Hydrogen drone stays in the air for nearly 11 hours

South Korean firm MetaVista Inc and UK-based firm Intelligent Energy worked together to develop the technologies used

A South Korean drone company has conducted a hydrogen-powered test flight lasting nearly 11 hours.

MetaVista Inc used a quadcopter drone powered by a 650 watt fuel cell module provided by UK-based firm Intelligent Energy – it developed an ultra-lightweight liquid hydrogen storage tank to work in conjunction with the fuel cell.

MetaVista used 390 grams of liquid hydrogen on the test flight and the combined result of both companies’ technologies was a drone boasting an energy density of 1,865 watt-hours per kilogramme.

The businesses suggest fuel cells can result in significantly longer flight times than can be offered by traditional battery-powered units.

Jong Baik, MetaVista CEO, said: “Our aim was to significantly increase the flight time for commercial UAV operators.

“The Intelligent Energy team has worked closely with us and we are delighted to be working with them. Together with our liquid hydrogen production and storage expertise, it has proved to be a successful partnership.”

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