Hydrogen Generator for UAV
Advancements:
A major drawback of using UAV’s (unmanned aerial vehicles) is their flight time. The battery technology is just not where it needs to be for these vehicles to be utilized to their fullest extent; however, drone manufactures have now turned to and found alternatives. In the past few years, new technology has come into play that is now becoming commercially available. Drone makers are turning to hydrogen generators instead of batteries, allowing for far greater flight times. Some researchers in China highlight the advantages of using hydrogen for UAV applications. They found that the energy density of hydrogen is far higher than that of the standard lithium batteries used for UAV applications (Kwon, Soon-mo). This means that much more power is available at the same weight, granting longer flight times.
Incorporation:
This new technology could be very applicable within the strategy stage of my assignment. One of my strategies included a drone that incorporated a tether system. This was to allow for extended operation without charging. The tether obviously limited where the drone could fly as well as necessitating a ground-based mobile power system. If the hydrogen generator was used, it could alleviate some of the flight time concerns and extend the drone’s operation. The challenge would arise around weight and size. The hydrogenator would doubtless be quite large, necessitating my design to change to a much larger drone which, in turn, would lessen the utility since the drone would not be able to go to as many places. Upon further research and consideration, a major concern would be the large amount of combustible hydrogen gas being inside of a nuclear plant, inspecting pipes that might be very hot. This could certainly be a great safety issue, although typical lithium batteries have their own explosive tendencies. A company in the industry has been working on ways to develop safe means of refueling and using hydrogen in UAV applications (Ballard Power Systems 2019); however, to know if this would be a valid option careful research and consultation with safety experts would need to be undertaken. It would be recommended to collaborate with companies already conducting testing and research in the field. The company Harris Aerial has already made great strides in this field and they would be a great contact for future research (Aerial 2020).
References:
Aerial, H. (2020, May 5). CARRIER H4 HYBRID. Harris Aerial. https://www.harrisaerial.com/carrier-h4-hybrid-drone/.
Ballard Power Systems. (2019). The Complete Hydrogen Solution for Commercial UAVs . ballard.com. https://www.ballard.com/docs/default-source/uav/complete-commercial-hydrogen-uav-solution-final.pdf?sfvrsn=f2c1c080_2.
Kwon, S.-mo, Kang, S., & Kim, T. (2019, March 15). Development of NaBH4-Based Hydrogen Generator for Fuel Cell Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with Movable Fuel Cartridge. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610219304667.