Airbus working on hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine

Aircraft maker Airbus Group (EPA:AIR) on Wednesday said it is developing a hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine that could potentially equip the zero-emission aircraft the company aims to bring into service by 2035.

Ground and flight tests of the concept onboard Aircraft’s ZEROe demonstrator aircraft are planned to start towards the middle of the decade. The company is currently modifying the A380 MSN1 flight test aircraft for new hydrogen technologies to carry liquid hydrogen tanks and related distribution systems.

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“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, vice president zero-emission aircraft at Airbus.

Airbus sees hydrogen as one of the most promising fuels for a zero-emission aircraft. There are two routes to its use: hydrogen combustion in a gas turbine or fuel cells converting hydrogen into electricity. A hydrogen gas turbine can also be combined with fuel cells instead of batteries in a hybrid-electric architecture, the company explains.

Airbus plans to launch development of its future ZEROe aircraft in 2027-2028.

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce Holdings (LON:RR) and easyJet (LON:EZJ) this week said they have conducted ground engine tests representing the world’s first run of a modern aero engine on hydrogen.