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A step forward in getting hydrogen planes off the ground? KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is joining forces with students from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands to develop net-zero, hydrogen-powered aircraft as part of the University’s Aerodelft program, according to a statement. 50 tech students are working around the clock on developing a range of clean energy passenger planes in a bid to slash the aviation industry’s carbon footprint.
Scope of the partnership: KLM will join forces with the students to bring online Aerodelft’s Project Phoenix, which aims to develop a hydrogen-powered drone prototype in a bid to demonstrate the feasibility of hydrogen-electric aircraft before rolling out larger models, to be named Phoenix Full Scale, the statement says.
The drone’s specs: The mini aircraft features an all-electric motor fueled by liquid hydrogen and fuel cell technology with a 300 km range powered by a 380 gram capacity liquid hydrogen tank and 1.5 KW fuel cell power, Aerodelft notes on its website. The flight range exceeds three hours.
Beyond the prototype: The Phoenix Full Scale — for which the company has built the frame and is testing its hydrogen system — is set to take to the skies in 2025 if test flights for the prototype prove the potential of liquid hydrogen planes. The two-seater aircraft has a 10 meter wingspan, an endurance duration above two hours that translates to a flight range exceeding 400 kilometers, a 125 KW in fuel cell power, and a liquid hydrogen capacity of 10 kilograms, Aerodelft’s website says.
This is not the first we’ve heard about hydro-powered planes: Airbus is working on a hydrogen-powered engine to power up a modified A380 superjumbo. The French aviation company had previously worked on designs for liquid hydrogen fuel and combustion engines, but found that fuel cells alone may be able to power small commercial aircraft. Test flights are estimated for 2026 as part of the Airbus ZEROe initiative to launch a zero-emission aircraft by 2035.
Rolls Royce is also on a net zero flight hunt: The luxury car maker is currently testing the use of hydrogen to power jets, but it looks like they still have a long way to go — the low-carbon fuel requires four times as much space as the traditional aviation fuel used to fly the same distance.
