Airbus hydrogen-powered plane designs: Zero-emission aircraft concepts unveiled

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This was published 3 years ago

Airbus hydrogen-powered plane designs: Zero-emission aircraft concepts unveiled

Updated
A “blended-wing body” design (up to 200 passengers) concept in which the wings merge with the main body of the aircraft.

A “blended-wing body” design (up to 200 passengers) concept in which the wings merge with the main body of the aircraft.Credit: Airbus

Airbus has unveiled three visual concepts for "zero emission" planes to be powered by hydrogen.

It is the planemaker's latest effort to draw public attention to its "zero-emission" ambitions as European governments push for cleaner technology in their post-COVID recovery plans.

Airbus has set itself a deadline of 2035 to put a carbon-free commercial aircraft into service, a target engine makers like Safran have described as ambitious.

A turbofan design (120-200 passengers) would be capable of operating transcontinentally and be powered by a modified gas-turbine engine running on hydrogen, rather than jet fuel, through combustion.

A turbofan design (120-200 passengers) would be capable of operating transcontinentally and be powered by a modified gas-turbine engine running on hydrogen, rather than jet fuel, through combustion. Credit: Airbus

The "ZEROe" initiative includes concepts for two conventional-looking aircraft: a turbofan jet engine able to carry 120-200 people over 2000 nautical miles (3700 km) and a turboprop able to carry up to 100 people for 1000 nm.

Unlike normal planes, the engines would be adapted to burn liquid hydrogen stored in the rear fuselage.

A third proposal incorporates a revolutionary "blended wing body" design similar to one presented in February.

Airbus unveiled three designs for its zero emissions concept.

Airbus unveiled three designs for its zero emissions concept.

At the same time, Airbus is working on a demonstrator, with initial results expected in 2021.

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"The demonstrator will allow us to assess what the most promising architecture is," Airbus Chief Technology Officer Grazia Vittadini said in an interview.

"We see it as applicable to all Airbus products eventually."

To meet its 2035 goal, Airbus would need to select technologies by 2025, she said. Other industry executives said such a clean break in propulsion could take until 2040.

Challenges include finding ways to safely store volatile liquid hydrogen during flight at very cold temperatures.

Airbus dismissed concerns that hydrogen would be unsafe and has called for massive investment in new energy infrastructure.

While hydrogen has been discussed since the 1970s, it remains too expensive for widespread use. Proponents say infrastructure investment and rising demand will lower the cost.

Most hydrogen used today is extracted from natural gas, which creates carbon emissions.

However, Airbus said the hydrogen used for aviation would be produced from renewable energy and extracted from water with electrolysis. That's a carbon-free process if powered by renewable electricity, but it is currently more expensive.

Member airlines of the oneworld alliance, which consists of 13 airlines including Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and British Airways, this week committed to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050

The airlines aim to reach the target through initiatives such as efficiency measures, investments in sustainable aviation fuels and more fuel-efficient aircraft, reduction of waste and single-use plastics, and carbon offsets.

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