Battery and gas powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are unable to meet key performance criteria required for military and commercial applications. Together with our partners, Falcon Fuel Cells is commercializing the most advanced fuel cell system for UAVs.
Falcon Fuel Cells’ proprietary mobile fuel cells have energy densities that deliver up to 10 times more flight time. Our cutting-edge fuel cells have higher energy densities, allowing UAVs to fly farther, carry larger payloads, and make more deliveries per flight than battery-powered UAVs.
Compact design with high energy and power densities.
Designed for more deliveries and greater productivity.
70-90% lower total costs versus current technologies.
Designed to be compatible with renewable and hydrocarbon fuels.
Our compact fuel cell power plants are designed for military surveillance and retail delivery applications. Falcon partners with flight system integrators to provide primary propulsion systems that meet their airframe, payload, and flight time requirements.
Today, the power plant market for military UAVs is $620 million and is forecasted to grow 30% by 2029. The power plant market for retail delivery drones is currently $550 million and is forecasted to grow 240% by 2029. Over time, Falcon also expects to extend its market presence with other mobile unmanned systems and stationary power applications such as remote backup power.
Our patented technology offers power densities over 800 W/kg and energy densities beyond 1,200 Wh/kg that provides the optimal combination of extended flight times, low noise profile, high power density, operational performance, and cost benefits that are not possible with current small engines and batteries used for UAVs.
After demonstrating a working prototype for its proprietary fuel cell power plant, Falcon is now optimizing manufacturability of key components and sub-systems for integration into partner airframe designs. A fully integrated flight system is targeted for Q4 2023.
A fully integrated airframe/power plant system will be completed for commercial testing in 2021.
Our executives and advisory board have decades of experience in scientific research, intellectual property portfolio development, and technology commercialization.
Inventor, chief scientist, and sustainability advocate
Veteran senior executive and serial entrepreneur
Industry expert and senior technical advisor
M. Waller, M. Walluk, T. Trabold and M. Bradley, “Apparatus, system and method for fuel cell,” U.S. Patent 10,622,654, April 14, 2020.
M.G. Waller, M.R. Walluk and T.A. Trabold, “Performance of high temperature PEM fuel cell materials. Part 1: Effects of temperature, pressure and anode dilution,” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 41, 2944-2954 (2016).
M.G. Waller, M.R. Walluk and T.A. Trabold, “Design of an integrated propane reformer and fuel cell system for unmanned aerial system (UAS) applications,” Proceedings of the 2016 IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) STRATUS Workshop: Systems and Technologies for Remote Sensing Applications through Unmanned Aerial Systems, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, October 28, 2016.
M.G. Waller, M.R. Walluk and T.A. Trabold, “Operating envelop of a short contact time fuel reformer for propane catalytic partial oxidation,” Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 274, 149-155 (2015).
M.G. Waller, M.R. Walluk and T.A. Trabold, “Performance of a high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) operating on simulated reformate,” Proceedings of the ASME Power and Energy Conversion Conference, Paper PowerEnergy2015-49562, San Diego, CA, June 28 – July 2, 2015.
M.G. Waller, M.R. Walluk and T.A. Trabold, “Towards the development of a fuel cell system for residential applications: Propane reforming via catalytic partial oxidation,” Proceedings of the ASME 8th International Conference on Energy Sustainability & 12th International Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology Conference, Paper ESFuelCell2014-6431, Boston, MA, June 30 – July 2, 2014.
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