Airbus has revealed that it is developing a hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine. Airbus sees hydrogen-powered fuel cell engines as one of the potential solutions to equip its zero-emission aircraft that will enter service by 2035.
The next steps for Airbus will be to start ground and flight testing this fuel cell engine architecture onboard its ZEROe demonstrator aircraft towards the middle of the decade. For new hydrogen technologies, the A380 MSN1 flight test aircraft is currently being modified to carry hydrogen tans and their associated distribution systems.
“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,” said Glenn Llewellyn, VP Zero-Emission Aircraft, Airbus.
“At scale, and if the technology targets were achieved, fuel cell engines might 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.”
Airbus identified hydrogen as one of the most promising alternatives to power a zero-emission aircraft. This is because it emits no carbon dioxide when generated from renewable energy, with water being its most significant by-product.
There are two ways hydrogen can be used as a power source for aircraft propulsion, the company says. First, via hydrogen combustion in a gas turbine, and second, by using fuel cells to convert hydrogen into electricity in order to power a propeller engine. A hydrogen gas turbine can also be coupled with fuel cells instead of batteries in a hybrid-electric architecture.
In addition, an engine powered by hydrogen fuel cells produces zero NOx emissions or contrails, thereby offering additional decarbonization benefits. When stacked together, hydrogen fuel cells increase their power output allowing scalability.
In October 2020, Airbus created Aerostack, a joint venture with ElringKlinger, a company with over 20 years of experience as both a fuel cell systems and component supplier. In December 2020, Airbus presented its pod concept, which included six removable fuel cell propeller propulsion systems.
