Hydrogen planes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hydrogen planes are airplanes that use hydrogen as a fuel source
Hydrogen is the best known source of fuel to replace the current fuel for aircraft, kerosene. Disregarding storage mechanisms, hydrogen is the most energy-dense combustible fuel known. As aircraft efficiency can be tied closely with aircraft weight, a lightweight fuel is very desirable.
More importantly, hydrogen fuel would produce no greenhouse gasses, and therefore be much better for the environment since the process emits only water vapor as exhaust.
Many companies have begun to look at this fuel of the of the future. Unmanned hydrogen planes have already been tested and Boeing is currently preparing a manned hydrogen plane to take flight in 2007.
Soviet Union successfully tested Tu-154 plane flying on liquid hydrogen in April 1988.
