Michigan Students Set World Record for Longest Flight by Fuel Cell Powered Plane
A group of students from the University of Michigan have set a new world record for the longest flight ever by a fuel-cell powered plane.
Late last month the team, known as SolarBubbles, flew the $2,500 plane (video) around a field in Milan, Michigan for a total of 10 hours, 15 minutes and 4 seconds – smashing the previous 9 hour record held by a Californian engineering company.
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The plane, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) named Endurance, is the result of six months of work by the group of aerospace engineering undergraduates. UAVs are commonly used by the miltary for tasks such as mapping, testing chemicals or delivering medical supplies in inhospitable terrain.
The fuel cells for the project were supplied by Michigan company Adaptive Materials Inc. According to Nick Schoeps, a University of Michigan alumni who now works at the company, “We have some other military contracts we’re testing it with, but we thought this would be a great opportunity to collaborate with the university and bring some students into the mix and see what we can accomplish.”
Schoeps figures UAVs are ideal for testing fuel cells since, following the flight, engineers have a clear idea of how the cells worked. The team’s ultimate goal is to fly a fuel cell powered plane for a full 24 hours, something they hope to achieve during spring next year.
Image Credit – SolarBubbles
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November 24th, 2008 at 10:14 am
“UAVs are commonly used by the miltary for tasks such as mapping, testing chemicals or delivering medical supplies in inhospitable terrain.”
This statement is either intentionally deceptive or incredibly naive… try reconnaissance, combat situational awareness, targeting, missile platforms.
Read up on the MQ-1 Predator.
November 24th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
How much fuel they used? 10 hours is definitely a great achievement.
November 24th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Why exactly did they use a fuelcell?
Is a fuelcell the best energy/weight compared to gas, etc? If so, I didn’t know that!
-jim
November 24th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
What do you make a pressure tank for a UAV out of?
November 24th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
If only Michigan could build a plane that could fly far enough away to forget that butt-kicking the Buckeyes handed to them
November 25th, 2008 at 12:46 am
From the press release:
“Unlike other fuel cells, Adaptive Materials’ systems are powered by lightweight, inexpensive and globally available propane.”
Shall we BBQ with our propane, or buzz the neighbors?
November 25th, 2008 at 3:24 am
“…a University of Michigan alumni”
Alumnus.
November 25th, 2008 at 5:15 am
I think it’s obvious that the author intended to mean that the military was using similiar sized UAV’s for said tasks. The Predators and Global Hawk’s get most of the media’s attention, but there is an entire class of UAV’s which are man-portable small aircraft. Fuel Cells could greatly benefit this class of aircraft in many ways.
December 24th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Proud of American students achievements! In a quest for a “Zero operating cost” life shelter to weather the tough times in, and to retire to at minimum cost to my country, I am fascinated by fuel cells and dream up adaptations of this fine American technology for my goals! More power to you, students, I hope your parents realize the great benefit your efforts are to a strong and free America – the sooner we get rid of the oil parasites that infest our society the happier we will be!
June 18th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
[...] Wednesday, June 10, astronaut Maurizo Cheli set a world record while piloting the fully electric SkySpark. During an eight-minute flight at the World Air Games [...]
October 14th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
[...] record by more than double. Of course, this is the Navy and last year’s record was set by a group of students from the University of Michigan. Their plane–which cost $2,500–flew for a total of 10 hours, 15 minutes and 4 [...]