The Bombardier Dash-8 was replaced with a hydrogen fuel cell engine and successfully flew for 15 minutes.
CTOnews.com March 6 news, a company called Universal Hydrogen recently made a breakthrough in hydrogen fuel cell aircraft, using a modified 40-seat Bombardier Dash-8 propeller aircraft, completed a 15-minute test flight.
The Dash-8 uses Plug Power's fuel cell and magniX electric motor, claiming to be the largest motor of its kind, and is loaded with 30 kilograms of liquid hydrogen and multiple sensors.
However, of the Dash-8's two engines, only the right engine has been modified to run on hydrogen fuel, and the left engine is still a traditional propeller engine from Pratt & Whitney to ensure safety.
During take-off, the Dash-8 relied mainly on the conventional engine on the left, but by the second lap, it was able to fly almost exclusively on hydrogen fuel cell engines. The test flight reached an altitude of a little over 1000 meters.
Test pilot Alex Kroll said the aircraft handled well and that hydrogen fuel cell engines produced less noise and vibration than conventional engines.
However, hydrogen fuel cells still have a lot of problems to solve, especially because their energy density is only about 1/4 of that of traditional oil, so their range will be limited. In addition, the preparation of hydrogen itself and the infrastructure for transportation and storage are also problems that need to be solved.
Universal Hydrogen said it was confident it could solve the hydrogen infrastructure problem and hoped to launch a modified ATR 72 short-range passenger jet in 2025 to begin commercial operations.
As part of its goal of zero-emission aircraft by 2035, Airbus has also announced that it is developing a hydrogen fuel cell engine designed for aircraft, CTOnews.com previously reported.
Airbus said hydrogen fuel cell engines could eventually be used in commercial aircraft and could carry up to 100 passengers for about 1000 nautical miles (1852 km). The engine is scheduled to be tested in the mid-2020s on its A380 MSN1 prototype, which is currently being modified to carry liquid hydrogen tanks.
