Fuel cells have become a popular power alternative for many commercial UAV operators who previously opted for battery power due to a wide range of benefits including:
- Longer flight time
- Improved redundancy
- Quicker refuelling compared to battery charging times
- Better environmental credentials
Intelligent Energy’s IE-SOAR™ fuel cell modules are significantly quieter, lower maintenance, and have lower vibration than IC engines.
What problems do commercial UAV operators typically face with their drones?
Commercial UAV operators, such as those working in the inspection, mapping, and cinematography sectors, are often limited by the flight time capabilities of battery powered drones.
Fortunately, this is where fuel cell powered drones can help! Take a look at some of the benefits for commercial UAV operators below.
Fuel cell powered drones fly for longer
The headline benefit of drones powered by fuel cells is that, compared to those powered by batteries, they can fly for much longer due to their lightweight characteristics. Our Gryphon drone was used at the 2022 Sail GP to broadcast the event and it was able to carry the 6kg cinematography payload for the entire 90 minute broadcast window, while staying under the 25kg regulatory limit.
This extra flight time enables new applications that were previously impossible with drones, such as shore launched wind farm inspection, inspection of linear power lines and the filming of live sporting events. The superior flight duration of IE-SOAR fuel cell powered drones means that they are ideal for applications where extended flight time or range is necessary, in particular BVLOS applications.
Experience less downtime with a fuel cell powered drone
When fuel cell technology is combined with drone platforms, operational efficiency is improved due to the extended flight time that fuel cells can offer, coupled with the ease and reduced frequency of refuelling. You spend more time in the air completing your mission then, upon landing, the hydrogen cylinder is replaced or refuelled in a matter of minutes and therefore reducing costly idle time.
For example, LiDAR and mapping applications suit fuel cell powered drones over other power alternatives as the increased duration of the platform enables the mapping of larger environments, with fewer refuelling stops. This means the UAVs spend longer in the air and fewer calibration runs are needed. You can learn more about how fuel cell powered drones can overcome the challenges of long endurance flight in our overview here.
Clean energy with drones powered by fuel cells
Fuel cell powered drones produce zero emissions and require only hydrogen and ambient air to produce power. You can learn more about how they work in our article explaining the technology here, but essentially, IE-SOAR powered drones offer commercial UAV operators the unique benefit of green, sustainable power, keeping commercial carbon footprints down and protecting the environment.
We caught up with the team at DroneTalks to discuss extending UAV flight time and cutting operational cost at the Commerical UAV Show. Watch the short video here.
FAQs about fuel cell powered drones for commercial UAV operators
Andy Kelly, head of the IE-SOAR product line, answers some frequently asked questions about hydrogen fuel cell powered drones for commercial UAV operators:
Does weather affect drone performance?
Like most aircraft, weather conditions can impact the performance of a drone whether that be strong winds or heavy rain. Rain can damage electronics, motors and sensors for example if precautions haven’t been made to the design to protect from these conditions. Strong winds can put pressure on propellors and force smaller aircraft to land.
What is the range of hydrogen-powered drones?
Although fuel cell powered drones can typically offer 3 to 5 times the range of battery powered alternatives, this range is impacted on the size, payload and type of airframe used.
Multi-rotor drones used in pipeline inspection for example tend to fly for a couple of hours depending on the weight of the payload onboard and the power output of the fuel cell. Fixed-wing airframes tend to fly much further with flight times of over 7 hours. This makes them ideal for mapping and surveillance where vast areas need to be covered.
Fuel cell powered drones offer a range of benefits for commercial UAV operators, and our IE-SOAR range is leading the way across a whole number of sectors, ranging from logistics, media, military and surveillance.
If you’d like to get in contact with us to discuss your business’ requirements or to find out more, please fill out a contact form. Our team is happy to help!