Originally Posted by
Ziggy
While my dreams of becoming a Electrical Engineer are shot. I wanted to put forth the notion that maybe we’re barking up the wrong tree. Sure H2 has 3 times the energy on a per mass (weight) unit. However it’s the volume that’s the issue. So in the mean time how about developing hybrid aircraft, at least until the H2 storage and production method & technology mature.
You can make a decent case for hybrid. Idea being to optimize the turbine engine(s) for cruise performance... it/they can be smaller and lighter. The battery then makes up the additional power required for T/O, G/A, and climb (and charges on descent or on the ground).
Current turbofan engines are sized for takeoff at MGTOW... with the other engine failed. That's a lot of motor that you almost never need, but still have to haul it around the skies.
The devil of course is in the details... by the time you add the weight of the batteries, generator, electric motor, controllers and power cables you've eaten up a lot of the weight savings. There are various concepts to chip away at that problem, but right now it's hard to make the case.
Also one thing most people don't think about... as we burn jet fuel, the plane gets lighter and that has a significant positive impact on overall flight efficiency (especially on longer flights). But batteries never get lighter.