No Shortcuts In Evia Aero’s Path To Being Europe’s First Green Regional Airline
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on FutureFlight.
This is the first paragraph.
The closer you examine the task of establishing a green airline, the clearer it becomes that it does not begin and end with sourcing net zero carbon aircraft. Evia Aero is a case in point in that while the German start-up has made provisional commitments to a pair of electric aircraft developers, for now, it is more preoccupied with getting a somewhat daunting operational ecosystem in place.
The article is an interesting read and certainly follows this old joke about aviation.
If you want to make a small fortune in aviation, start with a large fortune.
The article is mainly drawn from an interview with the founder of Evia Aero; Florian Kruse and these are some of his thoughts.
On Sustainability
This paragraph talks about a truly sustainable aviation company.
First you have to be sure that you can operate as a truly sustainable aviation company,” Evia Aero founder Florian Kruse told FutureFlight. The Bremen-based venture plans to invest in photovoltaic (PV) solar energy plants at the airports it intends to serve to fulfill its commitment to being self-sufficient in green energy, which could include electricity and hydrogen fuel. The next step will be installing the required refueling and recharging facilities.
I’ll agree with that objective, but is it an affordable commitment?
On An Air Operator Certificate
This paragraph talks about an Air Operator Certificate.
Only when these tasks are well advanced, probably in 2024, will Evia Aero secure the air operator certificate it needs to launch commercial scheduled services in Europe. The company has yet to determine whether it will establish an operation from scratch or acquire an existing AOC holder.
Having seen a friend struggle to get an airline going, I wonder, if existing AOC holders will have an advantage in getting fully certified.
Why Not Start A Traditional Airline And Transition To A Green One?
This was Florian Kruse’s answer.
Some people ask us why we don’t just start operating normal [fossil-fuel-burning] aircraft today and then make a transition [to net zero],But we don’t think that works. The only way to be successful in this is to be green with everything from the start.
But by his choice of the Britten-Norman Islander, Florian is taking a conservative route with a proven small airliner, that has been flown into hundreds, if not thousands, of airfields all over Europe and the wider world.
I suspect too, that a lot of experienced Islander pilots from all over the world, will want to add these aircraft to their log book. So recruitment of top quality pilots will not be a problem!
Refuelling And Maintenance
This is said about refuelling and maintenance.
In this regard, Evia Aero’s strategy isn’t based purely on a sustainability agenda. It views the plans for refueling and maintenance as key parts of its revenue stream.
Does this mean, it will be supplying support services to other operators of zero-carbon aircraft?
It should be remembered that the business model of some companies is based heavily on a business aircraft. Will these companies change their philosophy or change the aircraft?
One company that used business jets to sell construction equipment in the past was JCB. Prospective customers would be flown to the UK for demonstrations at their test site near the factory. GEC also used to use their business jet creatively.
The Eviation Alice, which Evia Aero intend to fly, will also be available in a six-seat business configuration.
I can imagine many companies using zero-carbon business aircraft creatively and to send the right message to customers and green activists, who haven’t been friendly in the past.
Thinking about this, as I type, I think that zero-carbon business aircraft could be a significant sector of the zero-carbon aircraft market. It would also appeal to many politicians, royalty, innovative business me and women and the very rich.
In the case of King Charles, I suspect a six-seat Eviation Alice or similar based at Northolt Airport would cost less to run than the Royal Train.
Pricing
This is said on pricing.
It believes (passengers) will pay a premium to access airfields in locations across northern Europe that are not well served by road and rail links.
I’ll go with that, as many years ago, I needed to go to Stavanger for a day or so from Ipswich. So I flew Air Anglia from Norwich in a Bandeirante, rather than go from Heathrow with a change at Oslo.
Backing And Expertise
This is a paragraph from the FutureFlight article.
Evia Aero is not without expertise as it seeks to put these building blocks in place. One of its backers, Energiequelle, is involved in a business that owns and operates PV plants in Finland and Germany. Its leadership team also includes Gerd Weber, CEO of regional airline OLT, and the chair of its advisory board is Axel Trampnau, who previously ran the carrier Germania.
