Honeywell, DOE Developing Hydrogen Fuel Storage for Long-Range Drones

The defense titan and the Department of Energy have entered a yearlong collaboration to prototype a new system that converts solid hydrogen to electricity.

Jack Daleo

Monday, September 18, 2023 at 02:45 PM ET

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A Honeywell Aerospace electric drone takes flight. [Courtesy: Honeywell Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

The DOE's FLASH (Fuel Additives for Solid Hydrogen Carriers in Electric Aviation) project is a collaboration between NREL and Honeywell to develop an innovative solid hydrogen fuel storage system.
This project specifically targets long-range drones (UAVs) to overcome the limitations of existing power sources like bulky gas tanks, short-range batteries, and noisy internal combustion engines.
The solid hydrogen technology promises a compact, high-capacity, low-temperature solution that will enable low-noise, zero-emission, and extended-range flights for UAVs.
Ultimately, FLASH aims to commercialize these swappable hydrogen fuel cartridges, opening new applications for drones in areas such as atmospheric monitoring and infrastructure inspection.

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The Flash doesn’t get his superspeed from hydrogen fuel, but the U.S. Department of Energy’s FLASH project promises to explore new avenues for the emerging fuel source.

FLASH—which stands for Fuel Additives for Solid Hydrogen Carriers in Electric Aviation—is the DOE’s latest hydrogen-related initiative. The project will see the department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and aerospace and defense titan Honeywell collaborate on a prototype hydrogen fuel storage system for long-range drones.