Airbus recently provided information regarding the development of its hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine. It is expected that such zero-emission aircraft will start operations by 2035. During the next years, the company will start with ground and flight tests using their ZEROe demonstrator aircraft, while the Airbus A380 MSN 1 test aircraft is adapted to liquid hydrogen tank carriage.
As said by the VP of Zero-Emission Aircraft at Airbus, Glenn Llewellyn, “Fuel cells are a potential solution to help us achieve our zero-emission ambition and we are focused on developing and testing this technology to understand if it is feasible and viable for a 2035 entry-into-service of a zero-emission aircraft”, adding that “At scale, and if the technology targets were achieved, fuel cell engines may be able to power a one hundred passenger aircraft with a range of approximately 1,000 nautical miles. By continuing to invest in this technology we are giving ourselves additional options that will inform our decisions on the architecture of our future ZEROe aircraft, the development of which we intend to launch in the 2027-2028 timeframe”.
According to the company, hydrogen is the most promising innovative solution to power a zero-emission aircraft, as water is the only byproduct. Also, there are two possibilities for hydrogen usage in such a case. The first is a conversion of hydrogen into electricity using fuel cells, while the second is hydrogen combustion in a gas turbine.
Airbus is a European multinational aerospace corporation and is the largest airliner manufacturer. In the meantime, the company sees hydrogen fuel-cell systems as the best solution for emission-free aviation. The company has gathered experience in exploring the possibilities of hydrogen fuel cells, and started a joint venture with the automotive fuel-cell specialist Elring Klinger for the creation of Aerostack in October 2020, intending to provide power without any emissions.
Article & Image Source: AIRBUS
Cover Photo by John McArthur on Unsplash