That seems reasonably strong.
If Energiequelle live up the mission statement on their web site, they could be particularly useful.
Hydrogen-Powered Islanders
This is said about their purchase of conversion kits for Islanders to be converted to hydrogen power.
Under current plans, the first aircraft in the Evia Aero flight will be nine-passenger Britten-Norman Islanders under a plan being advanced by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) to convert the piston-powered models to hydrogen propulsion. Evia Aero expects these aircraft to be ready to enter service in 2026 and has agreed to buy 15 of the conversion kits.
The Islander may have flown nearly sixty years ago, but nearly 1300 have been built and they are still being manufactured, so there should be plenty available from conversion and spare parts shouldn’t be a problem.
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, is a spin-out of Cranfield University and the article says this about an ongoing project between CAeS and Evia Aero.
In 2022, the new airline signed a wider agreement with CAeS covering a provisional order for 10 hydrogen-powered 19-seat aircraft. The companies have not yet determined whether these would be conversions of existing aircraft or a clean-sheet design. Under the UK’s Project Fresson, CAeS is working on plans for new 19- and 75-seat zero-emissions regional airliners.
CAeS look like another serious contender in the zero-carbon airliner market.
Eviation Alice
This is said about the Eviation Alice.
Evia Aero has signed a memorandum of understanding covering provisional orders for 25 of Eviation’s nine-passenger, all-electric Alice aircraft. It expects to add the first of these to its fleet in 2028, a year after the U.S.-based manufacturer now says it aims to complete type certification, initially with the FAA.
Note.
- Alice is running two years behind the Islander.
- Certifying the Islander should be easier as it is an existing airliner.
I could see the earlier delivery and entry into service of the Islander, being used to develop the business.
Range And Routes
This is said about range and routes.
With either of these aircraft, Evia Aero will be launching its services with the equipment providing a modest payload and range. The Cranfield Islanders will be able to fly up to around 200 kilometers (109 nm), while Eviation last year reduced its range projections from 440 to 250 nm, citing the limitations of current battery technology.
Kruse accepts these limitations, while already laying plans to add subsequent 19-seat aircraft to his fleet. He showed FutureFlight route maps for both aircraft including planned destinations extending along the North Sea and Channel coasts from Denmark through Germany and the Benelux countries and into France and the UK.
- The range isn’t that long.
- It is 629 kilometres between Evia Aero’s base at Bremen and Southend.
- Schiphol is closer at 89 kilometres with Groningen at 147 kilometres.
But the interesting one is Heligoland at 139 kilometres.
Heligoland
This Google Map shows the archipelago.
Note.
- Heligoland is the island in the West.
- Düne is the island in the East.
- You can just pick out the characteristic pattern of Heligoland Airport‘s three concrete runways.
Why would anybody want to go to a rock in the North Sea?
This article on the Guardian, which is entitled Heligoland: Germany’s Hidden Gem In The North Sea, gives lots of reasons, including.
- History.
- It is a regular day trip from the German coast by ship.
- It used to be British.
- It could be at the heart of offshore wind developments.
But for German day-trippers, it’s probably the attraction of the island being duty-free.
It could be a nice little earner for an airline based in Bremen and it would be within the range of the Islanders.
A Pattern Of German Islands
This Google Map shows the German corner of the North Sea.
Note.
- The island of Heligoland at the top of the map.
- Bremen in the South-East corner of the map.
- The string of islands along the German and Dutch coasts.
- The red area marks out the most-Easterly island of Wangerooge.
This Google Map shows Wangerooge in detail.
Flugplatz Wangerooge is in the South-East corner of the map.
- It has an 850 metre asphalt runway.
- The island appears to have a sizeable beach.
- The island has a population of around 1200.
The Wikipedia entry for Wangerooge says this about the character of the island.
