How Green Hydrogen Will Fuel the Future of UAM – Hanwha

UAM has gained attention from both companies and consumers for its enormous potential to disrupt mobility services, speed up travel, decrease aircraft emissions, as well as to reduce strain on existing public transportation. The global UAM market is expected to grow from $2.6 billion in 2020 to $9.1 billion in 2030, spurred in large part by UAM's promise to solve the problems of traffic congestion and air pollution.

The benefits for commuters couldn't be clearer. Even before the concept of UAM became mainstream, we could already see its potential impact on daily transit. For example, a select few in São Paulo can currently pay $500 to $1,500 to turn a four-hour ground commute into a 10-minute helicopter ride. Advancements in new technology promise to extend such benefits to more people in cities across the world.

With so many opportunities for innovation, global companies like Hanwha have been entering the UAM market to lead the charge to revolutionize transportation. Specifically, Hanwha Systems is partnering with Overair, an American eVTOL developer, to build the electric propulsion system for an emissions-free air taxi called the "Butterfly." At the beginning of this year, Overair announced the successful launch of the Butterfly's full-scale propulsion system test program, a milestone in both companies’ efforts to conduct the vehicle's maiden flight by 2023. This important step, combined with Hanwha Aerospace's recent announcement that it would be developing hydrogen fuel cells for aviation, makes this an exciting time for the UAM industry. Believing that an emerging industry with so much potential must be powered in a way that is above all sustainable, Hanwha is committed to advancing hydrogen as the fuel of the future.

So why use hydrogen fuel cells for UAM? Because building a battery that’s capable of meeting UAMs’ demanding needs poses a significant challenge. Specifically, UAMs need an energy system that balances weight, power, and energy capacity.

The key to realizing a future of urban air mobility is developing a reliable power source. The battery must be compact enough without taking up too much room or adding too much weight, yet strong enough to power vertical takeoffs, landings, and sustained flight.

Because they have an energy-to-weight ratio ten times greater than lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen fuel cells could take UAM technology to new heights, fast-tracking our progression to a high-flying and efficient future.

While battery technology has advanced significantly in recent years, current lithium standards are still limited when it comes to packing enough power for long-distance flights. On the other hand, hydrogen fuel cells have a high energy density, which can significantly increase the operating time and distance of UAM compared to batteries. And, unlike batteries that need to be recharged, fuel cells have a longer life, faster recharge time and the ability to generate electricity as long as a fuel source - hydrogen - is provided.

Because there are no moving parts, fuel cells are also silent and highly reliable, which is preferable considering the noise pollution of other flying vehicles. City dwellers can sleep easily knowing that the sound of air taxis won’t keep them up late at night.