Future Zero Emission Plane? Solar Impulse, the solar powered airplane successful to fly 24 hours
By: Fabby Tumiwa
The plane, named Solar Impulse HB-SIA (www.solarimpulse.com), took off for its first 24-hour test flight at 6:51 on 7 July 2010 from the Payerne air base, near central Swiss town. The aim is to assess whether the plane can fly in darkness, using solar cells on its wings to generate enough power to stay in the air for 24 hours.
Resource of picture: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/solar-impulse-solar-plane_0_n_639139.html
The flight test was supposed to carry out on 1 July but then postponed due to technical problem of telemetry transmitter.
Solar Impulse project is 100 million Swiss francs ($95 million), 80 million francs of which has been secured from sponsors, according to spokeswoman Rachel de Bros. Belgian chemicals company Solvay, Swiss watchmaker Omega, and German banking giant Deutsche Bank, are the three main sponsors. Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, a leading Swiss research university, is acting as scientific and technological adviser for the project.
During the test the single seater carbon-fiber aircraft reached a maximum speed of 68 knots (ground speed), an average speed of 23 knots and a maximum altitude of 8,564 meters above sea level, a statement from the company.
The Solar Impulse HB-SIA, which has 12,000 solar cells built into its 64.3-meter (193-foot) wings, is a prototype for an aircraft that its creators hope will carry out its first circumnavigation of the globe from 2012.
Source: BBC-UK
The solar impulse just 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) in weight, as much as a medium-sized car, the plane powered by four electric motors is designed to save energy from its solar cells in 400 kg high-performance batteries.
The test flight is successful. The solar-powered plane landed safely on 8 July, 9 AM local time, after completing its first 24-hour test flight, proving that the aircraft can collect enough energy from the sun during the day to stay aloft all night.
The challenge after this test is to make the plane bigger and can carry more than one person to fly longer time. More steps, research and innovation and flight test required before this solar powered aircraft can replace conventional jet propulsion airplane. However, this project is test and promotes new efficient technologies, including battery that critical to solar powered application in the ground. We hope that this effort will contribute to the effort to make zero emission air travel in the near future.
Reference:
Solar Impulse’s website: www.solarimpulse.com
Solar Impulse Plane start 24-hour test flight: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10534960.stm
Thomson-Reuters, 08 July 2010: Solar-Power Plane Heads into First Night Flight
Thomson-Reuters, 09 July 2010: Aircraft Completes First Solar Powered Night Flight
Tags: aircraft, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Laussanne, fabby tumiwa, fly, Payerne air base, plane, Rachel de Bros, solar, solar impulse, Solvay, telemetry, transmitter
Where is the video feeds from the mass array of close circuit security cameras mounted throughout BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig providing constant live-feed and recording of events prior to and during the BP explosion? It’s amazing that for 100+ days we have a crystal clear, lighted, live-video feed from a camera thousands of feet under the ocean highlighting the spillage, but…US media has not been replaying any video captured from rig cameras regarding the incident itself. 9/11 was played over and over across our TVs. So were Space Shuttle explosions, and so many other modern tragedies and events. Where’s the footage? Who’s hiding it? Why?
electric motors would sometimes overheat if they are not properly ventilated~’;