In order to guarantee a relaxed atmosphere, cars are prohibited on the island. The island can be reached by ship from Harlesiel, or it can be reached by plane via its airfield, regular service being offered from Harlesiel, Bremen, or Hamburg. The ferries leave at different times every day according to the tide. As on most East Frisian Islands, a small narrow gauge railway line, the Wangerooge Island Railway, connects the harbor to the main village.
The Wikipedia entry, for the Wangerooge Island Railway gives a lot of detail about what looks to be a fascinating railway, including this opening paragraph.
The single track Wangerooge Island Railway (Wangerooger Inselbahn) is an unelectrified narrow gauge railway with a track gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) located on the East Frisian island of Wangerooge off the northwestern coast of Germany. It is the most important means of transport on the island and is the only narrow gauge railway operated today by the Deutsche Bahn.
I must visit next time, I go to Hamburg.
Working towards the West the next airfield, I can find is on Langeoog, which is shown in this Google Map.
Flugplatz Langeoog is marked by the blue arrow towards the South-East corner of the map.
Working towards the West the next airfield, I can find is on Nordeney, which is shown on this Google Map.
Flughaven Nordeney is at the bottom of the map.
It has a 1000 metre runway and judging by the planes on the map, it is very busy.
Continuing West brings me to the Eastern end of the island of Juist, which is shown on this Google Map.
Flugplatz Juist is indicated the rightmost blue arrow. This extract from the Wikipedia entry, illustrates the importance of this airfield.
As of 2013, the airfield had up to 500 takeoffs and landings on weekends, the second most aircraft movements in the state of Lower Saxony, after Hannover Airport. The airfield is a critical piece of infrastructure for the island, due to ferry traffic being dependent on the tides.
The airfield was also the first on the East Frisian Islands to have a paved runway
Continuing West brings me to Borkum, which is shown on this Google Map.
Note.
Borkum Airport is in the Eastern half of the map.
- It has a 1000 metre asphalt runway.
- Borkum has a population of around 5000.
On this brief exploration of the German East Frisian Islands, I have been surprised to find five airfields; Borkum, Juist, Langeoog, Nordeney and Wangerooge.
- All seem to have asphalt or concrete runways.
- Were these runways built as part of a plan to improve transport to the islands, as it appears the tides make the ferries a bit variable?
It also appears that the islands are totally or at least partially car-free.
On one island I noticed that the taxis are horse-drawn carriages.
So does this all fit well with the philosophy of Evia Aero of flying zero-carbon aircraft?
I suspect it does.
I also think, that Evia Aero’s thinking has been influenced by recent events in the area, which I talked about in From Groningen To Leer By Train.
- To put it simply, a freighter called the Emsmoon, demolished the Freisenbrücke, which carries the Groningen and Bremen railway over the River Ems.
- Zero-carbon aircraft flying between Groningen and Bremen would be a viable and quicker and more comfortable alternative to the bus I took.
I wonder if Evia Aero are planning a service between Groningen and Bremen.
- Groningen and Bremen is 147 kilometres.
- Islanders can cruise at 240 kph.
- The service could call at the five intermediate airports.
- I would reckon, that the service would take about an hour between Groningen and Bremen.
- The aircraft would be refuelled at Groningen and Bremen.
- I am fairly certain that two planes could run an hourly service.
I also suspect that the ticketing could be run by an app and if there were no passengers wanting to get on or off at an intermediate stop, then the plane would continue to the next stop, which would save fuel. If a passenger missed a plane, there would be only a wait of an hour until the next one.
Get this right and if it proves successful, then extra services could be added, to create a true Turn-Up-And-Go air service.
Landing And Take-Off Performance
This is a paragraph from the FutureFlight article.
Both the Islander and the Alice offer short takeoff and landing performance that will allow them to get in and out via limited runways in small communities. In the case of the Islander, which has been in service for several decades, it will even be able to operate from grass landing strips.
Every little helps.
Islanders can also use sand runways, as they do at Barra.
