Unmanned vehicles offer multiple possibilities in industrial, scientific and security applications, due to their ability to provide in real time high quality data, at a lower cost than other techniques. Among the different issues to take into account in the design, development and operation of unmanned plat-forms, on board energy storage is one of the most relevant, due to its influence on the performance and capabilities of the vehicle. In several applications, electric propulsion is the only available option. In these cases, it is necessary to have suitable systems for electrical energy storage, in order to provide high energy density and power in mass and volume, time life (charging and discharging cycles) and safe operating condition, among other requirements. At present, most electric unmanned vehicles use lead-acid or lithium ion batteries. Despite the rapid progress of these technologies, the use of hybrid configurations, combining different energy storage technologies, is seen as a promising option to overcome the existing gaps for power systems in unmanned vehicles.

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