Hydrogen drones work with two main parts: a tank of hydrogen and a fuel cell that turns hydrogen and air into electricity, heat and water. The electricity drives the motors. There is no combustion.
The three parts
- Fuel cell: a PEM stack. In an air-cooled stack, the only moving part is a fan, which brings the air and carries the heat away.
- Hydrogen tank: the energy is stored here, so mission length depends on the tank, not on battery weight.
- Buffer battery or supercapacitor: it takes the sudden load peaks.
What is a hydrogen drone?
It is a drone that gets its power from a hydrogen fuel cell instead of only a battery. It refuels in about two minutes.
Figures from the Unconventional Energy product pages. Updated 2 November 2026.