The Long-Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies (LAPCAT) Jet is making progress in the field of aviation, tipped to be operational within 25 years.
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,2348...5014090,00.html
It is a liquid hydrogen propelled aircraft, so clean and green as well as sphincter tightening fast.
http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/lapcat.html
Would be nice to have this a little earlier, imagine Australia to Europe (or vice versa) in 4 1/2 hours as compared to 24 hours. Or Germany - States.
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A2 commercial jet aircraft
Supersonic flights, operational within 25 years
Too right. I think I'll buy one!
Why is a hydrogen propelled aircraft green???
because the product of burning hydrogen in a combustion engine is water. pure clean water. The problem at the moment is producing hydrogen in a green and energy efficient manner.
edit: just read the article and it seems that their engine will produce nitrous oxide as well as water vapour. Nitrous oxide is a major green-house gas, so not very green at all!
edit: just read the article and it seems that their engine will produce nitrous oxide as well as water vapour. Nitrous oxide is a major green-house gas, so not very green at all!
QUOTE
Unlike other nitrogen oxides, nitrous oxide is a major greenhouse gas. While its radiative warming effect is substantially less than CO2, nitrous oxide's persistence in the atmosphere, when considered over a 100 year period, per unit of weight, has 296 times more impact on global warming than that per mass unit of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Thanks OG, the point I'm making is that burning oil to produce hydrogen is just as dirty as burning the oil in the plane. A lot of people think that hydrogen is super clean. Its really nothing other than a battery. An electric car is clean if the electricity it uses is generated cleanly, but not if oil or coal is burned to generate the electricity.
I couldn't figure out where the nitrous oxide comes from, maybe the heat produced by the engines generates it.
I couldn't figure out where the nitrous oxide comes from, maybe the heat produced by the engines generates it.
the trick is to use solar energy for the electrolysis. When that can be done commercially on a large enough scale, then Hydrogen will be a viable clean renewable energy source. At the moment, it s far from that.
QUOTE (Owain Glyndwr @ Feb 6 2008, 9:24 am) 
because the product of burning hydrogen in a combustion engine is water. pure clean water. The problem at the moment is producing hydrogen in a green and energy efficient manner.
Producing, storing, transporting, distributing...
Hydrogen SUCKS as an energy carrier.
woof.
hmm...interesting..never got to fly the concorde but since it requires hydrogen...airports..tech staff..and pilots all have to be ready for this...and the price of a first class fare...still a lil bit expensive. plus what are the risks of a hydrogen aircraft? those articles only mention plus points. space flights are hydrogen propelled...the only thing i know..is that when they blow up theres nothing left. if that was to happen at a commercial airport...imagine the lives at stake.
Hydrogen doesn't suck. Its calorific value in comparison to its weight is outstanding. It is rather hard to store because the molecules are so small it can leak out of many vessels. Don't know if liquid hydrogren is easier to store, but its seriously cold like 12 Kelvin which would require a massive amount of energy to acheive.
As OG says its how the energy is generated that counts. BTW hydrogen can be obtained directly from oil, you don't burn it to generate electricity for hydrolysis, you do some funny chemical stuff instead.
As OG says its how the energy is generated that counts. BTW hydrogen can be obtained directly from oil, you don't burn it to generate electricity for hydrolysis, you do some funny chemical stuff instead.
BMW is still having issues with storage of liquid hydrogen and leakage but it is nothing that a bit of investment and time won't sort out. The problem is, though, that the investment needed won't show a return so why bother.
I'd love to see it but I really don't think it will happen.
QUOTE (MadAxeMurderer @ Feb 6 2008, 9:46 am)
Hydrogen doesn't suck. Its calorific value in comparison to its weight is outstanding.
True, but no one wants a giant, yet light, fuel tank. Hydrogen looses in energy/volume (from what I hear)
"True, but no one wants a giant, yet light, fuel tank."
Hmmm... haven't we have seen this before in Germany...
Maybe the Lapcat will tow a Hindenburg H2 fuel tank behind ;-)
Hmmm... haven't we have seen this before in Germany...
Maybe the Lapcat will tow a Hindenburg H2 fuel tank behind ;-)
liquid Hydrogen is no more dangerous the petrol or aviation grade fuel.
That's a really odd statement though... you are essentially saying that "when it is under control, it isn't any more dangerous than X". The problem is you have to worry about when something isn't under control (aka an accident). And when liquid hydrogen isn't under control, it is massively more dangerous than petrol. Correct?
nope. Liquid hydrogen is not massively more dangerous than petrol.
If might freeze your nuts off if it spilled all over you though! I've seen that thing on the telly with a squash ball and a hammer!
Anyway some of you might recognise this aircraft that surely inspired the designs of the A2
Anyway some of you might recognise this aircraft that surely inspired the designs of the A2
QUOTE (Owain Glyndwr @ Feb 6 2008, 8:31 pm)
nope. Liquid hydrogen is not massively more dangerous than petrol.
Doesn't it turn into gaseous hydrogen pretty quickly though? That is fairly dangerous.
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