EU to design first fuel-cell powered 'manned' aircraft

Irani SenJun 7 2007

Amidst the soaring debates on polluting aircrafts and increasing concerns of global warming across the world, the EU seems up with arms to find a better solution -- Funded by the EU, a new project plans to design the 'first' fuel-cell manned intercity aircraft.

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The €2.9 million project -- Environmentally Friendly Inter City Aircraft powered by Fuel Cells (ENFICA-FC) -- as part of the aeronautics and space priority of the Sixth Framework Programme of EU is being led by the Polytechnic of Turin. This intercity aircraft will be using fuel cell technology for the propulsion system, and hydrogen storage.

This new technology will also be used to replace on-board electrical systems with larger 'more-or-all-electric' aircraft.

The coordinator of the project, the Full Professor of Airplane Design and Aerospace Structures from the Turin Polytechnic University, Romeo Giulio said,

No other project funded by the European Commission promises such ambitious results.
Hydrogen and fuel cell power technologies have now reached the point where they can be exploited to initiate a new era of propulsion systems for light aircraft and small commuter aircraft.

These fuel cell-powered aircrafts can take off and land on small airfields even late at night, without abating the noise regulations, when they are the most stringent - and of course, keeping the air around free from pollution.

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