By
Sara Fornaro
The
first goal has been reached. Solar Impulse, the first plane entirely fueled by
solar energy, flew day and night without gas during an intercontinental trip
from Switzerland to Morocco last summer.
The
next goal will be a tour around the world in less than one month. It is an
ambitious plan for this solar-powered plane built by the Federal Institute of
Technology of Lausanne, Switzerland.
A
lightweight, four-motor plane that costs about $100 million, Solar Impulse,
driven by a pilot, has batteries powered by electricity stored during the day
by 12,000 photovoltaic cells positioned on its wings and tail.
The
solar plane is an improvement on various prototypes that, after the project
started in 2003, hovered in the air initially for just a few meters in 2009,
then for a whole day in 2010 and eventually for 24 hours during the recent
intercontinental flight.
Of
course there are challenges that remain. The batteries need to be improved and
lightened, while speeds need to increase — it presently flies on average at 43
mph, its maximum speed does not exceed 60 mph and it can fly only in perfect
weather conditions.
Technicians,
however, are working on it, and success is only a wingspan away.
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento