How a hybrid scheme will make Chinese drones elusive.
China has shown a new power plant for small drones that is trying to take the best of two worlds at once. The hybrid circuit combines a fuel generator and an electric drive: fuel generates electricity for the engine, and the device itself, if necessary, can go into a quieter flight mode. For military drones, this approach is especially important, because it allows you to increase the range and operating time without the usual reckoning in the form of strong noise and a noticeable thermal footprint.
Usually large unmanned vehicles fly on fuel engines. This technique gives more power and keeps in the air longer, but it works louder and more strongly emits heat. Small drones, on the contrary, often use batteries: electric traction makes the flight quieter and reduces visibility in the infrared range, but the power reserve and flight duration in this case quickly rest on the battery capacity.
The new Chinese development is trying to remove the main compromise. In December, engineers tested a 60-kilowatt hybrid power plant designed for small combat drones. During the flight, the system can generate electricity from the fuel, and at the right time switch to a quieter electric mode. Such an architecture helps the drone to fly further and at the same time reduce noise and thermal visibility in those episodes where secrecy and a careful approach to the goal are important.
The development, judging by the description, fits into a broader program of strengthening Chinese unmanned systems. It is not only about the increase in range, but also about more flexible application in a difficult environment, where devices have to balance between power, autonomy and imperceptibility. Against the background of modern conflicts, the task looks quite practical: drones are increasingly used for reconnaissance, adjustment of fire and point strikes, which means that the army is looking for ways to make such cars cheap, survivable and versatile.
According to the South China Morning Post, the system was created by the state-owned company Sichuan Tianf Light Power Technology. At the heart of the installation is a gas turbine that rotates the generator and recharges the on-board batteries, and the real thrust is created by an electric channel fan. Thanks to this division of energy production and movement, the device receives two modes of operation: one relies on power, the other helps to reduce noise. The compact layout allows you to put the installation on small platforms without a noticeable loss of performance, which means that the developers open the way to small drones that will be able to fly further and work more carefully than devices only on batteries or only on liquid fuel.
China has shown a new power plant for small drones that is trying to take the best of two worlds at once. The hybrid circuit combines a fuel generator and an electric drive: fuel generates electricity for the engine, and the device itself, if necessary, can go into a quieter flight mode. For military drones, this approach is especially important, because it allows you to increase the range and operating time without the usual reckoning in the form of strong noise and a noticeable thermal footprint.
Usually large unmanned vehicles fly on fuel engines. This technique gives more power and keeps in the air longer, but it works louder and more strongly emits heat. Small drones, on the contrary, often use batteries: electric traction makes the flight quieter and reduces visibility in the infrared range, but the power reserve and flight duration in this case quickly rest on the battery capacity.
The new Chinese development is trying to remove the main compromise. In December, engineers tested a 60-kilowatt hybrid power plant designed for small combat drones. During the flight, the system can generate electricity from the fuel, and at the right time switch to a quieter electric mode. Such an architecture helps the drone to fly further and at the same time reduce noise and thermal visibility in those episodes where secrecy and a careful approach to the goal are important.
The development, judging by the description, fits into a broader program of strengthening Chinese unmanned systems. It is not only about the increase in range, but also about more flexible application in a difficult environment, where devices have to balance between power, autonomy and imperceptibility. Against the background of modern conflicts, the task looks quite practical: drones are increasingly used for reconnaissance, adjustment of fire and point strikes, which means that the army is looking for ways to make such cars cheap, survivable and versatile.
According to the South China Morning Post, the system was created by the state-owned company Sichuan Tianf Light Power Technology. At the heart of the installation is a gas turbine that rotates the generator and recharges the on-board batteries, and the real thrust is created by an electric channel fan. Thanks to this division of energy production and movement, the device receives two modes of operation: one relies on power, the other helps to reduce noise. The compact layout allows you to put the installation on small platforms without a noticeable loss of performance, which means that the developers open the way to small drones that will be able to fly further and work more carefully than devices only on batteries or only on liquid fuel.
