Michael Abdelmaseh

First Tellurium ($FTEL | $FSTTF) & PyroDelta Energy on Heavy-Lift Drones and Thermoelectrics

• Top takeaway Michael argues the payload-to-weight ratio matters because it drives operational cost per hour, the main bottleneck for drone adoption.
• Michael states the drone is designed for volume production at 20 units per month using laser cutting, plasma cutting, and in-house assembly rather than expensive CNC milling.
• Michael argues gas-powered drones carry 20 times more energy than advanced batteries and are safer near fires than lithium-ion battery drones.
• Michael claims a custom-built 40HP engine that weighs less than competitor 20-23HP engines, paired with a coaxial rotor head that eliminates the tail rotor and rudder.
• Michael explains the thermoelectric heat exchanger is not strictly required but recovers waste heat from the two-stroke engine to extend range and power onboard avionics.

PyroDelta's 150-pound drone carries 300 pounds for two hours at 40 mph — a 2:1 payload ratio that beats most heavy-lift competitors. The team designed its own 40-horsepower engine after manufacturer specs fell short, then built a thermoelectric heat-recovery system around it. First Tellurium's Deer Horn property in British Columbia hosts tellurium, silver, gold, bismuth, copper, and molybdenum — inferred tellurium of roughly 100 tons. An end-of-September Florida demonstration targets firefighting, search-and-rescue, and northern-Canada logistics as the first drone revenue path. Tellurium's role in thermoelectrics opens adjacent opportunities in solar overnight generation and data-center heat recovery, offering non-mine revenue.

Thermoelectric Modules and the Future of Autonomous Drones

PyroDelta Energy makes thermoelectric modules rather than drones, and installs them in autonomous aircraft to demonstrate what the modules can do. The speaker describes an onboard autopilot that flies planned missions autonomously and returns home to refuel without a pilot aboard. The speaker argues lifting heavy payloads by autonomous drone keeps people out of harm's way.

Don Durrett & John Feneck Explore First Tellurium’s ($FTEL | $FSTTF) PyroDelta Energy Stake

• Top takeaway He explains the core technology: solid-state thermoelectric generators that turn a heat differential into voltage with no moving parts, using a patented process that produces durable modules able to withstand high heat for years without degradation.
• He claims 12% thermoelectric efficiency running 24/7 from a differential starting at about 20 degrees Celsius (roughly 40 Fahrenheit) up to 600, arguing consistent output matters more than solar's 27% daylight-only efficiency.
• He says PyroDelta is the only company in the world with a tubular thermoelectric device — Panasonic built one about 16 years ago — that can be integrated into existing AI data-center cooling loops without modification, with bismuth telluride crystals grown in-house in custom shapes.
• On a 15-foot-wingspan test drone, modules on the exhaust manifold harvested enough waste heat to power all onboard electronics and the autopilot, eliminating a heavy battery with no net weight penalty.
• He stresses PyroDelta is a thermoelectric module maker rather than a drone manufacturer and argues autonomous heavy-lift VTOL platforms could counter drone threats more cheaply and safely than helicopters, with the DARPA contest offering public proof of the technology.

PyroDelta's thermoelectric generators (solid-state devices that turn waste heat into electricity) need only a 20°C differential and run 24/7. First Tellurium (CSE: FTEL), which management calls the world's only tellurium-focused company, owns 83% of PyroDelta plus a high-grade British Columbia project. Acceptance into DARPA's Lift Challenge (Dayton, Ohio, August 2) brings prize potential and introductions to defense primes and drone-delivery buyers. Durrett argues small silver producers gain huge margin above $200 silver, though he cautions developers take years and often disappoint before paying off. Co-hosts note 131 million shares out with roughly 35% in friendly hands, giving the 11-cent junior room to move on DARPA news.