A research team led by Associate Professor Mao Qing from the School of Chemical Engineering at a certain university has successfully developed China's first 20 kg-class hydrogen-powered unmanned helicopter. The team has simultaneously pursued two technical pathways—pure hydrogen fuel cells and a hydrogen-lithium hybrid system—providing green power solutions for the low-altitude economy. The two models in this series boast endurances of 1.5 hours and 3 hours, respectively, significantly outperforming conventional lithium-battery drones of the same class. The team has achieved an independently controllable power system, featuring a self-developed air-cooled fuel cell power system known for its stable performance and strong durability, excellent indicators for core membrane electrodes and stacks, and independently developed integrated control modules that enable efficient adaptation between the power system and the aircraft. This series of drones has completed cruise test flights in Level 6 strong winds at sea and can be widely applied across various operational scenarios. Moving forward, the team will optimize overall aircraft performance, iterate on core technologies, and deepen industry-university-research cooperation to promote the commercialization of results, helping advance China's new energy low-altitude industry.
