A new hydrogen powered airplane concept promises to shorten travel time and reduce the impact of international travel on the planet by allowing passengers to travel anywhere in the world with zero carbon emissions. Flying at the same speed as a conventional aircraft but with a significantly increased range, the FlyZero project also has the potential to transform travel between the US, Australia, London and even beyond into nonstop journeys, with first flights expected in the mid-2030s.
Emma Gilthorpe, CEO of Jet Zero, the organization behind the concept, said in a statement, “The Aviation Technology Institute’s pioneering research highlights the potential of hydrogen in realizing a zero-carbon global connection. This groundbreaking green technology appears to play a critical role in the decarbonization of flight, and the United Nations “Through the work of the Jet Zero Council, the UK aviation industry is exploring all ways to reduce the cost of carbon while preserving the benefits of flying for generations to come.”
The aircraft will use liquid hydrogen, which has been researched for years for both airplanes and cars and produces significantly more energy than aviation kerosene, but does not emit CO2 during use. In addition to its climate benefits, liquid hydrogen weighs about one-third the weight of kerosene required for the same flight journey and allows the aircraft to increase its range to eliminate refueling pauses that interrupt flight.
Each aircraft is planned to have two large tanks of cryogenically stored liquid hydrogen at the rear and two smaller tanks at the front to balance it. In conventional airplanes, fuel is stored in the wings, but placing the fuel forward and aft also eliminates the need for any extra aerodynamics to keep the airplane aloft.
The team believes the project, designed at the UK’s Institute of Aerospace Technology, will be a great opportunity for consumers and governments to reduce the carbon footprint of travel and create new jobs in the process.
“At a time of global focus on tackling climate change, our midsize concept delivers a truly revolutionary vision for the future of global air travel that keeps families, businesses and nations connected without a carbon footprint,” said Chris Gear, project director at FlyZero. “This new sunrise for aviation brings real opportunities for the UK aviation sector to secure market share, high-skilled jobs and domestic investment while helping the UK meet its climate change commitments.”
While hydrogen may seem like a promising option for the future of land, air and sea travel, it also poses significant challenges. First, as noted above, it has to be stored at cryogenic (freezing) temperatures, which complicates the design of vehicles. Besides, although hydrogen is carbon neutral when burning, currently the production method is still not carbon neutral.
About 95 percent of all hydrogen in the United States is produced by steam-methane reform, which uses fossil fuels and produces carbon dioxide. Other options are being explored to reduce the carbon footprint of hydrogen production, but no major strides have been made in the manufacturing sector yet.
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