"Drone Mermoz" demonstrator
The demonstrator, with a wingspan of 4 metres, has a design inspired by the albatross, which exploits atmospheric turbulence to fly for very long periods of time while limiting its efforts. The “Défi Mermoz” has a long way to go, with the ambition of crossing the South Atlantic by 2025 on the legendary Aéropostale route between Dakar (Senegal) and Natal (Brazil), opened by Jean Mermoz.
A real challenge, indeed, for this future lightweight electric drone, with total autonomy and zero CO2 emissions. The aim of this exploit is to demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of this aircraft, powered electrically by an energy package combining fuel cells and photovoltaic panels, capable of flying over very long distances and light enough to enter the French certification category for out-of-sight flights.
Liquid hydrogen, a real technological leap forward
Hydrogen is one of the most promising energy carriers for decarbonising aviation. For drones, hydrogen-electric propulsion will first and foremost extend the performance of these aircraft by significantly increasing their range. This will reduce the costs of aerial activities that are currently expensive and time-consuming: searching for shipwrecked people at sea, surveillance of vast areas such as woodland to identify fire outbreaks, mapping missions or inspections of large linear networks (power lines, railways, gas pipelines, etc.).
In 2023, ISAE-SUPAERO will develop a liquid hydrogen version of the drone. Storing hydrogen in liquid form means that the quantity of hydrogen on board can be tripled for the same volume, which means that the distance covered can be multiplied by the same amount. The switch from gas to liquid does, however, raise a number of technical challenges: the challenge is to master the storage and thermal control of the fluid on board, and to optimise the available energy flows (solar, hydrogen, aerological), while maintaining a high level of reliability and aerodynamic performance. This new phase of development will culminate in flight tests in early 2024.
From the drone to the Mermoz challenge, expert contributions at every stage
The project was initiated in 2018 by a team of researchers from ISAE-SUPAERO led by Professor Jean-Marc Moschetta, who worked on the aerodynamic and propulsive design of the demonstrators, the energy modelling of the hydrogen chain and conducted the wind tunnel test phase on campus.
H3 Dynamics, the world leader in airborne hydrogen-electric propulsion systems and a partner in the “Drone Mermoz” project, helped finance the manufacture of the two demonstrators, supplied the hydrogen fuel cell system and contributed its expertise in the integration, use and safety of hydrogen on board the aircraft.
At this stage, a number of other players also collaborated: H2PULSE, the Laplace laboratory, the Nogaro high school, the Ecole Nationale de la Météorologie (Météo-France), ENAC, LAAS-CNRS, and the Eole Muret aeromodelling club. The project was co-financed by the Occitanie Region and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with H3 Dynamics as the industrial partner. It has also received support from the ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation, which, thanks to donors to the Class Gift Inter-Promotions 2020-2000-1980, has raised funds to contribute to the purchase of equipment to fly the demonstrator.
For this pioneering“Drone Mermoz” project, we are carrying out major academic work on the hydrogen chain. Our aim is to validate the models developed during this phase so that they can be used for larger-scale aircraft. This work is also enabling us to enrich the teaching given to our students and prepare them for the disruptive technologies destined for low-carbon aviation”, explains Jean-Marc Moschetta.
The next step in this great adventure is called the “Défi Mermoz”, and it will be piloted with DELAIR, a company specialising in the design and manufacture of several generations of professional drones.
This world first will be based on disruptive technologies that are part of the roadmap towards low-carbon aviation.
Jean-Marc Moschetta Professor at ISAE-SUPAERORelated Content
News
Nicolas Cruaud, Engineer at ISAE-SUPAERO and co-founder of the start-up NéolitheMeeting
Presentation
Startup
News
ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) Congress: Laurent Joly, Deputy Director of Research at ISAE-SUPAERO, talks about the Institute's commitmentsEvent
Sustainability
News
Our alumni have their say: Meeting with Nathanaël Lecompte (S2021)Nathanaël is a recent graduate of ISAE-SUPAERO with a degree in engineering. Of all the opportunities available to him, he chose to pursue a career in renewable energy. He explains his motivations and his career path!
