Select Your Country/Region
Current Region:
Global (EN)
Current Region:
Global (EN)
The use of drones in defense applications is projected to double from 2020 numbers. Among the new drone technologies pushing this growth, hydrogen-powered drones, which have become increasingly essential for defense due to their ability to sustain flight for longer periods of time (as compared to battery-powered or other fuel methods), as well as other advantages such as cost savings, efficiency, and environmental friendliness. However, before deploying these hydrogen-powered drones at a larger level in the defense industry, a few challenges need to be overcome. Perhaps the biggest is the need for fast-fills and portability.
Hydrogen-powered drone technology is slowly becoming one of the most common forms of aerial vehicles used by organizations in the defense industry. Because drones have an acoustic and vibration signature ideal for surveillance and recon missions, they are often used in military operations. Long-range flying and the ability to refuel faster from various locations gives the military the capability to expand its reach and operations.
By using hydrogen-powered drones, security forces can monitor suspicious targets from further distances than ever before. As well as providing enhanced surveillance capabilities, they also provide a higher level of accuracy when it comes to inspection tasks such as explosive disposal or hazardous material handling. Drones have become increasingly popular in this application due to the lower costs, but inspection can often take longer due to shorter flight times and the need to constantly refuel with more popular methods. Hydrogen-powered drones create increased efficiency for inspections allowing for longer flight times and easier refuelling, ultimately saving time and money.
Another use for hydrogen-powered drones is for search and rescue operations. The technology has been proven successful in providing life-saving aid during natural disasters like floods and earthquakes when access to remote areas was difficult or impossible to access with traditional transportation methods. In rescue missions, time is of the essence. A drone’s ability to remain in operation for longer distances at a time is crucial to a successful mission.
Despite its vast potential uses and advantages, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed before hydrogen-powered drones can be deployed at greater levels in the defense industry. One of the biggest obstacles is refueling logistics which remain an obstacle since no fuelling infrastructure exists yet that could support large scale deployment of these drones. Additionally, because of the nascent state of this industry and its highly advanced capital-intensive nature, it can seem too risky for some investors.
Addressing some of these challenges related to hydrogen fuelling, companies like Haskel, manufacture portable charging systems, that make fueling easier in remote and mobile environments, making it an ideal solution for the defense industry. With a focus on fast-fills and portability, portable gas charging systems like Haskel’s offer rugged, proven and reliable performance for military drone operators. Because it’s mobile and easy to use, refuelling can be done essentially anywhere. Compared to the electrolyser and cryogenic alternatives, hydrogen refuelling offers cost savings and provides twice the range of cascade refuelling.
Haskel’s portable refuelling kit for UAV’s is a robust and versatile design. The kit can be taken anywhere, and therefore eliminates the need for the drone to return to the original launch site. Instead, the drone can fly longer in one direction, fuel up when it gets there with the Haskel UAV-RS, and then continue operation. This simple, easy-to-use refuelling gives drone operators flexibility, significantly widening drone capabilities in any application. Other hydrogen refuelling solutions available today can be very heavy and immobile. Haskel’s gas compression system is built for reliability, quality, and practicality. And because it is offered as a complete kit, no extra components are needed after purchase and the case is durable to protect the components for years.
While there are still some hurdles remaining before hydrogen-powered drones are able to truly take off within the defense industry, solutions such as those developed by Haskel to address the need for fast-fills and portability and show great promise for the future of Hydrogen drone refueling for applications such as security and surveillance operations alongside search and rescue efforts globally.
Contact us today for any questions about how this efficient, portable hydrogen UAV refuelling solution can increase the functionality of your defense drone applications.