To use hydrogen in planes, it has to be in its liquid form, which means it has to be super cold, like -253C. But it's hard to handle liquid hydrogen because it can easily turn into a gas and escape. So, things like tanks and pipes have to be extra-insulated to keep the hydrogen cold. A company called Air Liquide in France has experience with this kind of hydrogen and they've been looking into using it for planes. They've already flown a plane using liquid hydrogen and they think they can quickly deliver more hydrogen for refueling.
But it's going to be expensive to set up the equipment needed to store and distribute hydrogen at airports. It could cost up to a billion dollars per airport. A start-up called Universal Hydrogen has a solution. They've made special tanks called modules that can hold liquid hydrogen. These modules can be taken to the airport by truck and connected directly to the plane's engine, so they don't need pipes or pumps. The modules are well-insulated and can keep the hydrogen liquid for four days. Universal Hydrogen is also changing a small plane to run on hydrogen and they plan to test it next year.
Hydrogen-powered planes are still in the early stages of development, so it's not clear if they'll become common in the future. There are problems, like not having enough space to store fuel in hydrogen planes and not having enough environmentally-friendly hydrogen. The aviation industry knows they need to stop producing emissions, but they're not sure how to do it yet or how much it will cost. It might be a while before we see lots of hydrogen planes flying around.
Original news source: Could airports make hydrogen work as a fuel? (BBC)
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will read the article and summarize the main points in their own words. They can take turns sharing their summaries with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Students will be divided into groups and given a list of statements related to the article (e.g. "Hydrogen-powered planes are the future of aviation," "Investing in hydrogen infrastructure is worth the cost"). They will discuss and share their opinions on each statement, and then present their group's consensus to the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Students will be given a list of key vocabulary words from the article. In pairs, one student will choose a word and draw a picture representing it, while the other student tries to guess the word. They will take turns until all the words have been guessed.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Students will create a T-chart on a piece of paper or in their notebooks. They will list the pros and cons of using hydrogen as a fuel for planes based on the information in the article. Once they have completed their charts, they can discuss their lists in pairs or small groups.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will discuss and make predictions about the future of hydrogen-powered planes. They can consider questions such as "Will hydrogen-powered planes become common in the future?" and "What challenges and opportunities do you foresee for this technology?" After their discussions, they can share their predictions with the class.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Airports all over the world are to find new fuels that are better for the environment. In the UK, the aviation industry wants to have no carbon by 2040, and the US and European Union have similar . One option they're looking at is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which some airlines already use. But SAF is expensive and not always easy to get. That's why are getting interested in hydrogen as a fuel. Hydrogen can store a lot of energy and doesn't produce any CO2 when it's used as fuel. To use hydrogen in s, it has to be in its liquid form, which it has to be super cold, like -253C. But it's hard to handle liquid hydrogen because it can easily turn into a gas and escape. So, things like tanks and pipes have to be extra-insulated to keep the hydrogen cold. A company called Air Liquide in France has experience with this kind of hydrogen and they've been looking into using it for planes. They've already flown a plane using liquid hydrogen and they they can quickly more hydrogen for refueling. But it's going to be expensive to set up the needed to store and distribute hydrogen at . It could cost up to a billion dollars per airport. A start-up called Universal Hydrogen has a . They've made special called modules that can hold liquid hydrogen. These modules can be taken to the airport by truck and connected directly to the plane's engine, so they don't need pipes or pumps. The modules are well-insulated and can keep the hydrogen liquid for four days. Universal Hydrogen is also changing a small plane to run on hydrogen and they plan to test it next year. Hydrogen-powered are still in the early stages of development, so it's not clear if they'll become in the future. There are problems, like not having space to store fuel in hydrogen planes and not having enough environmentally-friendly hydrogen. The aviation industry they need to stop producing emissions, but they're not sure how to do it yet or how much it will cost. It might be a while before we see lots of hydrogen planes flying around.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and why is it important for airports to use?
2. How do you think hydrogen can help reduce carbon emissions in the aviation industry?
3. Do you think it is a good idea to use hydrogen as a fuel for planes? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if all airports had no carbon emissions by 2040? Why?
5. What are some advantages of using liquid hydrogen as a fuel for planes?
6. What are some challenges or problems that the aviation industry might face in using hydrogen-powered planes?
7. Do you think it is worth the cost to set up equipment for storing and distributing hydrogen at airports? Why or why not?
8. How do you think the development of hydrogen-powered planes could impact the environment?
9. What are some potential benefits of using modules to hold liquid hydrogen instead of pipes and pumps?
10. How do you think the use of hydrogen as a fuel could change the aviation industry in the future?
11. Do you think hydrogen-powered planes will become common in the future? Why or why not?
12. How would you feel if you saw a hydrogen-powered plane flying in the sky? Why?
13. What are some other ways that the aviation industry could reduce carbon emissions?
14. Do you think it is important for the aviation industry to prioritize finding environmentally-friendly solutions? Why or why not?
15. How do you think the development of hydrogen-powered planes could impact the global effort to combat climate change?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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