The German start-up H2FLY and Deutsche Aircraft have a lofty goal: they want to develop the world’s first electric hydrogen regional aircraft by 2025.
This designed to carry up to 40 passengers and fly over 2,000 kilometers. But there are still many unsolved questions regarding the technology.
The aircraft industry plans to fly climate-neutrally by 2050. At least, it is the avowed goal of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) (IATA). Along the way, there are numerous approaches, from e-fuels to battery-powered aircraft.
In Stuttgart, on the other hand, the German start-up H2FLY is working with Deutsche Aircraft on an alternative solution: electric hydrogen passenger aircraft. The goal is to have the world’s first H2 regional aircraft flying by 2025.
40 passengers and a range of 2,500 kilometers
To do this, the team aims to adapt a Dornier 328 to seat up to 40 people. The airplane is also to be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. If successful, this would probably be a world premiere.
H2FLY has already had a few of these. In 2020, for example, the business flew its HY4 prototype, which it says is the world’s first passenger aircraft with hydrogen-electric propulsion.
Since then, the four-seater with a range of 750 kilometers has already accomplished 70 successful launches. The founders, on the other hand, see the potential for scaling the system. For instance, they believe that aircraft with a maximum seating capacity of 40 passengers and a range of 2,500 kilometers are feasible.
Five engineers from the German Aerospace Center in Stuttgart and the University of Ulm launched the start-up in 2014. It is a leader in the development of hydrogen-fueled aviation engines.
The startup now intends to mass produce zero-emission H2 passenger aircraft with green hydrogen through Deutsche Aircraft, the successor to Friedrichshafen-based Dornier Flugzeugwerke. To this purpose, H2FLY has already begun contacting suppliers of green hydrogen to verify that the systems operate in a climate-neutral manner, according to a business spokeswoman when contacted by BASIC thinking.
However, technology introduces numerous difficulties.
Hydrogen and the issue of space
That is because the machines must be equipped with a fuel cell in order to convert the hydrogen into electrical energy that propels the aircraft. This adds to the weight. However, that is the tiniest issue.
The fuel itself is significantly more complicated. This is due to the fact that hydrogen must be transported in tanks, either compressed or liquid, and cooled. Both require considerable room due to the fact that hydrogen has a bigger volume than kerosene.
Liquid hydrogen is more feasible due to its compact size. However, in order to keep hydrogen liquid, it must be maintained at a constant temperature of roughly -250 degrees Celsius and insulated. This demands additional energy.
Additionally, due to the volume, it would be impossible to store the fuel in the wings as previously. It would almost certainly have to be carried in the fuselage. This results in more air resistance and also demands additional energy.
Additionally, it implies that aircraft design will have to be fundamentally altered. After all, modern aircraft are not built to accommodate hydrogen tanks. As a result, you’d have to construct entirely new aircraft fleets.
What effect do H2 aircraft’s contrails have on the climate?
Additionally, airport infrastructure is still insufficient. This is because there are still a scarcity of hydrogen filling stations throughout the country.
Finally, there is another issue that concerns climate scientists: contrails. H2 aircraft would produce no exhaust emissions, but would instead produce water vapor. It is unknown whether this would produce more or less vapor than kerosene planes.
Contrails, however, have been shown to be equally as damaging to the climate as CO2.
Support for H2FLY on a political level
Thus, there are still several roadblocks on the way to electric hydrogen aircraft. H2FLY is making a concerted effort to resolve them, at least in terms of aircraft.
Politicians appear to believe in success as well. H2FLY and Deutsche Aircraft secured money for their initiative as part of different German and European programs promoting zero-emission air travel.
Additionally, Anna Christmann, the German government’s aerospace coordinator, and Danyal Bayaz, Baden-finance Württemberg’s minister, recently paid a visit and voiced their enthusiasm.
By the way, this is not Germany’s only hydrogen aircraft effort. Additionally, Airbus has revealed ambitions to fly a carbon-neutral hydrogen plane by 2035.
