On April 24th, the "BUAA Hydro Power One" all-electric aviation engine developed by the School of Energy and Power Engineering at Beihang University completed its maiden flight in Jinghai District, Tianjin. This engine is powered by hydrogen fuel cells, using electric energy to drive the propeller and generate thrust. The unmanned aerial vehicle used in this flight, equipped with the "BUAA Hydro Power One," saw its maximum endurance time doubled compared to lithium batteries of the same weight.
As the strategic emerging industry of low-altitude economy emerges, electric propulsion technology for drones operating below 1000 meters has garnered significant attention. Compared to traditional piston engines and gas turbine engines, electric propulsion systems offer high energy conversion efficiency, low thermal radiation, and zero emissions, making them an ideal choice for small and medium-sized drone power systems.
Currently, many small and medium-sized drones use lithium batteries as energy storage devices, but these batteries have lower energy density (approximately 200-300Wh/kg). In contrast, hydrogen fuel cells (including gas sources) have higher energy density than lithium batteries of the same weight, presenting a feasible technological path to enhance drone endurance and serving as a key technological pathway in China's vigorous development of the "hydrogen energy strategy."
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being test-flown this time is a composite-wing UAV with a wingspan of 3.5 meters. During the vertical takeoff and landing phase, it is powered by lithium batteries for the rotor, while during the horizontal flight and cruising phase, thrust is provided by an all-electric engine. Throughout the test flight, the "Beihang Hydrogen Power No.1" all-electric aviation engine operated smoothly, and the UAV successfully completed tasks such as takeoff, cruising, maneuvers, and landing. During the cruising phase, the fuel cell output power remained stable at over 1600W, simultaneously providing power for horizontal flight and recharging the lithium battery. The maiden flight test was a complete success, with a cruising flight duration of 18 minutes.
In accordance with the UAV's flight environment, the "Beihang Hydrogen Power No.1" all-electric aviation engine integrates the propeller, motor, and fuel cell through highly fused design. It adopts the design concept of integrated propulsion/cooling airflow, directly diverting airflow from the propeller for the reaction and cooling of the fuel cell. This design eliminates the need for traditional axial flow fans for fuel cell intake and cooling, thereby enhancing the engine's thrust-to-weight ratio.
Researchers involved in the project stated that there have been no reports, both domestically and internationally, of hydrogen-powered aviation engines utilizing such integrated designs for flight. The successful maiden flight of the "Beihang Hydrogen Power No.1" validates the technical feasibility of the integrated design configuration of propeller/motor/fuel cell.
