to lower weight and limited power requirements, representing a significant advantage for compact electric vehicles intended for urban use in terms of energy savings. Conversely, luxury and high-performance segment vehicles demonstrate higher energy consumption despite larger battery capacities; in these segments, factors such as acceleration, traction power, and driving comfort are prioritized over efficiency. The general findings indicate that motor power plays a critical role not only in performance but also in energy consumption, range capacity, and segment-based product positioning. Furthermore, the increasing research and development efforts on alternative motor architectures such as WRSM suggest that these motors may become more attractive both economically and environmentally in the future. In this context, it is recommended that interdisciplinary research on motor technologies be intensified in order to achieve sustainable electric transportation objectives.