Helicopters powered by hydrogen to be used for organ delivery
As hydrogen powered vehicles continue to evolve, we could start to see them being used in some niches where a battery powered electric vehicle may not be suitable. This includes aviation and a new agreement could see hydrogen fuelled helicopters being used for organ transport.
The agreement is between Unither Bioletronics and Robinson Helicopter Company. The former is a Canadian firm that specialises in the airborne delivery of lab-made lungs. It claims to focus on environmental awareness as well as autonomy. Robinson meanwhile is a California-based company that builds custom helicopters for clients including news agencies, law enforcement, and private customers.
The collaboration hopes to result in a fleet of hydrogen powered electric helicopters based on Robinson’s R44 and R66 models. Once they are built and tested, the two firms will seek to gain certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCAA).
“Just as protons from hydrogen atoms drive the mitochondrial power plants in each of our body’s cells, we look forward to using protons from green hydrogen to drive the membrane-based fuel cell power plants in our Robinson R66 organ-delivery electric helicopters,” said Martine Rothblatt, CEO of United Therapeutics, Unither’s parent company. “We are honored to be working with one of the world’s largest helicopter manufacturers as we continue to extend our track record of saving hundreds of lives through aviation-delivered transplanted lungs.”
Unither has already made headways in the development of electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) vehicles that can either be flown by a pilot or autonomously to deliver the much needed organs.
“This collaboration accelerates the development of sustainable transportation solutions for life-saving organs,” said Mikael Cardinal, head of this program. “Hydrogen-powered aircraft are the next frontier in sustainable aviation. We are committed to developing a zero-operational carbon emission fleet of aircraft, and we look forward to working with the expert team at Robinson Helicopter to enable regulatory approval and production of these aircraft.”
