Who is WINNING the Race For Clean Hydrogen?!

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What's going on in the development of hydrogen aviation engines? And why does it seem like a rift is opening up between the US and Europe?

Figuring this out will be vital if we are really going to decarbonize the industry by 2050. In today’s video we look at the new technologies that could enable this vision - but ONLY if everyone who has a hand in building them works together…
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Below you will find the links to videos and sources used in this episode.

SOURCES
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#Mentourpilot #pilot #aircraft #airbus #hydrogen

[jamescobban]

One of my hobbies is studying how society worked in past periods. In particular I have studied thousands of pages of early 20th century censuses. One big industry back then was converting used cooking oil into lighting oil for kerosene/coal oil lamps.

[bertross]

In the UK, we converted one of our power stations to run on woodchip pellets. It too, was supposed to only use waste products as opposed to cutting down trees specifically to produce these pellets. The latter scenario is what has come to pass. We import this "biofuel" all the way from Canada. The politicians and CEO$ laugh as they receive their green stars.

[nanotyrannus]

Fun fact: The first jet engine ever operating had its first test runs on hydrogen since it was easier to get the combustion stable and Hans Papst von Ohain was on a tight schedule from his boss Ernst Heinkel to show a working engine.

[jacobschneck]

We have only been 20 years away from fusion for over 50 years. Hydrogen technology is only slightly behind.

[GeoffreyEngelbrecht]

The problem with hydrogen is the very low volumetric energy density. As a result you need to compress it to extremely high pressures or liquify it by reducing it to very very low temperatures to reduce the fuel tanks to a reasonable size. Pressure vessels or tanks for liquified hydrogen today are very heavy. This doesn’t leave very much weight left for passengers and cargo. I’ve heard that at least with today’s technology it might be possible for short range aircraft but impractical for long range aircraft. I have a friend in the aircraft engine business who has been working on hydrogen but who is very skeptical that hydrogen will take off in aircraft mainly because of the weight of the fuel tanks.

[jsr]

Petter H is from Europe. So, he has a smile through out this video?
On a serious note, I have a post graduate degree in Chemistry. Nearly 35 years in Aviation. I don’t see hydrogen powered engines developed out of current engines as a viable alternate. Redesigning is needed. That means - time, engineers and lots of cash.
Till then, sitting back, relaxing and enjoying Mentour Pilot’s videos!

[LoneRedPhoenix]

I love the engine technology videos; they really round out the channel as a source for not only the past and present of aviation, but the future as well!

[thehaprust]

Hydrogen is weird stuff to handle. It does like to escape, but it also dissipates pretty easily compared to heavier gaseous fuels like methane and propane. There is always a risk of fire, but except for a narrow range of conditions*, I am more frightened of gasoline fires than gaseous fuels. Personally, I think the finicky nature of hydrogen handling and storage makes it a tough hill to climb, but not technically unfeasible.

*foremost condition is that if a gasoline tank is on fire, run a 100 meters or so. If a pressurized fuel tank is on fire, run 1000 meters and then keep running.

[paulharvey]

I read somewhere that 90 million tons of H2 are currently used, all made from methane. The process is lossy and leaks both gases with higher greenhouse effects than CO2. It needs to be replaced as it is a significant greenhouse problem.

Now, H2 made from electricity requires 33KW/ kg, and very little is produced. Scaling renewable H2 to replace our chemical usage will be difficult enough. Factoring in an aviation requirement requires significant investment, which is unlikely. There is also difficulty in transporting H2 in the volumes that will be required. We may need H2 production at airports using modular nuclear reactors, but we might get some opposition.

I don't see these problems getting solved before the 2035 timeline.

[Randomgenerator]

Fascinating video as always. I've been working in the economics of low-carbon hydrogen production the last year, and one thing that is now widely understood is that it is going to be WAY more expensive than what we thought a few years back. A lot of governments, private companies and other institutions hoped that hydrogen would play a big part in decarbonising a lot of industries where electrification is expensive or outright impossible, but with the most up to date cost estimates it is now uneconomical to do so, and aviation is certainly one of the industries that fall under this category unfortunately. Will be really interesting to see what happens though (and who pays the final bill)

[bobcousins]

Given the history of hydrogen as a "fuel" and hype around it, I feel confident in saying "the hydrogen economy" is never going to happen. The statement that hydrogen is the most abundant element I think demonstrates a lack of understanding of what constitutes a fuel source.

[H_and_J]

Im an aspiring 13 year old pilot . these vids are quality content worth thank you to petter and the team!☺Love both of your channels a lot


Edit: Thanks for your likes Guys!❤

[michalsetlak]

IMO synthetic SAF is the solution, as storing hydrogen onboard aircraft is terribly cumbersome and adds LOTS of extra weight. And for the short haul - batteries or... high speed railway.

[jet_enjoyer]

The irony of us treating tallow as a waste product for use as aviation fuel whilst feeding ourselves inedible (without refinery style processing) seed oils is very striking to me.

[robertengelhard]

Commercial aviation will likely never use hydrogen. The fuel density is far too low and dealing with cryogenic hydrogen is no small feat either.

[unicornrainbow]

It has taken a lot of crashes to make things as safe as they are now. How many more will it take to make this safe?

[simonmackenzie]

Doesn't anyone think we're missing the woods for the trees?
Jet fuel is only 10% of the barrel. We can, far easier and cheaper, replace HSFO (used for bunkers in vessels), diesel and some naphtha used for gasoline blending by hydrogen and batteries. Paraffinic naphtha will still be required for a long while yet (plastics), but we can reduce hydrocarbon usage by 80% very easily. Switching the refinery slate from crude to condensate would allow that to ensure no heavy ends left to burn.

[auguststrotz]

Great Video! As someone working on a hydrogen-powered Sling High Wing at ETH Zürich (Cellsius Project H2), I can say that while hydrogen presents significant challenges with its volumetric energy density, many of the safety concerns mentioned here in the comments are often exaggerated. With proper engineering and precautions, hydrogen can be just as safe—if not safer—than traditional fuels. Although hydrogen will leak through most materials, the leak rate is extremely manageable with common materials. 

The high diffusivity of hydrogen also helps since unless there are locations in the airframe where hydrogen can collect, hydrogen typically disperses too quickly to reach the necessary 4% concentration to be flammable, say in the inevitable boil-off venting of cryogenic tanks. Another aspect often overlooked is that cryogenic tanks usually work "too well" because the boil-off rate is too low for the amount of hydrogen required for the reaction.

At least in my opinion, the most significant challenges facing hydrogen in aviation are the low volumetric energy density, the weight of cooling systems for fuel cells, and the NOx challenge for combustion. Hydrogen has immense potential as an exciting next step in aviation!

[ohheyitskevinc]

Hopefully a side effect of increased use of SAF is the cabin smelling like a McDonald’s.

[guard]

"The range limitation is not a problem because most flights are such a small fraction of the range anyhow."

Trains. That's what TRAINS are for. Stop using aircraft where they don't make sense to use! High speed trains should be replacing the short routes.