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to the
International Clearinghouse for Hydrogen Commerce
BUILDING A WORLD THAT WORKSTM
CONTACT
"First they laugh at you,
then they ignore you, then they fight with you, then you win." -- Ghandi
"Mankind's future depends
on America's energy choices. Let's clean house and abandon the
phony solutions that result in war, environmental ruin,
poverty, hunger, hatred and disease.
We must lead. We must set the example and Build A World That
Works!"TM
- Richard D. Masters
Air &
Space Propulsion
The light weight, high
energy and cleanliness of hydrogen are attractive
to aviation - but how can the difficult challenge of storage be overcome?
TABLE OF CONTENTS -- EXPLORE THIS SITE
Air
&
Space Propulsion
Page 1
Page
2
Phantom Eye is powered by two 2.3-liter, four-cylinder
engines that provide 150 horsepower each. It has a 150-foot
wingspan, will cruise at approximately 150 knots and can
carry up to a 450-pound payload. Key Phantom Eye suppliers
and partners include Ford Motor Company (engines); Aurora
Flight Sciences (wing); Mahle Powertrain (propulsion
controls); Ball Aerospace (fuel tanks); Turbosolutions
Engineering (turbochargers); the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency; and NASA.
Although speeds of 145-150 km/h were
recorded, the official new world speed record for
electrically-powered class C aeroplanes is 135 km/h, while the
aircraft also broke the endurance record of 45 minutes.
The aircraft, called Rapid 200-FC,
completed its maiden flight on 20 May 2010, using a completely
electrical hybrid power system, comprising a 20kW PEM fuel
cell and a 20 kW Li-Po battery. Test Pilot Marco Locatelli
carried out a first aero-mechanical take off, followed by an
eleven-minute test flight for investigations of the flight
envelope.
The Naval Research Laboratory's Ion Tiger, a hydrogen-powered
fuel cell unmanned air vehicle (UAV), has flown 26 hours and 1
minute carrying a 5-pound payload, setting another unofficial
flight endurance record for a fuel-cell powered flight. The
test flight took place on November 16th through 17th.
The electric fuel cell propulsion system onboard the Ion
Tiger has the low noise and signature of a battery-powered UAV,
while taking advantage of hydrogen, a high-energy fuel. Fuel
cells create an electrical current when they convert hydrogen
and oxygen into water and heat. The 550 Watt (0.75 horsepower)
fuel cell onboard the Ion Tiger has about four times the
efficiency of a comparable internal combustion engine and the
system provides seven times the energy in the equivalent
weight of batteries. The Ion Tiger weighs approximately 37
pounds and carries a 4- to 5-pound payload.
The Ion Tiger fuel cell system development team is led by NRL
and includes Protonex Technology Corporation, HyperComp
Engineering, and Arcturus UAV. The program is sponsored by the
Office of Naval Research.
This latest flight test improves on Ion Tiger's previous
unofficial flight endurance record of 23 hours and 17 minutes
that took place on October 9th and 10th.
NRL has now demonstrated that PEM fuel cell technology can
meet or surpass the performance of traditional power systems,
providing reliable, quiet operation and extremely high
efficiency. Next steps will focus on increasing the power of
the fuel cell to 1.5 kW, or 2 HP, to enable tactical flights
and extending flight times to 3 days while powering tactical
payloads.
Transcript NARRATION: PETTY OFFICER 2ND BRIAN COVERLEY
PETROLEUM-BASED FUELS POWER THE MACHINES WE RELY ON EVERY DAY,
FROM MOTORCYCLES TO JETS, FROM THE MASSIVE TO THE MUNDANE. AND
ALTHOUGH PETRO-FUELS AND COMBUSTION ENGINES AREN'T GOING AWAY
ANYTIME SOON, THE NAVY IS EXPERIMENTING WITH MORE-EFFICIENT
ALTERNATIVE-FUEL SOURCES TO LESSEN THE NAVY'S CARBON FOOTPRINT
WHILE REDUCING OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL. ONE OF THOSE
ALTERNATIVE FUELS IS HYDROGEN; A FUEL SOURCE THAT TRIES TO
MAKE THIS LOOK MORE LIKE THIS.
Karen Swider-Lyons, Material Science Engineer
Naval Research Labratory
THE NAVY IS INTERESTED IN HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS BECAUSE THEY
OFFER CLEAN, EFFICIENT ENERGY.
NARRATION: PETTY OFFICER 2ND BRIAN COVERLEY
THE OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH AND THE NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY
ARE TESTING ZERO-EMISSION HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS, BUT HOW EXACTLY
TO THEY WORK?
Karen Swider-Lyons, Material Science Engineer
Naval Research Labratory
IT'S A VERY SIMPLE REACTION. IT'S HYDROGEN PLUS OXYGEN EQUALS
WATER. WHAT WE DO IS IN THIS CASE TAKE HYDROGEN, AND THE
ELECTRONS COME OFF IT. IT'S STRIPPED BY WHAT'S CALLED A
CATALYST. THEN THEY GO AROUND TO THE OTHER COMPARTMENT WHERE
THERE IS AIR, AND THE ELECTRONS RECOMBINE WIT THE OXYGEN AND
THE AIR, AND THEY MAKE WATER.
NARRATION: PETTY OFFICER 2ND BRIAN COVERLEY RESEARCH ON HYDROGEN
FUEL CELLS IS RESEARCH INTO BECOMING A MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY NAVY, BUT THERE ARE ALSO IMPORTANT TACTICAL BENEFITS.
TAKE THE ION TIGER FOR EXAMPLE.
Karen Swider-Lyons, Material Science Engineer
Naval Research Labratory
THE ION TIGER IS A FUEL CELL POWERED UNMANNED AIR VEHICLE ,
AND IT'S DESIGNED TO FLY FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS AND CARRY A
FIVE-POUND PAYLOAD.