Refueling The Islanders
This image of the hydrogen-powered Islander was clipped from the Cranfield Aerospace Solutions’ home page.
Consider.
- Many years ago, I had fun with a farmer friend moving a lot of apples in boxes, that were destined for Aspall Cyder with his forklift. The machine was powered by gas in a cylinder strapped horizontally behind the driver.
- We ran out of gas halfway through and it was a simple matter of disconnecting the bottle and connecting another.
- Drop tanks have been used in military aircraft for almost a hundred years.
- Universal Hydrogen refuels its hydrogen-powered aircraft by changing a fuel capsule.
Look at the above picture and note the two green cylinders under the wings.
- Could they be two hydrogen tanks for the aircraft?
- They appear to have some aerodynamic features. Could this reduce drag, but increase lift?
- Could they be cylinders for the hydrogen fuel?
- If they are fuel cylinders, is it possible for one or two people and/or possibly a special truck to easily swap an empty one for a full one?
Fast refuelling would allow the aircraft to work hard.
Connecting To Major Hubs
My proposed East Frisian Islands service, only connects to Groningen and Bremen on the mainland.
- Schiphol and Groningen Airports are only 93 kilometres apart.
- Bremen and Hamburg Airports are only 103 kilometres apart.
After refuelling, flying on without a change of plane to a major hub would be possible.
Channel Hops
This is said about range.
With either of these aircraft, Evia Aero will be launching its services with the equipment providing a modest payload and range. The Cranfield Islanders will be able to fly up to around 200 kilometers (109 nm), while Eviation last year reduced its range projections from 440 to 250 nm, citing the limitations of current battery technology.
The only hops, I can find less than two hundred kilometres are.
- Calais and Manston – 61 kilometres
- Calais and Lydd – 71 kilometres
- Calais and Southend – 111 kilometres
- Le Touquet and Lydd – 69 kilometres
- Le Touquet and Manston – 94 kilometres
- Le Touquet and Southend – 134 kilometres
- Ostend and Manston – 107 kilometres
- Ostend and Lydd – 138 kilometres
- Ostend and Southend – 210 kilometres
- Cherbourg and Southampton – 147 kilometres
Note.
- Manston and Southend are probably the two best British airports, as they have or will have a rail connection.
- Only Le Touquet has a railway station close to the airport on the European side.
I do suspect, that Eurostar could kill channel-hopping, by adding extra services.
Possible Markets
The methodology developed at Bremen, could probably be applied to other services around Europe and the wider world.
This is a paragraph from the FutureFlight article.
Evia Aero, which Kruse said is already in talks with as many as 30 regional airports about possible air services, is also eyeing the Nordic countries, the UK’s islands, and parts of southern Germany as target markets. Norway with its mountainous coastline seems a promising early adopter for short flights in net zero aircraft, not least because the country’s government plans to ban conventional aircraft on domestic routes from 2030.
The low noise of the electric aircraft might make them acceptable, where other aircraft have been rejected in the past.
Conclusion
T think Evia Aero plans are sound, but I do wonder whether the freighter trashing the railway got Florian Kruse and his friends thinking.
Birmingham Plays The Green Card
This article in The Times today is entitled Birmingham Airport Set For Hydrogen Take-Off.
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
Birmingham Airport aims to become the first in Britain to operate commercial zero-emission hydrogen-fuelled flights — and by as early as 2025.
The ambitious goal follows the signing of a partnership with the British start-up ZeroAvia whose first trial flight of a 19-seater passenger aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cells took place last month.
Other points from the article include.
- ZeroAvia is also working with Rotterdam Airport.
- Initially, it is likely that the hydrogen-powered aircraft will be used for cargo.
- The government wants all UK domestic flights to be zero-carbon by 2040.
- Birmingham wants to be zero-carbon by 2033.
- ZeroAvia has received upwards of £20 million of matched-taxpayer funding.
- It has some big backers and well-known airlines, who have placed orders.
These are my thoughts.
ZeroAvia’s Airliners
This paragraph from The Times article describes their first two aircraft.
