[Jeon Seungmin's Science World] Now Airplanes Also Fly on 'Electricity'

[Asia Economy] The environmental pollutants emitted by internal combustion systems are a challenge we must urgently address. For this reason, there is even a movement to use ‘electricity’ for airplanes. The problem lies in performance. With current technology, it is difficult to fly long distances due to the weight of batteries. While cars can stop immediately when they run out of fuel, airplanes would crash in the sky. This is why making electric airplanes is more difficult than making electric cars.

However, as technology rapidly advances, hope is growing. The first electric airplanes to be commercialized will likely be ‘Urban Air Mobility (UAM)’ vehicles, commonly known as ‘drone taxis.’ These are small aircraft that carry no more than 7 to 8 passengers. Furthermore, research is actively underway to replace short- and medium-distance air routes with electric airplanes. At this level, many expect practical use to be realized in the near future, within a decade or so.

To achieve this, next-generation battery development must come first. Most batteries currently in use are of the ‘lithium-ion’ type. ‘Aluminum batteries’ are gaining attention as future car batteries because they allow fast charging. However, for airplanes, ‘high capacity’ is a more important requirement since sufficient charging time can be secured at airports. Future batteries with such characteristics include ‘lithium-sulfur’ and ‘lithium-air’ types. If these batteries become practical, they could greatly improve the passenger capacity and flight range of electric airplanes currently under experimental development. It is expected that up to about 150 passengers could fly for 1 to 2 hours.

Large aircraft operating long-distance routes are expected to use ‘hydrogen fuel cell’ systems. They carry hydrogen onboard, generate electricity in the air, and use that electricity to rotate turbines to operate the airplane. Above all, hydrogen weighs less than half compared to diesel or aviation fuel. Considering that the Boeing 747 carries 216,840 liters of aviation fuel, this represents a tremendous weight reduction.

Ultimately, battery-powered small and medium electric airplanes will dominate short-distance routes, while hydrogen fuel cell large electric airplanes will become the norm for long-distance routes. The world where everyone naturally thinks of ‘electric airplanes’ when hearing the word airplane is now just around the corner.

Jeon Seung-min, Science and Technology Writer

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.