With pure battery powered aircraft still short on endurance, hydrogen fuel cell technology is gaining traction. And in the U.K. this week, ZeroAvia flew the first commercially viable aircraft—a Piper M-class airframe—on a combination of batteries and fuel cells. The flight took place at the company’s R&D headquarters at Cranfield, northwest of London.
The flight was part of the U.K.’s HyFlyer R&D project that’s aimed at creating reduced-carbon aviation powerplants. ZeroAvia has previously flown the same M-class on pure battery power, but this week’s demonstration marked the first time hydrogen fuel cells have been added to the power mix. The flight was a short one, but ZeroAvia CEO Val Miftakhov said that by the end of the year, the company will demonstrate a 300-mile flight at about 200 knots.
With support from the U.K. government—about $3.5 million (£2.75 million)—ZeroAvia’s short-term goal is to prove the technology is suitable for short revenue flights in aircraft like the M-class, but it will eventually be suitable for a 20-seat regional airliner such as the Twin Otter, Dornier 228 or the Cessna Sky Courier, now undergoing certification in Wichita. Such fuel cell powerplants would be in the range of 800 horsepower and would be comparable to Pratt & Whitney’s ubiquitous PT6 turbine.
Aware that the hydrogen infrastructure is critical to the concept, ZeroAvia is addressing that at Cranfield with its own hydrogen production station. It uses solar energy to drive electrolytic converters to produce gaseous hydrogen for use in the cold fuel cells ZeroAvia is using. This week’s demonstration flight used some battery power, but not as a power buffer. Miftakhov said at a press conference on Friday that it is possible to fly solely on hydrogen.
Zero Avia’s goal is develop reliable and scalable hydrogen powerplants that airframers can use in place of fossil fuel engines. “We believe that there are a lot of aircraft manufacturers that know what they’re doing. What’s needed in the industry is to build powerplants that can use clean fuel. And that’s what we’re focusing on,” he said.
ZeroAvia started as a U.S. company but moved to the U.K. this year because of a more favorable investment climate and serious government interest in low-carbon energy sources.
Now all that we need is a liquid hydrogen factory at every airport on the planet.
Easy peasy.
But, does it even have a heater?
Gaseous, not liquid. They’re partnering with Toyota and their Mirai fuel cell car project where the H2 is stored in high pressure tanks. And another company is involved with portable H2 production.
More info here: https://www.automotiveworld.com/news-releases/zeroavia-takes-on-a-toyota-mirai-to-help-with-ground-operations-for-its-zero-emission-aviation-drive/
How much volume (and how much weight) would be needed to contain 13,345 pounds of high-pressure H2 gas? (That’s the theoretical hydrogen energy equivalent of a CRJ’s kerosene payload.)
You don’t need a LH2 production facility at the airport, just a LH2 storage facility, and I use one of those all the time to fuel my hydrogen fuel cell electric car. If they can be on a street corner, they can be at an airport easily.
A lot of airports and secondary airports already have an LNG/CNG infrastructure. Converting that to hydrogen is feasible. Val is a pretty sharp guy. He’s the only one who convinced me hydrogen fuel cells could work in the air.
This will never go anywhere. I did a complete report on liquid Hyrdrogen power jet airliners back in the early 70’s when I was at Embry-Riddle. Huge wing tanks had to be shown on designs like the L-1011, similar in appearance to those mid wing style on Lockheed Jetstars, but even bigger. And liquid cryogenic hydrogen is the only option. And even it’s a lot less dense than kerosene, so the reason for the huge tanks. Not practical. Storing and producing large quantities of liquid hydrogen at airports, the dangers in handling it, will end up having it go nowhere. It makes for good headlines though, to be discussing it. A wasted effort though. Imagine the cost of making quantities that large of liquid hydrogen.. The byproduct of it’s combustion is water, which is nice. Possibly it’s use in small aircraft for novelty exhibition purposes would work. But not as a replacement for all the jet fuel burned by the worlds jet airliners.
Completely agree on the liquid cryo-H2 solution, too heavy. Hence the hybrid approach, gaseous hydrogen under pressure for use in the cold fuel cells ZeroAvia is using.
Um…
Is gaseous hydrogen somehow lighter than liquid hydrogen?
Hydrogen is hydrogen.
Remember the Hindenburg!