Expansion of Hydrogen Electric Propulsion, Technology Currently Used by Smaller Planes, Has Been Adapted for Passenger-Capable Aircraft. In Brazil, Investments Are in Hybrid Models.

With tanks and fuel cells, as well as the engine, attached to a module, and not to the aircraft fuselage, a French company unveiled, in December 2022, hydrogen aircraft of the future, equipped with detachable engines. The solution presented comes in a fitting placed beneath the aircraft, and thus, the whole system offers greater safety than those in which the refrigerated tanks are attached to the safety and that directly influence how much cargo these aircraft can carry.

It is the concept of decentralized propulsion for manned and unmanned aircraft, for which the French company hopes that, starting with autonomous applications, it will be possible for regulatory and certification prerequisites to be minimized.

Market expectations are that the propulsion system is already conducting studies to lift aircraft with a capacity for up to 96 people among crew and passengers. This is all thanks to the well-known technology of the future, cryogenic technology, which scales the technology for larger aircraft. The technology of the aircraft of the future was launched in 2020. But how does this technology work?

Due to the need to be stored at very high pressures to remain liquefied, cylindrical or spherical tanks are the best way to store the fuel. Today these tanks are attached to the fuselage, and it is precisely this innovation presented by the French company that has already been named: They are the “winged airplanes,” where fuselage drag is less, which reduces the aircraft’s fuel consumption.

Experts state that, despite all the risks that new technologies present, the main problems are not related to passenger safety, but rather to ground operation safety. Leaks are not allowed, and storage and combustion are among the biggest challenges of this adaptation. Another difficulty lies in the large-scale production of liquid hydrogen and the distribution and storage of liquid hydrogen on the ground.

Development of Futuristic Technologies in Brazil

In Brazil, Embraer is also conducting studies for the production of hybrid models, which should be available on the market starting in 2030. The hybrid technology is simpler, lighter, and smaller. The commercial aviation company projects that by 2035, four thousand units will be delivered. Depending on the demand for sustainability, this number could be multiplied by five. These are the forecasts for the future of aviation, two technologies that represent just a kick-off in the grand plan for reducing emissions from aircraft.

Embraer has called the project “green airplane.” Here, the technology used is hybrid energy, and the studied projects aim to transport up to 30 people, including passengers and crew. The forecast is a reduction of fossil fuel emissions by around 90%.

For the Senior Vice President of Engineering Technology and Corporate Strategy at Embraer, Luiz Carlos Affonso, the sector can no longer afford not to think about reducing CO² emissions. According to the vice president, the challenges are great, but the goal of zero pollutant emissions is not impossible, Affonso stated.