Abstract
The maritime shipping sector is a major contributor to CO2 emissions and this figure is expected to rise in coming decades. With the intent of reducing emissions from this sector, this research proposes the utilization of the jet stream to transport a combination of cargo and hydrogen, using airships or balloons at altitudes of 10–20 km. The jet streams flow in the mid-latitudes predominantly in a west–east direction, reaching an average wind speed of 165 km/h. Using this combination of high wind speeds and reliable direction, hydrogen-filled airships or balloons could carry hydrogen with a lower fuel requirement and shorter travel time compared to conventional shipping. Jet streams at different altitudes in the atmosphere were used to identify the most appropriate circular routes for global airship travel. Round-the-world trips would take 16 days in the Northern Hemisphere and 14 in the Southern Hemisphere. Hydrogen transport via the jet stream, due to its lower energy consumption and shorter cargo delivery time, access to cities far from the coast, could be a competitive alternative to maritime shipping and liquefied hydrogen tankers in the development of a sustainable future hydrogen economy.
Highlights
Airships, an alternative that has received increased attention in recent years from researchers and investors, were introduced in the first half of the 20th century[5], preceding the use of conventional aircraft for the long-range transport of cargo and passengers
The jet streams flow in mid-latitudes predominantly in the west-east direction, reaching an average wind speed of 165 km/h4. Using this combination of high wind speeds and reliable direction, hydrogen filled up airships or balloons could be used to carry hydrogen with small fuel requirements and short travel times compared to conventional shipping
It discontinued due to several reasons, such as, the risks involving a hydrogen explosion[6], lower speed when compared with airplanes, weather unreliability, lack of reliable weather forecasts at the time and the increased availability of cheap petroleum fuels, which reduced the costs of conventional air transport that is a more convenient, faster and safer alternative for long-range transportation
Summary
An alternative that has received increased attention in recent years from researchers and investors, were introduced in the first half of the 20th century[5], preceding the use of conventional aircraft for the long-range transport of cargo and passengers. Its volume in the surface is around 7 times smaller than in the stratosphere (assuming that its maximum operation height is 14 km) This is convenient because the size of the balloon hydrogen carrier at the surface is only 58% larger than the Hindenburg class airship and balloon can be deflated in the case of strong wind days, balloons should be the most viable and practical solution for transporting large amounts of hydrogen. Another benefit of being non-rigid is that it is lighter, which allows it to deliver more hydrogen per trip. This would support the widespread adoption of intermittent renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind and promote sustainable development on a global scale
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