Liquid hydrogen-fueled UAS demonstrated

Photos courtesy of respective companies

GKN Aerospace demonstrated a ground-based liquid hydrogen aircraft fuel system as a potential way to increase the endurance of a search and rescue (SAR) uncrewed aerial system (UAS).

The demonstrator was designed, built, and tested in collaboration with Filton Systems Engineering, under the Innovate UK-funded Safe Flight project. From concept to operation, the demonstrator was delivered within 12 months.

The goal was to understand and address safety concerns raised by the introduction of liquid hydrogen fuel. The team developed integrated fuel tank design and distribution solutions, including vaporizing and cryogenic conditioning of the liquid hydrogen. Fuel system performance was verified by coupling it with a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack, representative of the type that could be installed on a future zero-emission aircraft. The project demonstrated successful storage and management of liquid hydrogen, supplying the fuel cell power system with hydrogen at the required temperature and pressure throughout a range of electrical loads typical of a SAR UAS mission.

The project’s key outcomes include development of safe system design, manufacturing knowledge, operational knowledge for liquid hydrogen fuel systems, hydrogen fuel system test data, and an adaptable test rig suited to further study hydrogen components and subsystems.

GKN Aerospace plans to use the data for larger and more complex demonstrations of hydrogen-powered aircraft. https://www.gknaerospace.com

Walmart completes 6,000 drone deliveries

During 2022, Walmart safely completed more than 6,000 customer package deliveries by drone in as little as 30 minutes. The company now operates, with its vendors, 36 drone delivery hubs across seven states: Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. The drone program exceeded plans to expand its delivery network to 34 sites by the end of 2022.

Participating stores have a DroneUp delivery hub with a team of certified pilots, operating within FAA guidelines, managing flight operations. Once a customer places an order, the item is fulfilled from the store, packaged, loaded into the drone, and delivered to their yard using a cable that gently lowers the package.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team for creating the largest drone delivery footprint of any U.S. retailer and providing customers with an incredibly fast – and innovative – option for delivery,” says Vik Gopalakrishnan, vice president, innovation & automation, Walmart U.S.

For a delivery fee of $3.99, customers can order items totaling up to 10 lb. Currently, 85% of items in a Walmart Neighborhood Market meet the weight and volume requirements for drone delivery.

The top five items delivered via drone from Walmart:

1. Great Value cookies and cream ice cream, 16 oz
2. 2 lb bag of lemons
3. Freshness Guaranteed hot rotisserie chicken
4. Red Bull energy drink, 8.4 fl oz
5. Bounty Select-a-Size paper towels

With 4,700 stores located within 90% of the U.S. population, Walmart officials are preparing to offer drone delivery at scale in the years ahead. https://corporate.walmart.com; https://www.droneup.com