Airbus announces a first test flight of a hydrogen-powered aircraft “for the middle of the decade”.
It will be a modified A380, equipped, in addition to its conventional reactors, with four liquid hydrogen tanks.
For the technical development, the aircraft manufacturer has just signed a partnership with the American General Electric and the French engine manufacturer Safran.
The giant of the air A380 has not said its last word.
Despite the cessation of its production, it can still render proud services and become the spearhead of carbon-free aviation.
Airbus announces that the "MSN01", the very first test A380 produced, will be modified to serve as a demonstrator for the future hydrogen aircraft from 2025.
To develop it, the aircraft manufacturer has signed a partnership with CFM International, a joint venture of the American General Electric, and the French engine manufacturer Safran Aircraft Engines.
The goal is simple and ambitious: “to demonstrate the in-flight feasibility of a hydrogen propulsion system by the middle of the decade”.
The A380 will be modified to receive a nacelle in height on the left rear part of the fuselage.
Four liquid hydrogen tanks with a total capacity of 400 kg will be installed at the rear of the aircraft to supply the new engine, while the four conventional kerosene engines will remain in place under the wings.
“This is really a very important step towards sustainable aviation that we are taking,” said Sabine Klauke, director of engineering at Airbus, on Tuesday.
Still many questions
Airbus has taken the turn of the zero emission aircraft (ZEROe) in 2020, in the midst of a health crisis with the aim of putting it into service in 2035. The hydrogen engine, which only produces water vapour, seems to be the ideal solution.
But for the same propulsion power, liquid hydrogen takes up much more space than kerosene.
In addition, the project assumes the production of hydrogen, obtained by electrolysis of water, in a clean mode.
There is therefore a whole production chain to be built and airport infrastructure to be modified.
The use of the hydrogen engine poses other technical challenges.
In particular the need to store it in gaseous form at very low temperature, – 235°C, in spherical tanks.
In addition, hydrogen will put mechanical parts to the test because it burns at much higher temperatures than kerosene.
While waiting for the 2035 deadline, Airbus is counting on alternative fuels to reduce the carbon footprint of its aircraft.
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