The hydrogen fuel drone stayed in the air for 5 hours

A commercial drone that flies for 5 hours? The South Korean manufacturer proves that it is possible.

Commercial drones stay in the air for about 20 minutes, which is their undoubted problem during long recordings and involves the need to have spare batteries with you. Hylium decided to change that by creating a drone powered by hydrogen fuel.

It flies 10 times longer than ordinary lithium battery drones

In the past, there have already been brilliant – if not entirely convenient – ideas for solving the problem of short flight times. Have you ever heard of wired drones? CyPhy Works tried to develop this idea on the commercial market by creating devices that pull the power cord behind them, but let’s face it – this is not an ideal method.

Most drones are powered by lithium batteries, and this is associated with a very limited time in the air. That is why the South Korean manufacturer Hylium decided to attach a canister with liquid hydrogen to the drone. It turned out to be a hit.

HyliumX is a drone that can fly for up to 5 hours – according to the manufacturer, 10 times longer than ordinary battery drones. All thanks to the use of hydrogen fuel placed in a special tank. The drone’s motors and other electronic systems powered by it can work much longer than competing devices that draw energy from lithium batteries.

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The technology used in HyliumX will be used in many industries – from logistics to military

The drone is to be able to transmit video at a distance of up to 10 km and enable recording in night vision mode, although the company is quite sparing in details in this matter. Refilling the tank is to be very simple and quick – the process allegedly closes in five minutes. What if you fall or crash into a tree? Such situations when operating a drone happen very often. In the released video, Hylium Industries shows a “drop test” made just off the highway. Despite dropping the canister from a great height, nothing happened, but you have to take into account that this is a promotional video.

A small drone, flying for 5 hours, would solve the problem for many entities. Amazon, which is currently developing a fleet of delivery drones that will replace couriers in the future, would certainly benefit from such technology. The device also seems ideal for military use. The war beyond our eastern border has shown that commercial drones can be a really dangerous weapon, and the Ukrainian army even has special units of combat drones, intended for offensive, offensive and diversion activities (it is worth noting that the Poles significantly contributed to this thanks to the operation Drones to the East). Refilling the tank in 5 minutes and a flight time of several hours would significantly increase their combat value.

Unfortunately, it is not known when HyliumX will go on sale, because the project is still in the development phase.

Stock image from Depositphotos