Hydrogen-powered aircraft
As hydrogen aircraft an aircraft is called flying with an engine that is powered by hydrogen.
Companies like Boeing, Lange Aviation, EADS and the German Aerospace Center (DLR ) explore the hydrogen drive for manned and unmanned aircraft.
Boeing
In February 2008, Boeing tested a manned airplane that was powered by a fuel cell and an electric motor.
In July 2010, Boeing unveiled the hydrogen -powered Phantom Eye, a perennial, unmanned reconnaissance aircraft for great heights. The drive system consists of two internal combustion engines driven with hydrogen.
Antares H3
The German Centre for Aerospace and Lange Research Aircraft GmbH currently developing the motor glider Antares H3, which is to achieve a range of 6,000 km at a flight time of 50 hours. It should be borne payloads of up to 200 kg. Is powered by the aircraft electrical motors and fuel cells, the hydrogen tanks are located in 4 streamlined tanks under the wings. As a basis for the development was the flying since 2004 electric glider Antares 20E and the hydrogen aircraft Antares DLR -H2. The take-off weight is 1.25 t. In a further stage, the aircraft will also fly unmanned. The first flight is planned for 2011 [ deprecated].
The Cryoplane project
Under the name Cryoplane ( engl cold air) ran from 2000 to 2002, a major project of 36 companies, universities and government agencies under the leadership of Airbus, with the aim of the technical and economic feasibility, as well as security aspects and the environmental impact of liquid hydrogen as aviation fuel to investigate, and to develop strategies for a smooth transition to this new fuel. The name of the project derives from the need from hydrogen to cool to at least -253 ° C to keep it in a liquid state.
The following naming of advantages and disadvantages is largely based on previously published findings from this project.
Benefits
Since hydrogen with the same mass 2.8 times of energy such as kerosene would contain a hydrogen aircraft in the same range significantly less fuel than current need machine and would thus allow the transport of higher payloads.
Burn hydrogen without emission of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, therefore hydrogen aircraft would have significantly lower adverse effects on the environment. A possible economic advantage results from this, if governments - for example, to implement the agreements of the Kyoto Protocol - Adopt measures to promote low-carbon technologies. However, continue to steam arise (condensation, with the same engine performance even more intense ) and nitrogen oxides.
In case of fire, the fact is considered an advantage that hydrogen is gaseous and lighter than air at temperatures above -252.882 ° C. The formation of fire carpets, as occurs in leaking kerosene would thus excluded since escaping hydrogen would quickly escape upwards. As a result, rescue workers could more easily penetrate to a wrecked at the bottom machine.
Disadvantages
The volume of hydrogen is in the liquid state or four times greater than is the case with fuel. This has the consequence that either remains less room for payloads or that the hulls of hydrogen aircraft would have to be designed accordingly larger. In addition to tanks in which liquid hydrogen to be transported have spherical or cylindrical shape in the present state of the art. This is an accommodation of the tanks in the wings - as is the case with kerosene tanks today - only to a limited extent. This leads to a new position to accommodate the fuel tank need to be found. Discussed is currently for example via a built- in fuselage above the passenger or cargo cabin.
The use of hydrogen as a fuel due to new construction for tanks, fuel systems and engines of the machines, as well as a new technique of refueling at airports. Developed for the automotive engineering concepts, such as slight pressure tanks can be modified also used in aircraft technology.
Hydrogen must be self-made, it can further disadvantages occur. Currently this is done from natural gas under carbon dioxide release. The production from biomass, which is available only to a limited, is in the experimental stage. A production by electrolysis from solar power is at overcapacity economically (wind gas).
The Hydrogenius project
At the University of Stuttgart, Institute of Aircraft developed under the project name Hydrogenius a hydrogen powered two - seater motor glider. Stored as gaseous hydrogen energy is converted into electricity in a fuel cell; An electric motor drives the propeller.