NEOEx Systems, Inc. to Fly Long Range Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Between Regional Airports
[Elyria, Ohio] – NEOEx Systems, Inc. is planning on flying unmanned aerial vehicles between Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport and the Lorain County Regional Airport using liquid hydrogen energy refueling systems. Once flight demonstrations are complete, they will serve to confirm the effectiveness of the hardware production approach and flight operations model, which can be replicated, implemented, and maintained at any airport or military bases worldwide. In addition, NEOEx will demonstrate powering the hydrogen generation and refueling ground support equipment using a microgrid, powered by renewable solar energy and batteries, to generate and liquefy the hydrogen.
Underutilized regional airports supported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have potential to become economic engines as the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) market is projected to grow to $130 billion over the next 10 years. Regional airports will have the opportunity to support UAV launch and mission operations. Some of these missions could include drone package delivery, air vehicles (flying cars), and drone power line inspections.
Beyond commercial use, the Department of Defense (DoD) has Air Force bases and Navy carrier groups that are in a position to support new long range UAV missions. Dual-use commercialization of UAVs for civilian and military applications can be enabled through maximizing on-board vehicle energy storage with the NEOEx EXTEND™ Energy and Power System using liquid hydrogen energy storage and fuel cell produced electrical power. This system allows for long-duration (20 hours) and long-range (1,000 miles) flight operations for Group 2 UAVs weighing less than 55lbs and is scalable to larger vehicles.
NEOEx Systems, Inc. is working as a Tier 1 subcontractor for the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) in support of the Army ManTech Program. Under this subcontract, NEOEx will complete the development of the EXTEND™ Energy and Power System and associated LH2Direct™ ground support equipment for hydrogen refueling pilot production facilities using advanced manufacturing techniques. NEOEx partners on this project include: Avari Aerospace, The Ohio State University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MAGNET, JETS, MRK Aviation, Moran Innovation, and the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Acknowledgment of Support and Disclaimer
This material is based upon work supported by U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center”; under Contract No. W31P4Q21D0026 / W31P4Q23F0009. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center.
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About NEOEx Systems, Inc.
NEOEx Systems, Inc. is a small business headquartered in Amherst, Ohio. We have operations facilities located at both the Youngstown-Warren Regional airport in Vienna, Ohio as well as the Lorain County Regional airport in Elyria, Ohio. Mark Haberbusch, President and CEO of NEOEx, says, “…this project is a direct descendant of the pioneering efforts to develop liquid hydrogen aerospace systems in Northeast Ohio by the NACA (first liquid hydrogen powered aircraft flight) and NASA (Centaur and Saturn rockets).”
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About NCDMM
NCDMM delivers innovative and collaborative manufacturing solutions that enhance our nation’s workforce and economic competitiveness. NCDMM has extensive knowledge and depth in defense manufacturing to continually innovate, improve, and advance manufacturing technologies and methodologies. Our experienced team specializes in identifying the needs, the players, the technologies, and processes to attain optimal solutions for our customers. We connect the dots. That’s the NCDMM methodology. NCDMM also manages America Makes and the V4 Institute. NCDMM is the cornerstone of the recently formed Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, Inc. (MTDG). For additional information, visit the NCDMM at https://ncdmm.org and follow @NCDMMnews on Twitter.
About Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, Inc.
The Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, Inc. (MTDG) is committed to transforming the advanced manufacturing industrial base throughout the world for our sustainable future. It is the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit holding company of both the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and Advanced Manufacturing International, Inc. (AMI). Founded in 2020, MTDG is headquartered in Clearwater, Fla. For more information, visit MTDG at https://mtdg.org/.
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