Solid-state hydrogen reservoir powers UAV flight

The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) has carried out the first UAV test flight using a new solid-state hydrogen power system with the potential to outperform lithium-ion batteries.

Backed by a grant from Innovate UK, Oxfordshire-based Cella Energy and Hackney-based Arcola Energy have combined their expertise to develop the prototype. It marries Cella’s hydrogen-powered gas generator with a fuel cell supplied and integrated by Arcola.

“This flight used a small prototype system and we were pleased with the initial flight with another flight scheduled to take place in the near future,” said Stephen Bennington, Cella’s managing director. “The larger versions of this system that we are already designing will have three times the energy of a lithium-ion battery of the same weight. ”

Cella’s generator uses a proprietary solid-state material that releases large quantities of hydrogen when heated above 100°C, but which looks and feels like plastic and can be stored at room temperature and pressure. According to Cella, each gram of the material produces up to 1 litre of hydrogen gas. The technology is also emission free, and the material can be formed into a range of shapes for particular uses, making it ideal for mobile applications such as UAV flights.