Diesel / Heavy Fuel UAV Engines

Heavy Fuel UAV Engines, also known as drone diesel engines, are advanced propulsion systems designed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which prioritize fuel efficiency and operational flexibility. These engines utilize heavier fuels, like diesel or JP-8, preferred for their higher energy density compared to traditional gasoline. This characteristic enables extended flight times and enhanced payload capacities, making them ideal for a variety of autonomous applications, including military reconnaissance, long-range surveillance, and cargo delivery.
Overview Diesel / Heavy Fuel UAV Engines
By Mike Ball Last updated: August 8th, 2024

Diesel and other heavy fuels such as jet fuel are used in a number of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle designs), especially military drones. This allows armed forces to utilize a single fuel across all land vehicles, aircraft and equipment for simplified supply chains and logistics.

Some engine designs are capable of running on both diesel and kerosene-based heavy fuels such as JP-5, JP8 and Jet-A1.

Piston-Driven Heavy Fuel Engines

Dual Cylinder Heavy Fuel UAV Engine by Sky Power International

Dual Cylinder Heavy Fuel UAV Engine by Sky Power International

Piston-driven diesel and heavy fuel UAV engines typically operate on different principles to gasoline-powered internal combustion engines (ICEs). Gasoline engines mix fuel with air, compress this mixture and then ignite it with a spark. Diesel and heavy fuel engines do not require spark plugs – instead, they compress the air only, and then inject fuel into this compressed air, relying on the heat to ignite the fuel. Due to the higher pressures involved, diesel and heavy fuel ICEs tend to be bulkier and thus suited to drones with higher payload capacities.

UAV Turbine Engines

Diesel and heavy fuel are also used to power UAV turbine engines, which include turbojet, turboprop and turboshaft engines. These engines mix air and fuel, ignite the mixture, and use the resulting stream of gas to propel the UAV.

Advantages of using heavy fuel for drone engines

Diesel and heavy fuels are denser than gasoline, due to being made up of longer-chain hydrocarbon molecules. This affects their properties, and in general, makes them harder to ignite. Other properties of heavy fuels include:

  • Being hard to ignite makes heavy fuel safer to use, store and transport than gasoline.
  • Remaining liquid at lower temperatures, makes these fuel types more suitable for drones flying in cold environments or at high altitudes.
  • More energy per unit volume due to higher density, makes heavy fuels ideal for drone designs where the limiting factor is the size of the fuel tank and not the mass of fuel carried.

 

Products (9)

SP-210 HF FI TS ROS 2-Stroke Engine

Dual Cylinder Heavy Fuel UAV Engine

Dual Cylinder Heavy Fuel UAV Engine
...s a two-stroke fuel injected engine for heavy fuel, with twin spark and Starter Generator, suitable...
SP-180 SRE Hybrid UAV Wankel Engine

Hybrid Wankel Rotary Engine for UAV

Hybrid Wankel Rotary Engine for UAV
... single rotary engine with 180 ccm combustion chamber and a directly attached starter generator.... ... with multiple engine systems flying in all environmental conditions globally. The SP-180 has a...
SP-170 HF FI TS ROS Heavy Fuel UAV Engine

Dual Cylinder Heavy Fuel Engine for UAVs

Dual Cylinder Heavy Fuel Engine for UAVs
...FI TS ROS is a fuel injected 2-stroke engine with twin spark and rear output shaft and starter...
SW75 UAV Heavy-Fuel Engine

75cc heavy fuel engine for military applications

75cc heavy fuel engine for military applications
...5cc two-stroke heavy fuel engine designed for military UAV applications. The air-cooled engine...
50cc Heavy Fuel Engine

3.7 hp two-stroke single-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs

3.7 hp two-stroke single-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs
...e Orbital 50cc Heavy Fuel Engine utilizes an air-cooled two-stroke single-cylinder design with a low...
75cc Heavy Fuel Engine

5.2 hp two-stroke single-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs

5.2 hp two-stroke single-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs
...e Orbital 75cc Heavy Fuel Engine utilizes an air-cooled two-stroke single-cylinder design with a low...
150cc Heavy Fuel Engine

11.5 hp two-stroke twin-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs

11.5 hp two-stroke twin-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs
... Orbital 150cc Heavy Fuel Engine utilizes a horizontally-opposed twin-cylinder two-stroke boxer...
PT2-124 Hybrid Engine

Twin-engine hybrid propulsion unit for UAVs

Twin-engine hybrid propulsion unit for UAVs
...9hp two-stroke heavy fuel engines, each with its own cooling and ignition systems, as well as an 11...
RW1-300C Hybrid Engine

Hybrid Wankel rotary engine with variable pitch propeller hub

Hybrid Wankel rotary engine with variable pitch propeller hub
... Wankel rotary engine with integrated transmission and variable pitch propeller hub, as well as an...

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