Trina To Provide PV Cells for Hybrid Airplane

"The Hy-Bird, a solar and hydrogen powered airplane, is set to be the first to fly around the world using only renewable energies."

Does anyone else see the flaw with this statement?

Hydrogen (a storage medium) is not renewable unless they can guarantee the electrolysis and transportation of H2 by renewable energies. H2, itself, is not the renewable energy. You can call is "cleaner" than jet fuel from the time it is pumped in the fuel tank to combustion, but not "renewable" and may not even be able to claim cleaner from raw materials to combustion.

Howard you are so right.
James and Al have not done the research and now they think two wrongs make a right.
In this case the hydrogen is an electron carrier. H. will be pumped through the fuel cell to convert it to electricity to power the electric motors.
I am sure we will see many more King Canute's trying to turn the tide in the lead up to the hydrogen economy

Mike H.

I think Mr. Sutton is correct.

Also I assume that the solar aspect of the flight precludes night or IFR operation.

Does anyone else see the flaw in James Sutton's comment?

Nowhere in this article is combustion even mentioned. It appears to me that the electric motor powering the propeller is powered by a fuel cell, which would combine the on-board hydrogen with ambient air, thus producing power without combustion. The solar panels provide electrolysis of an on-board water supply, store the hydrogen and dump the oxygen overboard, thus lightening the aircraft and providing sustained flight. The only waste product is water vapor, which is then condensed and returned to the electrolysis storage tank.

This appears to be an entirely closed-loop system that does not require any transportation of hydrogen to be used in a combustion process. It appears that Mr. Sutton's Luddite rant is off- target.

Hydrogen is an ideal medium to power transportation mediums - the "Green" aspect asumes that renewable energy like wind generated or off peak geothermal electricity are used to creat the hydrogen - can be done - may be the ultimate solution for energy independance with minumum eco footprint.
This airplane initiative is the sort of "Demand Pull" driver this nascent industry needs.