Biggest hydrogen fuel plane flies for first time
April 14, 2023Universal Hydrogen has successfully completed the first test flight of its hydrogen fuel plane, currently the largest of its kind. The company has been modifying the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 aircraft, replacing one of its engines with a MagniX electric motor, which is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. The plane has two hydrogen tanks with a capacity of 30 kilograms of fuel. The test flight lasted for 15 minutes, with the fuel cell providing up to 800 kilowatts of electricity and producing only water vapor as emissions. Universal Hydrogen will conduct further flight tests before the plane can be used conventionally.
The largest H2-powered aircraft has now started its test flights, which have been successful.
Universal Hydrogen recently announced that the hydrogen fuel plane it has been developing – currently the largest in existence – has started its test flights, and so far, so good.
Though electric batteries work for passenger vehicles, aircraft need substantially more power.
As aircraft require considerably more power than cars, batteries typically aren’t seen as a viable source of energy for that application. Instead, companies have been working on hydrogen fuel planes, among other options. In the case of H2-powered aircraft, the flights can be achieved carbon emission free without sacrificing the power needed due to H2’s energy density.
This is precisely the case with Universal Hydrogen, which has been working on its own H2-powered aircraft. It began its testing in February, at which time it completed the taxiing phase. That phase was critical for obtaining a special airworthiness certificate for its experimental test aircraft, a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300. With that certificate, it was permitted to move forward with its first flight, which would launch a planned two-year testing series.
The Dash 8-300 hydrogen fuel plane has been heavily modified to be able to run on H2.
The Dash 8-300’s conventional design is for a regional turboprop aircraft with seating for approximately 50 passengers, depending on internal configuration. However, the substantial modifications made by Universal Hydrogen changed the aircraft considerably.
For example, an entire engine was replaced with a MagniX electric motor. That motor is powered by electricity from a megawatt-class hydrogen fuel cell. To accommodate the necessary fuel, the aircraft also has two H2 tanks with a capacity of 30 kilograms of fuel.
First Flight
The hydrogen fuel plane – which has been nicknamed Lightning McClean – has successfully completed its first flight, which lasted for fifteen minutes. During that time, it reached a 3,500-foot above sea level altitude. The fuel cell provided the aircraft with up to 800 kilowatts of electricity during the test flight, producing only water vapor as its emissions. The test consumed about 16 kilograms of H2.
This is only the first of a spectrum of flight tests the aircraft will undergo before it is deemed ready for conventional use.
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The world needs fuel cell electric (whether hydrogen or sulfur dioxide), battery electric, and concentrated solar.
These new technologies are being expected to ramp up from essentially zero 8 years ago (when PLUG delivered its first working fuel cell to an Amazon distribution warehouse) to provide enough capacity to power the world’s needs.
The monopolistic power dinosaurs (Big Oil, Big Coal, Big Natural Gas, Big Coal, etc) fought against the new tech, even though they all knew that Global Warming was real, and their products were the root cause. Just like the cigarette companies knew for 50 years that cigarettes caused various cancers.
The world will need to keep the dinosaurs for some period (a transition period) until the new kids on the block can deliver enough power to replace them. Thankfully, in this revolution, there are MANY new kids all over the world. No one can get a monopoly, unless governments allow it to happen.
Actually Global Warming although it may be a fact, cannot conclusively be attributed to vehicles, as according to calculations after the Mt. St. Helens volcano, that volcano produced more pollution then the whole of the industrial revolution. Although our need for viable non-polluting power is absolutely needed, we just do not have sufficient data to say that global warming we are now experiencing is not a part of a cyclic phenomena that we cannot accurately predict. It is human nature to always think that we are so smart that we need to know the why, and we must have someone to blame. So lets not rationalize a situation to fuel our human egos.
Fact, Fossil fuels/burning, all contribute to pollution. Fact, Man’s garbage land fills, and throw-away mentality contribute to pollution. Fact, Destroying forests contributes to the pollution, because it destroys natures cure. Let us not fool ourselves to think that H2 itself is the panacea for all of our Ills, rather a greatly needed help/start.
Gentlemen:
We “Consumers” need to begin the comparisons of the costs of H2 fuels in not only the costs of the various cars and trucks, but first the various “costs per mile” in say year One – Now, and we ask that you keep publishing those costs each year based on the several types of H2 production, and the probably several new cars and trucks ready for us to buy.
Now, I and most everyone I speak to will not buy anything purely electric – cost to buy is way too high – and refuel is too unknown – both cost and availability. H2 fuel and cars and trucks – maybe.
In comparison we , the world, are about to enter the model -T phase comparing to the Petroleum Era. All in for it, to include investing in the Hydrogen Era, PLUG especially.
At the same time, it’s important to realize that 1 of 2 engines were hydrogen powered, and that this was a fifteen minute flight. It was a big team with a lot of partners, so I see this as an encouraging first step. Perhaps we will get a chance to enjoy low altitude, quiet jet turbine flight in small planes with nice views at an affordable price in our lifetimes. I will not pass us the opportunity if it comes.
Felicitaciones a todo el equipo que participó en esta innovación y desarrollo, será un gran aprendizaje para otros proyectos, personas como Uds., generan los grandes cambios.
¿Tienen considerado desarrollar turbinas a combustión de hidrógeno?
Gracias y un gran abrazo.