Michele Anderson, Program Officer
Office of Naval Research
SO IDEALLY THAT MEANS THE UAV CAN STAY OUT ON STATION LONGER,
OR IT CAN TRAVEL A FARTHER DISTANCE, AND IT KEEPS THE
WARFIGHTER OUT OF HARM'S WAY AND GIVES THEM CRITICAL
INFORMATION IN ORDER TO DO THEIR JOB. AND THE OTHER FEATURE OF
ION TIGER IS BECAUSE IT'S SO QUIET, IT CAN FLY AT LOW
ALTITUDES UNDETECTED. WHEREAS VERSUS SOME OF THE ENGINE
TECHNOLOGY, YOU HAVE TO FLY AT MUCH HIGHER ALTITUDES. SO THERE
IS SORT OF THE CONSUMER SIDE OF IT WHICH IS VERY CLEAN
EFFICIENT ENERGY. AND FOR THE NAVY, WE TAKE THAT AND TURN IT
INTO DOING MISSIONS THAT WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW WITH THE PRESENT
TECHNOLOGY. AND SO, AS
THE NAVY MOVES TOWARDS MORE UNMANNED SYSTEMS AND LOOK FOR
HIGH-ENERGY PROPULSION SOURCES, WE SEE FUEL CELLS PLAYING A
MAJOR ROLE IN THAT.
NARRATION: PETTY OFFICER 2ND BRIAN COVERLEY
ION TIGER IS USING HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS TO CREATE A TOOL FOR
THE FRONT-LINE WARFIGHTER, BUT
CAN THIS TECHNOLOGY
ALSO BE USED TO MAKE BASE OPERATIONS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT?
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON SAYS, "YES."
Jim Seaman, Fleet Manager
Camp Pendleton
DESCRIBING THE FUEL CELL PROGRAM HERE AT CAMP PENDLETON, IT'S
BASICALLY A PARTNERSHIP WITH GM AND US TO EXERCISE THEIR
VEHICLES AND SEE HOW THEY PERFORM UNDER REAL-WORLD SITUATIONS.
Scott Brierley, Driver Relationship Manager
General Motors
THEY ARE INCORPORATING TWO OF THESE VEHICLES INTO THEIR DAILY
OPERATIONS. WE HAVE NO GASOLINE ON BOARD THE VEHICLE AT ALL.
WE'RE USING COMPRESSED HYDROGEN. IN FACT THERE IS NO BURNING
OR PISTONS MOVING UP AND DOWN OR CYLINDERS INVOLVED IN THIS
VEHICLE.
NARRATION: PETTY OFFICER 2ND BRIAN COVERLEY
BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRIC MOTOR POWERED BY A
HYDROGEN FUEL CELL, THE ONLY EMISSION SIT GIVES OFF ARE WATER
VAPORS. THIS MAKES IT CLEANER THAN COMBUSTION ENGINES, BUT
WHAT ABOUT SAFETY?
Gary Funk, Regional Fleet Manager
Soutwest Region Fleet Transportation
I'M NOT A SCIENTIST BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION. BUT
IT IS A FUEL THAT IS
MUCH, MUCH, MUCH SAFER THAN ANY OF THE PETROLEUM PRODUCTS THAT
WE CURRENTLY USE IN THE BATTLEFIELD. THE VALUE OF THIS
PROGRAM TO THE WARFIGHER IS THE LESSONS LEARNED THAT WE'RE
GOING TO EXPERIENCE OVER THE NEXT TWO-TO-THREE-TO-FOUR YEARS
MAYBE POSSIBLY GIVE
THOSE LESSONS LEARNED TO OUR MARINE CORPS SYSTEMS COMMAND BACK
EAST, AND THEY CAN INCORPORATE IT INTO SOME OF THE FUTURE
VEHICLES THAT WE HAVE GOING TO THE BATTLEFIELD.
NARRATION: PETTY OFFICER 2ND BRIAN COVERLEY
WHETHER OR NOT HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS EVENTUALLY MAKE IT TO THE
BATTLE FIELD, THE RESEARCH IS PART OF THE NAVY'S COMMITMENT
TOWARDS EXPLORING MORE EFFICIENT FUELS THAT WILL INCREASE OUR
ENERGY SECURITY AND HELP US BECOME BETTER STEWARDS OF THE
ENVIRONMENT.
The Naval Research Laboratory has completed a successful
flight test of the fuel cell powered XFC (eXperimental Fuel
Cell) unmanned aerial system (UAS). During the June 2 flight
test, the XFC UAS was airborne for more than six hours. NRL's
Chemistry and Tactical Electronic Warfare Divisions are
developing the XFC UAS as an expendable, long endurance
platform for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR).
Compared to internal combustion powered vehicles, battery
powered UAS are inherently stealthy in that they are
relatively free of noise and thermal signature, and are easy
to start, operate and maintain. However, they have poor
payload capacity and endurance. The electrically powered UAS
could have more tactical utility and be a platform for ISR if
endurance could be increased.
NRL and its fuel cell development and manufacturing partner,
Protonex Technology Corporation (Southborough, MA) have
addressed these issues by developing a hydrogen fuel cell
power plant system that greatly extends endurance and permits
increased payload capacity. The technology has been
successfully integrated into the XFC UAS, a folding wing,
expendable UAS that has a small footprint with a standard
lightweight rail launcher. The non-hybridized power plant
supports this fully autonomous aircraft and an EO/IR payload
for a flight endurance that enables relatively low cost, low
altitude, ISR missions of up to seven-plus hours in its
current configuration. In its final form, the XFC will be
capable of self-launching from a folded configuration with
loiter speed of 30 knots and a dash speed of 52 knots.
NRL's XFC UAS will be on display in booth 256 at the 2009
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)
meeting in Washington, DC from August 10 - 13.
