ZeroAvia To Use Alaska Airlines Turboprop For Hydrogen Powertrain Testing

The Alaska Air Group this week announced that it is partnering with ZeroAvia to develop a 3MW+ hydrogen-electric powertrain for 76-seat zero-emission aircraft. The Seattle-based company, which owns Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, is incorporating its system into a De Havilland DHC-8-400.

Clear targets

Alaska Airlines has ambitions to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Therefore, electric aircraft fit in with this mission. The technology involved is billed to suit smaller short-haul aircraft in the first instance.

The airline serves several remote regions across the United States. Therefore, there are already areas that can potentially be served by planes utilizing the hydrogen-electric powertrain. With Alaska Airlines connecting several remote communities, this system may have a critical role in future operations.

It’s no surprise that Alaska is using the Q400 to incorporate the powertrain. The airline holds over 30 units of the trusted turboprop, which has shown its reliability to operate in tough conditions.

Significant developments

ZeroAvia has been making great progress in the hydrogen-electric scene. This summer, the British/American outfit shared that it is scaling up its program to involve 19-seat aircraft. It also raised a further $13 million to produce larger engines for 50+ seat models. This week, the business highlighted that it is looking to conduct the first passenger hydrogen flight in just three years.

Since 2012, the China Aerospace Propulsion Technology International Forum (CAPTIF) has been held in Shanghai, Xi'an, Shenyang, Chengdu, Changsha and Guiyang in turn. It has been successfully held for eight sessions, attracting more than 2000 industry experts and representatives from hundreds of enterprises in more than 20 countries around the world. Hunan aviation industry has a long history, it is not only the research and production base of small and medium-sized aero-engines in China, but also the birthplace of the first aero-engine in New China and the first fully independently developed aero-engine. It has created several firsts in the aviation industry in New China. Important member units of China's aero-engine industry have also taken root in the province. On May 2018, AECC disclosed AES100 civil turboshaft engine and AEP500 civil turboprop engine for the first time. In the future, the market prospect of civil turboshaft and turboprop aeroengines in China is broad. It is expected that by 2035, there will be nearly 3000 AES100 engines and nearly 3500 AEP500 engines.

Under this background, the 9th China Aerospace Propulsion Technology International Forum will be held in the Changsha City on November 25th to 26th , focuses on the "14th Five-Year Pplan" and medium and long-term development plan, with the theme of digital and intelligent development of aviation propulsion technology, and focuses on the "safe development and green development", "simulation technology", "advanced test and test technology", "structural strength technology" of small and medium-sized civil aviation turboshafts, turboprops and piston engines "Parts design and manufacturing technology", "new materials, new processes" and "maintenance support" and other related topics, we sincerely invite your participation to contribute to the development of technology in China. Register or get in touch with LUCY for more details.