2 years ago
98
Aerospace institution ZeroAvia successfully tested utilizing a hydrogen-electric motor to powerfulness 1 of the propellors successful a 19-seat aircraft
Technology 20 January 2023By Jeremy Hsu
ZeroAvia’s trial plane ZeroAvia
A level with an experimental hydrogen-electric motor connected its near helping successfully completed a trial formation this week. It is the largest specified trade to beryllium powered with the assistance of a hydrogen motor yet.
The UK and US-based institution ZeroAvia conducted a 10-minute trial formation utilizing an motor that converts hydrogen substance into energy to powerfulness 1 of the plane’s 2 propellers. ZeroAvia aims to alteration commercialized flights powered lone by hydrogen substance cells by 2025.
“When radical spot that we tin bash a zero-emission formation with a cleanable substance that we tin make successful truthful galore places, wherever there’s energy and water, that changes people’s minds astir things,” says Jacob Leachman astatine Washington State University.
The objection astatine Cotswold Airport successful Gloucestershire, UK, besides marked the archetypal formation for the 19-seat Dornier 228 craft that had been converted into a trial aircraft. It is simply a importantly larger craft than the six-seat Piper Malibu that ZeroAvia has been utilizing for investigating the hydrogen-electric motor since 2020.
If each goes good with consequent tests, ZeroAvia aims to taxable the hydrogen-electric motor for regulatory certification successful 2023. That could besides pave the mode for a larger motor suitable for 90-seat aircraft.
“There person been tests of hydrogen substance cell-based craft astatine smaller scale, and anytime we get to show larger powerfulness levels successful bigger aircraft, we learn,” says Kiruba Haran astatine the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The aviation start-up already has concern from American Airlines on with an statement for the anticipation of ordering up to 100 hydrogen-electric engines successful the future.
Airbus, 1 of the 2 largest craft manufacturers successful the world, besides antecedently announced plans to usage hydrogen fuel successful processing the archetypal zero-emission commercialized craft by 2035. But Airbus has acknowledged that astir commercialized airliners would inactive usage state turbine engines until astatine slightest 2050.
Moving commercialized aviation toward genuinely zero-emission flights would necessitate overmuch much than conscionable exchanging accepted pitchy substance for hydrogen fuel. The accumulation of hydrogen substance besides requires energy that whitethorn inactive travel from a powerfulness grid running connected fossil fuels – though researchers are looking into ways of producing hydrogen much cleanly successful high-enough quantities for powering fleets of aircraft.
“When you truly look astatine trying to spell to sustainable hydrogen-based aviation, you person to fig retired however you’re going to get the hydrogen astatine scale,” says John Hansman astatine the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “And we’re talking a batch of hydrogen.”
More connected these topics:
English (US) ·