The Office of Naval Research, the Department of Defense's
Rapid Reaction Technology Office, and the Office of Technology
Transition sponsor this research program.
The Future
of Private Aviation?
GERMAN FC AIRCRAFT
CLAIMS 5-HR ENDURANCE
On 7 July 2009, Antares DLR-H2, the world's first piloted
aircraft capable of taking off using only power from fuel
cells, demonstrated this capability at Hamburg Airport.
Antares DLR-H2 has been developed by the German Aerospace
Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR). The
Antares flies with zero CO2 emissions and has a much lower
noise footprint than other, comparable, motor gliders. The
propulsion system for this aircraft was developed at the DLR
Institute for Technical Thermodynamics (Institut für
Technische Thermodynamik – Stuttgart) in collaboration with
its project partners – Lange Aviation, BASF Fuel Cells and
Serenergy (Denmark). This motor glider achieves new quality
standards in the field of high-efficiency, zero-emission
energy conversion and clearly demonstrates the progress that
has been made in fuel cell technology.
The centrepiece and greatest innovation on the Antares DLR-H2
is the fact that it is powered directly by means of an
ultra-efficient fuel cell. "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,"
stated Prof. Dr-Ing Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Chairman of the
Executive Board at DLR. "This enables us to demonstrate the
true potential of this technology, also and perhaps
specifically for applications in the aerospace sector. Coupled
with our expertise in fuel cell technology, DLR's many years
of extensive experience in gaining official approval for
aerospace systems are what made the Antares DLR-H2 a feasible
proposition."
Standard motor glider retrofitted with fuel cell drive The Antares DLR-H2 is based on the Antares 20E motor
glider with a wingspan of 20 metres, constructed by Lange
Aviation, a company based in the Rhineland-Palatinate region
of Germany. With its fuel cell propulsion system, Antares has
a cruising range of 750 kilometres, achieved in a flying time
of five hours. In order to accommodate the fuel cell and the
hydrogen supply on board the aircraft, two additional external
load carriers were slung under the specially reinforced wings.
Due to the extra 100 kilograms of payload that each of these
removable and flexibly interchangeable containers is able to
carry, the aeroelastic properties of the wings had to be
reconfigured to prevent any adverse impact on the flight
stability of the aircraft. Optimisation work at the DLR
Institute for Aeroelasticity (Institut für Aeroelastik –
Göttingen) now provides the Antares DLR-H2 with an assured
capability to fly at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour
without any wing flutter. The current propulsion system
permits maximum flying speeds of approximately 170 kilometres
per hour.
A fuel cell system is the centrepiece of propulsion
technology The fuel cell system was developed by the DLR Institute
for Technical Thermodynamics in collaboration with BASF Fuel
Cells (electrolytic membrane and catalysts) and Serenergy A/S
(stack subsystem). 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. During this zero-particulate
reaction, the only by-product is water. If the hydrogen fuel
is produced using renewable energy sources, then the motor
glider genuinely flies without any CO2 emissions whatsoever.
The fuel cell is slung under the left wing and the hydrogen
tank under the right wing – with a capacity of either 2 or 4.9
kilograms. The fuel cell system used to power the Antares
delivers up to 25 kilowatts of electrical power. When flying
in a straight line, the aircraft only requires about ten
kilowatts of power. In this situation, the fuel cell is
operating at an efficiency level of approximately 52 percent.
The total efficiency of the drive system from tank to
powertrain, including the propeller, is in the region of 44
percent, making it about twice as efficient as conventional
propulsion technologies based on combustion processes. Systems
powered by kerosene or diesel only contribute about 18 to 25
percent of their energy to propulsion.
"The top priority in this project is of course the safety and
reliability of the fuel cell propulsion system," stated
Antares Project Manager Dr-Ing. Josef Kallo from the DLR
Institute for Technical Thermodynamics. However, having the
correct architecture for the entire system is just as
important for full implementation of this project: "This
includes having an absolutely reliable fuel cell, in
conjunction with propulsion system of the aircraft and, last
but not least, a fully mature configuration for the
aerodynamics and aeroelasticity of the motor glider."
Another new feature of the Antares is the way its fuel cell
is connected to the main electric motor that powers the
aircraft. The motor controller, developed jointly with Lange
Aviation and with the College of Advanced Technology in Berne/Biel,
is capable of taking in and controlling voltages from 188 to
400 V. Through the direct link between fuel cell and motor,
efficiency, costs, reliability and maintenance costs are
minimised.
Fuel cell as future energy source for air transport "With our successful first flight, we have verified the
feasibility of fuel-cell powered flight and our next steps
will focus on improving efficiency levels and on extending the
service life of these systems", stated Dr Kallo. This could,
for example, make it possible to significantly improve
performance by optimising the cooling concepts, fuel cell
architecture and components such as the air supply system. "At
this stage, we have only tapped into a fraction of the
performance capabilities of this technology for aerospace
applications. The Antares DLR-H2 will help us to make much
greater use of these areas of potential."
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. High efficiency levels go hand
in hand with minimum pollutant emissions, lower noise levels,
safe flying operations and high standards of passenger
comfort. The aim of the research work being conducted by DLR
is to employ fuel cells in real-life applications for
commercial air transport – as a reliable supply source for
on-board power. In an initial stage of development, DLR
collaborated with Airbus Germany on a fuel cell system for
providing an emergency power supply to the hydraulic pumps
used to control the DLR research aircraft – the Airbus A320
ATRA. In a second step, the ongoing use of a fuel cell system
to provide an on-board supply in large-volume transport
aircraft is firmly on the drawing board. In future, the
Antares DLR-H2 motor glider will provide a cost-effective
platform for testing fuel cell systems for aerospace. Among
other things, this optimises the test time of the DLR Airbus
A320 ATRA.
