I-Universal Hydrogen’s hydrogen fuel cell shower ifike okokuqala kwiMoss Lake, eWashington, kwiveki ephelileyo. Olu hambo lovavanyo luthathe imizuzu eli-15 lwaza lwafikelela kubude obuziimitha ezingama-3,500. Iqonga lovavanyo lisekwe kwiDash8-300, inqwelo-moya enkulu yehydrogen fuel cell emhlabeni.
Le nqwelo moya, ebizwa ngokuba yiLightning McClean, yasuka kwiGrant County International Airport (KMWH) ngentsimbi yesi-8:45 kusasa ngomhla wesi-2 kuMatshi yaza yafikelela kumphakamo wokuhamba ngenqwelomoya oziimitha ezingama-3,500 emva kwemizuzu eli-15. Olu hambo, olusekelwe kwisatifikethi se-FAA Special Airworthiness, lolona hambo lokuqala lovavanyo lweminyaka emibini olulindeleke ukuba lufikelele esiphelweni ngo-2025. Le nqwelo moya, eyaguqulwa yaba yi-ATR 72 regional jet, igcina injini enye kuphela ye-turbine ye-fossil fuel yokhuseleko, ngelixa ezinye ziqhutywa yi-hydrogen ecocekileyo.
I-Universal Hydrogen ijonge ukuba imisebenzi yokubhabha yengingqi inikwe amandla ngokupheleleyo ziiseli ze-hydrogen fuel ngo-2025. Kolu vavanyo, injini enikwe amandla yiseli ye-hydrogen fuel ecocekileyo ikhupha amanzi kuphela kwaye ayingcolisi umoya. Ngenxa yokuba luvavanyo lokuqala, enye injini isasebenza kwipetroli eqhelekileyo. Ngoko ke ukuba uyijonga, kukho umahluko omkhulu phakathi kweenjini zasekhohlo nezasekunene, kwanobubanzi beeblade kunye nenani leeblade. Ngokutsho kwe-Universal Hydrogren, iinqwelomoya ezinikwe amandla ziiseli ze-hydrogen fuel zikhuselekile, zitshiphu ukusebenza kwaye azinampembelelo ingako kwindalo esingqongileyo. Iiseli zazo ze-hydrogen fuel zi-modular kwaye zinokulayishwa kwaye zithululwe ngezixhobo zemithwalo ezikhoyo zesikhululo seenqwelo-moya, ngoko ke isikhululo seenqwelo-moya sinokuhlangabezana neemfuno zokuzalisa kwakhona kweenqwelo-moya ezinikwe amandla yi-hydrogen ngaphandle kokutshintshwa. Ngokwethiyori, iijethi ezinkulu zinokwenza okufanayo, kunye nee-turbofans ezinikwe amandla ziiseli ze-hydrogen fuel kulindeleke ukuba zisetyenziswe phakathi kweminyaka yoo-2030.
Enyanisweni, uPaul Eremenko, umseki kunye ne-CEO ye-Universal Hydrogen, ukholelwa ukuba iinqwelo-moya kuya kufuneka zisebenzise i-hydrogen ecocekileyo phakathi kweminyaka yoo-2030, kungenjalo eli shishini kuya kufuneka linciphise iinqwelo-moya ukuze kuhlangatyezwane neenjongo zokukhupha ukungcola okunyanzelekileyo kushishino lonke. Isiphumo siya kuba kukunyuka okukhulu kwamaxabiso amatikiti kunye nomzabalazo wokufumana itikiti. Ke ngoko, kungxamisekile ukukhuthaza uphando kunye nophuhliso lweenqwelo-moya ezintsha zamandla. Kodwa olu hambo lokuqala lukwanika ithemba kushishino.
Olu thumo lwenziwe ngu-Alex Kroll, owayesakuba ngumqhubi wovavanyo lwe-US Air Force onamava kunye nomqhubi okhokelayo wovavanyo lwenkampani. Uthe kuhambo lwesibini lovavanyo, wakwazi ukubhabha ngokupheleleyo kwiijenereyitha zeeseli ze-hydrogen fuel, ngaphandle kokuxhomekeka kwiinjini zefosili zakudala. "Inqwelo-moya eguquliweyo inamandla okuphatha kakuhle kwaye inkqubo yamandla eseli ye-hydrogen fuel ivelisa ingxolo encinci kunye nokungcangcazela kuneenjini ze-turbine eziqhelekileyo," utshilo uKroll.
I-Universal Hydrogen inee-odolo ezininzi zabakhweli zeejethi zengingqi ezisebenzisa i-hydrogen, kuquka iConnect Airlines, inkampani yaseMelika. UJohn Thomas, umphathi omkhulu wale nkampani, ubize uhambo lukaLightning McClain ngokuthi “luyi-ground zero” ngenxa yokunciphisa i-carbonization kwishishini leenqwelo moya zehlabathi.”
Kutheni inqwelo moya esebenzisa i-hydrogen iyindlela yokunciphisa ikhabhoni kwiinqwelomoya?
Utshintsho lwemozulu lubeka uthutho lweenqwelo-moya emngciphekweni kangangeminyaka emininzi ezayo.
