Hydrogen Fuel Cell Aircraft: Powering Aviation's Future | FASTECH
Flight has proven to be one of humanity’s greatest achievements, but it’s also a significant source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
With more than 100,000 passenger, cargo, and military flights crossing the skies daily, the transportation industry accounts for approximately 2.5%-3% of worldwide CO2 emissions.
By 2050, commercial aircraft emissions are projected to triple at the current growth trajectory of air travel and transport.
The aviation industry finds itself at an impasse—continuing on its current path will exacerbate climate change, yet stifling its growth could disrupt global economies and supply chain connectivity.
Hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) powered aircraft may prove a viable alternative to fossil-fueled aviation.
What Are Hydrogen Fuel Cells?
HFCs are an environmentally and economically sustainable method of generating energy. These devices catalyze reactions between hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy with heat and water as their only byproducts.
A single HFC isn’t very powerful, producing only around one volt of electricity. However, when combined in great numbers, fuel cell stacks are veritable powerhouses.
Hydrogen energy is a key feature in virtually every roadmap to carbon neutrality due to its performance capabilities in hard-to-abate sectors like aviation.
Hydrogen fuel cells are:
- 100% emission-free
- Quick to refuel with pressurized pumps
- Highly efficient at converting hydrogen into electricity, with heat transfer being the primary source of energy loss
Blue and green hydrogen are especially eco-friendly solutions, producing minimal or zero lifecycle carbon emissions. Clean hydrogen is currently poised to revolutionize the energy, aviation, and heavy-duty mobility sectors.
How Do Hydrogen Fuel Cell Systems Work in Planes?
HFC systems transform aircraft fueling into an electrochemical process capable of eliminating the vehicle’s substantial carbon emissions.
Integrating these novel fuel systems into conventional aircraft designs requires a total rehaul of traditional fuel storage and delivery.
Specifically, there are three key redesigns to consider:
- Fuel storage – Conventional aircraft store liquid fuel in the wings, an impractical approach for a hydrogen alternative. . Instead, hydrogen-powered planes have a dedicated storage tank that makes up the rear third of the aircraft’s fuselage. Modern hydrogen-powered aircraft use gaseous hydrogen (GH2), but this trend may shift toward liquid hydrogen (LH2) due to its superior energy density.
- Fuel cell stacks – Stored hydrogen isn’t converted directly into energy. First, it’s combined with pressurized air within the fuel cell stack, which then channels the power output into the aircraft’s power train.
- Electricity generation – HFC systems generate electricity, with the fuel cell stacks acting as miniature power plants. The raw direct current (DC) produced by each cell may be converted into an alternating current (AC) as needed.
Harnessing Hydrogen: Pioneering Test Flights
The dream of hydrogen-powered flight became a reality in 2023 with two projects demonstrating the potential for hydrogen-powered planes.
Universal Hydrogen Moses Lake Flight
In Washington state, Universal Hydrogen successfully executed a test flight using a modified turboprop De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 50-seater plane. The plane flew for approximately 15 minutes and reached an altitude of 2,300 feet, propelled primarily by hydrogen power.
The plane’s unique design incorporated a groundbreaking dual propulsion system; one side hosted a standard engine running on jet fuel, while the other side was equipped with an innovative electric motor powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
According to the test pilot, former US Air Force pilot Alex Kroll: “All the noise was coming from the left side. Once we hit cruise, we throttled back and we flew almost exclusively on the right-hand engine. It was silent.”
Airbus ZEROe
Airbus has also joined the race to produce the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft. Their ZEROe research and development project explores various configurations and technology options for hydrogen aircraft.
Their work includes hybrid-hydrogen aircraft that use modified gas turbine engines capable of hydrogen combustion by combining liquid hydrogen with compressed oxygen.
The Potential of Hydrogen in Aviation
Hydrogen fuel cells have emerged as a critical technology in the pursuit of net-zero fueling in various industries.
In the wake of these test cases providing proof of concept for hydrogen aviation, other major industry advancements followed close behind.
- ZeroAvia has won acclaim for developing hydrogen-electric engines for current commercial aircraft models.
- California-based Joby Aviation flew a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) air taxi powered by liquid hydrogen for 523 miles.
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a roadmap for hydrogen-fueled aircraft safety and certification.
A combination of government support and private innovation will be crucial to accelerating the adoption of hydrogen in aviation.
Chief barriers to quicker integration include limitations in hydrogen production, fueling, and distribution. All of this infrastructure needs significant upscaling to meet the global demand for sustainable aircraft.
FASTECH’s Contributions to Expanding America’s Hydrogen
FASTECH is the country’s leading end-to-end developer of clean energy infrastructure.
Our engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance solutions are already powering over 40 hydrogen stations across the nation.
When you’re ready to transition to sustainable hydrogen power, pick the professionals with over 30 years of industry expertise.
Learn more about FASTECH’s role powering hydrogen solutions.
