Photo: Embraer
Last year, the reputable manufacturer of both commercial and military aircraft, Embraer, was announcing a pioneering series of aircraft concepts that would use only clean-energy and sustainable propulsion systems. As 2022 is coming to an end, Embraer shared more details about the Energia Family, focusing on two particular concepts.
Waiting for entirely green commercial aircraft to be available somewhere in the 2030s sounds like a long time, but it’s actually optimistic, in view of the 2050 net-zero target that everyone is talking about.
Embraer hopes to have two of its concepts, each with a 19 and 30 seat variant, ready for commercial operations by the middle of the next decade. These are the Energia Hybrid (E19-HE and E30-HE) and the Energia H2 Fuel Cell (E19-H2FC and E30-H2FC) from the extended Energia family, which was introduced last year.
As its name suggests, the Energia Hybrid will use hybrid-electric propulsion, sporting rear-mounted engines and optimized architecture. Its main advantage will be the compatibility with 100% SAF, allowing drastic carbon emission reductions.
Even with conventional jet fuel, it will still cut emissions by 30%. Plus, it will also help reduce noise level by 60%.
The Energia H2 Fuel Cell will be equipped with high-specific power fuel cells, and high-energy liquid hydrogen tanks. This concept is set to offer maximum benefits – zero emissions and noise reductions by up to 70%.
However, the hydrogen-based propulsions will limit its range to only 200 nautical miles (230 miles/ 370 km) compared to the 500 nautical miles (575 miles/ 926 km) of the Energia Hybrid. It will also take longer to develop.
On the other hand, SAF is already being used in a smaller percentage for some of the existing aircrafts, so it will take less than ten years to fully develop the hybrid-electric concept.
Out of all the concepts in the Energia family, these two have the potential to reach technical and economical readiness sooner, according to Arjan Meijer, President and CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. It’s still a work in progress, but the important thing is to eventually reach the zero-emissions goal.
Embraer hopes to have two of its concepts, each with a 19 and 30 seat variant, ready for commercial operations by the middle of the next decade. These are the Energia Hybrid (E19-HE and E30-HE) and the Energia H2 Fuel Cell (E19-H2FC and E30-H2FC) from the extended Energia family, which was introduced last year.
As its name suggests, the Energia Hybrid will use hybrid-electric propulsion, sporting rear-mounted engines and optimized architecture. Its main advantage will be the compatibility with 100% SAF, allowing drastic carbon emission reductions.
Even with conventional jet fuel, it will still cut emissions by 30%. Plus, it will also help reduce noise level by 60%.
The Energia H2 Fuel Cell will be equipped with high-specific power fuel cells, and high-energy liquid hydrogen tanks. This concept is set to offer maximum benefits – zero emissions and noise reductions by up to 70%.
However, the hydrogen-based propulsions will limit its range to only 200 nautical miles (230 miles/ 370 km) compared to the 500 nautical miles (575 miles/ 926 km) of the Energia Hybrid. It will also take longer to develop.
On the other hand, SAF is already being used in a smaller percentage for some of the existing aircrafts, so it will take less than ten years to fully develop the hybrid-electric concept.
Out of all the concepts in the Energia family, these two have the potential to reach technical and economical readiness sooner, according to Arjan Meijer, President and CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. It’s still a work in progress, but the important thing is to eventually reach the zero-emissions goal.
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