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How do hybrid planes work? Where does electricity come from?

Faradair is planning to develop and sell a hybrid-electric passenger plane, aimed at the regional aviation market. It would have up to 19 seats and would be propelled by a fan driven by an electric motor. The necessary electricity would be provided by a small gas turbine.

(from here)

What do they mean by "provided by a small gas turbine"?

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  • I don't find anything unclear there. Gas turbines have been used for a long time to create electricity, it's the most modern combustion based electricity generation method. I think the main problem in that case is that airplanes usually operate near full load, so it would probably be more efficient to use a gas turbine as a propelling engine rather than as an electricity generator.
    – juhist
    Jul 19, 2022 at 19:46
  • @juhist "gas" as in "gaseous substance"? Where does that gas come from and what gas is used, exactly? Jul 20, 2022 at 19:25
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    Gas is usually a flammable gaseous substance, although strictly speaking it doesn't have to be gaseous. The turbine compresses air to such hot temperatures that flammable liquids become gas in those temperatures too. So airplanes use turbines that burn a flammable liquid, mainly because carrying large amounts of gaseous fuels in compressed form is just too hard. Liquids are easier. However, in fixed power generation the turbines usually burn methane (natural gas).
    – juhist
    Jul 21, 2022 at 15:38
  • How is it better than just using conventional combustion engines if it still relies on fossil fuels? Lower emissions? I thought the whole purpose of electric planes is no emissions Jul 25, 2022 at 20:34
  • It's not an electric plane, it's a hybrid, so yes it will still use fossil fuels.
    – mfinni
    Jul 27, 2022 at 15:01

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