Blueflite to develop hydrogen storage for UAV flights

Drone logistics company Blueflite is to develop tanks for storage of hydrogen fuels for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) through a collaborative project supported by the NT government.

Blueflite will open Darwin premises and plans to to develop a lightweight, high-pressure, hydrogen vessel (tank) using Advanced Fiber Placement (AFP) technology pitched at the long-range, UAV sector.

Blueflite will leverage Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) additive manufacturing capabilities, including the use of an industrial robot with advanced Automated Carbon Fiber Placement (AFP) capabilities.

The AFP robot at CDU is the only one of its kind in Australia and offers a significant improvement over traditional methods of composite vessel manufacture.

The Chief Executive Officer of Blueflite Frank Noppel said: “In conjunction with CDU, H3 Dynamics and support from the Northern Territory government we will establish a composite hydrogen tank manufacturing capability that does not exist in Australia and integrate it into our proven UAV platform.”

“The long-term goal for Blueflite and our partners in Darwin is to coalesce a range of skills, knowledge and capability to position the NT as a leader in sustainable aviation and manufacturing, with ripple effects across various sectors, industries and the Top End economy.”

The integration of hydrogen fuel cell technology into UAVs has the potential to enhance range and efficiency of craft, as running on hydrogen rather than lithium-ion batteries is expected to increase range by 700 per cent.

Working alongside CDU’s Energy Resource Institute, the project will conduct trials for remote site hydrogen generation and filling of the locally manufactured hydrogen storage vessels.

These tanks will be integrated into Blueflite’s UAVs, and flight trials will be conducted at the Darwin UAV Flight Test Range.

Blueflite’s project is the tenth business to receive co-investment through the Advanced Manufacturing Ecosystem Fund (AMEF) which is managed by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre.

Picture: Blueflite