By Will Nichols, Source: BusinessGreen

Boeing today unveiled a prototype plane it hopes could usher in a new age of hydrogen-powered flight and help airlines achieve carbon neutral flight by the middle of the century.

The next-generation 737-800 ecoDemonstrator aircraft is fitted with a host of technologies designed to improve fuel efficiency and reduce noise that Boeing has been testing for 45 days at Glasgow, Montana.

One of these technologies is a regenerative fuel cell that uses the surplus energy produced when the aircraft is climbing or cruising to break down ionized water into oxygen and hydrogen, which can then be stored and used to power airplane systems at times of low supply.

This improves fuel efficiency both by reducing the weight of on-board systems and putting less demand on the engines to generate electricity.

Fuel cells have long been seen as having the potential to decarbonise road transport, shipping and industrial facilities, but the technology has yet to be widely taken up as it remains expensive and bulky.

Jeanne Yu, director of environmental performance at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told BusinessGreen ahead of the launch that the fuel cell “fills up the whole cargo compartment” of the 737, which is on loan from American Airlines.

But she added the trials would help Boeing “understand the best applications for fuel cells” and push technology forward.

“We know the technology is more challenging to put on an aircraft, but we’re looking at a potential alternative energy source to power the plane,” Yu said. “This [trial] is the first stage in finding out the practicalities.

“It’s about being a catalyst – to think and learn by doing,” she added. “There are large hurdles we have to cross… but we would love to see the fuel cell industry accelerate.”

Other technologies include software to reduce fuel consumption by smoothing flight trajectories, a fan nozzle that alters the efficiency of the engines, and adaptive wing trailing edges that optimise aerodynamics depending on the stage of flight. Boeing has also been working with InterfaceFlor to fit sustainably produced and recyclable carpet tiles.

Yu said airline operators are increasingly looking to such technologies as costs in the industry rise.

“Costs are obviously important to [carriers] for profitability and to customers for ticket prices,” she said. “Fuel is already nearing 50 per cent of airline operator’s costs. They’re always interests in technologies that improve fuel efficiency – and this is also an opportunity to improve their environmental performance.”