Munich-based manufacturer Vaeridion on Saturday opened its electric battery development lab at the Bosch Collaboration Campus in Holzkirchen, Germany. The site, located in the Munich suburbs, grants Vaeridion access to hardware and services from Bosch General Aviation Technology—the GA arm of the multinational engineering firm—and ITK Engineering, which Bosch acquired in 2016.

Vaeridion will use the campus to develop powertrains, battery models, and cybersecurity compliance for its digital systems, as well as test and integrate its proprietary high-voltage batteries for its flagship Microliner. The facility will run the gamut of battery manufacturing steps, from individual cells to fully integrated modules.

In addition to Vaeridion co-founders Ivor van Dartel and Sebastian Seemann, the opening of the center was attended by Bavarian State Government Minister Florian Herrmann and Holzkirchen Mayor Christoph Shmid.

“Bavaria is proud of its vibrant startup scene, which benefits from the excellent ecosystem of science, research and technology-passionate policies,” said Herrmann. “Sustainable e-mobility is a future topic with a global market—the development of a battery-powered microliner is therefore a brilliant idea.”

According to a 2018 study, more than 80 percent of Germany’s population lives within 20 kilometers of a regional airfield. Vaeridion’s flagship Microliner is designed to connect those sites and provide a new option for underserved regions, saving customers multiple hours per trip, the company claims. It can also take off and land at large commercial airports.

The aircraft’s glider-inspired wing features a high aspect ratio, minimizing drag in cruise and producing a high glide ratio. The batteries, which can be charged in about 45 minutes, are integrated there rather than in the fuselage to optimize the aircraft’s weight and travel distance, Vaeridion says. The manufacturer claims its design flies with the lowest energy consumption for an aircraft seating up to nine passengers plus crew for distances up to 500 km (310 miles).

Working with Aircraft Design Certification GmbH, which owns design organization approval (DOA) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Vaeridion hopes to certify the model as a GA aircraft before 2030.

By that year, the manufacturer intends to introduce the Microliner on commercial routes in Denmark in partnership with Copenhagen AirTaxi and Copenhagen Helicopter, both based out of Roskilde Airport (EKRK) in Copenhagen. The companies believe the design will be part of a digital platform that allows customers to plan, book, and pay for flights in one place.

“The new green aircraft type requires significantly shorter takeoff and landing distances than traditional aircraft, which allows the use of smaller airfields that are no longer utilized for commercial routes,” said Martin Winther Andersen, CEO of Copenhagen Helicopter. “These routes were abandoned as aircraft types gradually became larger. The Microliner can change that, allowing us to create a dense network of domestic routes again.”

In addition, Belgium and Netherlands-based operator ASL Group plans to utilize the aircraft for short-haul business routes. Aero-Dienst, the operation and maintenance provider for European automobile association ADAC’s fleet of ambulance helicopters, intends to deploy it for aircraft maintenance and air ambulance services.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Electric Regional Aircraft Developer Lands Battery Manufacturing Hub appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

That appears to be the goal for Virginia Beach-based drone delivery firm DroneUp. The Walmart partner, which powers the retailer’s largest-in-the-nation commercial drone delivery network, recently announced its plans to test hydrogen fuel cell technology from Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI), one of the first firms to commercialize hydrogen-powered drones.

According to DroneUp, its collaboration with the South Korean firm launched in October 2022, so the two have presumably spent months optimizing the tech for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). Meanwhile, its drone delivery rivals—like Amazon Prime Air, Alphabet’s Wing, Flytrex, Matternet, and Zipline—have yet to commit to testing hydrogen fuel cells.

“The technology industry evolves incredibly quickly and the drone industry evolves even faster,” said John Vernon, chief technical officer of DroneUp. “It is absolutely critical we explore new technology like this and continue testing and validating how it can help us move forward. This collaboration is really interesting because it addresses two major aspects of commercial drone services, increasing flight time and reducing carbon emissions.”

As Vernon alluded to, hydrogen fuel cells like DMI’s can extend flight times: sometimes exponentially. In this case, DroneUp and DMI said the latter’s technology will enable flights between two and five hours, whereas many battery-powered models max out at around 20 minutes. So far, that’s limited DroneUp and Walmart to short, close-range deliveries.

And DMI has already backed up that assertion in previous test flights. Take, for example, a November 2019 trip that traversed 43 miles over open ocean, carrying mock vials to simulate the delivery of vaccines or test samples. The flight lasted one hour and 43 minutes, and the aircraft landed with enough hydrogen in the tank for another 30-minute trip.

The reason for those gains is twofold. For one, hydrogen fuel cells have relatively high energy density compared to electric batteries, allowing them to store energy for longer periods. But they are also quick and easy to replace, minimizing the time that would normally be spent on charging. 

One caveat, though, is that hydrogen fuel cells also have low power density, which translates to a low thrust-to-weight ratio. In other words, the heavier the aircraft, the less thrust produced relative to weight, meaning larger drones may be better served by traditional fuel sources.

To Vernon’s other point, hydrogen is considered a zero-emission fuel with major environmental benefits. Although electric batteries are also a zero-emission source, they typically deteriorate much faster and require more frequent replacements. Both options are significantly less wasteful than a standard internal combustion engine.

Hydrogen fuel can be produced in a number of different ways, primarily through methods like steam reforming, electrolysis, solar power, and biological reactions. But it’s important to note that some of these processes require the use of fossil fuels, which can undo some of hydrogen’s green benefits.

The production of lithium, the main component in most electric batteries, also comes with environmental side effects like air pollution from mining operations.

So, will other drone firms follow DroneUp? Another drawback of hydrogen fuel cells is the operational costs they incur, which so far has contributed to relatively low adoption in settings like trucking. But a few other drone companies are eyeing the emerging tech.

Last month, Germany’s Wingcopter announced a partnership to bring green hydrogen to its fleet, making it one of the largest drone delivery firms in the world to set such a goal. Then there’s Israel’s Heven Drones, which in February introduced a hydrogen-powered drone capable of flying for over 90 minutes.

And while Amazon Prime Air has lots of work to do getting its drones off the ground, in 2022 it did sign a green hydrogen supply deal with Plug Power, which is building hydrogen fuel cells for small UAS models. The e-commerce giant has not said anything about bringing that technology to its drones, but the relationship could open the door to hydrogen-powered models.

With the exception of a few smaller firms, most drone companies are not yet looking at hydrogen fuel cells. It’s possible, though, that things play out the way many predict it will in trucking – a future where hydrogen and electric power coexist as zero-emission fuel sources.

The post DroneUp Is Testing Hydrogen Fuel Cells—Will Other Drone Firms Follow? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.