A startup completed a record-setting test flight of a 19-seat aircraft that was partly powered by hydrogen fuel cells. ZeroAvia, an innovator in hydrogen-electric systems for aircraft, tested the plane in the air.
The flight was about 10 minutes long and took off from Cotswold Airport, UK. The left engine of the plane was powered by a combination hydrogen fuel cells and battery power, while the right used fossil fuel kerosene.
Global greenhouse gas emissions are about 3% due to aviation, and this industry is expanding rapidly. Despite the fact that some airlines and industry groups have committed to reducing emissions to net zero by 2050, it is difficult to meet the flying demands without fossil fuels.
Companies hope that hydrogen fuel cells can reduce the emissions from the aviation sector. However, to achieve significant reductions, the technology must be scaled up to run large aircraft.
Val Miftakhov (ZeroAvia CEO and founder) said, "This is putting me straight on the path towards commercial launches." He spoke at a press conference to announce the results of the test flight.
ZeroAvia has received over $140million in funding from investors including American Airlines and United Airlines. Miftakhov says that the company also received over 1500 preorders from customers to purchase its hydrogen fuel-cell system.
Since several years, the startup has been testing small planes with various degrees of success. One of the test flights had to be made in 2021. The battery backup system was turned off and the plane was damaged. The plane was powered by hydrogen fuel cells, but the electrical motors stopped working.
The battery system was able to support the January 2023 test flight for the 19-seat aircraft. This flight was postponed from summer 2022. The aircraft was powered by batteries for approximately half of its flight. The hydrogen fuel cell system provided the remaining 50%.
Fuel cells combine oxygen and hydrogen to produce electricity. They also release no water into the atmosphere. ZeroAvia's test aircraft, a Dornier 228, was taken out of its seats to make way for the fuel cell propulsion system as well as the hydrogen tanks.
Universal Hydrogen, an American startup that also builds hydrogen-electric propulsion systems, plans to fly test flights in 2023 for its retrofitted Dash 8-300, which is a 50-seat aircraft.
Miftakhov stated that ZeroAvia still has the potential to fulfill its original plans for commercial launch in 2025, despite delays and problems with testing. Miftakhov declined to reveal the type of aircraft that would be used or which commercial partner involved. However, he stated that the aircraft will have between 10-20 seats. Miftakhov stated that the company intends to raise additional funds for commercialization.
Andreas Schafer, Director of the Air Transportation Systems Lab at University College London, says, "This is a wonderful start, but it's just the beginning."
Schafer believes that hydrogen fuel cells could power small, short-range commercial aircraft within a decade. These routes are only a fraction of the aviation industry. He says that it is a small fraction of the aviation industry in terms both of energy consumption and emissions.
According to Schafer, technologies that can power longer distances and larger aircraft will have a greater impact on climate change. Due to the heavy nature of fuel cells, scaling up fuel cells for larger aircraft will prove difficult. It can also be difficult to find space for hydrogen storage in planes, as the fuel is less energy-dense that kerosene. This means that even if it has been cooled to cryogenic temperatures, it will still need to be transported onboard in higher volumes.
Miftakhov admitted that there are still many obstacles before zero-emissions commercial flight can become a reality. There is still much to be done.
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By: Casey Crownhart
Title: Hydrogen-powered planes take off with startup’s test flight
Sourced From: www.technologyreview.com/2023/01/19/1067113/hydrogen-planes-test-flight/
Published Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2023 18:59:23 +0000
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