Intelligent Energy is a pioneer in the development of PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell technology for unmanned aerial systems. This innovative approach to drone power solutions has resulted in lightweight, power-dense UAV fuel cell modules that overcome traditional battery limitations, offering extended flight times and operational ranges while delivering clean DC power in a compact, rapidly refuelable package.
The company’s IE-SOAR drone fuel cell power modules (FCPMs) are specifically engineered for demanding commercial applications, making them ideal for BVLOS drone applications, from offshore inspection and search and rescue operations, to aerial photography, mapping, and precision agriculture.
In this exclusive Q&A, Tony Meadowcroft, Technical Lead for UAV products at Intelligent Energy, shares insights into the company’s fuel cell technology and its impact on the unmanned systems industry.
How do PEM fuel cells compare in terms of efficiency and energy conversion rates to traditional internal combustion engines used in unmanned systems?
There are multiple ways to measure efficiency in unmanned systems, including well-to-wheel (or prop in UAS), tank-to-wheel, and tank-to-crank. Efficiency can also be measured in terms of volume, “how much payload space do I sacrifice to fuel for an hour”, mass, “how much mass do I consume to fly an hour”, or the more scientific “energy in vs energy out”.
In terms of raw energy conversion efficiency, fuel cells are as efficient as it gets. An Intelligent Energy fuel cell will reach efficiencies in excess of 45%, significantly outperforming ICE engines which typically operate at less than 15% efficiency. Small two-stroke ICE engines, commonly used in UAS, perform even lower on the efficiency scale.
It’s worth noting that our focus at Intelligent Energy isn’t solely on competing on flight time. Our fuel cells offer other distinct advantages including simplified maintenance with no user serviceable parts, significantly reduced noise levels, and zero CO2 emissions.
How is Intelligent Energy addressing the challenges of hydrogen production and storage to improve PEM fuel cell viability?
At Intelligent Energy (IE), we work closely with our customers and suppliers to unlock hydrogen where possible.
Bulk industrial hydrogen is readily available worldwide, the difficulty can be getting it where you need it, or into your tanks. To that end, we have worked to ensure that our suppliers have valves certified for transport on flight size tanks, and that makers of booster pumps and electrolysers are keeping the UAS market in mind.
There are fully certified hydrogen tanks that can be carried by road, rail and air freight. We also have a major partner imminently releasing a cylinder provision service. This allows you to get a flight pack of filled cylinders delivered anywhere in the world within 72 hours.
How do PEM fuel cells align with reducing carbon footprint in unmanned systems?
IE fuel cells offer zero carbon emissions at-point-of-use. Whilst most hydrogen these days is produced from methane reformation, doing this conversion centrally makes carbon capture and sequestration plausible, in a way that tail pipe emissions will never be. The use of an electrolyser tied to a renewable energy source allows customers to create their own carbon-free hydrogen.
What are the advantages of PEM fuel cells in terms of performance relative to batteries in extreme environmental conditions, such as high altitudes, low temperatures, or high humidity?
Our IE-SOAR fuel cells operate effectively from -5°C, and through clever integration, our customers have achieved successful operation at temperatures below -25°C.
Without a humidifier or liquid coolant, there is no risk of process liquids freezing. A top-end temperature of 40C suits most applications, and the hotter we go, the more the systems like humidity, as it interacts favourably with our membranes, and increases the heat capacity (cooling potential) of the air.
Can you give our readers any examples where PEM fuel cells offer a significant advantage over batteries in terms of payload capacity and flight time for drones?
Battery capacity is linear with mass. A cylinder’s capacity increases exponentially with mass. This means that turning a medium endurance drone to a high endurance drone requires less modification using hydrogen than batteries, as an increase in cylinder size has less impact on payload capacity.
Our collaboration with ISS Aerospace to develop fuel-cell-powered drones for extended flight endurance resulted in up to 90 minutes flight time with a range of up to 75km. This is great news for drone applications such as mapping, linear inspection, offshore wind inspection, and package delivery.
Are you seeing any trends in the adoption of PEM fuel cells in the unmanned technology market, and how do you expect these trends to evolve over the next five years?
There are now fewer grants for a green technology demonstrator, so uptake is based on value added.
Fuel cells offer real commercial advantages over other technologies, be it noise, maintenance or carbon emission gains compared to ICE, or mission duration, and cold weather gains compared to batteries.
Over the next 5 years we expect the number of operators operating BVLOS to increase, and these operators will be driving the demand for our products. Once BVLOS flights become more common, people will need the endurance offered by fuel cells.
Thanks so much for your time, it’s always great to talk to Intelligent Energy and we look forward to reporting on the continued adoption of fuel cell technology within the unmanned industry.
Intelligent Energy will be joining H2 Core Systems at the Hydrogen Technology Expo in Hamburg, Germany, October 23rd-24th – Hall 4, Stand 4B45.
