Umbonisi wamaseli kaphethiloli we-hydrogen we-Universal Hydrogen wenze uhambo lwakhe lokuqala oluya eMoss Lake, eWashington, ngesonto eledlule. Uhambo lokuhlola lwathatha imizuzu eyi-15 lwafinyelela ukuphakama okungamamitha angu-3,500. Ipulatifomu yokuhlola isekelwe ku-Dash8-300, indiza enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni yamaseli kaphethiloli we-hydrogen.
Indiza, ebizwa ngokuthi i-Lightning McClean, yasuka eGrant County International Airport (KMWH) ngo-8:45 ekuseni mhla zi-2 kuNdasa yafika endaweni ephakeme ngamamitha angu-3,500 ngemva kwemizuzu eyi-15. Indiza, esekelwe esitifiketini se-FAA Special Airworthiness, ingowokuqala endizeni yokuhlola yeminyaka emibili okulindeleke ukuthi ifinyelele umvuthwandaba ngo-2025. Indiza, eyaguqulwa yaba yindiza yesifunda i-ATR 72, inenjini eyodwa kuphela yokuqala ye-turbine yamafutha e-fossil ukuze iphephe, kanti ezinye zisebenza nge-hydrogen emsulwa.
I-Universal Hydrogen ihlose ukuba nemisebenzi yokundiza yesifunda inikwe amandla ngokuphelele ngamaseli kaphethiloli we-hydrogen ngo-2025. Kulolu vivinyo, injini enikwe amandla yiseli kaphethiloli we-hydrogen ehlanzekile ikhipha amanzi kuphela futhi ayingcolisi umoya. Ngenxa yokuthi iyisivivinyo sokuqala, enye injini isasebenza ngophethiloli ojwayelekile. Ngakho-ke uma uyibheka, kunomehluko omkhulu phakathi kwezinjini zesobunxele nesokudla, ngisho nobubanzi bama-blade kanye nenani lama-blade. Ngokusho kwe-Universal Hydrogren, izindiza ezinikwe amandla ngamaseli kaphethiloli we-hydrogen ziphephile, zishibhile ukuzisebenzisa futhi azinawo umthelela omkhulu emvelweni. Amaseli azo kaphethiloli we-hydrogen ayimodeli futhi angalayishwa futhi alayishwe ngezindawo zokuthwala impahla ezikhona esikhumulweni sezindiza, ngakho-ke isikhumulo sezindiza singahlangabezana nezidingo zokugcwalisa kabusha izindiza ezinikwe amandla yi-hydrogen ngaphandle kokuguqulwa. Ngokombono, amajethi amakhulu angenza okufanayo, nama-turbofan anikwe amandla ngamaseli kaphethiloli we-hydrogen kulindeleke ukuthi asetshenziswe maphakathi nawo-2030.
Eqinisweni, uPaul Eremenko, umsunguli kanye ne-CEO ye-Universal Hydrogen, ukholelwa ukuthi izindiza zezindiza kuzodingeka zisebenze nge-hydrogen ehlanzekile maphakathi nawo-2030, ngaphandle kwalokho imboni kuzodingeka inciphise izindiza ukuze ihlangabezane nemigomo yokukhishwa komoya embonini yonke. Umphumela uzoba ukwenyuka okukhulu kwamanani amathikithi kanye nobunzima bokuthola ithikithi. Ngakho-ke, kuyaphuthuma ukukhuthaza ucwaningo kanye nentuthuko yezindiza ezintsha zamandla. Kodwa lolu hambo lokuqala luphinde lunikeze ithemba embonini.
Lo msebenzi wenziwa ngu-Alex Kroll, owayengumshayeli wokuhlola we-US Air Force onolwazi kanye nomshayeli wokuhlola oholayo wenkampani. Uthe ohambweni lwesibili lokuhlola, wakwazi ukundiza ngokuphelele kumajeneretha e-hydrogen fuel cell, ngaphandle kokuthembela ezinjinini zamafutha ezindala. "Indiza eguquliwe isebenza kahle kakhulu ekuphatheni futhi uhlelo lwamandla e-hydrogen fuel cell lukhiqiza umsindo omncane kakhulu kanye nokudlidliza kunezinjini ze-turbine ezivamile," kusho uKroll.
I-Universal Hydrogen inama-oda amaningi abagibeli bezindiza zesifunda ezisebenzisa i-hydrogen, okuhlanganisa ne-Connect Airlines, inkampani yaseMelika. UJohn Thomas, isikhulu esiphezulu senkampani, ubize indiza kaLightning McClain ngokuthi "iyinto engabalulekile ekususeni i-carbonization embonini yezindiza yomhlaba wonke."
Kungani izindiza ezisebenzisa i-hydrogen ziyindlela yokunciphisa ikhabhoni ezindizeni?
Ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu kubeka ezokuthutha emoyeni engcupheni amashumi eminyaka ezayo.
