Intelligent Energy has announced that its fuel cell technology has been used by South Korean liquid hydrogen specialist MetaVista to successfully break the Guinness World Record for longest flight time of a multirotor UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle).
A flight time of 12 hours, 7 minutes and 22 seconds was officially recorded. The MetaVista team used a 6-litre liquid hydrogen cylinder and Intelligent Energy’s 800W Fuel Cell Power Module to power the UAV.
The previous record held stood at 2 hours, 6 minutes and 7 seconds. The substantial difference in flight time achieved demonstrates the impact fuel cells could have on the commercial UAV industry, breaking through the limited flight time constraints of traditional batteries.
Lee Juby, Chief Sales Officer at Intelligent Energy, said: “We would like to congratulate our customer, MetaVista, on their achievement of becoming the new World Record holders for multirotor UAV flight time. The use of liquid hydrogen in this flight showcases the significant flight times that can be achieved and we are sure MetaVista will continue to push the boundaries.”
Dr. Jong Baik, MetaVista Inc. CEO, added: “Our ultra-light weight liquid hydrogen storage tanks complement Intelligent Energy’s lightweight Fuel Cell Power Modules and the World Record attempt has demonstrated what we can achieve.”
Intelligent Energy and MetaVista recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to commit to a long-term partnership and collaboration after a previous test flight achievement of over 10 hours.