Flying test laboratory will in future be teaming up with
the Fuel Cell Lab in Hamburg The Antares DLR-H2 will be based at Lufthansa Technik in
Hamburg where, over the next three years, it will be acting as
a flying test platform for the fuel cell test activities of
DLR as part of its Fuel Cell Labs project. The Fuel Cell Lab
was brought into being by the City of Hamburg on a joint basis
with DLR and Airbus/EADS and is intended to 'bundle' a high
proportion of the hydrogen and fuel cell activities being
conducted in the greater Hamburg region. By stationing this
research aircraft on the premises of Lufthansa Technik, direct
contact can be established with an experienced technical
development and maintenance operation in the air transport
business. This linkage will also help to enhance the ease of
operation and maintenance of the future fuel cell systems
designed for use in large-volume air transport and developed
by DLR in its capacity as a development partner for Airbus. To
safeguard and further develop the level all-round flying
expertise for this new fuel cell application, DLR and Lange
Aviation GmbH have co-signed a cooperation agreement. Other
partners who have already joined include BASF Fuel Cell GmbH,
Serenergy A/S and Lufthansa-Technik AG, who came on board in
the course of 2008.
The hydrogen tank slung under the right wing has a capacity of
either 2 or 4.9 kg. The fuel cell is slung under the left
wing. The fuel cell system used to power the Antares delivers
up to 25 kilowatts of electrical power and, when flying in a
straight line, the aircraft only requires about ten kilowatts
of power. The total efficiency of the drive system from tank
to powertrain, including the propeller, is in the region of 44
percent – making it about twice as efficient as conventional
propulsion technologies based on combustion processes.
Contact Dorothee Bürkle, German
Aerospace Center, Corporate Communications
Tel.: +49 2203 601-3492 Fax: +49 2203
601-3249 Dr.-Ing. Josef Kallo, German Aerospace Center Institute
of Technical Thermodynamics, Electrochemical Energy Technology
Tel.: +49 711 6862-672 Fax: +49 711 6862-747
Dr.-Ing. Stefan Waitz, German Aerospace Center
Institute of Aeroelasticity, Aeroelastic Simulation
Tel.: +49 551 709-2356 Fax: +49 551 709-2862
In DLR Nachrichten's 'Special
Edition: Energy Research' you can read more about the very
diverse research and development activities conducted at DLR
and about its latest achievements in this field. Inside, you
will find articles about power plant technology, solar
research and hydrogen technology, enabling you to learn more
about energy distribution, alternative sources of energy, new
energy stores, innovative fuel cells and hidden reserves.
Singapore - AEROPAK, a next-generation fuel cell power system recently
developed by Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies will increase the flight
endurance of small and stealthy electric unmanned aerial systems (UAS) by
as much as 300 percent. The fuel cell technological advancements will
bring significant enhancements to UAS, making them more effective in
persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, a
main focus area for leading defense and security organizations around the
world.
Starting evaluation shipments this summer, Horizon’s new AEROPAK brings an
immediate performance improvement over today’s best available battery
systems. Designed for high-impact and able to operate at up to 22,000 feet
(6500m), the complete system integrates Horizon’s record-setting fuel cell
technology with new refillable dry-fuel cartridges. Storing 900Wh of
usable electrical energy and weighing just 4.4 lbs (2kg), the AEROPAK
provides up to four times the endurance capability of advanced lithium
batteries currently in use. The miniaturized power system makes it very
easy to use as
drop-in replacement for battery packs currently in service, eliminating
costly airframe modifications.
According to G2 solutions, a Seattle-based market research
firm specializing in Aerospace/Defense, “The use of pervasive UAS is
increasing because the persistent ISR capabilities they bring are
unmatched.”
more
Like a rocket engine, Sabre
burns liquid hydrogen. But unlike a rocket, Sabre does not also require a
supply of liquid oxygen to operate inside the Earth’s atmosphere; instead
it grabs, cools and compresses its own supply from the air itself.
...Reaction Engines has working prototypes of two of Sabre’s key
components: the pre-cooler that handles the rush of incoming air, and the
turbo-compressor that condenses it before feeding it to the engine.
The Sabre engines have a dual mode capability. In
rocket mode the engine operates as a closed cycle Lox/Lh2 high specific
impulse rocket engine. In airbreathing mode (from takeoff to Mach 5) the
liquid oxygen flow is replaced by atmospheric air, increasing the
installed specific impulse 3-6 fold. The airflow is drawn into the engine
via a 2 shock axisymmetric intake and is cooled to cryogenic temperatures
prior to compression. The hydrogen fuel acts as a heat sink for the closed
cycle helium loop before entering the combustion chamber. --
Reaction Engines Limited
Preliminary design trades are presented for liquid
hydrogen fuel systems for remotely-operated, high- altitude aircraft that
accommodate three different propulsion options: internal combustion
engines, and electric motors powered by either polymer electrolyte
membrane fuel cells or solid oxide fuel cells. Mission goal is sustained
cruise at 60,000 ft altitude, with duration-aloft a key parameter. The
subject aircraft specifies an engine power of 143 to 148 hp, gross liftoff
weight of 9270 to 9450 lb, payload of 440 lb, and a hydrogen fuel capacity
of 2650 to 2755 lb stored in two spherical tanks (8.5 ft inside diameter),
each with a dry mass goal of 316 lb. Hydrogen schematics for all three
propulsion options are provided. Each employs vacuum-jacketed tanks with
multilayer insulation, augmented with a helium pressurant system, and
using electric motor driven hydrogen pumps. The most significant schematic
differences involve the heat exchangers and hydrogen reclamation
equipment. Heat balances indicate that mission durations of 10 to 16 days
appear achievable. The dry mass for the hydrogen system is estimated to be
1900 lb, including 645 lb for each tank. This tank mass is roughly twice
that of the advanced tanks assumed in the initial conceptual vehicle.
