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The project for an unmanned, zero-emission aircraft to cross the South Atlantic

Publication Date

20 October 2020

Presentation of the Drone Mermoz project

An exploratory project

Faced with the physical limits imposed by battery-powered electric flight, a team of researchers and students led by Professor Jean-Marc Moschetta is working on the design of a small unmanned aircraft with electric propulsion and no greenhouse gas emissions during flight.

“ It ‘s an exploratory project that is completely in line with the breakthrough technologies needed for aeronautics,” explains the specialist who leads the Institute’s research into drones.

Launched at the start of the year, the experimentation phase will see the creation of a 4-metre demonstrator to test and validate all the technological building blocks in flight. The initial design of the drone is currently taking shape, and its aerodynamics are being finely tuned to give it all the capabilities and qualities needed to cover a distance of more than 3,000 kilometres.

Liquid hydrogen: a clean alternative

ISAE-SUPAERO is working with H3 Dynamics, a company that manufactures and markets hydrogen fuel cells. Through the work of its subsidiary HES Energy Systems, the company is developing cutting-edge expertise in the manufacture and integration of hydrogen energy systems for robotic and airborne applications. The use of a hydrogen fuel cell enables a totally electric propulsion chain to be used, since the hydrogen, stored in gaseous or liquid form, is transformed into electricity. This technology has been extensively tested in flight for several years. The choice of storage method depends on the mission profile.

A real technological breakthrough, the use of liquid hydrogen aims to solve the problem of the low energy density of the lithium batteries used in conventional UAVs, which severely limit the range of aircraft in flight. Electric propulsion with liquid hydrogen storage would provide more than 6 times more energy per unit of mass than conventional battery electric propulsion, while emitting only water vapour during flight.

A drone in the footsteps of Mermoz

The researchers want to show that a crossing of the South Atlantic from Senegal to Brazil, in the footsteps of Jean Mermoz, is possible with an unmanned aircraft system powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and capable of flying very long distances. The project also incorporates a weight constraint: to be light enough to fall within the French certification category for flying out of sight. That’s the target for 2023! A second major objective is being pursued: “Mermoz” could represent the first tangible building block of tomorrow’s low-carbon aviation.

This project is supported by the Occitanie Region and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as well as by the ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation, which, thanks to donors to the Class Gift Inter-Promotions, has raised funds to contribute to the purchase of equipment to fly the demonstrator. Further fund-raising efforts are still required to complete all the activities.

Two teacher-researchers publish a book on drones

Introduction to the control of mini-UAVs: from design to implementation - Modelling, identification and synthesis of control laws.

Author(s): Bordeneuve-Guibé Joël (ISAE-SUPAERO), Brière Yves (ISAE-SUPAERO), Condomines Jean-Philippe, Miquel Thierry - Editions Ellipses

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