Since its inception, the drone industry has experienced rapid expansion. Over the last decade, we have seen the value this technology is able to provide: drones can stop crime in its tracks, deliver life-saving medical supplies, or inspect a bridge for cracks, among many other missions. Despite this, every drone operator faces the same challenge: limited flight time.
As the industry progresses, critical flight missions require drones to be in the air for longer, a challenge for the lithium batteries that most drones operate with today. In a recently published report, entitled Transforming UAV Operations with Hydrogen, H2MOF takes a detailed look at how hydrogen fuel cells may be the future for extended drone flights.
H2MOF, a California-based company developing solid-state hydrogen storage solutions, recognized the opportunities that hydrogen-powered drones could bring and have compiled their research into a 37-page report, noting the fact that hydrogen fuel cell technology can offer hours of flight time, a large advantage over the 15-45 minutes a lithium battery typically provides.
“This report analyzes the technological challenges of battery-powered drones, exploring the potential of hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative power source and the key advantages of H2MOF's solid-state hydrogen storage systems for UAV applications,” explained Magnus Bach, VP of Business Development at H2MOF.
The report notes that hydrogen fuel cell technology offers significant advantages in energy density, rapid refueling, extended flight range, and reduced environmental impact. Yet, the widespread adoption of hydrogen-powered drones is hindered by the challenges of hydrogen storage — including the inefficiencies, safety risks, and regulatory and logistical burdens of traditional storage methods such as compressed gas and liquid hydrogen. In this report, H2MOF also explains how their solid-state technology provides a safer, more efficient alternative for hydrogen storage, overcoming the historic barriers to hydrogen UAV adoption.
Key topics the report covers include:
- How the limitations of traditional hydrogen storage technologies are holding back the wider adoption of hydrogen in the UAV industry
- How nano-engineered reticular materials bridge this gap by storing hydrogen in solid-state at low pressure and near-ambient temperature, therefore enabling a wider adoption of hydrogen
This report will be particularly beneficial to drone manufacturers, operators, and those struggling with maximizing the efficiency of their long-range, heavy-payload flight missions.
Hydrogen as an alternative fuel is still a relatively novel idea in the UAV industry, with this report acting as an explainer around the ins and outs of hydrogen fuel cell technology for drones. H2MOF breaks down the innerworkings of a hydrogen fuel cell in clear detail and gives in-depth explanations of the benefits of this fuel alternative and solid-state hydrogen systems for UAVs.
These benefits include:
- High energy density
- Increased payload capacity
- Rapid refueling
- Longer flight time
- Low environmental impact
- Improved total cost of ownership
Whether you are strongly considering hydrogen as a fuel alternative or just want to get up to speed, this report will outline all the information necessary to equip your team with the knowledge to move forward.
Download the full report here.
About H2MOF
H2MOF was incorporated in 2021 by Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart, Nobel Laureate Professor Omar Yaghi and Dr. Samer Taha. Based in Irvine, California, H2MOF is on a mission to decarbonize the energy system through the development of transformative hydrogen storage solutions, engineered with atomic precision. Capitalizing on decades of research and scientific advancement, H2MOF is deploying the latest discoveries and inventions by the founder of reticular chemistry, Professor Yaghi, and the founder of artificial molecular machinery, Professor Stoddart. By designing and developing durable and efficient solid-state hydrogen storage solutions that work under ambient temperatures and low pressure, we enable safe and cost-effective hydrogen storage and transportation.
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