Drones have been making headlines for the past while. The small flying machines are fun to play with, and have a variety of uses, but they are still not the most practical of options for industry use.
The chief drawback is that the battery life is short, usually peaking at 20 minutes. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), that battery life is about to change, thanks to Intelligent Energy. The firm will show hydrogen fuel cells to extend the lifespan to hours.
Intelligent Energy holds over 1000 patents and has 1000 patents pending in many different fields. The use of the hydrogen fuel cell in this way is just one of their newest patents. Using a power supply of an ultra-lightweight fuel cell stack with a battery means a quicker charging time and a longer charge. It’s expected that the charge time will be minutes, not hours. This type of setup also extends the length of charge time. Instead of 20 minutes, users can expect hours of battery life.
This future unveiling promises more possibilities opening up to drone manufacturers, as well as business owners that may look to use drones in their operations. With an improved battery life and decreased down time, the drone becomes a more practical option for activities like aerial photography and small parcel delivery. It may also become an asset to agricultural groups and search and rescue teams; any group that may need to cover a large area would likely benefit from such a tool.
Intelligent Energy has previously worked with Boeing and Airbus in development of fuel cells. This specific project of hydrogen fuel cells has been in the works for the past 14 months. This new technology will be on-display at the upcoming CES, January 6-9 at the Venetian in Las Vegas.