ZeroAvia is retrofitting turboprops, 19-seater Dornier and in future 80-seater De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s, with tanks of hydrogen which is converted by fuel cell stacks to energy taken to electric motors that power the propellers. The only emission is water. It is talking to potential new-entrant airframe makers to build all-new hydrogen aircraft of the future.
Note.
- The Dornier 228 is a 19-seater airliner of which over three hundred have been built.
- The de Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 is an 80-seater airliner of which over six hundred have been ordered and over 1200 of all marques of Dash 8s have been built.
Both are workhorses of the smaller airlines all over the world.
As the paragraph from The Times indicates the power system is not conventional, but then most of this new breed of small electric/hydrogen/hybrid airliners have electric propulsion. I suspect that there’s been a marked improvement in the design and efficiency of electric motors.
Electric propulsion should have a substantial noise advantage over turboprops.
ZeroAvia are also retrofitting their two chosen airliners.
This offers advantages in the certifying of the airliners. Providing the changes made to the airframe are not significant, the various certifying authorities in the UK, US and EU will allow previous certification to be carried over.
This means that ZeroAvia only have to thoroughly test and certify the powerplant and its integration into the aircraft.
One of their competitors, the Eviation Alice is a completely new airframe with battery-electric power, so I suspect this aircraft will take longer to certify.
I think ZeroAvia have used this shorter certification time to aim to get their airliners in service first.
Those that don’t win, don’t get the same fame.
Hydrogen At Birmingham Airport
Hydrogen will be needed at Birmingham Airport to refuel ZeroAvia’s airliners.
But will hydrogen also be used on the airside to power some of the heavy vehicles you see on airports.
Look at this page on the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, which shows a Hydrogen Fuel Cell U-30 Aircraft Tow Tractor. The specification indicates, that it can tow a C-17 or a Boeing 747.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Birmingham Airport build their own electrolyser nearby both to supply hydrogen-powered aircraft and decarbonise the airside.
To And From Birmingham Airport
Consider.
- Birmingham Airport is connected to Birmingham International station by a free AirRail Link.
- Birmingham International station has an impressive number of services, many of which are electric.
- There will be a people mover to connect to Birmingham Interchange for High Speed Two.
- Birmingham Interchange will have five trains per hour (tph) to and from London, taking under forty minutes.
- There are plans to extend the West Midlands Metro to the airport, with journeys taking thirty minutes from the City Centre.
- Birmingham Airport is at the centre of the UK’s motorway network.
Most public transport to Birmingham Airport will be zero-carbon and the percentage that is will increase.
A Green Air Bridge To Ireland
Currently the fastest services between London and Birmingham International station take a few minutes over the hour.
But after High Speed Two opens, the service will improve.
- High Speed Two will take under forty minutes.
- There will be five tph.
- High Speed Two will connect to the Elizabeth Line and the London Overground at Old Oak Common station.
- Euston station will have better connectivity to the Underground.
This diagram shows High Speed Two services.
Consider.
- Birmingham Interchange has good connections in the North.
- I can see that Birmingham Airport could start to attract lots of passengers going between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland.
- And don’t forget Cardiff, Swansea, Exeter, Isle of Man and New Quay.
- Could Birmingham-Dublin and Birmingham-Belfast be run as frequent shuttles?
- Will there be AirRail tickets between Euston and Belfast and Dublin?
I also wonder if zero-carbon travel will attract passengers?
Zero-Carbon Air Cargo At Birmingham Airport
This article on Railway Gazette is entitled Varamis Rail Launches Regular Express Light Freight Service.
These three paragraphs outline the service from Varamis Rail.
Varamis Rail has launched a 160 km/h express freight service between Glasgow and Birmingham International using a converted electric multiple-unit.
The service is targeted at express parcels and third-party delivery companies seeking next day delivery of consumer goods.
Consignments arriving at the Glasgow hub by 17.30 from Monday to Friday can reach Birmingham at 23.00, with northbound freight arriving at the Birmingham site by 23.00 reaching Glasgow at 05.30 the next morning.
