New research on hydrogen production from seawater could help advance hydrogen drone technology
DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb
As drone developers and consumers seek drones with longer ranges and higher payloads, the limitations of the lithium-ion batteries that power the majority of commercial UAVs are becoming increasingly apparent. While exciting developments continue in battery replacement technology designed to extend driving range (see here), one possible solution to the ongoing challenge is to harness power via hydrogen fuel cells instead. could be a drone that supplies With fuel cells being used everywhere from civilian cars to space rockets, it’s easy to understand the appeal of hydrogen fuel for commercial or public sector drone operations. As Heven Drones CEO Bentzion Levinson emphasized in his May editorial (see here), hydrogen is lightweight, power efficient and operates with zero emissions, which will It has become a strong alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which require a lot of power. supply chain up to manufacturing. Hydrogen-powered drones can have much higher payloads and ranges than battery-powered units, while being easier to manufacture.
Despite these undeniable advantages, relatively high fuel costs and poor existing infrastructure have slowed the deployment of hydrogen considerably. Equaticis a California-based start-up that employs a revolutionary new approach to producing clean hydrogen fuel by processing carbon dioxide from seawater. This is an important form of carbon capture and also produces hydrogen fuel as a by-product. The company was recently spun out of UCLA. Carbon Management Instituteconverts the carbon in aquatic carbon dioxide into a shell-like substance that is thought to be harmless to marine life. While some experts are concerned about the technology’s impact on marine chemistry, the company says the technology is safe and environmentally friendly, and the water produced by the process is equivalent to the water discharged from a desalination plant. It states that
Recently, Boeing announced that it had signed a $50 million deal with Equatic for both carbon credits and clean hydrogen fuel to be processed at its future commercial facility. This is the first investment to show increased investment in the aerospace industry’s hydrogen infrastructure.announced by the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap The Act underscores the importance of hydrogen infrastructure to America’s energy future, and includes a bipartisan infrastructure law that will ensure that the development of hydrogen technology in unmanned aerial vehicles and other areas will accelerate. It includes a $9.5 billion fund for energy. As investments and developments in hydrogen technology continue, we expect more fuel cell-powered drones to fly, fly longer and carry more.
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Ian McNabb is a staff writer based in Boston, Massachusetts. His interests include geopolitics, emerging technologies, environmental sustainability, and sports at Boston University.
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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