Peregrine Phoenix
The Peregrine Phoenix microturbine hybrid electric system is an advanced power solution for UAVs that boasts a class leading power to weight ratio and unmatched reliability.
What is a Hybrid System?
A hybrid system refers to a method of powering a device that utilizes multiple forms of energy simultaneously or interchangeably. This approach aims to optimize efficiency and performance by integrating different energy sources, such as combining traditional fuels with electrical energy from batteries.
The Peregrine Phoenix is a hybrid system designed for powering Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The process by which it does so is using a combustion engine to turn a generator, which in turn generates electricity to power the UAV.
Why Use a Hybrid System?
The Energy Density Challenge
The Density Gap: Conventional UAVs rely on batteries, which suffer from significantly lower energy density compared to liquid fuel like kerosene which can store 42 times as much energy in same amount of mass.
The Trade-off: Despite the energy advantage of fuel, batteries are typically preferred for three main reasons:
Engine Weight: Combustion engines are heavy, making them impractical for VTOL applications requiring multiple motors.
Efficiency: Electric drivetrains can operate at over 85% efficiency, whereas even state of the art combustion systems struggle to reach 50%.
Cost & Maintenance: Electric motors are inexpensive, low-maintenance, and reliable, while small-scale combustion engines remain costly and complex.
Our Innovation: The Microturbine Advantage
The Hybrid Solution
Best of Both Worlds: Our hybrid system uses a combustion engine solely to generate electricity, powering the electric motors that fly the UAV.
The Benefit: This maintains the responsiveness and efficiency of electric flight while leveraging the superior energy density of fuel for vastly extended flight times and increased payload capacity.
The Limitation: Conventional hybrids use reciprocating engines, which are relatively heavy, this forces the system to be underpowered to remain airworthy.
Power-to-Weight: We replace the reciprocating engine with a microturbine. This offers a significantly higher power-to-weight ratio, solving the power limitations of standard hybrids.
High-Altitude Performance: Unlike reciprocating engines, microturbines generate consistent power across a much wider range of altitudes.
Proven Results: Our prototype, the Peregrine Phoenix, delivers over double the power-to-weight ratio of a typical reciprocating hybrid system.
Mission Ready: The system provides the endurance of fuel and the power of batteries, offering a lightweight, reliable solution for performance-critical missions.