Solar airships could make flying greener – but a trip from London to New York would take 3 DAYS

By William On Apr 26, 2023

Airships powered by solar energy could provide an option for luxury, low-emission aviation, a new research report suggests.

Currently flying by jet is the most harmful transportation option for the planet.

But operating a light-battery airship – filled with a mixture of hydrogen and helium – would generate between one and five percent of the emissions associated with conventional flying.

The only downside is that it would take about two days and one night to fly from London to New York in a hot air balloon and three days and two nights to make the return trip, due to the prevailing wind.

Professor Dr Christoph Pflaum of Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nurnberg (FAU) and colleagues said existing technology would mean the airship would recharge its batteries at the point of departure.

Airships powered by solar energy could offer an option for luxury, low-emission aviation, a new research report suggests (artist’s impression)

Then solar film on the zeppelin’s surface would replenish the energy.

zeppelin would replenish the energy.

Airships could be a more sustainable alternative to medium- to long-haul flights, the authors argue in the International Journal of Sustainable Energy.

Currently, a transition from jet fuel to hydrogen or electrical energy “is not feasible with available technologies in the foreseeable future,” the authors suggest.

Professor Pflaum said: ‘If we rely on solar-powered airships, we can make aviation relatively quickly and economically more climate-friendly.

‘Our calculations show that solar airships can significantly reduce both transportation costs and CO2 emissions from air travel.’

Previous airship designs would have required about 100 tons of fuel, which is eliminated through the use of solar power and light lithium-ion batteries.

The airframe could be lighter than previous airship designs.

Between 100 and 200 people can be carried on board, depending on how far the airship would travel.

He added: “Unfortunately, this solar airship does not currently exist, but a company in California is investing heavily for the first time in 90 years in the development of a large, fully rigid airship that offers plenty of space and is well protected. in wind and weather.’

Traveling by airship – or dirigible as they are also known – took a big step back after two high-profile crashes nearly 100 years ago.

The maiden voyage of the British-built airship R101 in October 1930 ended in a fiery crash that killed 48 when bad weather forced the massive airship over Beauvais, France.

The only downside is that it would take about two days and one night to fly from London to New York in a hot air balloon and three days and two nights to make the return journey, due to the prevailing winds

In 1937, the Hindenburg airship, the largest airship ever built and the pride of Nazi Germany, bursts into flames in Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36 people.

But Professor Pflaum said the technology could be introduced soon.

He said: ‘Of course the tragedy of the airship LZ 129, better known as “Hindenburg”, influenced this lack of progress.

‘At 245 meters long and 41.2 meters in diameter, the LZ 129 was one of the largest aircraft ever built and a real sensation on its maiden voyage in March 1936. But just a year later it caught fire when it landed in the US and was completely destroyed.”

But he said solar energy was “a real game changer” for the technology.

The research shows that national, continental and even intercontinental flights with satisfactory flight times are possible.

‘According to our calculations, a flight across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to London takes about two days and one night’, Prof. Dr. Christoph Pflaum summarizes the results.

“In the opposite direction from London to New York, we calculated a flight time of three days and two nights.”

He said that such travel times are acceptable for most cargo flights and he also sees an opportunity for passenger traffic, adding: ‘After all, traveling in an airship is much more comfortable than in a conventional aircraft.

‘There is room for a dining room and a lounge and for stylish double rooms for passengers.’

WHEN WAS THE AIRSHIP INVENTED?

In 1852, French engineer Henri Giffard made the first power-driven flight in a steam-powered airship. A year later, American Dr. Solomon Andrews created the first lighter-than-air airship. He flew one over New York City in 1865.

The first fully controllable airship flight was made in 1884. The 170 foot airship La France covered 5 miles in 23 minutes with an electric motor.

The first Zeppelin was launched in 1900. These had a rigid frame and passenger compartment.

During World War I, the Germans, French and Italians operated airships, but they were abandoned in 1917 due to unreliability.

Britain developed the rigid airships R33 and R34, which flew from 1919. The R34 was the first to cross the Atlantic from east to west.

In 1929 the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin made the first flight around the world. British journalist Grace Marguerite, Lady Hay Drummond-Hay was on board and became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by air.

Airships were ill-equipped to deal with bad weather and crashes and fatalities were common.

In the mid-1930s, Germany was the only country to pursue airships.

The Hindenburg disaster in 1937, which killed 37 people, was the death knell.

The US used airships for military purposes during WWII, but after the war they were mainly limited to advertising.

In 1969, Goodyear unveiled its iconic yellow and blue airship, called the Spirit of Innovation.

Spirit of Innovation has never been used to carry cargo or passengers; instead, it was mainly used for advertising and capturing aerial photos of sporting events.

The 192-meter airship, part of Goodyear’s gz-20 series, became many people’s idea of what a blimp looks like.

During the Spirit of Innovation’s 11 years of operation, the Spirit of Innovation covered 11 NASCAR and NCAA football seasons, Super Bowl XLIII and Super Bowl 50 Week activities and multiple Daytona 500s and NBA Finals, according to Goodyear.

The Spirit of Innovation flew more than 5,800 flights and almost 34,000 flight hours.

Goodyear decommissioned the last Spirit of Innovation zeppelin in 2017 and introduced the NT series, or new technology.

The NT fleet now includes the Wingfoot One, Wingfoot Two and, as of last month, the Wingfoot Three.