Powering the Future of Electric Aviation

Aviation is one of the largest contributors to climate change on this planet, responsible for nearly 5% of the global warming impact on Earth. As the aviation sector is projected to grow and as new aircraft are introduced, aviation’s impact on climate change will only increase. Without sustainable alternatives implemented in the near future, aviation could strongly contribute to making this planet uninhabitable. This paper examines the possibilities of electric aviation and other power sources in reducing the impact of aviation on climate change. Although there are many power sources for aircraft, electricity is the most effective and sustainable power source. Electric aviation, however, is still relatively new, and there are limitations with electric power, such as battery size, energy density, and charging. This paper dives deeper into the applications and factors to consider for the implementation of electric aircraft into the current society, as well as a potential solution to accelerate the process. Specifically, our research finds that hydrogen fuel cells, despite a few limitations, provide the amount of energy necessary to develop capable and sustainable electric aircraft in a manner that may be the most feasible.