Airbus to pioneer hydrogen combustion jets

The future of hydrogen jets could be closer than we think as Airbus signs a 50/50 joint venture with aviation firm CFM International to pioneer hydrogen combustion engines by the mid-decade.

The aviation sector is a notoriously carbon-intensive industry and Airbus has pledged to operate at net-zero emissions by 2035. The firm previously unveiled concepts for hydrogen jets in September 2020.

Read more: Airbus unveils plans for zero-emission hydrogen-powered jets

The first demonstrations for the hydrogen jets will take place in the next few years and will see an A380 engine converted into a testbed equipped with liquid hydrogen tanks.

CFM, itself a joint venture between General Electric and Safran Aircraft Engines, will modify the combustor, fuel system, and control system of a GE Passport turbofan to run on hydrogen that will be used in the tests, which itself was selected for its size and low fuel flow requirement.

This will be mounted to the rear of the testbed and monitored separately. The firm is set to also conduct ground trials ahead of the A380 flight test.

“This is the most significant step undertaken at Airbus to usher in a new era of hydrogen-powered flight since the unveiling of our ZEROe concepts back in September 2020,” Airbus CTO Sabine Klauke said at the company's ZEROe event on February 22, where these tests were outlined.

“By leveraging the expertise of American and European engine manufacturers to make progress on hydrogen combustion technology, this partnership sends a clear message that our industry is committed to making the zero-emission flight a reality".

The US aviation sector is targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 in line with other countries such as the UK.

Both Airbus and CFM signed the Air Transport Action Group pledge that outlined these goals in October 2021.

However, reaching these goals will require significant investments and the development of technologies over the next three decades.

Airbus has already attempted to branch out into commercialising hydrogen jets by striking a deal with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) back in November. 

Read more: Singapore partners with Airbus to explore hydrogen use in aviation

This deal, and the transition to net-zero and the development of technologies involves, could help the sector recover from the coronavirus pandemic in a better state than it entered it.

“Hydrogen combustion capability is one of the foundational technologies we are developing and maturing as part of the CFM RISE Program,” said Gaël Méheust, president & CEO of CFM.

“Bringing together the collective capabilities and experience of CFM, our parent companies, and Airbus, we really do have the dream team in place to successfully demonstrate a hydrogen propulsion system". 

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