State-of-Technology and Barriers for Adoption of Fuel Cell Powered Multirotor Drones

Industrial use of multirotor drones is gaining traction, and fuel cell based power sources have been identified as a way of improving the flight endurance from what is possible to achieve with current lithium-based battery options. The state-of-technology and barriers for further adoption are presented. It is found that there are lightweight options commercially available and that the viability of powering multirotor drones for long-range and high endurance missions is demonstrated. The barriers mainly relate to the future required level of certification, technical improvements, and operational aspects. For advancing the state-of-technology, liquid-cooled fuel cells are identified as an attractive alternative that can expand the environmental flight envelope. However, a high system mass of these fuel cells remains a constraint. Hydrogen storage is a central challenge, and storage alternatives are investigated. To further improve the adoption of fuel cell based power sources for multirotor drones, operational and financial rewards must be well proven for realistic operations and relevant operating conditions.