Control strategies are not addressed, nor are procedures for filling and
draining the tanks.
DEPARTMENT OF THEY MAKE HYDROGEN BOMBS WITH IT, DON'T THEY?
FAA Diverts Planes from Site of Hydrogen Leak Pat Grossmith
Union Leader (NH)
January 19, 2009
An employee of Praxair Inc.,
which owns and services the tank in the rear of the 655 South Willow
Street plant, poured some hot water on it, and then tightened the
valve, ending the problem, said District Fire Chief James Michael.
The Fight Over NASA’s Future John Schwartz
New York Times
December 30, 2008
The Ares V is a much brawnier
rocket designed to send equipment to the Moon and beyond. Its first
stage includes two solid rocket boosters and a liquid-fueled set of
six rocket engines.
FIRST
MANNED FUEL CELL AIRCRAFT
SELF-LAUNCH WITHOUT BATTERY ASSIST!
The Antares DLR-H2 is a research aircraft developed in
collaboration between DLR and Lange Aviation GmbH. Its propulsive system
is substantially based on the Antares 20E self-launching motorglider which
has been built for several years now. Two additional external pods,
housing the fuel cell system and the hydrogen tanks, are added underneath
the specially strengthened wings. For the first time, DLR-H2 is able to
take off using the energy from fuel cells. Credit: DLR
Cooperation between DLR and Lange Aviation
In its search for new ways to reduce fuel consumption and
pollutant emissions from air traffic, the German Federal Ministry of
Economics and Technology (Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und
Technologie; BMWi) puts its hopes in fuel cell technology. In the context
of its aeronautics research programme Lufo IV, the Ministry has
commissioned the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und
Raumfahrt; DLR) to conduct the required development activities. The goal
of the research is to develop fuel cells for a reliable on-board power
supply for wide-body airliners.
Developing a high-tech aircraft to qualify fuel cells for aviation
The Antares DLR-H2 research aircraft, developed in
cooperation with Lange Aviation GmbH, and its propulsion system, are
substantially based on the Antares 20E self-launching motorglider, which
has been in production for several years already. Two additional external
pods, housing the fuel cell system and the hydrogen tanks, are added
underneath the wings, which have been strengthened for this purpose. In
the future, the performance of the aircraft may be increased substantially
by using up to four external pods, or by using fuel cells of an improved
design. For the first time, DLR-H2 is able to take off using the energy
from fuel cells.
Fuel cells are not expected to be usable as primary
propulsive energy sources for passenger aircraft within the foreseeable
future. Instead, the DLR's research is aimed at developing fuel cells
under real operational conditions so they can be used as reliable on-board
power supplies in civil aviation. As a first step, the DLR in cooperation
with Airbus Germany successfully implemented a fuel cell system as the
auxiliary power supply for the hydraulic pumps of the steering system of
the DLR's research aircraft Airbus A320 ATRA. As a second step, the
permanent deployment of a fuel cell system as on-board power supply in
wide-body airliners is envisioned. The Antares DLR-H2 flying test bed
provides a cost-efficient test environment for developing fuel cell
systems for this purpose, optimising the test time of the DLR's research
aircraft Airbus A320 ATRA.
Partnership between DLR and Lange Aviation
The flying high-tech test bed is developed and built by
project partner Lange Aviation in Zweibrücken. A fuel cell system,
specially prepared for this purpose by the DLR Institute of Technical
Thermodynamics (DLR-Institut für Technische Thermodynamik), is used as the
primary propulsive energy source. This system is almost identical to the
fuel cell system to be used in wide-body aircraft for on-board energy
supply, and it supplies the electrical energy for the powertrain developed
by Lange Aviation, which consists of power electronics, motor, and
propeller.
The cooperation between DLR and Lange Aviation has been set
up as a long-term partnership between equals, so that the research
aircraft are available to the DLR until 2017. The DLR defines and
evaluates the research assignments and provides the primary power sources.
Lange Aviation GmbH builds the Antares research aircraft and operates it
for the DLR. In doing so, the company can build upon many years of
experience in developing and building aircraft with electrical propulsion.
Further applications may arise from the combination of fuel
cell systems and other regenerative energy sources as propulsive power
sources for so-called HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) aircraft.
According to the current state of knowledge, these HALE aircraft will be
equipped with electrical propulsion.
Contact Dr.-Ing. Josef Kallo German
Aerospace Center Institute of Technical Thermodynamics, Electrochemical
Energy Technology
Tel.: +49 711 6862-672 Fax: +49 711 6862-747
MADRID, Spain -- Boeing [NYSE: BA]
announced today that it has, for the first time in aviation history, flown
a manned airplane powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The recent milestone is the work of an engineering team at
Boeing Research & Technology Europe (BR&TE) in Madrid, with assistance
from industry partners in Austria, France, Germany, Spain, the United
Kingdom and the United States.
"Boeing is actively working to develop new technologies for
environmentally progressive aerospace products," said Francisco Escarti,
BR&TE's managing director. "We are proud of our pioneering work during the
past five years on the Fuel Cell Demonstrator Airplane project. It is a
tangible example of how we are exploring future leaps in environmental
performance, as well as a credit to the talents and innovative spirit of
our team."
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts
hydrogen directly into electricity and heat with none of the products of
combustion such as carbon dioxide. Other than heat, water is its only
exhaust.
A two-seat Dimona motor-glider with a 16.3 meter (53.5 foot)
wingspan was used as the airframe. Built by Diamond Aircraft Industries of
Austria, it was modified by BR&TE to include a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM)
fuel cell/lithium-ion battery hybrid system to power an electric motor
coupled to a conventional propeller.
Three test flights took place in February and March at the
airfield in Ocaña, south of Madrid, operated by the Spanish company SENASA.
