Viability+ High production rate

Hydrogen fuelled power-plant options for all BAT aircraft will be available. New airliners burning half the jet-fuel - delivered into service today - will not diminish annual greenhouse emissions in future because passenger growth is 5% per year: in 10 years that is 50% more flights. BAT aircraft will be constructed in volume production to enable fastest transition to hydrogen-powered and more efficient jet fuelled aircraft. AFG and ARFG Neecenow and J2000 HYT Aerospaceplane, depends upon the result of BAT’s engine development programme: hydrogen is a contender to power these aerospace designs.

BAT types like Shaeneen will use either conformal or integral hydrogen fuel tanks, designed from the outset. The Tronolog air-cargo jet will retire many old, converted airliners burning much more fuel than new types - on average 4 four engine aircraft from the skies, using the same fuel as 1-2 of these aircraft instantly lowering carbon emissions, plus the Q-300H zero’s carbon emissions. TC Breecuda takes 400-500 vehicles from the road, its engines burn similar fuel per person to a Hybrid car. Hydrogen powered versions of the Breecuda are under development make this a smog free situation.

» The Stats

Current airliner designs cannot successfully be converted to use hydrogen as four times the volume of this fuel is necessary to make the same flight. Additional room is needed to meet such volume requirements; as converted fuel tanks would not meet endurance requirements and compromise payload, adds drag and other structural challenges the aircraft was not designed for. With combustibility threefold better than jet fuel, less hydrogen is needed to equal the thrust provided by kerosene fuels. The low density of hydrogen requires heavier, insulated fuel tanks to retain the hydrogen in liquid form for the flight.

Several thousand airliners fly daily, a kilo of fuel burnt makes 3 kilos of carbon dioxide; 50 tonnes of CO₂ is created per flight by airliners of around 150 seats, 100 tonnes for 250 seaters: zero for hydrogen powered aircraft. Airliner emissions are placed directly into the atmosphere and are accepted as being worse than ground emissions for this reason: 3% of the worlds CO₂ emissions are attributed to aviation. New aircraft are the best way to replacing jet fuelled airliners. Hydrogens by-product is water vapour, a greenhouse gas in retaining heat, yet kerosene also produces water vapour (a quarter of hydrogen) when burnt. Carbon dioxide is believed to last for hundreds of years in the atmosphere creating almost irreversible damage. Water vapour lasts less than 1-2 weeks up in the atmosphere and cools quickly.

Even though it has a greater volume, Hydrogen has less equivalent weight, so a hydrogen powered aircraft experiences less trim and centre of gravity changes from full fuel to reserves. The centre of gravity is a very important part of aircraft design with safety implications if violated. An aircraft is trimmed via aerodynamic deflection of the flying controls to balance the flight controls and aeroplane. As an aircraft flies faster or fuel is used, it changes the balance. An aircraft having a fairly constant trim needs less area of control surface to fly the aircraft safely. Lower amounts of trim changes result in less drag since controls do not require as much deflection, reducing fuel burn. Reducing surface area of controls in allowance gives further weight and drag reductions with higher performance and safety.

» Hydrogen in use

Hydrogen is different to conventional fuel and requires different handling procedures. These are not complex once the correct infrastructure, training and materials are in place – the same with any technology. Hydrogen tanks loose fuel due to the extremely fine molecules escaping through the tank walls and evaporation. Fuel can be put into storage tanks better able to retain the Hydrogen in liquid form, particularly if the aircraft will be down for maintenance. Losses will be reduced by draining the tanks when the aircraft arrives, if the aircraft is going to be on the ground for longer than a few hours.

» Hydrogens considerations

All BAT aircraft have options of both hydrogen and conventional jet fuel. Hydrogen power plants and fuel tanks may be ready upon production debut. Jet fuel, being plentiful and easy to supply is expected to be favoured by early buyers rather than an unknown fuel which can be bought once proven: unless legislation to control aircraft emissions is created. Aircraft using jet fuel are more streamlined and have lower zero fuel weights: some airlines will prefer present economics over future trends and environmental responsibility. Jet-fuelled BAT types will use about half the amount of fuel used by present equivalent aircraft, halving carbon emissions from aerodynamic and design advantages.

Bio-fuels are seen as environmentally friendly despite the huge amount of farmland to supply a small amount of fuel, reducing food stocks: about 40% of the U.S. corn crop is lost to Bio-fuel production. Bio-fuels still produce CO₂ emissions but popular due to current aircraft designs limitations. The poor suffer most with shortages of crops like rice, and pressure to make alternative fuels was high, prior to reductions in petrol prices this year,. Despite being flammable in optimum conditions, hydrogen is actually rated safer than normal kerosene fuel.  Jet and Bio-fuels have properties like water for refuelling - just take the fuel cap off and pour it in, whereas liquid hydrogen is extremely cold liquid and require special initial training and facilities, operationally, once in use, it will not be any more complex than Jet fuel.

A hydrogen fuelled airliners interior will require insulation against the cold, as well as several redundancies to ensure the cabin and controls and other surfaces are safe from any potential of leaks, icing tendencies or in the event of accident.  Fuel tanks filled with nitrogen will deny potentially flammable vapours. Hydrogen is being invested in by Governments and corporations and can be economically placed at major airports, unlike a system for cars. It is up to airliner buyers - and potentially Governments via litigated standards - to decide which to purchase and which is the best option and hydrogen aircraft produced accordingly.

» Creating the future

Power plant manufacturers, along with Government incentives, will be given money from BAT syndicate portion sales to convert and produce hydrogen powered versions of their engines. Any jet engine can be converted to run on hydrogen, and investment is required to optimise performance specifically for this fuel. Power plants are reputed to have are shortened engine lives from abrasive qualities of hydrogen particles. Without development money available, manufacturers cannot modify and build such products. Current aircraft inadvertently fund existing jet fuelled engines offering only small efficiency growth over time. Global fuel use increases annually, as with carbon emissions, beating any increase in fuel economy. The change required needs to be marked to make a difference.

» Fuel costs; hydrogen versus kerosene

Future jet fuel costs remain uncertain as increases in users will drain reserves with each year. Oil companies were set to double the present price of fuel within a few years, although economic trends prevented this. Rising fuel costs push operators to run the most efficient aircraft available. An increase in Oil prices makes hydrogen more competitive in price presently not much higher than jet fuel. Hydrogens future cost will remain stable or drop because infrastructure for this fuel is increasing. Oil demand in India and China, with growing industries artificially reduces competition and increases pressure and incentive to raise oil prices.

Increasing environmental responsibility will see a preference for hydrogen fuel; it is easy to obtain – from water, coal, gas and oil. Each process to derive hydrogen gas has differing costs according to how much effort and in most cases how much development has been placed into each method. Unless in future it is decided to derive Hydrogen from Bio-oil, it will not use farmland.

Servicing and supplying airports and aircraft with hydrogen will unsurprisingly cost initially. It is best that a gas line is installed as four times the trucks would be required to bring in a similar amount of kerosene fuel. Once installed and in place this system will require maintenance and otherwise little ceremony. Its benefits though will be an ongoing legacy. Hydrogen powered jets provide users, both airlines and their passengers to make a positive step towards a sustainable fuel and environmentally friendly choice.