Not really a zero emissions plane

[Crashnburn]

https://www.fastcompany.com/90388931/this-plane-can-fly-500-miles-powered-entirely-by-hydrogen

The hydrogen has to come from somewhere, and you can't mine nor pump hydrogen out of the ground. Essentially, you have to electrolyze water, which takes energy. What's worse, is for every 2 watts you put into electrolyzing water, you get 1 watt back.

The electricity used for electrolysis comes from wherever produces that electricity, which is mainly coal. So, the so-called zero emissions plane actually creates more emissions than if it were powered by gasoline.

The greenies seem to keep for getting TANSTAAFL. "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch" - Robert Heinlein in _The_Moon_Is_A_Harsh_Mistress_.

At least they aren't using rare earth elements to produce batteries that produce the equivalent of 80K miles of pollution per vehicle.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

I think that most hydrogen is produced through reforming natural gas, which is cheaper to do.

 

[pdonahue]

The electricity used for electrolysis comes from wherever produces that electricity, which is mainly coal.

Nationwide, it's 27.4% coal: https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3
Some states are much higher, some states use zero coal and hardly any fossil fuels at all:
https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=WV#tabs-4
https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=WA#tabs-4

It's not necessarily zero emissions but it's also not necessarily non-zero. It depends on if you use a zero-emissions source for electricity generation.

 

[JOhnH]

But the important thing is . . .


never mind.

 

[Crashnburn]

Thanks for the statistics on coal.

They didn't say how the H2 is converted to electricity and water, but considering they are using batteries to power the plane in flight, they probably are using a fuel cell, and getting the O2 from the atmosphere. (Eventually, they'll use H2 for flying the plane.)

Even though total conversion efficiency sucks, esp. considering the copper losses from the generator to the electrolizer, you get the simplicity and quiet of an electric motor, the quick (albeit possibly dangerous H2 handling) refill, and no added pollution of rare earth metals mining and refining.