There will be no compromise: either hydrogen or aviation

Andrey Zlobin, candidate of technical sciences, mathematician

Colored energy, colored aviation - these are the correct names for that hydrogen action, which today they are trying to pass off as a new era in the history of mankind. Hence the catchy advertising terms "green hydrogen", "green turbine", "green plane". Remember the red mercury scam? Designed for new generations of inexperienced "yegeshniki" who know how to distinguish and fill in colored cells, which are slipped into them as ready-made solutions. People are taught to act, focusing on reflexes, instincts, and not on fundamental knowledge.

In previous publications, I have already written about the explosion at the nuclear power plant at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant and the explosion of the American Shuttle Challenger. These were explosions of hydrogen. Recently, Novye Izvestia recalled that "throughout the entire history of diving in the entire world, 39 submarines were killed by an explosion of hydrogen generated by storage batteries." Finally, it is worth remembering the loudest disaster that put a fat point on the use of hydrogen in passenger aviation. It was in May 1937 when a hydrogen explosion occurred aboard the world's largest airship, the Hindenburg, killing many passengers.

The Hindenburg disaster did not end the era of airships. Such aircraft are successfully used in our time. But no one, even in a heavy sleep, no longer comes up with the idea of using explosive hydrogen in airship construction. Today, only fire-safe helium is used in airships. Unfortunately, the world does not learn well from its own mistakes, and we again hear about hydrogen energy and hydrogen passenger aircraft projects. This means only one thing - there are new disasters ahead and new victims of "detonating gas" .

It is worth pondering why the hype about global warming is being raised right now? Why is the planet's climate "ordered" to urgently warm up again? Everything is very simple. We listened to the same climatic fables in the 90s, when the domestic aviation was accused of all mortal sins. It is not economical enough, consumes a lot of fuel, harms the environment, pollutes the atmosphere with carbon dioxide. Therefore, you need to fly on foreign planes, supposedly more environmentally friendly. There were a lot of singers in the country and instead of Tupolev, Ilyushin, Yakovlev and Antonovs, the Russian sky was almost completely occupied by Boeings and Airbuses. This ruined our aviation industry, which lost orders from airlines. Here is the answer to the attempts of the current "Carbonari", again foaming at the mouth, advocating urgent decarbonization. The answer lies in the successes of our aircraft engine and aircraft construction, thanks to which the revival of the domestic aircraft industry has been outlined. New Russian aircraft engines, airplanes and helicopters have been created that can oust the Varangians. Feeling the growing competitive pressure from Russians, lobbyists for foreign aircraft and engines turned on the "climate fool" again. The Russians must again hang their ears, hear about the supposedly catastrophic warming of the climate and the need for an urgent transition to a clean fuel - hydrogen.

The bandwagon lies in the technological unavailability of the transition to explosive hydrogen, especially in Russian aviation. Our aviation industry has just begun to rise from the ruins of the 90s and re-create competitive technology. It is against our reviving aviation that the hydrogen turmoil has been started, capable of striking again into the very heart of Russia. Now, you see, they are impatient with clean fuel. You can't find fault with the perfection of engines and aircraft, so let's blame the fuel. I explain to amateurs for the hundredth time that there is no alternative to current traditional fuels for the bulk of aviation gas turbine engines. Whoever and whatever says. There is not a single chance that domestic manned aircraft will be able to be converted to hydrogen fuel in the foreseeable future. And if, God forbid, the rat catcher's hydrogen pipe works in Russia, our aviation industry will face another collapse. We will not have time to look back, as we will at least fill up with hydrogen, and aviation kerosene will be "according to coupons." Then even the most modern Russian aviation technology will be massively and firmly put on the hitch. Is it necessary to repeat once again that without aviation, the vast area of the Russian state cannot exist?

The heated opinion plays into the hands of the hydrogen lobby that the designs of gas turbine engines have allegedly reached the limit of perfection and their further improvement is impossible. Therefore, it is required to replace the fuel with a cleaner one. This point of view is deeply mistaken. They are trying to convince us that the wind is blowing because the trees are swaying. Gas turbines have significant reserves, but the difficulties that were artificially created for engineers are affecting. Over the past three decades, the famous scientific and engineering schools of engine and turbine operators, which were created with great difficulty in the USSR throughout almost the entire XX century, have been physically destroyed. Hair stands on end from the fact that the left wing of the building of the faculty "Power Engineering" of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University was demolished. In one fell swoop, the unique departments and laboratories of gas turbine engines, internal combustion engines, and thermodynamics were razed to the ground. Stationary gas turbine installations for power engineering, aviation and transport gas turbine engines suffered all at once. All this was sacrificed for the sake of ten meters of asphalt during the construction of the Third Transport Ring of Moscow.

If someone thinks that this is where the troubles of engineers ended, then they are greatly mistaken. Look at the photo. The excavator demolishes another technological shrine - the famous foundry building of Baumanka, the history, glory and traditions of the main school of Russian foundry engineers. In 2017, having visited my Alma Mater, I specially went into this building in order to breathe again the unique air of the foundry, which A.N. Tupolev, S.P. Korolev, P.O. Sukhoi and many other outstanding engineers and scientists who graduated from the famous Russian university. I sincerely feel sorry for the future graduates of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University - they will never be able to feel that breath of time and that creative reverence that the walls with centuries of history gave. If you treat the cultural heritage of the great Russian engineering schools in this way, then nothing good will happen. The "hydrogen excavator" has already raised its bucket over the Russian aircraft and the sad result will not be long in coming. For many years I worked and led the engine sector at the Central Institute of Aviation Motors CIAM, and I know better than others what I am talking about ...