I think this service would interface well with cargo planes operating overnight from Birmingham Airport.
It seems to me, that Spokes at Speke could be reborn at Birmingham.
Conclusion
Birmingham Airport seems to be positioning itself to take advantage of aviation’s new breed of planes.
ZeroAvia – Dornier228 – First Flight
Does Anyone Remember Suckling Airways?
They started by flying a Dornier 228 between Ipswich and Manchester airports.
But look at this Dornier 228 in a short flight from Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire.
This press release from ZeroAvia is entitled ZeroAvia Makes Aviation History, Flying World’s Largest Aircraft Powered With a Hydrogen-Electric Engine.
This paragraph describes the aircraft’s engines in this testbed configuration.
The twin-engine aircraft was retrofitted to incorporate ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric engine on its left wing, which then operated alongside a single Honeywell TPE-331 stock engine on the right. In this testing configuration, the hydrogen-electric powertrain comprises two fuel cell stacks, with lithium-ion battery packs providing peak power support during take-off and adding additional redundancy for safe testing. In this testbed configuration, hydrogen tanks and fuel cell power generation systems were housed inside the cabin. In a commercial configuration, external storage would be used and the seats restored.
As I suspect a Dornier 228 can fly on one Honeywell engine, this must be a very safe way to prove the concept of the hydrogen-electric powertrain.
This paragraph indicates their path to full certification and entry into service in 2025.
ZeroAvia will now work towards its certifiable configuration in order to deliver commercial routes using the technology by 2025. The Dornier 228 will conduct a series of test flights from Kemble and later demonstration flights from other airports. Almost exactly two years ago, ZeroAvia conducted the first of more than 30 flights of a six-seat Piper Malibu aircraft using a 250kW hydrogen-electric powertrain.
That is an ambitious date, but, they haven’t got to develop and certify a new airframe.
Rolls-Royce And easyJet Set New World First
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
These three paragraphs explain what the two companies have done and are planning to do.
Rolls-Royce and easyJet today confirmed they have set a new aviation milestone with the world’s first run of a modern aero engine on hydrogen.
The ground test was conducted on an early concept demonstrator using green hydrogen created by wind and tidal power. It marks a major step towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero carbon aviation fuel of the future and is a key proof point in the decarbonisation strategies of both Rolls-Royce and easyJet.
Both companies have set out to prove that hydrogen can safely and efficiently deliver power for civil aero engines and are already planning a second set of tests, with a longer-term ambition to carry out flight tests.
The test today was carried out at Boscombe Down and are shown in this picture from Rolls-Royce.
Rolls-Royce AE2100 Hydrogen Demonstrator engine preparing for test at RAF Boscombe Down
Note that the green hydrogen produced using Orcadian winds and tides.
We live in desperate times and I predict that a hydrogen-fuelled and Rolls-Royce-powered easyJet plane, will fly sooner than anybody thinks.
As with athletes, engineers love to be first!
German Startup EVIA AERO Commits To Hydrogen-Powered Britten-Norman Islanders
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Simple Flying.
These two paragraphs outline the deal.
EVIA AERO has signed a letter of intent with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) to increase its order for hydrogen modification kits and aircraft. As part of the agreement, the startup airline expects to receive five additional hydrogen modification kits and ten 19-seat aircraft.
The hydrogen modification kits are designed to power the nine-seat Britten-Norman Islander aircraft and come in addition to a previous order with CAeS for 10 kits.
I can remember seeing the Islander prototype at a Farnborough Air Show in the mid-1960s on the BBC with commentary from the iconic Raymond Baxter.
ZeroAvia Hydrogen Powered Jets For American Airlines?
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Aviation Source.
