Hydrogen-powered supersonic aircraft

European aerospace startup Destinus unveiled a prototype of its Destinus 3 hydrogen aircraft at the Paris Air Show, which took place from June 19-25.

The Destinus 3 prototype aircraft. Photo: Destinus

Destinus aims to produce a hydrogen-powered aircraft capable of transporting passengers between Frankfurt and Shanghai in less than three hours, saving eight hours compared to traditional aircraft, Interesting Engineering reported on June 20. The most interesting aspect of Destinus's plan is the use of hydrogen as fuel, dispelling concerns about emissions during transport.

Hydrogen was chosen as the fuel because its energy value is three times higher than kerosene, commonly used in aircraft today. Furthermore, it has good cooling properties, making it ideal for combined-cycle engines. These engines include a turbojet engine capable of delivering near-supersonic and supersonic speeds. In addition, Destinus designed an afterburner to provide additional thrust when needed.

Destinus plans to launch its first fully hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft around 2030-2032. Named the Destinus S, this model is expected to carry 25 passengers and reach speeds of Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound), faster than the legendary supersonic Concorde.

About a decade later, Destinus planned to launch the Destinus L, a larger version capable of carrying up to 400 passengers. This aircraft was expected to travel at Mach 6 and run on cold hydrogen.

To date, Destinus has successfully test-flown its first prototype, the Destinus 1, a 4-meter-long aircraft also known as the Jungfrau. Last October, the company tested the nearly 10-meter-long Eiger aircraft at subsonic speeds. Last month, Destinus successfully tested afterburner technology with hydrogen fuel, a technology that will also be used in the Destinus 3.

In addition to hydrogen fuel, Destinus will also introduce a new autopilot system with Destinus 3. Flights using liquid hydrogen as fuel are expected to begin early next year. In the initial phase, Destinus will attempt subsonic flight and aim for supersonic flight in the second half of 2024.

Thu Thao (According to Interesting Engineering )

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