Hydrogen Aviation
The use of hydrogen, particularly hydrogen fuel cell powertrains, as a pathway to zero-emissions aviation. Hydrogen offers vastly superior energy density to lithium batteries. Indeed, there's a pathway using existing technology to building aircraft that can travel just as far as anything carrying jet fuel, for significantly reduced prices, while eliminating emissions.
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Last April, a hydrogen-powered ZeroAvia test plane lost power and crashed during flight tests. The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch has now completed its investigation into the incident, and confirmed that the hydrogen system was not to blame. -
H2 Clipper says large electric airships lifted and powered by green hydrogen stand ready to transport massive cargo loads over enormous distances much faster than cargo ships, and with zero emissions. But can they overcome the obvious obstacles? -
The Celera 500L is a truly remarkable design. Otto Aviation says its odd shape delivers an astonishing 59% reduction in drag, so it can cruise as fast as a small jet while using 80% less fuel. Now, Otto and ZeroAvia are giving it a clean powertrain. -
Australian company Aviation H2 hopes to clean up commercial flight by converting existing aircraft to burn green ammonia instead of jet fuel. Director Christof Mayer tells us the team plans to have a 9-seat business jet flying on ammonia by mid-2023. -
A revolutionary cryogenic tank design promises to radically boost the range of hydrogen-powered aircraft – to the point where clean, fuel cell airliners could fly up to four times farther than comparable planes running on today's dirty jet fuel. -
Stuttgart-based German aerospace company H2FLY has claimed a new world record for its four-seater HY4, which became the first hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft to reach an altitude above 7,000 ft (2,134 m) on April 13. -
Piasecki Aircraft is working on a full-size winged helicopter running HyPoint's air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell system – but to test that powertrain, it's converting an ultralight compound chopper for the world's first manned H2 helicopter flight. -
Hyundai Subsidiary Supernal is working on a battery-powered eVTOL, but the company is also gearing up to make moves in hydrogen aviation, leveraging its fuel cell auto experience. It's planning an eSTOL regional aircraft with a range over 620 miles. -
Hypersonix Launch Systems is looking to make the delivery of satellites into orbit cheaper, more accessible, and greener by developing a reusable launch system powered by green hydrogen – and is eyeing off hypersonic airliners further down the line. -
De Havilland Canada has partnered with ZeroAvia to develop a zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell powertrain for its Dash 8-400 airliner, which can either be retrofit to existing planes or supplied as a factory option on new aircraft orders. -
California startup H2 Clipper wants to bring back hydrogen-filled airships, claiming they can unlock completely green intercontinental cargo operations carrying 8-10 times the payload of any cargo plane over 6,000 miles, at a quarter of the price.
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Long-haul aviation presents a tough challenge for decarbonization, but a group of 100 aerospace experts working on the UK government's FlyZero project says 279-seat liquid hydrogen airliners will connect any two points on the globe with just one stop.
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