U.S. researchers report conducting the first successful test flight of a hydrogen-powered, unmanned aircraft. The Georgia Institute of Technology scientists say the plane is believed to be the largest to fly on a proton exchange membrane fuel cell using compressed hydrogen.
The fuel-cell system that powers the 22-foot wingspan aircraft generates only 500 watts. "That raises a lot of eyebrows," said Adam Broughton, a research engineer who is working on the project in Georgia Tech's Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory. "Five hundred watts is plenty of power for a light bulb, but not for the propulsion system of an aircraft this size," he said.
The project was led by David Parekh, the Georgia Tech Research Institute's deputy director and founder of Georgia Tech's Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies.
Parekh wanted to develop a vehicle that would both advance fuel cell technology and galvanize industry interest. "A fuel cell aircraft is more compelling than just a lab demonstration or even a fuel cell system powering a house," Parekh explained.
In November, the researchers will present details of the project during the Society of Automotive Engineers' Power System Conference in New Orleans.
Source: United Press International
