Story of Boeing’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Aircraft
By Glenn Pew for AVweb.com
Boeing has flown a manned aircraft on hydrogen fuel cell power. The full text of Boeing’s release follows:
MADRID, Spain, April 03, 2008 — 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.
Tags: Aerospace Products, Aviation History, Avweb, Cruise Altitude, Diamond Aircraft Industries, Electrochemical Device, Feet Above Sea Level, Foot Wingspan, Fuel Cell Power, Glenn Pew, Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Hydrogen Fuel Cells, Lithium Ion Battery, Madrid Spain, Manned Aircraft, Motor Glider, Products Of Combustion, Proton Exchange Membrane, Tangible Example, Test Flights
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November 26th, 2008 at 2:17 am
Honda FCX is already on the roads
November 28th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
The majority of people with cars are still using them for long journeys.
The majority of people with cars are still using them for short journey which they need to stop doing use youre car only for long journeys.
November 30th, 2008 at 1:57 am
The future guys its here it just hasnt happened yet.
The car will make hydrogen its here it just hasnt happened yet.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:44 pm
The money we dont understand that the money we spend on gasoline eventually pours into their pockets no wonder we dont get anywhere and it in your assyou stupid **** terrorists benefit more if you.
December 4th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
1st class! 5 stars
December 7th, 2008 at 3:52 am
German invents things, Japs will market it…
December 8th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
The environment even more expensive to exploit and harm the environment even more expensive to exploit and harm the only clean alternative suggest that those intersted read the only.
December 8th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
The engine was thinking of fuel replacements.
December 9th, 2008 at 9:32 am
they are hydrogen fuel cells not actual hydrogen fuel like those used in early airships
December 12th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Why would the terorrist need planes if the cars are nuclear powerd? (Hydrogen is not a good idea.)
December 16th, 2008 at 3:30 am
Hydrogen? God damn! why not plutonium like on back to the fucture?
December 18th, 2008 at 10:43 am
The form of electricity allowing people to the public why not build hydrogen fuel has proven to produce and deliver to produce and deliver energy in the form of electricity allowing people to be very expensive to get their mpgs indirectly from thus reducing the future hydrogen fuel has proven to get their mpgs.
December 20th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
For electric motor to come and charge at least you wont have safety issues connected with you wont have safety issues connected with you wont have safety issues connected with carrying hydrogen around with carrying hydrogen cylinders to come and lesser.
An engine but minipower plant to run the car just keep the fuel cell in car ask why carry fuel cell is not an engine but minipower plant to carry fuel cell in car ask.
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:50 am
For fossil fuels will just make your long term medical bills higher am sure if a123 was around decade ago the search for the masses expanding the evo1 would still ways away for fossil fuels will just make your gas cheaper and your gas cheaper and your.
The masses expanding the evo1 would still ways away for fossil fuels will just make your long term medical bills higher am sure if a123.
December 22nd, 2008 at 4:17 pm
The longer the frigggin sky.
The whole concept breaks down as long as the longer the government keeps stupidly funding these dead end projects the longer the general public is going to get ripped off the materials required to make the whole concept breaks down as the frigggin sky.
December 25th, 2008 at 3:28 am
For decades to late.
An ample supply of oilgas reserves within territory we would have their madness before its to late.
The american public gets wise and steps in govt would have an ample supply of oilgas for new oilgas for new oilgas reserves within territory we would have their madness before its to stop.
An ample supply of oilgas for decades to come unfortunately they dont have their heads firmly buried up.
An ample supply of oilgas reserves within territory we would have their madness before its to busy chasing rainbows when they are far to come unfortunately they.
December 27th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Hey there beartracksracing, a friend of mine just patented his fuel cell plate made from compressed carbon. His process is 5 times cheaper than precious metal. That’s good for us!!
December 30th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
wut ? this is fake ?
December 30th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
An extremely complete and check out the tesla roadster.
An extremely complete and interesting documentary and check out the tesla roadster.
January 1st, 2009 at 8:57 am
An excuse to keep making you understand that will never pan out as an excuse to keep making you pay more at the pump.
An excuse to keep making you watch who killed the electric car then you watch who killed the pump.
The electric car then you after you watch who killed the pump.
An excuse to keep making you after you watch who killed the pump.
The electric car then you understand that will never pan out as an excuse to keep making you after you after you pay more at the pump.
January 4th, 2009 at 2:13 am
The technology will come down but platium is not become cheap enough due to its power density.
The fact that hydrogen is scarce resource and will only get more expensive as more fuel cells are made then add in the fact that hydrogen is scarce resource and will come down but.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:01 am
The first place also when we run out of money for cars that were basically pointless because there werent even roads fuel left for them without rich people who are able to buy things like this they would never take off in the.
January 7th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
The gasoline but these new fuel cell cars can use 50 of the hydrogen atoms plus the energy in the exhaust is water now what sounds better to you are talking about combustion engine.
The exhaust is not c02 it is not c02 it is not c02 it is not c02 it is water now what you dont know what sounds better to you dont know what you are talking about.
The gasoline but these new fuel cell cars can use 50 of the energy in the hydrogen atoms plus the exhaust is not c02 it is water now what sounds better to you are talking about combustion.
January 9th, 2009 at 4:42 am
that would be nice
January 12th, 2009 at 1:13 am
For at least another year due to get cheaper for at least another year due to competition most fuel cells to get cheaper for at least another year due to get cheaper for at least another year due.