The article states that American Airlines will be investing an undisclosed amount into ZeroAvia and that it might use their regional hydrogen-powered aircraft in the United States.
easyJet And Rolls-Royce Pioneer Hydrogen Energy Combustion Technology In H2ZERO Partnership
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
These three opening paragraphs outline the project.
easyJet and Rolls-Royce today announced a ground-breaking new partnership, H2ZERO, that will pioneer the development of hydrogen combustion engine technology capable of powering a range of aircraft, including those in the narrow-body market segment.
Both companies have committed to working together on a series of engine tests on the ground, starting later this year and have a shared ambition to take the technology into the air. The objective of the partnership is to demonstrate that hydrogen has the potential to power a range of aircraft from the mid-2030s onwards.
While Rolls-Royce will bring its expertise in engine development and combustion systems, easyJet will contribute its operational knowledge and experience to H2ZERO and will also directly invest in the test programme.
This to my mind is good news.
This paragraph gives details of some of the planned work.
Through H2ZERO, the companies will support an early concept ground test of a Rolls-Royce AE 2100 engine in the UK later this year. This will be followed by a full-scale ground test of a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine – a range of location options are being assessed for this including the Rolls-Royce test facility in Mississippi, USA. The programme will build on initial hydrogen combustion and fuel system rig tests that Rolls-Royce is undertaking with both Cranfield and Loughborough universities.
Note.
- The Rolls-Royce AE 2100 engine, powers the Lockheed Super Hercules amongst others.
- Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 powers various business jets.
easyJet and Rolls-Royce certainly have ambitions, and as there is little about the route they are taking to decarbonise, I would assume, that the main purpose of the study, is to find the optimal route.
I have just found this paper on the German Aerospace Centre web site, which is entitled Assessment Of Hydrogen Fuel Tank Integration At
Aircraft Level.
It uses as a baseline aircraft, the Airbus A320neo, of which easyJet have a few!
I suspect that using some of the techniques outlined in this paper, Rolls-Royce could decarbonise an Airbus A320neo.
Aerospace Electrified By New Technology
The title of this post, is the same as of this article on the BBC.
The article is a good summary of the state of zero-carbon aviation.
News Of The Day From Rolls-Royce
This press release from Rolls-Royce is entitled Rolls-Royce Advances Hybrid-Electric Flight With New Technology To Lead The Way In Advanced Air Mobility.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Rolls-Royce is officially announcing the development of turbogenerator technology, which includes a new small engine designed for hybrid-electric applications. The system will be an on-board power source with scalable power offerings and will complement the Rolls-Royce Electrical propulsion portfolio, enabling extended range on sustainable aviation fuels and later as it comes available through hydrogen combustion.
This paragraph outlines the use of the new small engine.
Current battery technology means all-electric propulsion will enable eVTOL and fixed wing commuter aircraft for short flights in and between cities and island-hopping in locations like Norway and the Scottish Isles. By developing turbogenerator technology, that will be scaled to serve a power range between 500 kW and 1200 kW, we can open up new longer routes that our electric battery powered aircraft can also support.
There is also a video in the press release, which gives more information.
- The turbogenerator is compatible to their electric power and propulsion offering.
- The turbogenerator has a power of 500-1200 kW to serve different aircraft platforms.
- The system is modular and can be tailored to different applications.
- The turbogenerator can either power the aircraft directly or charge the batteries.
- The system can be configured to provide primary power for other applications.
- Rolls-Royce are designing all the components; the turbogenerator, the gas turbine, the generator, the power electronics, so they all fit together in a compact and lightweight solution.
- Rolls-Royce intend to manufacture all components themselves and not rely on bought-in modules.
- Every gram of weight saved is important.
I suspect that one of the keys to making this all work is a very comprehensive and clever control system.
I have a few thoughts.
Weight Is Key
Rolls-Royce emphasise weight saving in the video. Obviously, this is important with any form of flying machine.
An Example System
Let’s suppose you want an electric power system to power a railway locomotive or one of those large mining trucks.
- The locomotive or truck has an electric transmission.
- Power of 2 MW is needed.
- A battery is needed.
- Fuel will be Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) or hydrogen.
