Boeing [BA] announced earlier this week that it has successfully tested the hydrogen propulsion system of its High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft concept using a Ford Motor Company [F] engine.
The test was a key step toward proving the essential technical elements are in place for full-scale development of the HALE aircraft, Chicago-based Boeing said Oct 24.
“This test could help convince potential customers that hydrogen-powered aircraft are viable in the near-term,” Boeing Advanced Systems President George Muellner said in the company’s statement. “This is a substantial step toward providing the persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities our customers desire.”
Boeing says the lightweight, propeller-driven aircraft is designed to maintain a persistent presence economically over a specific ground location from stratospheric altitudes. Such a platform would provide “tremendous potential for surveillance and communications applications,” according to the company.
The high-flying autonomous aircraft is designed to stay aloft for more than seven days and carry payloads weighing up to 2,000 pounds (Defense Daily, Sept. 26, 2006). Potential applications include battlefield persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, border observation, port security and telecommunications, Boeing says.
Boeing is the system designer and integrator of the HALE aircraft. It says it is working closely with Aurora Flight Sciences and Ford to develop the platform’s propulsion system (Defense Daily, July 2).
For the test, the Ford propulsion system, comprising a multi-stage turbocharged internal combustion engine and associated subsystems, ran for nearly four days in a controlled chamber at an Aurora facility in Manassas, Va., Boeing said. This included three days of runs that simulated conditions at 65,000 feet, the company said.
Boeing said the engine “earned better than expected fuel economy” while demonstrating complete airflow and torque control across its operating range.
“This test demonstrates the technical readiness of the hydrogen engine system and confirms the capability breakthrough in flight endurance and altitude that could be realized by a variety of military and commercial customers,” said Darryl Davis, vice president and general manager of Boeing Advanced Precision Engagement and Mobility Systems.
“This simulated flight allows us to showcase the capabilities of Ford’s proprietary hydrogen engine technology and the durability of our four-cylinder engines,” added Gerhard Schmidt, vice president of Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, in Boeing’s statement. “We are very pleased with the results. The gasoline version of this same engine can be found in our Ford Fusion and Escape Hybrid vehicles.”