Innovative Hybrid Fuel Cell Developed for Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles

Kent State University’s College of Aeronautics and Engineering (CAE) developed an innovative hybrid fuel cell capacitor that prolongs the flight time of unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs), the first hybrid fuel cell battery capacitor specifically developed for commercial UAVs.

The project team, led by Yanhai Du, Ph.D., professor in Kent State’s CAE and principal investigator at Kent State’s Fuel Cell Research Lab, developed a lightweight-high-energy-density onboard power source that enables vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) type aircraft to potentially increase flight time and payload.