August 2024 Mechanical Engineering Blog
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August 11, 2024
New Hydrogen-Electric VTOL Completed Record 523-Mile Journey
New Hydrogen-Electric VTOL Completed Record 523-Mile Journey
A hydrogen- electric flying taxi recently completed a record 523 mile journey over California, and the only byproduct it produced on the along the journey was water. Electric Vehicles from the same developer had performed similar tests before, yet this time their hybrid hydrogen-electric VTOL broke those distance records going three times further than previous attempts. The company that built this air taxi prototype is Joby Aviation , an innovative electric Aerial ridesharing company. According to Joby this latest record-breaking flight "demonstrates the potential for hydrogen to unlock emissions-free, regional journeys." The flight took place on June 24 and according to Joby it was the first ever forward flight carried out by a hydrogen-fueled aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). Behind the arial taxi’s great potential for urban travel is an incredible work of engineering. In fact, the VTOL is actually a modified electric aircraft with 6 rotors that are able to be used in urban settings. The company’s engineers decided to convert the aircraft from electric to hydrogen- electric by adding a hydrogen fuel cell system and a hydrogen tank with 88 pounds of fuel. The fuel cell system is able to convert hydrogen into electricity and the electricity is used to power the air taxi’s rotors. The VTOL only produces water as a byproduct of the conversion. This new version of the air taxi has the advantage of being able to go much further than the purely electrically powered craft, which required recharging every 100 – 150 miles. CEO of Joby Aviation JoeBen Bevirt said, “Imagine being able to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, Boston to Baltimore, or Nashville to New Orleans without the need to go to an airport and with no emissions except water." Learn more here.
August 27, 2024
Japan Could Revolutionize the Automotive Industry with Magnetic Levitating Cars
Japan Could Revolutionize the Automotive Industry with Magnetic Levitating Cars
The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) is on the verge of a breakthrough that could enable the adoption of magnetic levitation propulsion technology in cars. The technology would eliminate the need for engines and batteries. If magnetic levitation (maglev) technology becomes viable in the automotive industry, it could open up a completely new market for environmentally friendly zero-emissions vehicles. Developed by the Quantum Machine Unit at OIST, the new maglev tech uses magnetic fields to levitate objects without any other support. A future where cars use magnetic fields for propulsion could be possible thanks to this innovation. A similar technology is already used on trains in Japan and China, but it needs constant electrical energy in order to keep the train suspended off the ground. Conversely, the maglev technology developed at OIST is designed to significantly reduce the amount of energy required for propulsion. In fact, the OIST maglev system only needs electrical power on start up to set the magnetic field. Once initiated with an electrical charge the maglev system is able to levitate objects made of diamagnetic materials, no further energy or action required. The levitation effect is achieved by combining two important components, plates made of graphite and wax, and a track with magnets arranged in a grid pattern beneath the object. Learn more about this topic here.
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