Maybe hydrogen is the way forward?

[Buckman]

Developed by Swiss startup Destinus, the hydrogen-powered passenger jet prototype has been undergoing testing for the last couple of years. At the end of 2022 in Munich, second prototype Eiger completed a successful test flight.

The aircraft is capable of travelling at Mach 5 and above - five times the speed of sound. The legendary Concorde operated at Mach 1 speed. The hypersonic aircraft would use hydrogen-fuelled air-breathing turbojet engines for takeoff and landing with a separate ramjet rocket engine to take it to hypersonic speeds. The startup claims the jet - essentially half rocket, half plane - would be net zero carbon, only emitting heat and water vapour.

The company recently received its share of two grants worth €27m from the Spanish Ministry of Science. The first grant (€12m) will help fund the development of a hydrogen engine test facility near Madrid, which will house the startup's prototype aircraft. The second (€15m) will fund research into liquid hydrogen-powered propulsion systems.

To make travelling from London to New York in under two hours possible, the aircraft would need to fly at altitudes of over 31 miles or 163,680 feet. The company's first aircraft, which could fit approximately 25 passengers, is expected to be ready by 2030

 

[Mr Plodd]

25 passengers each paying how much??

i am somewhat sceptical about these sorts of claims as the best military designers have been working on such ideas for many years, with apparently little or no success.

 

[RogerL]

Developed by Swiss startup Destinus, the hydrogen-powered passenger jet prototype has been undergoing testing for the last couple of years. At the end of 2022 in Munich, second prototype Eiger completed a successful test flight.

The aircraft is capable of travelling at Mach 5 and above - five times the speed of sound. The legendary Concorde operated at Mach 1 speed. The hypersonic aircraft would use hydrogen-fuelled air-breathing turbojet engines for takeoff and landing with a separate ramjet rocket engine to take it to hypersonic speeds. The startup claims the jet - essentially half rocket, half plane - would be net zero carbon, only emitting heat and water vapour.

The company recently received its share of two grants worth €27m from the Spanish Ministry of Science. The first grant (€12m) will help fund the development of a hydrogen engine test facility near Madrid, which will house the startup's prototype aircraft. The second (€15m) will fund research into liquid hydrogen-powered propulsion systems.

To make travelling from London to New York in under two hours possible, the aircraft would need to fly at altitudes of over 31 miles or 163,680 feet. The company's first aircraft, which could fit approximately 25 passengers, is expected to be ready by 2030

Just for the record, Concorde cruised at Mach 2 - twice the sound of speed.

 

[Buckman]

Which is why I used the word "MAYBE" in my heading. Do journalists always get the little facts correct?

We plebs probably would never be able to afford to travel in it anyway. Just to add the article was posted for those that might be interested in the future.

 

[Mr Plodd]

The SR-71 Blackbird could "only" manage Mach 3.2 when absolutely flat out, and that had to be constructed wholly from Titanium to withstand the heat induced by friction from the air!

I appreciate the sentiment behind Buckman posting the story, and I am grateful for people such as him doing so. But such posts will, inevitably, induce good natured debate and scepticism, and healthy debate is something to be nurtured and cherished (Oxford Uni please take note )

 

[otherclive]

Back in the early 1980s a British engineer Alan Bond worked on advanced engines that would perform at very high Mach speeds; the HOTOL project. Rolls Royce became involved but funding was withdrawn, so Bond set up Reaction Engines and the company are working on the SABRE engine designed to power rockets or very high speed aircraft. Bond also worked on fusion so he clearly likes a challenge. But other nations are working on very high speed engines so nothing should be ruled out, after all the Air Ministry stated categorically that a wooden bomber would never be successful. How wrong they were.

 

[ProfJohnL]

There is no doubt that hydrogen can and will be used to power some transport systems, where there is no more viable alternative.

But the problem with hydrogen it invariably uses considerably more energy produce than the hydrogen itself can release.

All present day studies that have looked at the cost and effectiveness of producing hydrogen have concluded that it is far more effective to use the energy needed to produce hydrogen directly or even through batteries and motors, than to try to use the produce and use hydrogen.

But until there is some breakthrough in how to isolate hydrogen from its common bonds more efficiently and cost effectively it will never become the major source of fuel for mass transport.

But I believe that its important to keep looking at both methods of production, and ways to use Hydrogen as some one may hit on a game changer, but hypersonic travel for the masses I think is pie in the sky for the foreseable future.

 

[Buckman]

But I believe that its important to keep looking at both methods of production, and ways to use Hydrogen as some one may hit on a game changer, but hypersonic travel for the masses I think is pie in the sky for the foreseable future.

They said the same about a computer in every home!