Izindiza zikhipha i-carbon dioxide eyodwa kweziyisithupha kuphela njengezimoto namaloli, ngokusho kwe-World Resources Institute, iqembu locwaningo elingenzi nzuzo eliseWashington. Kodwa-ke, izindiza zithwala abagibeli abambalwa kakhulu ngosuku kunezimoto namaloli.
Izindiza ezine ezinkulu (i-American, i-United, i-Delta kanye ne-Southwest) zandise ukusetshenziswa kwazo kukaphethiloli wendiza ngamaphesenti ayi-15 phakathi kuka-2014 no-2019. Kodwa-ke, naphezu kokuthi izindiza ezisebenza kahle kakhulu nezisebenzisa ikhabhoni encane ziye zafakwa ekukhiqizweni, inani labagibeli liye lehla kusukela ngo-2019.
Izindiza zizibophezele ekubeni zingathathi hlangothi kwekhabhoni maphakathi nekhulu leminyaka, futhi ezinye zitshale imali kumafutha ahlala isikhathi eside ukuze izindiza zidlale indima ebalulekile ekushintsheni kwesimo sezulu.
Amafutha aqhubekayo (ama-SAF) angamafutha emvelo enziwe ngamafutha okupheka, amafutha ezilwane, imfucuza kamasipala noma okunye ukudla. Amafutha angaxutshwa namafutha avamile ukuze anikeze amandla izinjini zejethi futhi asevele esetshenziswa ezindizeni zokuhlola ngisho nasezindizeni zabagibeli ezihleliwe. Kodwa-ke, uphethiloli oqhubekayo uyabiza, cishe uphindwe kathathu kunophethiloli wejethi ovamile. Njengoba izindiza eziningi zithenga futhi zisebenzisa uphethiloli oqhubekayo, amanani azokhuphuka kakhulu. Abameli baphoqa izikhuthazo ezifana nokwehliswa kwentela ukuze kuthuthukiswe umkhiqizo.
Amafutha ahlala isikhathi eside abhekwa njengophethiloli ohamba phambili onganciphisa ukukhishwa kwekhabhoni kuze kube yilapho kufezwa intuthuko ebalulekile njengezindiza zikagesi noma ezisebenzisa i-hydrogen. Eqinisweni, lobu buchwepheshe bungase bungasetshenziswa kabanzi ezindizeni eminye iminyaka engama-20 noma engama-30.
Izinkampani zizama ukuklama nokwakha izindiza zikagesi, kodwa eziningi zazo ziyizindiza ezincane, ezifana nezindiza ezinophephela emhlane ezisuka futhi zihlale ziqonde phezulu futhi zithwale abagibeli abambalwa kuphela.
Ukwenza indiza enkulu kagesi ikwazi ukuthwala abagibeli abangu-200 -- okulingana nendiza ejwayelekile ephakathi nendawo -- kuzodinga amabhethri amakhulu kanye nezikhathi zokundiza ezinde. Ngaleyo ndlela, amabhethri kuzodingeka abe nesisindo esiphindwe ka-40 kune-jet fuel ukuze ashajwe ngokugcwele. Kodwa izindiza zikagesi ngeke zikwazi ukwenzeka ngaphandle koguquko kwezobuchwepheshe bebhethri.
Amandla e-hydrogen ayithuluzi eliphumelelayo lokufeza ukukhishwa kwekhabhoni okuphansi futhi adlala indima engenakuphikwa ekushintsheni kwamandla emhlabeni jikelele. Inzuzo ebalulekile yamandla e-hydrogen ngaphezu kweminye imithombo yamandla avuselelekayo ukuthi ingagcinwa ngezinga elikhulu phakathi nezinkathi zonyaka. Phakathi kwazo, i-hydrogen eluhlaza iyona kuphela indlela yokususa i-carbonization ejulile ezimbonini eziningi, okuhlanganisa amasimu ezimboni amelwe yi-petrochemical, insimbi, imboni yamakhemikhali kanye nemboni yezokuthutha emelwe yizindiza. Ngokusho kwe-International Commission on Hydrogen Energy, imakethe yamandla e-hydrogen kulindeleke ukuthi ifinyelele ku-$2.5 trillion ngo-2050.
"I-hydrogen ngokwayo inguphethiloli olula kakhulu," kusho uDan Rutherford, umcwaningi ngokususwa kwe-carbonization ezimotweni nasezindizeni e-International Council on Clean Transportation, iqembu lezemvelo, etshela i-Associated Press. "Kodwa udinga amathangi amakhulu ukugcina i-hydrogen, futhi ithangi ngokwalo lisinda kakhulu."
Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunezinkinga kanye nezithiyo ekusetshenzisweni kukaphethiloli we-hydrogen. Isibonelo, ingqalasizinda entsha enkulu nebizayo ingadingeka ezikhumulweni zezindiza ukuze kugcinwe igesi ye-hydrogen epholile ibe uketshezi.
Noma kunjalo, uRutherford usanethemba ngokuqapha nge-hydrogen. Ithimba lakhe likholelwa ukuthi izindiza ezisebenzisa i-hydrogen zizokwazi ukuhamba amakhilomitha angaba ngu-2,100 ngo-2035.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Mashi-16-2023