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Comments on: US Army funds hydrogen-fuelled drone aircraft

Problems of hydrogen boiling off? 

Posted Tuesday 19th June 2007 16:23 GMT

Presumably, the fuel consumption with an aircraft like this is pretty constant, except maybe when taking off?

It could be fuelled immediately before take-off, and as long as its fuel consumption when cruising was higher than the natural boil-off rate, there wouldn't *be* much of a problem.

It's not like having a hydrogen-powered car, where having the fuel boil off in under a week would rather be a drawback, if not a bit of a safety issue.

Fuel consumption 

Posted Wednesday 20th June 2007 10:36 GMT

It does seem obvious that, between the low temperature and pressure and the aircraft's fuel consumption, boil-off shouldn't be a problem, since hydrogen gas will rise to the top of the tank where you would be drawing hydrogen from the in the first place, using the hottest material first since it's easiest to burn.

Not much 

Posted Wednesday 20th June 2007 11:10 GMT

Boys and their toys!

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