June 15, 2008

Global Monitor (June 2008)

First fuel cell–powered plane takes flight

Boeing made aviation history with deployment of the world’s first manned airplane powered by hydrogen fuel cells earlier this year. The zero-emissions plane was an international effort, developed by Boeing Research & Technology Europe in Madrid with assistance from industry partners in Austria, France, Germany, Spain, the UK, and the U.S.

The plane’s airframe, a two-seat Dimona motor-glider with a 53.5-foot wingspan, was modified to include a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell/lithium-ion battery hybrid system to power an electric motor coupled to a conventional propeller (Figure 3). The plane’s electric propulsion system was made by U.S.-based UQM Technologies, a developer of alternative energy technologies.

3. Hydrogen light. Boeing has deployed the first fuel cell–powered airplane. The plane’s airframe was modified to include a PEM fuel cell/lithium-ion battery hybrid system to power an electric motor coupled to a conventional propeller. Courtesy: Boeing

During three test flights, which took place in February and March at the airfield in Ocaña, south of Madrid, the pilot of the experimental airplane climbed to an altitude of 3,300 feet above sea level using a combination of battery power and power generated by hydrogen fuel cells. Then, after reaching cruising altitude and disconnecting the batteries, the pilot flew straight and level at a speed of 62 mph for approximately 20 minutes on power solely generated by the fuel cells.

According to Boeing researchers, PEM fuel cell technology potentially could power small manned and unmanned air vehicles. Over the longer term, solid oxide fuel cells could be applied to secondary power-generating systems, such as auxiliary power units for large commercial airplanes. Boeing announced in April that it does not envision that fuel cells will ever provide primary power for large passenger airplanes. The company said it would continue to investigate their potential, as well as other sustainable alternative fuel and energy sources that improve environmental performance.

First HTS transmission cable energized

The world’s first high-temperature superconductor (HTS) power transmission cable system in a commercial power grid was energized in April and is operating successfully in Long Island Power Authority’s (LIPA) Holbrook transmission right-of-way.

The cryogenically cooled 138,000-V system consists of three individual HTS power cable phases running in parallel and is capable of transmitting up to 574 MW of electricity at capacity. Its 2,000-foot-long cable system contains hair-thin, ribbon-shaped HTS wires that conduct 150 times the electricity of similar-sized copper wires (Figure 4). This power density enables transmission-voltage HTS cables to use far less wire and yet conduct up to five times more power—in a smaller right-of-way—than traditional copper-based cables. And unlike conventional power grids, which typically lose 7% to 10% of power due to the inherent electrical resistance experienced with copper wires, HTS cables transmit electricity with virtually no electrical losses.

4. Hot transmission. LIPA’s 574-MW high-temperature superconductor power transmission cable system consists of three cables running in parallel in a 4-foot-wide underground right-of-way. The three cables shown entering the ground can carry as much power as all of the overhead lines on the far left. Courtesy: American Superconductor Corp.

LIPA is the third electric utility in the U.S. to have deployed an HTS cable system in its power grid. In the summer of 2006, National Grid and American Electric Power energized distribution-voltage HTS power cable systems in Albany, N.Y., and Columbus, Ohio, respectively. At nearly half a mile in length, LIPA’s HTS cable system is the longest of the three. It also is the first to operate at transmission voltages. After an initial operational period and following performance and economic reviews of the cable system, LIPA plans to retain the new superconductor cable as a permanent part of its grid.

HTS power cables are envisioned by the DOE as a component of a modern electricity superhighway—one that is free of bottlenecks and can readily transmit power to customers from remote generation sites, such as wind farms. The DOE previously funded $27.5 million of the $58.5 million total project cost as part of its ongoing efforts, through the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, to modernize the nation’s electricity delivery infrastructure.

In mid-2007, this project’s prime contractor, American Superconductor Corp. (AMSC) announced that it would lead the development of an extension of LIPA’s HTS cable system. The new cable will be powered by AMSC’s second-generation HTS wire, branded as 344 superconductors. The DOE plans to provide up to $9 million in cost-sharing for the $18 million project.