First Commercial-Grade Aircraft Flies On Hydrogen Fuel Cells

"It uses solar energy to drive electrolytic converters to produce
gaseous hydrogen for use in the cold fuel cells"

Hey, I've heard that approach to electric motive power someplace
before. :-)

Like Jim said in another message thread, hydrogen research was done
extensively decades ago. But the efficiency of electrolysis, fuel
cells and photovoltaics have vastly improved to the point today where
hydrogen power is now evidentially feasible, at least experimentally.
But this is only the beginning of gaseous hydrogen (H2) powered
aircraft technology.

The future is Liquid H2 (LH2) that contains three-times the energy
density of gasoline, and is three times lighter in weight. Together
with today's efficient cryocooler technology
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10...306-47112-4_10 and
high-efficiency solar panels, the production of liquid hydrogen from
water will soon revolutionize electric motive power throughout the
world all without producing any environmentally harmful byproducts.

Storage of LH2 is not a limiting issue, as today you can purchase a
cheap dewar on Amazon that claims a 175days holding time:
https://www.amazon.com/BestEquip-Nit.../dp/B07MJQDB43
That technology stores hydrogen at ambient atmospheric pressure, and
is eminently adaptable to aircraft fuel tanks.

LH2 availability is easily produced locally on-site anywhere there is
water and sunlight. It's about time ...

While the efficiency of photovoltaics may be only around 20% to 30%
efficient, they operate for decades without any moving parts, so once
generating stations are built, their maintenance is orders of
magnitude less than petrochemical production, refining, and transport.
It doesn't take a degree in engineering to comprehend the significance
of zero-emission ~95% efficient electric motors compared to ~20% to
30% efficient smog producing internal combustion engines. The stored
energy of hundreds of millions of years of solar power locked away in
carboniferous strata enabled our species to drag itself out of the
stone-age into the industrial-age; with the environment on the brink
of collapse, the time is upon us to progress to the next technological
age before it's too late. (The oceans are rising as a result of
melting polar ice. 60% of animal species have gone extinct in within
the past fifty years. Forests are disappearing at an alarming rate.
There are no longer any sea stars on the Pacific coast of North
America. ...)

Today, fuel-cell development has progressed to ~60% efficiency with
only byproducts of heat and water. It is immediately evident, that
systems of hydrogen fuel-cells powering electric motors can
theoretically double motive power production easily, and without
further polluting our once-magnificent Edenesque Terrestrial Paradise.

Forward thinking billionaires, like Elon Musk, use their wealth for
good to bring a sustainable future into reality, while evil, greedy
billionaires, like the oil baron Koch brothers and unscrupulous hedge
fund manager Mercers, use their money and power to put a criminal
fraud in the Whit House to open sacred protected old-growth forests to
rapacious logging
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/tr...talists-dismay
and supporting the dying coal industry.

This is a time in the evolution of humankind to cast off the archaic
technologies that have brought Earth's closed-cycle environment to the
brink of disaster, and develop sustainable technologies that will
serve us in reversing the industrial destruction of our once
miraculous habitat, and enable closed-cycle extraterrestrial
exploration and habitation in mankind's march toward our future
destiny.

Let's hope those with the power to effect positive change are able to
vanquish the those pathetically misguided avaricious wealthy who cling
to their backward looking vision, and lead us to the sunlight uplands
of a splendid future...

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https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/...gen-fuel-cells

First Commercial-Grade Aircraft Flies On Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Paul Bertorelli
September 26, 20203

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.
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https://www.zeroavia.com
Our Mission

ZeroAvia enables zero emission air travel at scale, starting with 500
mile short-haul trips, at half of today’s cost.

Novel approach removes many limitations of the current zero emission
programs.

ZeroAvia’s achievement is the first step to realising the
transformational possibilities of moving from fossil fuels to
zero-emission hydrogen as the primary energy source for commercial
aviation. Eventually, and without any new fundamental science
required, hydrogen-powered aircraft will match the flight distances
and payload of the current fossil fuel aircraft.

ZeroAvia will now turn its attention to the next and final stage of
its six-seat development program - a 250-mile zero emission flight out
of an airfield in Orkney before the end of the year. The demonstration
of this range is roughly equivalent to busy major routes such as Los
Angeles to San Francisco or London to Edinburgh.

Intelligent Energy will optimise its high power fuel cell technology
for application in aviation whilst EMEC, producers of green hydrogen
from renewable energy, will supply the hydrogen required for flight
tests and develop a mobile refuelling platform compatible with the
plane.

In addition to all the aircraft work, ZeroAvia and EMEC have developed
the Hydrogen Airport Refuelling Ecosystem (HARE) at Cranfield Airport
- a microcosm of what the hydrogen airport ecosystem will look like in
terms of green hydrogen production, storage, refuelling and fuel cell
powered-flight. This also marks another world’s first - a fully
operational hydrogen production and refueling airport facility for
primary commercial aircraft propulsion.

ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric powertrain is projected to have lower
operating costs than its jet-fuelled competition due to lower fuel and
maintenance costs. The company plans to control hydrogen fuel
production and supply for its powertrains, and other commercial
customers, substantially reducing the fuel availability and pricing
risks for the entire market.