A series hybrid-electric power unit will be created from available modules, which could be very fuel efficient.
What Will Rolls-Royce’s System Be Able to Power?
Although the system is aimed at the next generation of electric flying machines, these systems will be used in any application that wants an efficient zero- or low-carbon power source.
Consider.
- Some large trucks have diesel engines with a power of almost 500 kW.
- A Class 68 bi-mode locomotive has a 700 kW diesel engine.
- A Class 802 train has three 700 kW diesel engines.
- Rolls-Royce subsidiary MTU are a large supplier of diesel engines for rail, road and water.
It looks to me that Rolls-Royce have sized the system to hoover up applications and they have MTU’s experience to engineer the applications.
Class 43 Power Cars
The iconic Class 43 power cars running on UK railways are an interesting possibility for powering with Rolls-Royce’s new system.
- Despite being over forty-years old, there are over a hundred and twenty still in service.
- They were upgraded with new 1.7 MW MTU diesel engines in the early part of this century.
- Rolls-Royce is based in Derby.
- The Class 43 power cars were developed in Derby.
- Hydrogen-powered Class 43 power cars, hauling GWR Castles or ScotRail Inter7Cities would be tourist attractions.
- The Class 43 power cars need to be either decarbonised or replaced in the next few years.
Decarbonisation using Rolls-Royce’s new system would probably be more affordable.
This all sounds like a project designed in a pub in Derby, with large amounts of real ale involved.
But I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened.
Will The System Be Upgradable From Sustainable Aviation Fuel To Hydrogen?
This is an except from the introductory paragraph.
The system will be an on-board power source with scalable power offerings and will complement the Rolls-Royce Electrical propulsion portfolio, enabling extended range on sustainable aviation fuels and later as it comes available through hydrogen combustion.
This would appear that if used in aviation, it will be possible to upgrade the system from sustainable aviation fuel to hydrogen, when a suitable hydrogen supply becomes available.
But all applications could be upgraded.
A truck, like the one shown in the picture could be delivered as one running on sustainable aviation fuel and converted to hydrogen later.
Conclusion
Rolls-Royce have put together a modular system, that will have lots of applications.
Monte To Purchase 100 FC Aircraft Drives From ZeroAvia
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on electrive.com.
This is the first paragraph.
ZeroAvia and Monte Aircraft Leasing will jointly market hydrogen-powered aircraft to regional operators. Under an agreement now signed between the companies, Monte will purchase up to 100 ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrains from ZeroAvia to be installed on existing and new 5- to 20-seat aircraft.
Monte look to be an interesting company from their web site, which has this title.
Supporting The Transition Of The Regional Aviation Industry To Net Zero Carbon Emissions
The business model appears to be a well-proven and it is not that far removed from the one, colleagues and myself used to sell the project management system; Artemis.
In our case we took proven Hewlett-Packard computers and and other hardware, added our Artemis software and a custom-made desk and leased the systems to those who wanted to do project management, with as much support as our clients required. Customers just had to supply operators, printer paper and a thirteen amp socket.
Finance was obtained by various innovative methods, often through a bank manager, who was a bit of a rogue. But he was a rogue, who was on the side of the angels.
Later he became a firm friend of mine, before he sadly died within a few days of my wife.
Monte Aircraft Leasing’s model would appear to take a proven aircraft like a Cessna Caravan, Dornier 228 or Dash 8, replace the turboprop engines with a zero-carbon powerplant and then lease the aircraft. Often this will just be an additional lease to the existing operator.
The great advantage of this approach, is that the reengined aircraft does not need to be fully re-certified. It can fly under a Supplemental Type Certificate, which is described like this in Wikipedia.
A supplemental type certificate (STC) is a civil aviation authority-approved major modification or repair to an existing type certified aircraft, engine or propeller. As it adds to the existing type certificate, it is deemed “supplemental”. In the United States issuance of such certificates is under the purview of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Monte seem to have found a good way to make money from going net-zero.
The Anonymous Widower 