Nanogrid Tech Enables Drone Mission Autonomy
Sesame Solar, in partnership with Heaven Aerotech, has developed mobile nanogrids that extend drone mission durations to over 100 hours by providing continuous, off-grid power. The systems, which have been deployed by the U.S. military, combine solar panels, battery banks, and on-site hydrogen production. Experts note this energy autonomy enables more powerful AI compute and sensor stacks at the edge without the logistical burden of fuel resupply.
- The trailer-sized nanogrid can be made operational by one person in under 15 minutes and is designed to support missions for up to six months without external fuel supplies. It combines retractable solar arrays (providing 3-20 kW), battery storage (15-150 kWh), and an atmospheric water generator that extracts moisture from the air. - On-site, an electrolyzer splits the generated water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is then stored in a solid-state, low-pressure system, which avoids the explosion risks associated with compressed hydrogen tanks, before being used by a fuel cell to recharge the drones. - This system is paired with Heaven Aerotech's Z-1 vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone, which has been added to the Pentagon's Blue UAS list, streamlining procurement for Department of Defense agencies. The Z-1 can carry a 10-pound sensor payload and its hydrogen fuel cell propulsion provides up to 8 hours of flight endurance, a significant increase over comparable battery-powered systems. - Beyond refueling, the nanogrid serves as a comprehensive mission hub, equipped with satellite communications, edge computing, mobile radar, and up to 150 square feet of interior workspace for a command center. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already deployed a Sesame Solar nanogrid for unmanned perimeter security at White Sands Missile Base in New Mexico. Further deployments with the U.S. Marine Corps were planned for the first half of 2025. - Heaven Aerotech, originally founded in Israel as Heven Drones, established its U.S. headquarters in Virginia in 2025 and has a partnership with IonQ to integrate quantum computing and sensing technologies into its drones for improved navigation in GPS-denied environments. - The nanogrids are manufactured entirely in the United States, a key selling point for the Department of Defense as it seeks to reduce reliance on Chinese-made components in its supply chain. - Competing mobile hydrogen generation systems for drones are also in development by companies like H3 Dynamics and Cellen, indicating a growing trend toward on-site, off-grid refueling solutions for unmanned aerial systems.
