Design, Dynamics, and Control of Miniature Catalytic-Combustion Engines and Direct Propane PEM Fuel Cells

Abstract

This work investigates the use of chemical fuels like hydrogen and propane for small scale power generation. Chemical fuels’ high specific energy makes them promising for applica- tions with stringent power system requirements. We focus on two projects: one employing hydrogen with catalytic combustion for powering microrobots, and another utilizing propane in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) for portable power.