DRONGENO

Project title: Solar Hydrogen for Drone Autonomy - DRONGENO Source of funding: Collaboration Challenges Programme of the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities – 2017 Call File identification number: RTC-2017-6631-3 Project beneficiary: Instituto de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentración S.A. Project consortium: Instituto de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentración S.A., Dronak S.L., and the Automation and Robotics Centre of CSIC.

Project duration: 2018-2020

Execution budget: €607,752.34

DESCRIPTION: ISFOC leads the DRONGENO project, whose main objective is the development of a hydrogen-based energy supply system for drones that significantly increases their flight autonomy. Additionally, it aims to develop a high-capacity load drone powered by the generated hydrogen by incorporating a fuel cell. To achieve this objective, the project aims to cover the following specific goals:

• Development of a solar energy capture system for electricity generation.
• Generation of an electrolyzer for hydrogen production with proprietary technology.
• Comparative and techno-economic study with commercial electrolyzers.
• Development of an ultra-light fuel cell by 3D printing.
• Design and development of a high-capacity load drone with a fuel cell and long autonomy.
• Development of a transportable hydrogen generation recharging platform.

The DRONGENO project is part of the Collaboration Challenges call of the State Research, Development, and Innovation Program aimed at the Challenges of Society, whose objectives are to promote the orientation of scientific research developed in universities and public research organizations, and business R&D&I activities towards solving current and future problems and needs of our society, in line with the challenges contained in the Spanish Strategy and the European Union framework reflected in "Horizon 2020", with the ultimate aim of procuring, in the medium and long term, social returns, including those derived from improving the competitiveness of the country's productive fabric. The scope of the DRONGENO project is closely linked to the scientific-technological priorities contemplated within Social Challenge 3: “Safe, Efficient and Clean Energy” in the framework of the 2013-2016 State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research.

The DRONGENO project is subsidized by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities.