If you have good ears you will hear a faint whirring sound. Seconds later, the reason for the noise can be heard. A powerful drone approaches the aft deck of the naval ship, stops, slowly sinks down onto the swaying planks, and lands safely. The engines of the three-meter-wing aircraft that has returned from a three-hour "excursion" stop.
Drone with twelve electric motors
Everything about this drone is different from usual. It has rigid wings and can still take off and land vertically, which is essential for use at sea and in rough terrain. During the flight it only emits water vapor that does not harm the environment. It is extremely quiet and can stay in the air for hours. This is due to the sophisticated energy supply system. The drone is equipped with an 800 watt fuel cell that generates electricity for the twelve engines on board. Because that's not enough for take-off, the drone weighs at least 13 kilograms, the on-board batteries are switched on during this phase.
Batteries are charged in flight
The hydrogen with which the fuel cell is charged is located in a 6.8 liter tank made of carbon fiber composite materials. The liquid gas is under a pressure of 300 bar. During the flight, the electricity from the fuel cell, which is currently not required, recharges the batteries.
The drone was developed by a team led by Bart Remes, project manager in the Micro Air Vehicle Lab (MAVLab) at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands. Partners were the Dutch Navy and the Coast Guard. It is specially designed for the special requirements on the sea. Even if some of the engines fail, it is still airworthy and maneuverable. It defies the salty air and can easily cope with gusts. It has impressively proven this in tests in a wind tunnel and in operations at sea.
Prototype for passenger aircraft
“The development of the maritime, hydrogen-powered drone is a real technical breakthrough with great future potential,” says Marine Commander Pieter Blank. The developers believe that their technology also paved the way for electrically powered aircraft
No comments:
Post a Comment