Airbus has chosen its A380 superjumbo jet to test a hydrogen-powered engine it hopes will fuel future zero-emission aircraft

The global aviation industry produces 2% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions according to the ATAG, worrying activists and prompting governments, airlines, and manufacturers to commit to a net-zero industry by 2050.

Source: Air Transport Action Group

2022-02-23

Some aviation companies believe innovative technologies can help reach the industry's goal, particularly sustainable fuel.

Source: Airbus

In early December, United Airlines operated the world's first commercial flight powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel made with cooking oil, marking the first of many low-emission flights.

United Airlines just became the first airline in history to operate a passenger flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel

Later that month, Airbus announced it is launching a new Zero Emission Development Centre (ZEDC) in Spain that will research "hydrogen-powered non-propulsive energies." Specifically, the facility plans to develop tanks to hold liquid hydrogen.

Source: Airbus

The tanks will be engineered for Airbus' ZEROe planes, which the company hopes will be the world's first zero-emission commercial aircraft, ushering in a new era of sustainable aviation.

Source: Airbus

Airbus has three designs for its ZEROe planes, including a turboprop that can carry up to 100 passengers and fly over 1,000 nautical miles...

Source: Airbus

…a turbofan aircraft that can carry up to 200 passengers and fly over 2,000 nautical miles...

Source: Airbus

…and a blended-wing turbofan with the same capacity and range as the regular turbofan.

Source: Airbus

The planes are expected to be in service as early as 2035, and the storage of liquid hydrogen fuel is the key to the program's success. According to Airbus, hydrogen emits zero CO2 and is generated from a renewable energy source.

Source: Airbus

Moreover, the fuel offers three times the energy per unit mass of traditional jet fuel and 100 times the energy of lithium-ion batteries, making it a good candidate for powering larger aircraft.

Source: Airbus

To make the dream a reality, Airbus needs to build and test the hydrogen power on a demonstrator aircraft, and it has chosen the A380 superjumbo.

Source: Airbus

On Tuesday, the planemaker announced a partnership with CFM International to develop a "direct combustion engine fueled by hydrogen" that will be ground tested and flight-tested on the company's first-ever A380, MSN1.

Source: Airbus

"The A380 MSN1 is an excellent flight laboratory platform for new hydrogen technologies," Airbus ZEROe demonstrator leader Mathias Andriamisaina said. "It's a safe and reliable platform that is highly versatile to test a wide range of zero-emission technologies."

Source: Airbus

According to Airbus, the demonstrator jet will carry four liquid hydrogen tanks "in a caudal position," or towards the tail.

Source: Airbus

The plane will also be equipped with a hydrogen combustion engine mounted on the left rear of the fuselage. The engine is derived from General Electric's PassportTM turbofan and was chosen for its "physical size, advanced turbo machinery, and fuel flow capability."

Source: Airbus

"The liquid hydrogen distribution system will feed into a conditioning system in which the liquid hydrogen will transform into its gaseous form before it is introduced into the engine where it is combusted for propulsion," Airbus explained.

Source: Airbus

According to Airbus' vice president of zero-emission aircraft, Glenn Llewellyn, there will be sensors and instruments around the hydrogen storage, distribution, and engine.

Source: Airbus

"That data is going to be really important to allow us to learn about how these systems function in ground and flight conditions," he said. "That data will also be relayed back to the flight test station…that will allow the test engineers to operate the tests in real-time during the flight."

Source: Airbus

He also explained the A380's cockpit will be modified to help the pilots better manage the hydrogen engine inflight.

Source: Airbus

Specifically, there will be a throttle that powers the engine that pilots can adjust and a display that the crews can monitor during the tests.

Source: Airbus

Airbus is not the only company in the race for developing zero-emission commercial planes. In November, Embraer revealed four new prop-plane concepts that will run on renewable energy, three of which can reduce CO2 by up to 100%.

The three zero-emission concepts include the 9-seater Energia Electric that will run on a battery…

…the 9-seater Energia H2 Fuel Cell that will run on hydrogen…

…and the 19-seater Energia H2 Gas Turbine that will run on sustainable aviation fuel or hydrogen.