H2 Clipper Applications

The H2 Clipper is the result of radically re-thinking lighter-than-air flight. Standing on the shoulders of early pioneers and yet with a focus firmly on the future, the Company has incorporated in the H2 Clipper key advances that have taken place over the last century in aeronautical design, stronger and lighter-weight materials, modern fabrication and mass production techniques, 3D printing, computer-based simulation and controls. H2 Clipper has used this approach since inception to eliminate problems and minimize risk factors, and to achieve previously unattainable goals for safety, speed and efficiency.

The H2 Clipper design incorporates a number of patented and patent-pending innovations^[1] that result in significant improvements including reduced drag and better propulsion, greater structural integrity, optimal use of solar power and 100% green hydrogen for lift and energy storage, decreased weight and increased payload, all of which help to assure safe, reliable and cost-effective commercial operation. The functional capabilities made possible through these technical innovations support a wide range of uses across multiple industries.

Of the many future uses that exist for the H2 Clipper, the Company is presently focusing on the following four Use Cases:

Based on its cruising speed, range, payload capacity and operating cost, the H2 Clipper is ideally positioned for the role of market leader in long haul, emissions-free freight transport – particularly over intercontinental routes.

100% emissions-free delivery of goods is critical in the fight against climate change; and will be demanded by consumers and globally embraced by policy makers and businesses for both social and compelling financial reasons. With a cost per ton-mile that is between $0.18 (for 1,000 miles) and $0.25 (for 6,000 miles) at 175 mph, the H2 Clipper will meet or exceed the delivery promise of air freight at less than one-fourth the comparable cost. In addition, the H2 Clipper has the unique advantage of being able to takeoff and land vertically, enabling it to fly right over congested ports and airports, avoiding delays and costly intermodal transfers, and opening the opportunity to transport goods and materials directly from factory door to distribution center door.

The H2 Clipper provides 2X or greater payload capacity, and 8-10X more cargo volume, than conventional air freighters. Given its much lower cost per ton-mile and capability to operate with zero CO2 or NOx emissions, the H2 Clipper will increase the overall market demand for air freight and accelerate the decision to decommission aging fossil fuel-based air freighters as companies seek ways to decarbonize and simultaneously reduce transportation costs.

A robust hydrogen economy relies on cost-efficient ways to produce and transport large quantities of hydrogen from locations where natural conditions enable production of renewable energy (and in turn green hydrogen) at the lowest cost (such as from geothermal and wind on the Big Island of Hawaii, Australian or Middle East solar, North Sea wind) to locations with the greatest need for clean energy (such as Japan, South Korea and major cities in the U.S., U.K., Canada and EU countries). Hydrogen transport in gaseous or liquified form is a specialized form of cargo for which the H2 Clipper is ideally suited since in addition to being the payload, the hydrogen also provides power for propulsion and lighter-than-air gas for lift.

The original patents issued to H2 Clipper focus on using a lighter-than-air airship to transport hydrogen from locations that enable the production of hydrogen at the lowest cost due to their abundant renewable energy, to areas with the greatest need for clean energy. At 150 mph, a single H2 Clipper can transport over 480,000 kg/day of liquified hydrogen up to 250 miles for less than $0.16/kg; and can deliver over 1.3 million kg per week to a destination 1,000 miles away for less than $0.60/kg. These costs are far lower than truck transport or amortizing the construction costs of a dedicated pipeline, supertanker route or rail infrastructure before consistent recurring delivery of hydrogen is established.  By creating a virtual Pipeline in the Sky^TM, the H2 Clipper is uniquely able to address this emerging market need through connecting new green hydrogen production sites in remote locations with new markets for hydrogen as these respectively come on line.

H2 Clipper, Inc. has also developed a technology for addressing the ‘last mile’ challenges of distributing this hydrogen, once delivered.^[2]

Providing a stable platform for retransmission of satellite signals to ground-based receivers is essential to bring dial-tone and Internet access to large portions of Africa and other lesser developed areas of the planet. Operated autonomously, the H2 Clipper is able to hover at altitude and remain in an essentially stationary location for months to years, and to provide line-of-sight coverage for several hundred miles.

Neutral buoyancy provided by the H2 Clipper’s design enables unmanned versions to hover at higher altitudes for long periods of time. Using the H2 Clipper’s engines and computer-assisted guidance systems to remain over a specific location irrespective of winds, this “station-keeping” capability is particularly well suited to restoring cellular telecommunications services for disaster areas or large temporary sites such as sporting events; Internet beaming to remote areas; and providing temporary remote computer network services.

The H2 Clipper’s ability to operate without a port or airport infrastructure, and to move freight, passengers, and supplies great distances at operating costs that are dramatically below conventional aircraft makes the H2 Clipper an invaluable asset for humanitarian applications. The devastation from recent floods and tornados in the Midwest; hurricanes in the Caribbean; wildfires in Texas, Arizona, California and Australia; the nuclear reactor meltdown in Fukushima; and earthquakes around the world, all point to the need for quicker, more robust humanitarian relief and response capabilities.

The H2 Clipper can provide rapid delivery of essential food, water, shelter, drugs and supplies to areas affected by emergencies or natural disasters. Because it can land on an open field only slightly longer than its length and requires minimal ground support, the H2 Clipper is far better suited to situations where airports and ports have been severely damaged or compromised, and disaster assistance would otherwise be delayed for weeks. The H2 Clipper can rapidly serve such needs.