A Novel Bidirectional DC Solid State Power Controller for Fuel-Cell-Powered UAVs

At present, Solid State Power Controller (SSPC) integrated with short-circuit protection function is gradually replacing the traditional mechanical protection device and playing an important role in airborne fuel cell system (FCS). SSPC can quickly isolate short-circuit faults and avoid damage to FCS. However, the response of traditional SSPC is still slow for short-circuit protection, leading to a large fault current. In this paper, a bidirectional DC SSPC for airborne proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems (PEMFC) is proposed. This SSPC adopts a protection scheme based on the current rising rate, which is implemented with high-speed analog devices. Its simulation verification in the power supply system for a fuel-cell-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided with Simulink. The results show that the protection speed of the scheme is considerably faster than the traditional protection scheme based on the current amplitude. Also, a circuit-level simulation is performed in Saber to show other advantages of the scheme, such as low energy consumption, allowing capacitive load, immunity to noise interference, and the effectiveness of FCS protection.