For the aircraft manufacturer Airbus Leads a project aimed at studying the traces left behind Airplanes Powered by Hydrogen In the air during flight. project Blue CondorCarried out by subsidiary UpNext, it tries to find out which gases are produced during operation and whether there is a difference relative to the current main fuel. KeroseneAnd how much it affects the environment.
In operation since late 2020, Blue Condor is in its third phase.
The first phase involves inventing all the technical components and a flying platform that can be modified with a hydrogen system and a hydrogen combustion engine. Also, a route chase operation had to be configured with a specific aircraft to carry all the necessary equipment.
The second phase of the project has been carried out till November 2022 for ground and flight testing to ensure that the hydrogen system and hydrogen combustor are safe to operate and perform as required. Hydrogen was the main fuel in all of them.
The third and most important phase is when the data is collected. The Blue Condor will be towed by a Grobe Egret at an altitude of 33,000 feet (about 10,000 meters) and then released. This “country” aircraft follows behind, using sensors to collect and analyze atmospheric and control data. No preliminary data yet.
According to Jose Díaz Vides, the engineer in charge of the project, Blue Condor is the fastest way to understand the formation of traces left by the burning of hydrogen. “What will be the implications of this new energy pathway? Everything is measured and recorded by instruments that detect what comes out of the aircraft's exhaust,” he summarizes.
Over the next year, those responsible hope to make more measurements and obtain more complete data on the amount and concentration of ice that forms, ambient air temperature and humidity, and engine exhaust emissions. , which particles are flying around and helping to create anomalies.
Special fuel
Hydrogen is considered a major sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Water is the main byproduct of burning hydrogen, but nitrous oxides can also be formed, which requires attention.
Hydrogen is mainly considered as an alternative for heavy industriesAviation, navigation, steelmaking and others with high energy requirements. It is also seen as a way to store energy generated by intermittent sources such as solar and wind – the electricity generated in these forms can be used to generate it, thus guaranteeing supply during times when there is no sun or wind.
Fuels can be classified into colors according to their appearance. For example, green hydrogen from other renewable sources; Production from natural gas (a fossil fuel) is gray or blue, depending on whether the process captures CO2; White is something taken directly from nature; Those produced using nuclear energy are pink, if electrical energy is used, purple, if thermal energy is used.
For aviation, hydrogen is the best in terms of efficiency. “It is possible to get three times more energy per kilogram from conventional kerosene or SAF”, Vides reports, citing one category. Biofuel (Standard Aviation Fuel).
However, if it brings more energy, hydrogen also brings practical challenges. Today, kerosene or SAF is stored in tanks on the wings of airplanes, which does not work for hydrogen. Therefore, it is necessary to redesign the aircraft in such a way that it can be used.
“Hydrogen is a very attractive alternative energy source. But technically, we need to develop a new way to efficiently use the fuel in our aircraft and transport it from one place to another,” he says. .
Along with this problem, it is necessary to increase hydrogen production worldwide to guarantee supply for aviation and other industries, which will regulate the price and create an economically viable ecosystem for exploration. So, although it is an important part of Airbus' sustainability plan, fuel is one of the alternatives – SAF is another well-known one.
According to Vides, the manufacturer is already thinking about developing hydrogen-powered planes – with three models scheduled for launch between 2030 and 2035. In turn, SAF is already used in commercial aviation, either alone or as kerosene, albeit on a much smaller scale.
Not Brazil, The regulatory framework for the SAF was approved by Congress And allowed “Fuel of the Future” BillLow Carbon Emission Hydrogen Development Project After approval in the Chamber, it is in the Senate.
Other projects
In addition to the Blue Condor, UpNext has two projects aimed at improving Airbus' technology to eliminate carbon emissions. One is Ascend, which is looking at using superconductivity in electric motors to extract and transmit more power in future hydrogen planes.
Another is aimed at increasing wing performance, technologies are being tested to improve dynamics and are suitable for any type of propulsion and aircraft configuration. A reduction in CO2 emissions is expected with better performance of the wings.
