The aviation industry is often heavily criticized, rightfully of course, for not doing enough to help save the environment. Now, in a quest to clean-up the heavily-polluting industry, NASA-funded scientists are working to develop an all-electric aircraft that produces no greenhouse-gas emissions. The project involves converting hydrogen chemical energy into electrical energy through a series of fuel cells. Hydrogen cells have previously been used to power cars and trains, but the heavy tanks required to contain enough pressurized hydrogen gas to power a plane have prohibited their practical application to larger aircraft. By using cooled, condensed liquid hydrogen instead of hydrogen gas, clean power can be generated without needing heavy pressurized storage tanks.
This shift could make using hydrogen a viable power source for larger aircraft for the first time and revolutionize the commercial aviation industry.
