Page 47 - World Airnews Magazine April 2021

FUEL DRONES

EXPANDED HYDROGEN INSECT-LIKE DRONES

PARTNERSHIP

Together the companies will complete the
hydrogen value chain for aviation

Plug Power recently announced its plans of its June 2019 acquisition of EnergyOr, a

to build five regional green hydrogen company that specialized in advanced light- esearchers from MIT and other uni-

lug Power, a provider of turnkey hy- facilities in the United States. The com- weight and compact PEM hydrogen fuel cell Rversiti es have managed to create

Pdrogen soluti ons building the global bination of low-cost renewables, strong (HFC) systems for robotics, small-scale mate- a drone that can stay in the sky after being

green hydrogen economy, has expanded its capital position, and in house electrolyser rial handling, and aerospace applications. struck, much like insects can. The drone

relationship with Universal Hydrogen Co., a and liquefaction technology all uniquely “This global supply agreement for green uses a tiny rubber actuator to flap the

pioneer in hydrogen aviation. position Plug Power to build out this green hydrogen will enable us to deliver modular wings rather than a motor used by most Can you create
The companies previously announced a hydrogen network. fuel capsules to airline operators at a price consumer and commercial drones. insect-scale robots
partnership to develop a fuel cell-based “When you think about renewables at that gives them equivalent unit economics The drone project is headed up by MIT that can move around in

hydrogen powertrain for regional aircraft. four cents per kW-hr, it’s clear that green to a conventional jet fuel-powered regional assistant professor Kevin Yufeng Chen and very complex, cluttered spaces?”

The recent minority investment by Plug hydrogen can be produced at prices equiv- aircraft in 2025, with additional operating co-authored with MIT PhD student Zhijian The drone uses a rubber actuator that

Power will enable Universal Hydrogen to alent to or below fossil fuel based hydrogen cost savings as the cost of hydrogen contin- Ren, Harvard University PhD student Siyi has been coated in a layer of carbon nano-
complete the construction of a subscale in the near term,” said Andy Marsh, chief ues to decrease,” said Paul Eremenko, chief Xu, and City University of Hong Kong robot- tubes that react when a voltage is applied

aircraft powertrain by Q2 2021. In addition executive officer, Plug Power. executive officer, Universal Hydrogen. icist Pakpong Chirarattananon. across it. This reaction to the voltage allows

to this strategic investment, the companies “Universal Hydrogen’s approach is a “The economics just make sense, and The best way to describe the drone the actuator to be squeezed. Repeating this robot is always an impressive feat. Because

further agreed to a global o�ake relation- pragmatic, near-term plan to bring green our order book speaks for itself. We're comes from MIT themselves. “If you’ve then makes the wings flap similarly to an of the soft actuators’ inherent compliance,

ship that will see green hydrogen become hydrogen to one of the hardest to decarbo- thrilled to have Plug Power as a strategic ever swatted a mosquito away from your insect. The actuators created by Chen can the robot can safely run into obstacles

cost-competitive with jet fuel by 2025. nise sectors - air travel.” partner and now an investor as we make face, only to have it return again (and again flap at around 500 times per second. without greatly inhibiting flight. This

Plug Power is an innovator and a leader Following a successful ground demon- carbon-free flight a near-term reality.” and again), you know that insects can be While this type of drone is still in its early feature is well-suited for flight in cluttered,

in the green hydrogen economy, with stration, the teams will retrofit the The recent announcements advance Uni- remarkably acrobatic and resilient in flight.” stages and has a few things that need to dynamic environments and could be very

over 40,000 fuel cell systems, 150 fuelling hydrogen fuel cell powertrain into a 40-60 versal Hydrogen’s business model of using This extreme resilience allows mosqui- be ironed out, the applications already useful for any number of real-world appli-

stations deployed globally, and dispensing passenger regional aircraft, with first exper- modular capsules to distribute hydrogen tos and other insects to navigate their make themselves known. Due to the size, cations. I’m excited to see how the authors

more than 40 tons of hydrogen daily. imental flights slated for 2023 and entry via the existing freight network directly surroundings without becoming injured the drone could help pollinate flowers will reduce operating voltage so that they
may one day be able to achieve untethered
and even conduct indoor inspections in

The company also has a comprehensive into revenue service in 2025. to the aircraft, with no new infrastructure or even dying. This is also what prompted flight in real-world environments.”

solution for generating green hydrogen in- Plug Power’s strategic investment is needed for transport or airport operations Chen to create the new drone inspired by extremely tight spaces.

cluding its leading electrolyser technology the company’s latest commitment to the which can accelerate adoption of the new nature. Farrell Helbling, an assistant professor Researchers are also doing more epic

and liquefaction capabilities. aerospace industry following the completion technology. Q “If we look at most drones today, they’re of electrical and computer engineering at things with drones, everything from quan-

tum networks to preventing drones from
usually quite big. Most of their applications Cornell University, added: falling out of the sky. Q

“Achieving flight with a centimetre-scale

involve flying outdoors. The question is:

AIRPORTS
DuPAGE AIRPORT
BECOMES VACCINE SITE
“This is part of our mission and part gar from 8am through 5 p.m. for their

of the reason we’re here,” said Stephen first dose of the vaccine.

fficials at DuPage Airport Davis, DAA board chairman. Everyone who received a first dose of
O(KDPA) recently converted “When we learned that these doses the vaccine will return to DuPage Airport
its transient hangar into a COVID-19 would be available, we worked through in three weeks for their second dose,
airport officials noted.

vaccination site working in partner- the weekend and right up until we could
to make sure we’d be ready. We’re
“This opportunity came together so
ship with the City of West Chicago to proud to support the City of West Chi- quickly and is a testament to the benefit

distribute more than 2,000 doses of cago and the community and to play our of having great partners,” said Ruben
the vaccine. part in the collective recovery effort.” Pineda, the mayor of West Chicago.

The city has partnered with food and The airport team cleared out and re- “We’re so grateful to Albertsons, our
drug retailer Albertsons to obtain the located several aircraft from the 32,000 community partners, and the DuPage

doses of the vaccine, then co-ordinated feet² hangar to allow for the setup of 10 Airport Authority for making this possi-
with the DuPage Airport Authority to vaccination stations. A steady stream of ble, and helping our community recover

prepare the facility for the vaccine event. recipients flowed in and out of the han- from the pandemic.” Q

World Airnews | April 2021 World Airnews | April 2021
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