The longest flight time is nearly 4 hours, and it can fly even at -40℃! The world's first hydrogen-powered ultra-long-range drone made its maiden flight successfully

Author Li Chuanfu

August 26, 2024 is a memorable day. The world's first 100-kilometer-class hydrogen-powered multi-rotor drone, "Tianmushan No. 1", successfully completed its first public flight on the lawn in front of the research building of the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Hangzhou International Campus. This historic moment marks a major breakthrough in my country's green aviation technology and low-altitude economic industry.

The successful development of "Tianmushan No. 1" is due to its core hydrogen power system. This system consists of hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen storage devices, and has ultra-long endurance, adaptability to ultra-low temperature environments, and zero-carbon environmental protection characteristics. Compared with traditional lithium batteries, the energy density of hydrogen fuel cells is as high as 1000 Wh/kg, which is 5 to 6 times that of lithium batteries. This allows the maximum endurance of "Tianmushan No. 1" to reach 4 hours, far exceeding conventional industrial drones.

The design concept of "Tianmushan No. 1" embodies the perfect combination of innovation and practicality. It adopts an integrated lightweight carbon fiber fuselage, with an empty weight of only 19 kg and a maximum load weight of 6 kg, which not only reduces the weight of the drone, but also improves its maneuverability and adaptability. In addition, the world's first mass-produced hydrogen-powered drone with an integrated parachute design has greatly improved flight safety and reliability.

"Tianmushan No. 1" has a wide range of application scenarios and has been demonstrated in many fields such as oil and gas exploration, power inspection, emergency rescue, forest protection, water conservancy monitoring, etc. Especially in continuous long-distance operations and high-cold working conditions in the north, it has shown great market promotion potential.

In the tests under extreme conditions, the Tianmushan No.1 performed well. Whether in the extremely cold conditions of -40 degrees Celsius in Genhe, Inner Mongolia, or in the low-oxygen environment of the plateau at an altitude of more than 4,500 meters in Linzhi, Tibet, it can maintain long-term stable flight, proving its excellent environmental adaptability.

With the successful maiden flight of "Tianmushan No. 1", the project team has registered a company and carried out in-depth docking with central enterprises and state-owned enterprises, planning to further promote industrialization in Zhejiang, with an estimated annual production of 300 "Tianmushan No. 1". This will not only promote the development of my country's low-altitude economy, but also contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to the development of global green aviation technology.

The success of "Tianmushan No. 1" is the power of scientific and technological innovation and the inevitable choice of green development. It not only represents my country's technological progress in the field of aviation, but also a far-reaching layout for the future low-altitude economy. With the continuous maturity of technology and the continuous expansion of applications, we have reason to believe that "Tianmushan No. 1" will fly higher and farther, and contribute more to the development of human society.