World's first as fuel cell aircraft takes off in Germany
July 7, 2009
The Antares DLR-H2 flies its madden voyage over the northern German city of Hamburg. The airplane powered by fuel cells was commissioned by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) with the goal of developing fuel cells for a reliable on-board power supply for wide-body airliners.
The world's first piloted aircraft capable of taking to the air using only power from fuel cells took off in Germany Tuesday, producing zero carbon dioxide emissions, its makers said.
"We have improved the performance capabilities and efficiency of the fuel cell to such an extent that a piloted aircraft is now able to take off using it," said Johann-Dietrich Woerner from the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
"This enables us to demonstrate the true potential of this technology, also and perhaps specifically for applications in the aerospace sector," he said.
Developed by the DLR, Lange Aviation, BASF Fuel Cells and Denmark's Serenergy, the Antares DLR-H2 motor glider has a range of 750 kilometres (465 miles) and can fly for five hours.
The system uses hydrogen as its fuel, and this is converted into electrical energy in a direct, electrochemical reaction with oxygen in the ambient air, without any combustion occurring.
The only by-product is water, and if the hydrogen fuel is produced using renewable energy sources, then the motor glider is genuinely CO2-free, the DLR said.
"Although the fuel cell may still be a long way from becoming the primary energy source for the propulsion of commercial aircraft, it does already constitute an interesting and important alternative to existing energy systems as a form of reliable on-board power supply," the DLR said.
(c) 2009 AFP
2 hours ago
Too bad H2 is so impractically difficult to store and transport.
Too bad H2 takes more energy to create, either from ammonia (petroleum based) or water, than can ever be realized.
Too bad there are no hydrogen mines. The US alone will 100 additional 1000MW power plants to electrolyze sufficient fuel for a hydrogen economy.
Move along, its just another pig in a poke.
It is truly raining donuts in space. But we wouldn't need the outer planet's H2 here on earth. Give me low cost to orbit and I'll give you all the "free" electricity you'll ever need. Solar Power Sats in geo-sync orbit.
A self solving problem.
Also with new tech for making H without using Pt in the process is gonna make it much much cheaper.
Forget EV's .. H is the way forward. Also much easier to fill up with H than charge a battery.
Why is this so important they can just create an engine that works on H2 and skip the electricity step with the same results.
I can see the benefits for batteries though, but this?
Scepticals, as usual, will try but never stop technical evolutions.
One nice thing about fuel cells is they have no moving parts.
What's all this about a "propeller"?
Every method of H2 manufacture involves either copious quantities of electricity or petroleum. Given enough power generating capacity H2 can be made cheaply - but it is no panacea.
Huge amounts of H2 can be made using Aluminum; then you just need to spend your copious amounts of electricity on refining the Aluminum.
"TANSTAAFL - There aint no such thing as a Free Lunch" - Robert A. Heinlein.