Sustainability
News
Let's make together a durable commitment to new horizonsAeronautics
Horizons
Sustainability
News
ISAE-SUPAERO and ENAC are collaborating on the design of a 100% digital degree programme in English on the subject of aviation transitions!ISAE-SUPAERO and ENAC train engineers with a high level of scientific expertise, humanistic values and innovative skills to master the complex challenges of tomorrow's world in the fields of aerospace and air transport.
Decarbonization
Sustainability
News
Our alumni have their say: Vinh Ly, co-founder of KyanosAlumni
Career
Startup
News
Ranking of the top schools most committed to ecological transition: ISAE-SUPAERO in 2nd place!Ranking
Sustainability
News
ISAE-SUPAERO is broadcasting the webinar "Air transport in crisis and the climate challenge: towards new paradigms" on campus!Event
Sustainability
News
The Institute is involved in the ecological transition of the aerospace ecosystemMeeting
Sustainability
News
ISAE-SUPAERO Environmental Engineering Certificate: training engineers in the challenges of environmental and energy transitionsAeronautics
Sustainability
News
ISAE-SUPAERO ranked among the top three institutions most committed to ecological and societal transition!Ranking
Sustainability
News
Investing and committing to training and research to meet the challenges of the energy transitionISAE-SUPAERO and the ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation work together and take their share of responsibility for addressing these major challenges facing our society. Actions include raising awareness and training future aeronautical engineers, and setting up research programmes to better address energy and climate issues.
Sustainability
News
Our partners are going green!Sustainability
News
AeroMAPS: a tool for assessing the environmental impacts of the aviation sector's transitionISAE-SUPAERO has released AeroMAPS, an open-source tool for modelling transition scenarios for the aviation sector. The result of three years of research at the Institute, it enables users to accurately assess the effectiveness of different impact reduction strategies in relation to international commitments to combat climate change.
Decarbonization
Sustainability
News
Work on decarbonising aviation recognised by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)Paul Saves, a doctoral student at ISAE-SUPAERO/ONERA, has won the 2022 Best Paper Award from the AIAA for his work in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO).
Decarbonization
Sustainability
News
ISAE-SUPAERO publishes an aviation and climate reportSustainability
Teacher researcher
News
Envision responsible air transportAeronautics
Sustainability
Videos
HORIZONS, ISAE-SUPAERO's renewed sustainable development strategyAt ISAE-SUPAERO, environmental issues are at the heart of our commitment. We are therefore mobilizing our teaching skills and scientific expertise to help build the aeronautical and space components of this sustainable society, and in particular to invent the low-carbon air transport of tomorrow.
Horizons
Sustainability
Pages
Job offersAeronautics
Decarbonization
Internship
News
The project for an unmanned, zero-emission aircraft to cross the South AtlanticInnovation
Researcher
Sustainability
News
OSE L'ISAE-SUPAERO: a long-term commitmentDiversity program
Sustainability
News
The SOLAR BOOST project helps address the problem of urban transportDecarbonization
Sustainability
News
Carbon neutrality: What strategy should ISAE-SUPAERO adopt?Sustainability
News
COP2 Student: ISAE-SUPAERO affirms its commitment to ecological transition by signing the Grenoble AgreementSustainability
News
Corentin Lefloch, an engineering student, wins first prize at the USAIRE STUDENT AWARDS for his ideas on the future of aviationSustainability
News
ISAE-SUPAERO expands its collaboration with TU Delft on sustainable aviationDuring President Macron's state visit to the Netherlands, five agreements were signed to strengthen collaboration between the two countries in the field of science and technology. Among them, an agreement between TU Delft and France provides for close collaboration between ISAE-SUPAERO and TU Delft in the field of sustainable aviation.
Decarbonization
Partnership
Sustainability
News
World Engineer Day 2020: a young alumni puts his engineering skills to work for the climateOn the occasion of ‘World Engineer Day 2020,’ which focuses on the theme of sustainable development, we present the profile of Maxime Efoui Hess.
Alumni
Presentation
Sustainability