Battery or power technology issues are still a problem for the drone industry. Commonly used Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries have limited flight duration, can be expensive to purchase and maintain, and can be dangerous if mishandled. Additionally, LiPo batteries can be subject to supply chain disruptions and price fluctuations. In his DRONELIFE exclusive op-ed, Hen Drones Bentzion Levinson argues for hydrogen and discusses the obstacles and opportunities hydrogen power poses.
Below is a guest post By CEO and Founder Benzion Levinson Heaven Drones. DRONELIFE does not receive or pay for Guest Posts.
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Why drones are the overlooked missing link to the clean hydrogen revolution
Founder and CEO Benzion Levinson said, Heaven Drones
is more than 30 regionally proposed hydrogen energy projects Countries across the United States are now vying for $7 billion in federal funding to help make this promising clean energy source a reality. Competition for this funding is fierce and will help clean hydrogen producers, distributors and users get their projects off the ground and provide a new source of clean energy as efforts to reduce carbon footprint continue. will do.
Hydrogen has long been considered a clean energy source because it produces only water when consumed as a fuel. However, its use as an energy source remains today. exclusive This is due to the high cost of production and the limited distribution network of hydrogen. As policy makers and the energy industry aim to make hydrogen more affordable and accessible, they are also eyeing another innovative area, the drone industry, as a valuable partner and testing ground for this new fuel. There is a need to. Drones can be used to efficiently scale hydrogen as a new technology, becoming a mainstream fuel for vehicles, manufacturing, electricity production, and transforming many other industries.
Emergence and Possibility of Clean Hydrogen Fuel
More than 50 years ago, liquid hydrogen was first used as a fuel for space exploration rockets, and today powers a variety of applications aboard spacecraft. However, the use of hydrogen, the most common element on earth, as a fuel and power source is still the exception. Today, the most common uses of hydrogen are not energy, but petroleum, fertilizers, and some food processing.
Because hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity, they can also be used to power electric vehicles in place of traditional batteries. This is an especially attractive option as the world becomes more aware of the negative impact that battery manufacturing and disposal has on the planet. Many of the raw materials needed for batteries, including minerals such as lithium and cobalt, must be sourced overseas, often requiring cooperation with corrupt governments and reliance on underpaid and abused workers. Become. On the other hand, hydrogen can be produced domestically and has the advantage of having less environmental impact.
Hydrogen challenges in the energy market
Hydrogen has great potential as a clean energy source, but it also faces many challenges. Hydrogen fuel cells are expensive to manufacture and operate. There is no existing infrastructure to easily refuel hydrogen-based electric vehicles. Additionally, hydrogen must be stored and transported carefully. If hydrogen leaks into the atmosphere, it will cause serious damage. warming effect, contribute to climate change. In order to promote the use of hydrogen, including drones, it is necessary to overcome these issues. But there is hope.
How drones pave the way
Drones have the potential to play a huge role in the clean hydrogen revolution, both in terms of adoption and scalability. The hydrogen fuels sector will consider increasing cooperation with drone manufacturers to use drones as test cases to develop and demonstrate the capabilities of hydrogen fuel cells not only in this market but also in transportation in general. Should.
Since drones use a limited amount of hydrogen, relatively high fuel costs are less of a factor than overwhelming benefits. For example, drones require much less fuel than cars or large aircraft. As with many technology adoption cycles, the best applications for technology expansion are those where high initial costs are acceptable. The drone market is a good example.
Hydrogen fuel cells can hold more energy than batteries of the same size and weight, offering a particularly valuable advantage to the drone industry trying to keep drone weight as low as possible to carry larger payloads. To do. This means there are higher economic and operational incentives for drone manufacturers to adopt hydrogen as a fuel. Since drones are still a relatively new and rapidly changing technology, drone developers have been particularly open to innovation and new designs, and would rather have hydrogen in drones than embed hydrogen fuel cells in cars and other forms of mobility. It’s easier to incorporate a fuel cell. It is very likely that hydrogen will power drones before it powers other forms of mobility.
The drone sector can also be a valuable partner in infrastructure development for cleaner and greener hydrogen production and distribution. As with other sectors of the mobility and transportation industry, drone manufacturers and operators have a strong interest in reducing carbon emissions. That quest, combined with a general openness to innovation, means that drone companies can contribute value to collaborative hydrogen energy projects and should attract the attention of emerging hydrogen hubs and other initiatives.
Drones are already transforming not only the transportation of goods, but also other industries such as maintenance and inspection, defense and security. The use of hydrogen fuel cells can also transform the energy sector. The combination of rapidly growing drone technology and clean hydrogen could pave the way for the use of hydrogen power not only in the transportation sector, which is desperate to reduce its carbon footprint, but also in other industries.
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Bentzion Levinson is the founder and CEO of heaven drone. A former military commander and graduate of his School of Business at Stanford, Bentzion is committed to driving meaningful change through technology. Benzion led a team of experts on a national project to find and extinguish agricultural fires that destroyed farms across the country. [Israel]. Bentzion aims to build his ecosystem of practical drones designed to optimize a wide range of industries, from emergency response, smart cities and agriculture to logistics, construction, defense, species protection and more. In 2019 he founded HevenDrones.
Miriam McNabb, editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of professional drone services marketplace JobForDrones, is a keen observer of the emerging drone industry and drone regulatory environment. Miriam is an international speaker and industry recognized figure, with over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and he has over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, email Miriam.
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