A beneficial confluence of trends and demands has elevated hybrid propulsion models as the top contender for dynamically powering all manner of uncrewed vehicles in the coming years.
Hybrid is one powerful reason why ePropelled, Inc. of Laconia, NH, has adopted the “uncrewed, unlimited” moniker to describe how it serves the fast-growing markets for remotely and autonomously navigated vehicles on land, air, and sea.
Hybrid power models solve most energy and range requirements for uncrewed vehicles use cases by exploiting the best – separately and together — of what electric, internal combustion engines (ICEs), chemically stored energy like batteries, and environmentally available sources of energy like solar and wind provide.
Unlimited propulsion solutions
The possibilities for durability, ruggedness, payloads, and speeds are truly unlimited when data tracing and analytics from the propulsion and increased energy density and reduced charging times are added to the operations management mix.
By bringing all the variables at play into data streams for real-time analysis and feedback, the best propulsion and onboard power options can be accommodated and adjusted during any mission with no end in sight.
Hybrid propulsion adoption is accelerating and extending into new applications thanks to advantageous trends in battery technology, starter-generator-motor advances, artificial intelligence (AI), high vehicles demand, and lowering total costs. Hybrid is being designed into all manner of vehicles, now that these advantages are well-established in uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs).
By managing the intricate integration of hybrid propulsion systems within a single device, ePropelled has solved the significant engineering and operational challenges to ensure reliable, adaptive, and efficient electric and hybrid propulsion options in a single system.
A variety of options among vehicle power systems allows for more choices based on different mission parameters. UAVs, for example, can be either fully electric, powered by ICEs, or operate in a hybrid mode, where the vehicle power system works with the ICE to provide electrical power to the craft when necessary.
Hybrid for AI-optimized operations
Indeed, the 2024 ISG Provider Lens global eMobility Services and Solutions report finds that the transition to electric, and therefore hybrid, propulsion systems has crossed into all modes of transportation – from cars, trucks, buses, to even scooters and bicycles.
Makers of high-performing batteries and adept chargers are rapidly innovating to deliver longer and swiftly repeated ranges for all types of vehicles. And engineers are using AI across all aspects of hybrid mobility, including algorithms to extend battery life, optimize charging, and predicting maintenance needs, the report says. AI is also essential to the analytics that enable autonomous navigation and ongoing performance improvements.
Further spurring innovation in hybrid propulsion for UAVs are adoption of new technologies, government investments in R&D, shifting in perspective towards sustainability, and competitive global trade issues, according to the Global UAV Power Device Market Research Report by Global Market Vision.
Continued advancements in hybrid electric powertrain technology, such as the development of more efficient electric motors and integration of advanced energy management systems, means the global hybrid electric powertrain market is set for substantial growth beyond UAVs.
Optimize the total design with hybrid propulsion
The hybrid mode offers all uncrewed vehicle designers the option of optimizing engine size while using the battery for range extension, emergency landing, or power assist on takeoff or outset on land and water. As a result, a smaller engine will work in situations that demand high power and the operational range can be extended thanks to the option of using battery power.
These moves on land are happening at all stages of transportation, even enhancing the proven benefits of hybrid-electric technology in urban mass transit. For example, New Flyer of America Inc., a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., has added BAE Systems’ Gen3 modular power control system (MPCS) and traction motor as an available powertrain option for Xcelsior hybrid-electric transit buses built from model year 2025 onward.
The next-generation system from BAE Systems is smaller and lighter than the previous generation product, providing more reliability, more efficiency and a better total cost of ownership over the life of the bus.
For several years now, fluctuating fuel prices and a need for fuel efficiency have driven automotive electric vehicle (EV) consumers toward hybrid electric vehicles. The same forces are now moving demand from the air and land to the seas to propel a boat and ship across the water.
Recreational vessels, defense vessels, yachts, ships, and tugboats, and uncrewed drones for myriad commercial uses are now being designed with hybrid propulsion systems.
Such uses are expected to bolster development of a worldwide hybrid crossbreed and full-electric marine drive market for crewed and uncrewed vehicles of all types, says a new research publication by Market Analytics on Marine Hybrid & Full Electric Propulsion Market Insights, to 2030.
So when ePropelled uses “uncrewed, unlimited” to describe its addressable market and ultimate value, it’s no surprise that the sky and vast oceans are indeed not the limit.
Early pioneer in hybrid propulsion
USA-based ePropelled is a global leader in patented magnetics engineering, dynamic hybrid propulsion solutions, connected telemetry-based data gathering, and AI-enabled performance analytics across a wide range of compact and dynamic motors, controllers, and generators.
ePropelled has supported hybrid propulsion systems since 2021, and offers a wide range of customizable hybrid power solutions for UAVs, uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs), and uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs).
An ePropelled starter generator in an ICE-equipped hybrid vehicle can be changed from power-generation mode to power-assist mode, enabling it to draw power from the battery and use it for propulsion, thereby supplementing the engine. Starter generators can therefore act like range extenders, powering the propulsion motors during maneuvers. They can also switch to generator mode, extracting power from the ICE to charge batteries and flight instruments. The quality of such range extension depends on the power conversion rate (the energy from fuel converted to electric power with minimum losses).
For example, the ePropelled Hybrid Ready product line is a family of components that combines:
- A combined starter generator and propulsion motor
- An intelligent air motor controller with a built-in electronic engine starter, and
- The intelligent power system.
These modular components can be mixed and matched to supply hybrid propulsion solutions across an extremely wide range of power.
Indeed, the right hybrid solutions can keep weight and cost down while extending operational range and time and allowing any uncrewed vehicle to be self-contained when starting the engine. Truly uncrewed, unlimited.
Based in Laconia, NH, USA, ePropelled, Inc. designs and builds a broad array of robust and intelligent propulsion systems for unmanned vehicles. The company empowers unmanned vehicle designers to unleash their total mission creativity by solving the requirements for agile and efficient propulsion systems and solutions.
ePropelled delivers complete solutions, including propulsion motors, electronic speed controllers, propellers, and state-of-the-art power management systems.
Look to ePropelled for solutions
From tiny to massive, from farm fields to the edge of space, ePropelled’s broad range of propulsion motors, starter generators, and controllers leverage patented advances in real-time software to enable hybrid and highly adaptive thrust power delivery across myriad vehicle and energy supply scenarios.
ePropelled optimizes electric propulsion with advanced technology for real-time data monitoring and intelligent instrumentation. Through ePConnected™, unmanned system performance and reliability are always measured and managed, setting new and ever-improving standards in efficiency and innovation.
For more information, contact ePropelled at info@epropelled.com, call 603-236-7444, or visit https://epropelled.com.