Inqwelomoya ikhupha ikharbon diokside enye kwisithandathu kuphela njengeemoto neelori, ngokutsho kweWorld Resources Institute, iqela lophando elingenzi nzuzo eliseWashington. Nangona kunjalo, iinqwelomoya zithwala abakhweli abambalwa kakhulu ngosuku kuneemoto neelori.
Iinqwelo moya ezine ezinkulu (eMelika, eUnited, eDelta naseMzantsi-ntshona) zonyuse ukusetyenziswa kwazo kwepetroli nge-15 ekhulwini phakathi kowama-2014 nowama-2019. Nangona kunjalo, nangona inqwelo moya esebenza kakuhle nesebenzisa ikhabhoni encinci ziye zafakwa kwimveliso, inani labakhweli liye lehla ukusukela ngo-2019.
Iinkampani zeenqwelo-moya zizimisele ukuba zingabi nampembelelo kwikhabhoni phakathi kwinkulungwane, kwaye ezinye zityale imali kwiipetroli ezizinzileyo ukuze zivumele iinqwelo-moya ukuba zidlale indima ebalulekileyo kutshintsho lwemozulu.
Amafutha azinzileyo (ii-SAF) ngamafutha ebhayoloji enziwe ngeoyile yokupheka, amafutha ezilwanyana, inkunkuma kamasipala okanye ezinye izinto zokutya. La mafutha anokuxutywa namafutha aqhelekileyo ukuze anike amandla iinjini zeejethi kwaye sele esetyenziswa kwiinqwelomoya zovavanyo nakwiinqwelomoya zabahambi ezicwangcisiweyo. Nangona kunjalo, amafutha azinzileyo abiza kakhulu, aphindwe kathathu kunepetroli yejethi eqhelekileyo. Njengoko iinkampani ezininzi zeenqwelo-moya zithenga kwaye zisebenzisa amafutha azinzileyo, amaxabiso aya kunyuka ngakumbi. Abameli banyanzelisa izikhuthazo ezifana nokuncitshiswa kwerhafu ukuze kuphuculwe imveliso.
Amafutha azinzileyo abonwa njenge-bridge fuel enokunciphisa ukukhutshwa kwekhabhoni de kufikelelwe kwimpumelelo enkulu efana neenqwelo-moya ezisebenzisa umbane okanye i-hydrogen. Enyanisweni, ezi teknoloji zisenokungasetyenziswa kakhulu kwiinqwelo-moya eminye iminyaka engama-20 okanye engama-30.
Iinkampani zizama ukuyila nokwakha iinqwelo-moya zombane, kodwa uninzi lwazo zincinci, ezifana nehelikopta ezisuka zize zihlale ngokuthe nkqo kwaye zithwale abakhweli abambalwa kuphela.
Ukwenza inqwelo-moya enkulu yombane ekwaziyo ukuthwala abakhweli abangama-200 -- okulingana nokubhabha okuqhelekileyo okuphakathi -- kuya kufuna iibhetri ezinkulu kunye namaxesha okubhabha amade. Ngokwaloo mgangatho, iibhetri kuya kufuneka zibe nobunzima obuphindwe kangangama-40 kunepetroli yejethi ukuze zitshajwe ngokupheleleyo. Kodwa iinqwelo-moya zombane aziyi kwenzeka ngaphandle kotshintsho kubuchwepheshe bebhetri.
Amandla e-hydrogen sisixhobo esisebenzayo sokufezekisa ukukhutshwa kwekhabhoni ephantsi kwaye adlala indima engenakutshintshwa kutshintsho lwamandla lwehlabathi. Inzuzo ebalulekileyo yamandla e-hydrogen ngaphezu kwezinye imithombo yamandla avuselelekayo kukuba inokugcinwa ngomlinganiselo omkhulu ngamaxesha onyaka. Phakathi kwazo, i-hydrogen eluhlaza yeyona ndlela yodwa yokususa i-carbonization enzulu kumashishini amaninzi, kuquka amasimi emizi-mveliso amelwe yi-petrochemical, intsimbi, imboni yeekhemikhali kunye nemboni yezothutho emelwe yinqwelomoya. Ngokutsho kweKhomishini yeHlabathi ye-Hydrogen Energy, imakethi yamandla e-hydrogen kulindeleke ukuba ifikelele kwi-$2.5 trillion ngo-2050.
“Ihydrogen ngokwayo ilula kakhulu,” uDan Rutherford, umphandi malunga nokususwa kwekhabhoni kwiimoto nakwiinqwelomoya kwiBhunga leHlabathi lezoThutho olucocekileyo, iqela lezokusingqongileyo, uxelele i-Associated Press. “Kodwa udinga amatanki amakhulu ukugcina i-hydrogen, kwaye itanki ngokwayo inzima kakhulu.”
Ukongeza, kukho iingxaki kunye nemiqobo ekusetyenzisweni kwe-hydrogen fuel. Umzekelo, kuya kufuneka iziseko ezintsha ezinkulu nezibizayo kwizikhululo zeenqwelo-moya ukuze kugcinwe igesi ye-hydrogen epholileyo ibe yimo yolwelo.
Sekunjalo, uRutherford usanethemba nge-hydrogen. Iqela lakhe likholelwa ukuba iinqwelomoya ezisebenzisa i-hydrogen ziya kukwazi ukuhamba malunga neekhilomitha ezingama-2,100 ngo-2035.
Ixesha lokuthumela: Matshi-16-2023