During the flights, the pilot of the experimental airplane
climbed to an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level using
a combination of battery power and power generated by hydrogen fuel cells.
Then, after reaching the cruise altitude and disconnecting the batteries,
the pilot flew straight and level at a cruising speed of 100 kilometers
per hour (62 miles per hour) for approximately 20 minutes on power solely
generated by the fuel cells.
According to Boeing researchers, PEM fuel cell technology
potentially could power small manned and unmanned air vehicles. Over the
longer term, solid oxide fuel cells could be applied to secondary
power-generating systems, such as auxiliary power units for large
commercial airplanes. Boeing does not envision that fuel cells will ever
provide primary power for large passenger airplanes, but the company will
continue to investigate their potential, as well as other sustainable
alternative fuel and energy sources that improve environmental
performance.
BR&TE, part of the Boeing Phantom Works advanced R&D unit,
has worked closely with Boeing Commercial Airplanes and a network of
partners since 2003 to design, assemble and fly the experimental craft.
The group of companies, universities and institutions
participating in this project includes:
Austria -- Diamond Aircraft Industries
France -- SAFT France
Germany -- Gore and MT Propeller
Spain -- Adventia, Aerlyper, Air
Liquide
Spain, Indra, Ingeniería de
Instrumentación y Control (IIC), Inventia, SENASA, Swagelok, Técnicas
Aeronauticas de Madrid (TAM), Tecnobit, Universidad Politécnica de
Madrid, and the Regional Government of Madrid
United Kingdom -- Intelligent Energy
United States -- UQM Technologies.
Fuel Cells Take Off Tom Shelley Eureka Magazine (UK)
March 13, 2009
The fuel cells exist as two
stacks electrically connected in series. Maximum dry weight is 93kg,
excluding mounts and wiring harnesses. ....Hydrogen is supplied at
200bar and compressed to 350bar for storage in the onboard tank.
The concept
hypersonic jet has been developed by
Reaction Engine and it is aptly called the A2. It is a Mach-5
(3,400 mph) wicked aircraft capable of holding 300 passengers and
produces, get this, ZERO emissions! ...The A2 is hydrogen powered so that
it discharges only water vapor and nitrous oxide through the exhaust.
Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies of
Singapore announced today that a new hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system
it designed enabled a small unmanned aerial vehicle flight which was
50% longer than the previous distance record for micro UAV’s. The fuel
cell integrated micro UAV, which was designed by two leading U.S.
aerospace research laboratories and supported by NASA, the Dryden Flight
Research Center, the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the
National Science Foundation, set a new micro-UAV flight distance record of
78 miles in Lancaster, California, exceeding by 28 miles the previous
record set in 2006 in Estonia. Even more significant is that this flight
record was achieved using only 25% of the hydrogen tank capacity stored
on-board the aircraft. On a full tank of fuel, the aircraft’s flying range
is 310 miles, enabling flights that are several times longer than
previously recorded.
HAVE YOU FLOWN A FORD
LATELY? LIQUID HYDROGEN AT 65,000 FEET
It has sometimes been assumed in the
military/tech press that Global Observer's prime mover is hydrogen fuel
cells, but in fact Aerovironment and SOCOM are careful to avoid saying
this, merely describing the vehicle as "hydrogen powered". One does note
that this federal government notice dated from January says:
AeroVironment designed and built a hydrogen-fueled
internal combustion engine and power-plant and successfully demonstrated
it in an altitude chamber for a non-stop mission profile of five days at
simulated operational environment above 65,000 feet. Hydrogen power is a
critical technology to achieve the long duration requirements of the UAS.
AeroVironment is currently executing a risk reduction program to develop
and demonstrate a full-scale, flight prototype power-plant, propulsive
motor, and liquid hydrogen fuel tank under a contract with USSOCOM.
A team of Korean
researchers has developed an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, capable of
flying more than 10 hours on one charge of its hydrogen fuel cell.
Mississippi State University President Robert H. "Doc"
Foglesong, right, talks with
Aurora President John Langford, left, and Rep Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
Image: MSU
According to Flight International,
the engine itself is no more than a supercharged Ford car engine modified
to burn hydrogen.
Orion HALLAurora
Flight Sciences
The Orion HALL (High Altitude,
Long Loiter) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is currently under development
and represents a tremendous leap in (UAS) capabilities.
Aurora Flight Sciences has combined its unmatched high
altitude experience with commercially proven technologies to develop the
Orion HALL (High Altitude, Long Loiter) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), a
liquid hydrogen fueled high altitude platform enabling extreme persistence
(>100 hours) for military and civilian applications.
Military Utility
Aurora Flight Sciences is under contract to the U.S. Army/SMDC
for Orion HALL, a technology demonstrator UAS. Two Orion HALL systems are
being built during FY2006-2009 with first flight due in 2009. Aurora
primes a team that includes Boeing as a strategic partner. Aurora and
Boeing have teamed since 2004 on a Boeing-led concept definition study of
a twin-engine, larger, longer endurance UAS.
Orion HALL solves a critical joint warfighting problem: The
need for extreme persistence, enabling continuous communication, better
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, and
greater operational efficiency.
Earth Science Applications
Because Orion HALL is powered by commercially developed and
proven technologies, it is more capable, lower risk and more affordable
than competing hydrogen powered aircraft concepts. This affordability will
make it practical for large research centers, universities and civilian
agencies such as NOAA to own and operate small fleets of near space
unmanned assets that can maintain true persistence over an area of
interest.
Orion HALL is the ideal platform for long-dwell, high
resolution meteorological observations. Its high altitude capability
enables it to fly above weather patterns. Its endurance enables Orion HALL
to reach and monitor remote areas. Data collected by Orion HALL’s sensors
will ncrease forecasters’ understanding of hurricane development and the
factors that influence a hurricane’s path. This knowledge will
refine storm path prediction methods and increase advance
warning, giving citizens in the storm’s path more time to evacuate.
