In March 27, at Roland-Désourdy Airport in Bromont, Québec, Unither Bioélectronique’s test pilot Ric Webb successfully lifted off in a Robinson R44 helicopter powered by a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system. Unither, a subsidiary of United Therapeutics, is pioneering hydrogen-powered helicopters, including a hybrid-electric R66, to transport manufactured organs for transplants.
“Our first test flight successfully demonstrated the hover and maneuver capabilities of our innovative hydrogen powertrain,” stated Mikaël Cardinal, vice president of program management and organ delivery systems at United Therapeutics.
This proof-of-concept flight marked several milestones, including the first hydrogen-powered helicopter flight and the first such flight in Canada. It also validated the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology, which Unither claims is “proving its capability to support the demanding power requirements of a vertical takeoff and landing powered-lift profile.”
During the test, Webb hovered and maneuvered the hydrogen-powered R44 before landing. The helicopter, equipped with two low-temperature PEM fuel cell stacks and a battery pack for transient power demands, flew for 3 minutes and 16 seconds, with approximately 90% of the power supplied by the fuel cells and the remainder by the battery.
Currently, a tank under the R44’s tail boom stores gaseous hydrogen, but Unither plans to replace it with a liquid hydrogen storage system later this year to demonstrate longer-range capabilities. Two round units resembling turbine engine nacelles are mounted above the skids on either side of the R44, forming part of the high-temperature fuel cell cooling system. The electric motor is manufactured by MagniX.
Unither plans to develop smaller fuel cell units requiring less cooling. In the next test helicopter, an R66, the fuel cell will be mounted without using cabin space.
Future designs will incorporate a liquid-hydrogen storage system to extend the range needed for organ delivery flights. “Just as protons from hydrogen atoms drive the mitochondrial powerplants in each of our bodies’ cells, we look forward to using protons from green hydrogen to drive the membrane-based fuel cell powerplants in our Robinson R66 organ delivery electric helicopters,” said United Therapeutics chairperson and CEO Martine Rothblatt.
Unither and Robinson Helicopter are collaborating on the hydrogen-powered helicopter initiative, known as Project Proticity. The Torrance, California-based helicopter manufacturer provides engineering, technical, and regulatory expertise, while Unither focuses on integrating hydrogen technology and conducting testing for certification in Canada and the U.S.
“The importance of this milestone in aviation history cannot be overstated,” said Robinson Helicopter president and CEO David Smith. “Project Proticity has taken an incredible first step forward in the path to long-range, zero-emission vertical flight. We are excited to continue developing this technology with our partners at Unither Bioélectronique.”