Solar Impulse present a Zero Fuel Solar Airplane
26 June 2009 | Solar Power | No Comments
Yesterday, the 26 of June, represented a milestone in solar and renewable energy developments. It was the day Solar Impulse presented the first solar powered plane to fly both day and night without producing any pollution at all. At the Dübendorf airfield in Switzerland, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, the main characters revolving the project, unveiled the HB-SIA, a prototype airplane, a marvellous piece of engineering, to the public.
After six years of work and involving 70 people, the HB-SIA is impressive in all the chapters. With a wingspan of 63,4 meters, comparable with that of a Boeing 747-400 or a Airbus A340, and a weight of only 1,600 kg (compared to the 66 tons of the 747-400) this airplane is really one of a kind. The necessary energy is provided by the sun rays trough the numerous solar cells (more then 12,000 monocrystalline silicon cells, most of them on the wings). The aircraft, build out of carbon fiber, is propelled by four 7,4 kW electric engines, can reach a maximum speed of 70 km/h and can fly up to 8500 meters high. The engineers were forced to work more on the aerodynamics and energy efficiency in order to counterbalance the weight(400 kg) of the “old” lithium polymer batteries, which are to be used during the night flight.
The purpose of this prototype is to show the possibility of building an airplane capable of doing a complete day-night cycle flight using only the sun as a energy source. It is expected to do a test flight later this year. The success of the prototype will make its mark on the second aircraft, the HB-SIB, planned for 2012, which will attempt to fly around the globe in five stages, each one taking a few days.
The project is directing a clear message towards a more renewable energy based future and is promoting the use of an fossil fuel alternative. It represents the hope of someday eliminating the oil dependency and turning towards environmental-friendly products.
Tags: airplane, carbon fiber, energy, energy efficiency, energy source, environmental-friendly, fossil fuel, HB-SIA, lithium batteries, prototype, Renewable Energy, solar, Solar cells, solar impulse, Solar powered, sun