MIEEG and Eurolink Systems win a funding tender from the Lazio Region for the development of a captive and eco-sustainable hydrogen-powered quadcopter

Two highly innovative companies in their respective fields come together to design and build the unmanned aerial systems of the future. MIEEG and Eurolink Systems Srl have in fact won the Lazio Region’s funding call for “RSI competitive repositioning”, which aims to support highly technological companies working in the area for the implementation of Research, Development and Innovation (RSI) projects that can contribute to economic growth and therefore employment.

The MIEEG and Eurolink Systems project, in detail, aims to develop a full electric tethered quadcopter, powered by hydrogen thanks to an innovative hybrid generator, within 18 months.

Unlike traditional UAVs, tethered ones are characterized by being tied to the ground, through a light but very resistant cable. This allows several advantages, including the possibility of remaining in flight continuously for a long time, transmitting data in real time at maximum speed. Tethered drones are used where it is necessary to observe and restore connections in limited areas and for a long continuous time. This type of UAV is rapidly growing on the market, with a range of potential customers, public or private, national and international, interested in innovative drones, with low environmental impact and high autonomy. In this sector, Eurolink Systems has already developed experiences that have led to the patenting of the solutions adopted.

Compared to current tethered drones, linked to a traditional battery power supply, the project aims to use a miniaturized and high-power electric hybrid generator, powered by hydrogen, based on the MIEEG patent, already recognized in a number of countries around the world such as to cover over 55% of the population and over 73% of global GDP. The project aims to extend the operation of the Beluga@TM model created by Eurolink Systems, thus reducing pollution from fossil fuels and at the same time reducing the use of electric batteries, an objective which is now essential also for geopolitical reasons.

MIEEG and Eurolink Systems are convinced that hybrid systems are the most suitable and eco-sustainable solution for the design of future aircraft, manned and unmanned.

In particular, MIEEG will develop the range extender, while Eurolink Systems Srl will take care of the drone. The project can be considered strategic for both companies, because it allows them to strengthen their specific skills in the relevant areas of involvement (development of the generator for MIEEG and the drone-tethered system for Eurolink Systems), making them even more competitive compared to the existing market and would pose the foundations for an industrial-commercial collaboration between MIEEG and Eurolink Systems themselves.

MIEEG, a startup founded in 2019, is developing an electricity generator, powered by hydrogen, which stands out for its small size, high power, scalability and integration with green energy systems, such as wind or solar.

The innovative generator has various uses, as a range extender of full electric systems – drones, planes, helicopters, electric cars, ships) or as an energy generator for homes, hospitals, smart islands. In particular, the latter case involves integration with green systems, to exploit excess energy in order to self-produce hydrogen from waste water with which to power the MIEEG if necessary. This identifies innovative, hybrid, circular energy systems for a new housing-infrastructural concept, independent from an energy point of view.

Eurolink Systems, an innovative SME founded in 1994 as a company specialized in the distribution and integration of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) hardware and software solutions for signal processing in mission critical applications in the Defense and Aerospace markets.

ELS is a reference supplier for embedded electronics solutions of important industrial groups and in particular of Leonardo and ELT. Since May 2019 it has joined the Elite Leonardo Lounge Program, selected to participate in the first class of companies in the Leonardo supply chain active in the Aerospace and Defense sector.

The Beluga@TM drone, after several years of R&D activity, arrives on the market to be the state

of art in multimission /multidomain. Among its main features, as well

being totally designed in Italy, there is a limited logistical footprint, thanks to the ability to be operational in less than 5 minutes, take-off and landing in water, low acoustic signature and with a speed of up to 110km/h. Furthermore, the Beluga@TM can integrate a wide range of sensors (EO/IR, Multispectral, Lidar, GPR, Laser designator, RF catcher, CBNR etc.), containers, making its applications virtually unlimited.