SINGAPORE, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- A hydrogen fuel cell system by a Singapore company has powered an unmanned aerial vehicle to an electric-flight duration record.
Horizon Energy Systems said the RemoEye-006 UAV by South Korean manufacturer Uconsystem flew five hours and landed with fuel to spare using Horizon's standard AEROPAK EAV-1 hydrogen fuel cell system.
"The AEROPAK has proven once again that it is an unparalleled power source for electric flight," said Gareth Tang, managing director of HES. "For the same total mission duration, a mini-UAV now requires less takeoffs and landings, effectively prolonging its lifetime or reducing the number of aircraft needed altogether. These are significant cost savings for any operator."
HES said its power system was designed as a drop-in replacement for lithium-polymer battery packs used in 10-22 pound UAVs, Horizon's standard first-generation AEROPAK is capable of delivering 600W peak power and 900W net usable energy, at just less than 4.5 lbs total system weight.
EAV-1 uses hot-swappable cartridges that eliminate the need for cumbersome battery chargers and minimize downtime, the company said.
The test was conducted in South Korea.
