Air Products, a leading company serving customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services, will now provide the hydrogen and fueling infrastructure for the Boeing Company's Phantom Eye, a newly unveiled hydrogen-powered and unmanned airborne system demonstrator that is able to stay aloft at 65,000 feet for up to four days. Air Products sees this as a major achievement and considers it an evidence of its increasing presence in the market.

"Working with Boeing (News - Alert) on this effort has been a privilege. It is always exciting and interesting to be associated with a cutting edge project and the Phantom Eye certainly fits that category," said Bob Kelly, business development manager for Hydrogen Energy Systems at Air Products (News - Alert), in a recent press release. "Our approach to working on this project was to focus on our core competencies and values of safety first, and being mindful of the specific customer needs. Our engineering and design reviews were always very much aligned with that focus."

Phantom Eye will soon begin a series of ground and taxi tests at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The first flight of the aircraft is expected in 2011. The debut flight is expected to last between four and eight hours.

Engineers from Air Products and Boeing have already worked closely to provide a cost effective and innovative fueling system capable of delivering liquid hydrogen to the vehicle. Boeing describes hydrogen propulsion system as a key to Phantom Eye's success, offering efficiency and great fuel economy, with water as its only byproduct, essentially making the plane a "green aircraft."

Rahul Arora is a TMCnet contributor. He has worked as an editor and freelance writer for several reputed organizations in India. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Tammy Wolf