Airship specialist HyLight and hydrogen-electric propulsion company H3 Dynamics have joined forces to bring new long range, sustainable and quiet unmanned airships to a range of commercial applications, according to a HyLight press release. Traditionally, airships use combustion engines for their propulsion power. With new hydrogen propulsion system developments at H3 Dynamics, HyLight’s new breed of airships are designed to offer long-range zero emission flight and open a new category in air mobility. The two companies share a common goal, to decarbonize the aerial industry.
HyLight will leverage H3 Dynamics’ international presence covering Europe, North and South America as well as Asia and Australia to bring hydrogen-electric airships to the global market.
HyLight and H3 Dynamics started working together several months ago in France, and HyLight has a successful hydrogen-electric flight test campaign in Milan, Italy. The company demonstrates hydrogen as a viable power supply for small unmanned airships in real conditions with the support of H3 Dynamics’ small, light aerospace-grade hydrogen fuel cells.
HyLight’s unmanned airships move slowly but don’t need to consume any power to stay aloft. They can operate for days at a time with heavier payloads compared to conventional drones, to conduct long range inspection of critical energy assets like power-lines & pipelines or scan industrial infrastructure over long distances. Airships could also hover around specific areas to provide connectivity for large scale industrial sites or provide communications after a natural disaster.
Based in Toulouse, H3 Dynamics is set on decarbonising air mobility with clean hydrogen-electric propulsion, starting with enabling smaller unmanned systems – whether fixed wing, multi-rotor, or VTOL platforms. Its power technology is bringing new long electric flight durations to the global unmanned aviation market, which is set to reach USD38 Billion by 2027.
Earlier this year H3 Dynamics flew distributed hydrogen-electic nacelles on a small unmanned platform, proving the potential for larger size systems in bigger aircraft.
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