Rolls-Royce and easyJet test is breakthrough for hydrogen fuel in air travel
Rolls-Royce and EasyJet have conducted the world’s first successful test of a modern jet engine powered by hydrogen.The two companies carried out the exercise at Boscombe Down, a Ministry of Defence aircraft testing site, using a Rolls Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine converted to run on hydrogen fuel. The European Marine Energy Centre produced the fuel, referred to as green hydrogen because it was generated with renewable energy from the centre’s tidal energy plant in the Orkney Islands.
Rolls-Royce and easyJet announced their plans to develop hydrogen engine technology at the Farnborough Airshow in July, with a view to delivering a range of aircraft in the mid-2030s. EasyJet has contributed its operational understanding of consumer air flying to the project, while Rolls-Royce has used its expertise in developing engines. The universities of Cranfield and Loughborough are also working on the programme.
The companies now plan a series of further rig tests before another ground test. Rolls-Royce is gearing up to use its Pearl 15 jet engine, which at present powers Bombardier 16-seater business jets, for the full-scale ground test. Airbus has also revealed a number of aircraft designs that would be capable of delivering a zero-emission flight by 2035. The aerospace company said it would test an engine burning liquid hydrogen on a converted A380 jet.
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