An Expert Panel Discussion on The Potential for Hydrogen as an Aviation Fuel
Time & Date: 7:00-8:00pm, July 1st, 2021
AIAA New England Section is organizing a panel on the potential of using hydrogen to decarbonize energy use in aviation. Come and listen to the experts talking about recent advances, competing technologies, promises, challenges, and time frames on the potential for hydrogen as an aviation fuel.
The panelists will talk for about 15-20 minutes each then followed by Q&A. The two panelists and the moderator are:
- Dr. Bruce J. Holmes: A five-decade veteran with an internationally recognized legacy in aeronautics R&D leadership, aviation technology strategies, aerospace investment consulting, advanced air mobility systems development, and disruptive innovations throughout his field. During recent years, he has served as CTO for a firm developing a hydrogen fueled eVTOL, Bruce’s background of earlier years includes government roles in Senior Executive Service leadership at NASA. He serves on special groups for the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and on the FAA Administrator’s Research, Engineering, and Development Advisory Committee – NAS Operations Subcommittee (REDAC).
- Dr. Zoltan Spakovszky: A Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the MIT and the director of the Gas Turbine Laboratory and a technical consultant to industry and government agencies, and, while on leave from MIT, held the position of Senior Advisor for Strategy, Technology and Innovation at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). He is a Fellow of the ASME, the Vice Leader of the ASME Gas Turbine Segment Leadership Team, an Associate Fellow of the AIAA, and served as the review chair of the ASME International Gas Turbine Institute and as an associate editor for the ASME Journal of Turbomachinery. The talking points of his presentation will revolve around learnings from the past, the challenges with making and storing hydrogen, and the prospects for aviation.
- Dr. N. Albert Moussa (Moderator): The President of BlazeTech Corp. and specializes in the safety and risk assessment of new technologies, particularly in the aerospace industry. He worked on the Lockheed Liquid Hydrogen aircraft in the late 1970’s and served on the Technical Committee to advise on the hazards of the hydrogen bubble formed in the Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident. Over the years he has assessed the safety associated with hydrogen, various fuels, Li-ion batteries, and more recently Unmanned Aerial Systems. He teaches an annual professional course on aircraft fire hazards, protection and investigation, and was an invited lecturer on the subject at various universities and at the National Transportation Safety Board Training Center. He forewarned about the vulnerability of aircraft fuel systems before the TWA 800 and Air France Concord disasters. He has published over 200 publications, presentations and reports including one book and a conference proceeding.