A Review on Key Technologies and Developments of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Multi-Rotor Drones

Abstract

Multi-rotor drones, a kind of unmanned equipment which is widely used in the military, commercial consumption and other fields, have been developed very rapidly in recent years. However, their short flight time has hindered the expansion of their application range. This can be addressed by utilizing hydrogen fuel cells, which exhibit high energy density, strong adaptability to ambient temperature, and no pollution emissions, as the power source. Accordingly, the application of hydrogen fuel cells as the power source in multi-rotor drones is a promising technology that has attracted significant research attention. This paper summarizes the development process of hydrogen fuel cell multi-rotor drones and analyzes the key obstacles that need to be addressed for the further development of hydrogen fuel cell multi-rotor drones, including structural light weight, hydrogen storage methods, energy management strategies, thermal management, etc. Additionally, prospects for the future development of hydrogen fuel cell multi-rotor drones are presented.