China's first hydrogen internal combustion engine aircraft verification plane successfully made its maiden flight
CTOnews.com, March 29, according to Liaoning General Aviation Research Institute, on March 25, 2023, the first four-seat hydrogen internal combustion engine aircraft verification aircraft advocated by Yang Fengtian, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, completed its maiden flight at an airport in Shenyang.
This aircraft carries the first domestic 2.0L zero-emission turbocharged direct injection hydrogen internal combustion engine developed by FAW based on the "Red Flag" gasoline engine, and is the first navigable aircraft powered by hydrogen internal combustion engine independently developed in China.
According to reports, the aircraft is funded by the Liaoning Provincial Science and Technology Department's project "Development of four-seat hydrogen Internal Combustion engine aircraft Verification engine". Shenyang University of Aeronautics and Astronautics organized Liaoning General Aeronautical Research Institute to carry out project development work since 2021.
On the basis of the "Ruixiang" series of electric aircraft developed by Liaoning General Aviation Research Institute, Liaoning General Aviation Research Institute worked closely with FAW Research and Development Institute, Harbin Institute of Technology, Tianjin University, United Automotive Electronics Co., Ltd., Beijing Institute of Technology, Tianjin Internal Combustion engine Research Institute (Tianjin Motorcycle Technology Center), Beijing Jiuan Tong hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. A technical team led by Academician Yang Fengtian was formed to demonstrate the application of hydrogen fuel internal combustion engine in aviation, and based on the "Red Flag" 2.0L zero emission turbocharged direct injection hydrogen fuel special engine developed by FAW Group, the aviation adaptability design was upgraded, and the research work on four-seat hydrogen fuel aircraft verification engine powered by this engine was carried out.
The aircraft adopts the layout of upper single wing, low flat tail, front propeller and front three-point non-retractable landing gear; the wingspan of the aircraft is 13.5m, the length of the aircraft is 8.2m, and it uses high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage, hydrogen storage weight 4.5kg, cruising speed 180km / h, the maximum thermal efficiency of hydrogen internal combustion engine is more than 43%, the comprehensive thermal efficiency is more than 40%, and the space time is more than 1 hour.
Because the hydrogen internal combustion engine has no special requirements for hydrogen purity, and can use the existing technology and production lines of the internal combustion engine industry, it has a price advantage compared with hydrogen fuel cells. The aircraft uses hydrogen as the power source, which has the advantages of high calorific value, no pollution and a wide range of resources. It can reduce carbon emissions while maintaining high efficiency, which will help to achieve the dual-carbon goal in the aviation industry as soon as possible.
Through the successful first flight of four-seat hydrogen internal combustion engine aircraft verification engine, the feasibility of hydrogen internal combustion engine as aviation power is verified, and a series of key technologies are conquered, which lays a solid foundation for the follow-up development of hydrogen-powered aircraft.
CTOnews.com Note: Shenyang University of Aeronautics and Astronautics established Liaoning General Aviation Research Institute, a provincial institution in 2011, systematically carried out the development of new energy electric aircraft, and successively obtained model certificates, completed the first flight and scientific research test flight, among which three models were the first in the world to be certified by the local Civil Aviation Administration. In October 2021, the new energy aircraft project of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology was decided to be led by Liaoning General Aeronautical Research Institute, with an approved funding of 239 million yuan. In 2022, it was approved to study the key technologies of a special hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine aircraft for civil aircraft. the research fund is 84.3 million yuan.
