MOBILE FUEL GENERATION SYSTEM

Abstract

The United States Navy (USN) must operate around the world while efficiently producing and providing fuel to all mission essential functions. The USN aims to lower the strain on the supply chain while complying with the operational energy strategy (OES). This capstone project researched the viability of the USN producing alternative fuel on a Naval Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer (DDG) to support a team of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), while not degrading normal operations and meeting all stakeholder needs. The mobile fuel system (MFS) was designed to convert fossil fuel onboard the DDG to liquid hydrogen. The MFS will support up to four different classes of UAVs, conducting and expanding intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (ISRT) operations. Using modeling and simulation, it was found that the MFS was capable of producing liquid hydrogen to support ISRT operations using UAVs. The United States Navy (USN) must operate around the world while efficiently producing and providing fuel to all mission essential functions. The USN aims to lower the strain on the supply chain while complying with the operational energy strategy (OES).