Boeing test-drives a Ford

摘要

Boeing used a Ford-developed hydrogen engine to test the technical readiness of the hydrogen propulsion system for its HALE (high-altitude, long-endurance) UAV. During the test, the engine ran for nearly four days in a controlled chamber at Aurora Flight Sciences in Manassas, VA, including a total of three days that simulated conditions at 65,000 ft. The propulsion system included a multistage turbocharged internal-combustion engine and its associated subsystems. The four-cylinder Ford engine earned better than expected fuel economy while demonstrating complete airflow and torque control across the engine's operating range.The gasoline version of the engine can be found in the Ford Fusion and Escape Hybrid vehicles.