When a natural disaster strikes, Orion HALL’s interchangeable
payloads will enable the aircraft to take on a new mission: disaster
response. Orion HALL aircraft will orbit a disaster area providing
critical communications links and ISR infrastructure that will help
coordinate rescue efforts. Infrared and electro-optical sensors will
provide imagery that will help locate survivors and provide an
unprecedented view of the devastation that will help disaster recovery
officials quickly assess the scope of the disaster and allocate resource
to the hardest hit areas. Because Orion HALL will operate above 65,000 it
will not require deconfliction with civilian and military air traffic
miles beneath it.
ORION HALL VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS:
Wing span 132 ft / 40.2M
Length 57 ft / 17.4M
Height
21 ft / 6.4M
GTOW 7000 lbs / 3175 kg
Payload 400 lbs / 181 kg
Endurance
at 65,000 ft (19.8 km) 100 hours Endurance at 45,000 ft (13.7 km) 160
hours
Sky's the Limit for Hydrogen Engine Andrew English
Telegraph November 24, 2007 Boeing has finally admitted it is using Ford's four-cylinder
hydrogen engine in its High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft
project.
Providing continuous power over the night is a significant technological
challenge: Fourteen days of darkness is a long time to run off batteries!
One solution has been proposed by
Lisa Kohout at the NASA Glenn
Research Center. During the daytime, the solar arrays electrolyze water,
and the hydrogen and oxygen produced are liquefied and stored in highly
insulated cryogenic tanks. Over the night time the hydrogen and oxygen are
recombined to provide power to run the base. Prominently visible in Figure
3 are the waste heat radiators used to reject the heat from liquefying the
reactants. In the background are solar arrays tracking the Sun. Also
visible is a large radio telescope, undoubtedly the first of many such
telescopes to be built on the lunar surface, where the absence of
atmosphere and radio noise makes it an ideal platform for astronomy.
Photovoltaic Power for the Moon
NASA
NASA Plans
Lunar Outpost Marc Kaufman
Washington Post December
5, 2006
The moon
settlement would ultimately be a way station for space travelers headed
onward, and would provide not only a haven but also hydrogen and oxygen
mined from the lunar surface to make water and rocket fuel.
The Condor was rolled out in March 1986, with first
flight on 9 October 1988. It set an altitude record for piston-powered
aircraft of 66,980 feet during its 141-hour flight test program, and
stayed aloft for two and a half days during one of its test flights. -
Greg Goebel
Boeing has tested a hydrogen-fuelled
propulsion system for a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned air
vehicle that would stay aloft for 10 days. Although fuel-cell propulsion
has also been investigated, conventional piston engines modified to burn
liquid hydrogen are the favoured powerplants, says George Muellner,
president, advanced systems, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. The HALE
UAV, which uses the wing design from the 200ft-span Condor flown by Boeing
in the late 1980s, would fly at 65,000ft.
Each fuel cell is capable of providing 12 kW continuously, and up to 16
kW for short periods. Each power plant contains 96 individual cells of the
alkaline (KOH) electrolyte technology, which are connected to achieve a
28-volt output.
"Our fuel cells have demonstrated outstanding reliability – more than 99
percent availability – since the Shuttle era commenced in 1981," said Jan
van Dokkum, company president. "As a company, we are extremely proud of
the durability and energy efficiency of our environmentally advanced
products, whether applied for use in space or on the ground at buildings
or in automobiles and buses."
Made of space- age materials and powered by solar
powered electrical engines, each Stratellite will reach its final altitude by
utilizing proprietary lifting gas technology. Once in place at 65,000 feet (approx. 13
miles) and safely above the jet stream, each Stratellite will remain in one GPS
coordinate, providing the ideal wireless transmission platform. The
[unmanned Stratellite] will have a payload capacity of several thousand pounds
and clear line-of-sight to approximately 300,000 square miles, an area roughly the size of
Texas. - Sanswire
"The
RFC provides a key capability to enable the Stratellite to stay on station for long
periods of time," said Timothy Huff, Chief Executive Officer of GlobeTel. "To
power the airship overnight in windy conditions requires an energy dense storage solution,
and the RFC has the potential to fill that requirement." Mr. Huff further commented
that: "Pioneering advanced fuel cell technology will put us in an advanced position
among others, in fact, we will be the first to employ this technology to the rigid
airship. We will continue to partner with technology leaders to provide a low cost
communication platform to the world." more
Distributed Energy
Systems Awarded SBIR Phase II Contract for Advanced Regenerative Fuel Cell Development
Distributed Energy Systems Sep 22, 2004 This regenerative fuel cell can generate pressurized
hydrogen and oxygen electrochemically, without mechanical compression. [The U.S. Army
Missle Defense Agency] plans to apply this technology for energy storage for high altitude
airships, which will be used as platforms for sensors and communications vital for missile
defense and homeland security. The Phase I contract, completed in April
2004, demonstrated key lightweight components for electrochemical cells. This contract is
part of a MDA program to develop a lighter than air, high altitude airship (HAA) Advanced
Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) prototype. The program goal is to show the
engineering feasibility and potential military utility of an unmanned, un-tethered, gas
filled, solar powered airship with the potential to fly at 70,000 ft. and self deploy from
the continental United States to worldwide locations. Proton Energy Systems, now a wholly
owned subsidiary of Distributed Energy Systems Corp., has performed work on NASA SBIR
Phase I and Phase II contracts as well as its ongoing contract with the Naval Research
Laboratory funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. These contracts have
facilitated the demonstration of regenerative fuel cell operation as well as the ability
to electrolyze water to generate hydrogen and oxygen gases at pressures exceeding 3,000
psi. The efficient compression of these gases, a key feature in aerospace, high energy
density applications, is made possible by Proton's solid-state electrolysis cell stack
design, called HIPRESS(TM).
