China became just the third country to conduct tests on an aircraft operated by hydrogen fuel cell technology. The move comes as part of growing efforts to develop hydrogen fuel cells to fly emissions-free aircraft, with the likes of Germany and the U.S. having tested their own renditions last year.
Scientists from Liaoning Province developed the aircraft out of an existing electric model, an RX1E two-seater. The aircraft was test-flown in the city of Shenyang, which reached a total altitude of 320 m above ground.
Power originated from a hydrogen fuel cell, which can produce 20 kW-worth of energy. Such capacity has been deemed enough to operate the aircraft's electric motor, battery charger, and several of its on-board systems, Sputnik News has reported.
The move comes as a welcome effort to improve current technologies that make emissions-free flights possible, considering that such has yet to reach commercial production. Equally notable is that it highlights China's growing stature in technology, as it's only the third country to test such a development.
Last year, German engineers successfully tested the world's first four-seater aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cell. The HY4, which has two cabins, is the result of a productive collaboration between aircraft maker Pipistrel, the University of Ulm, the German Aerospace Center DLR, and fuel cell experts Hydrogenics.
The National said that the HY4 underwent a test flight that lasted 10 minutes at Stuttgart Airport on Sept. 29 last year. Results show that the electricity generated by the hydrogen fuel, aided by batteries in a hybrid setup, cells gave the aircraft a speed of 165 km/h with a range of 1,500 km.
Back in 2009, U.S. firm Boeing tested the world's first manned hydrogen fuel cell aircraft. Developed by prototyping arm Boeing Phantom Works the aircraft ran with the help of a lithium-ion battery for takeoff, though the Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell enabled it to cruise mid-air.