Hydrogen, Renewables

Carbonix and H3 Dynamics to produce hydrogen-powered drones

Australian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) producer Carbonix has teamed with international hydrogen aviation company H3 Dynamics to develop hydrogen-powered drones.

Carbonix is Australia’s leading UAV manufacturer with expertise in advanced composite manufacturing, aerostructure design and sophisticated control systems for vertical and landing capabilities. H3 Dynamics has been working with cutting-edge hydrogen UAV technology for more than 15 years. Together, the companies will develop the nation’s first hydrogen-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aircraft system.

Compared to batteries, hydrogen electric systems can significantly increase flight durations. The development of hydrogen-powered drones is viewed as the starting point for hydrogen-electric flight in Australia.

The partnership between Carbonix and H3 Dynamics aligns with Australia’s broader hydrogen and decarbonisation plans, and will target key end-user markets for Carbonix, such as mining and logistics.

H3 Dynamics will integrate its existing hydrogen systems with Carbonix’s existing fleet of small, unmanned VTOL systems.

“Creating intelligent long-range aerial systems enabling reliable and effective access to critical remote data while respecting the environment is key to us,” says Philip van der Burg, CEO, Carbonix (pictured, above left, with Carbonix founder Dario Valenza).

“We will work with H3 Dynamics to complete the hydrogen value chain for several rapidly growing UAV segments in Australia.”

Carbonix’s H2-VTOL UAV will utilise H3 Dynamics’ hydrogen-electric nacelle technology. H3 Dynamics’ patented distributed hydrogen-electric propulsion technology creates extra volume in the UAV’s main fuselage, making room for bigger sensors and more cargo for autonomous delivery covering long distances, opening the potential for medical deliveries to remote communities in Australia.

“Australia will most likely be the first to use commercial electric-powered drones that use hydrogen instead of batteries to fly for many hours at a time and reach remote locations, or survey large areas of land,” says Taras Wankewycz, CEO, H3 Dynamics.

“We are convinced unmanned systems are the evolutionary starting point to increasingly large hydrogen-powered flight platforms.

“H3 Dynamics’ plan is to increase the size of hydrogen air frames every year until we are able to fly passenger-scale aircraft.”

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