BIZARRE!!
TINY AIRCRAFT POWERED BY BIO-FUEL CELLS
TO "LIVE" OFF FRUIT AND INSECTS
Aircraft the size of bees that get the energy they need
by feeding themselves a diet of dead flies could be buzzing around the battlefields and
motorways of the future, thanks to research in southwest England. The aircraft, up to 15cm
long and equipped with sensors and cameras, could have a number of uses in civilian life
and modern warfare, including reconnaissance missions, traffic monitoring or fire and
rescue operations. By "digesting" its own fuel, the aircraft could become
autonomous and operate without the need for refuelling, changing batteries or recharging
from the mains.
Professor Chris Melhuish, Director of the
Intelligent Autonomous Systems Laboratory at the University of the West of England, says,
“We are interested in developing robots that are intelligent and autonomous which
means they do the right thing at the right time and without human intervention. One of the
big problems with autonomy is that of energy; they have to get their energy from
somewhere.
“To do this they need to get energy from their environment which
could include sunlight or water, but in our case it is organic matter”.
The 1kg Ecobot doesn’t move at any significant rate, about 30
metres per hour, but its ability to power itself by digesting its fuel is a major advance
in the way such units have been designed so far.
Insect-sized aircraft could be possible in the future, says Professor
Melhuish, “The biological fuel cell would have to be made into a soft system which
might, in the future, be able to do some sort of movement at a small level, a small insect
level.”
University
of the West of England Intelligent Autonomous Systems Laboratory The Intelligent Autonomous Systems Laboratory (IAS) researches ways in which
autonomous robots - large and small; walking, climbing and flying - can be developed to
'do the right thing at the right time'. Using innovative approaches researchers at UWE are
developing robots to assist humans in dangerous situations in, say, detecting land mines;
inspecting, sorting mail, risk-assessment or maintenance of hazardous or inaccessible
plant and machinery, or in locating the sources of pollution.
NASA's X-43A research vehicle screamed
into the record books today, demonstrating an air-breathing engine can fly at nearly 10
times the speed of sound. Preliminary data from the scramjet-powered research vehicle show
its revolutionary engine worked successfully at approximately Mach 10, nearly 7000 mph, as
it flew at an altitude of approximately 110,000 feet.
"This flight is a key milestone and a major step toward the future
possibilities for producing boosters for sending large and critical payloads into space in
a reliable, safe, inexpensive manner," said NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe.
"These developments will also help us advance the Vision for Space Exploration, while
helping to advance commercial aviation technology," Administrator O'Keefe said.
- NASA
Distributed Energy
Systems Awarded SBIR Phase II Contract for Advanced Regenerative Fuel Cell Development
Distributed Energy Systems
Distributed Energy Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: DESC), announced today the
award of a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II contract from the U.S. Army
Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to continue development of lightweight regenerative fuel cell
technology for high altitude airships.
The goal of this 2-year, $749,999 contract is to demonstrate a
multi-kilowatt-capable closed-loop hydrogen-oxygen regenerative fuel cell and is a
continuation of work completed in Phase I of this project. This regenerative fuel cell can
generate pressurized hydrogen and oxygen electrochemically, without mechanical
compression. MDA plans to apply this technology for energy storage for high altitude
airships, which will be used as platforms for sensors and communications vital for missile
defense and homeland security.
The Phase I contract, completed in April 2004, demonstrated key
lightweight components for electrochemical cells. This contract is part of a MDA program
to develop a lighter than air, high altitude airship (HAA) Advanced Concept Technology
Demonstration (ACTD) prototype. The program goal is to show the engineering feasibility
and potential military utility of an unmanned, un-tethered, gas filled, solar powered
airship with the potential to fly at 70,000 ft. and self deploy from the continental
United States to worldwide locations.
Proton Energy Systems, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Distributed
Energy Systems Corp., has performed work on NASA SBIR Phase I and Phase II contracts as
well as its ongoing contract with the Naval Research Laboratory funded by the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency. These contracts have facilitated the demonstration of
regenerative fuel cell operation as well as the ability to electrolyze water to generate
hydrogen and oxygen gases at pressures exceeding 3,000 psi. The efficient compression of
these gases, a key feature in aerospace, high energy density applications, is made
possible by Proton's solid-state electrolysis cell stack design, called HIPRESS(TM).
High
Altitude Airship (HAA)Global Security
The vehicle might be built in the company’s Akron Airdock, which
is 1,175 feet long, 325 feet wide and 211 feet high. Its height is equal to a 22-story
building. Lockheed Martin NE&SS-Akron received its first production contract for a
lighter-than-air vehicle, the rigid USS Akron airship, in 1928 from the U.S. Navy. Since
that time, the Lockheed Martin unit has built more than 300 airships and several thousand
aerostats. The North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) has asked for funding to build a
prototype high-altitude airship, with the idea of stationing 10 ships to cover all the
continental borders of the United States.
"It could well be that the first country to
seriously address the issues of creating a market for renewables would
become the central location for a major new international business
sector - with all the positive consequences that carries in terms of
economic activity and employment." ------------- Rodney Chase
CEO BP
--------------
"We all share the responsibility for carrying out this project, for the
assumption of responsibility is part of the dignity of human beings."
------------
Juergen Shrempp
Chairman
DaimlerChrysler
-----------
"Energy sources like coal and oil once overcame an economy based on
horsepower. So, I suspect, our carbon-based economy may itself pass from
the scene to be replaced, perhaps, by hydrogen."
-------------
Spencer Abraham
Secretary,
US Dept of Energy
-------------
"General Motors absolutely sees the long-term future of the world being
based on a hydrogen economy.” ------------
Larry Burns
Director of R&D
General Motors
-------------
BIZARRE!!
