Hydrogen holds promise for zero-emissions aviation, through both fuel-cell electric motors or jet engines that burn H2 immediately. Now, Common Hydrogen has announced that it accomplished a 15-minute check flight in a 40-seat Sprint-8 commuter airplane utilizing a fuel-cell hydrogen engine. The corporate referred to as the flight “historic” and stated it’s “dedicated to being North America’s first zero-emission airline.”
With a gas cell from Plug Energy and electrical motor constructed by magniX, the ability plant is the most important ever to take to the sky. Nonetheless, it was solely put in on the left aspect of the plane, whereas an ordinary Pratt & Whitney turboprop engine was fitted to the suitable wing for “security of flight,” the corporate stated. It equipped the engines with emissions-free “inexperienced” hydrogen (made through electrolysis from renewable energy sources), related through its personal modules that maintain the extremely risky gasoline in liquid type for as much as 100 hours.
Common Hydrogen
The Sprint-8 was extremely modified to accommodate the engine, 30kg (66 kilos) of liquid hydrogen and two racks of electronics and sensors. Whereas the turbine engine was primarily used for takeoff, pilots have been capable of cruise totally on hydrogen energy throughout the second circuit. The flight attained a peak of three,500 ft.
Although it had some yaw because of the imbalance in energy, “the airplane dealt with superbly, and the noise and vibrations from the gas cell powertrain are considerably decrease than from the traditional turbine engine,” stated chief pilot (and former US Air Pressure check pilot) Alex Kroll. The corporate obtained FAA approval for the flight just weeks ago.
The British/American agency ZeroAvia flew with an identical configuration on its twin-engine, 19-seat Dornier 228 airplane earlier this year. Airbus just lately announced that it is constructing a gas cell that might energy a 100-seat plane round 1,150 miles, and Rolls-Royce just lately completed assessments of a jet engine transformed to run immediately on hydrogen gas.
Potential issues nonetheless abound, although. Hydrogen has a few quarter the vitality density of standard jet A gas, so it is solely good for brief hops. And as I’ve detailed in an explainer, there’s little or no hydrogen gas infrastructure, it is difficult to work with and extremely explosive. Nonetheless, Common Hydrogen is assured it may possibly beat the percentages. “Our enterprise mannequin resolves the chicken-and-egg downside between hydrogen airplanes and hydrogen infrastructure by creating each in parallel and with a uniquely low-cost method,” stated CEO and co-founder Paul Eremenko.
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