A Team of Students of the Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Pioneering sustainable flight
Our Mission
Using hydrogen to revolutionize UAVs
Our vision is an aviation that is emission-free, reliable, and independent of fossil fuels and of any single supplier nation. Our mission is to get there as a student team:
„We develop hydrogen-powered drones and aircraft, build them ourselves, and turn our flights into real value with computer vision. We don’t just advance the technology — we train the engineers who will build the sustainable aviation of tomorrow.“
Our Team
LEVITUM is a team of more than 40 highly motivated Master and Bachelor students of the departments of Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace, the TUM School of Management, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Information Technology and the Munich School of Engineering.
You are enthusiastic to revolutionize eVTOL technology just like us? Join our team!
Why Hydrogen Propulsion
Independence
Hydrogen can be produced anywhere from renewable energy. Running our drones and aircraft on hydrogen makes them independent of fossil fuels and single-supplier nations, an advantage that reaches far beyond the lab.
Highest Energy Density
With an energy density of 33.33 kWh/kg, hydrogen has a higher energy density than any other element. The hydrogen fuel cell offers a possibility to use this potential efficiently for electric powertrains. Modern hydrogen tanks already achieve usable electrical energy densities of over 1600 Wh/kg. This is more than six times the capacity of modern lithium ion batteries.
High Safety Level
Hydrogen fuel cell systems are safe. Modern Type IV pressure tanks are safe against overpressure, fire or even bullet impact. In case of emergency, the hydrogen can be released through a PRD within a very short time. Due to the 13 times lower density of hydrogen compared to air, it evaporates immidiately without any danger to the environment.
Low Costs
According to the US Department of Energy (DoE), fuel cells can be produced cheaper than a comparable lithium-ion battery system, depending on the powertrain. The cost average is reinforced by the longer service life of more than 3000 operating hours and optimal utilization due to refueling times of less than 5 minutes. There are already first manufacturers developing fuel cell systems for drones.
Our Project
Bringing Fuel Cell propolsion to UAVs
The Mercurius project takes drone technology to the next level. The concept, which has been awarded as one of the best three designs of the NASA – DLR Designchallenge 2020, uses modern fuel cell technology to give drones higher ranges, minimum refueling time and lower costs.
We now bring this dream to reality and build a prototype!
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