Airbus focuses on hydrogen for future engines: an A380 will be the "mule" of the new technology
Airbus and CFM International (a 50%-owned company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines) have signed an agreement to [...]
Airbus and CFM International (a 50%-owned company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines) have signed an agreement to collaborate on a hydrogen demonstration program that will take flight in the middle of this decade.
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The goal of the program is to test, on the ground and in flight, a hydrogen-powered direct-combustion engine, with a view to theEntry into service of zero-emission aircraft by 2035.
CFM will modify the combustor, fuel system and control system of a GE PassportTM turbofan to run on hydrogen.
The engine, assembled in the United States, will be mounted along the rear fuselage of an aircraft, which will perform the classic "test forklift" function to enable monitoring of engine emissions, including condensation trails, separately from those of the engines powering the aircraft. CFM will perform an extensive ground test program before Of the A380 flight test.
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The news is that an A380 has been chosen to serve as a test bed., the largest passenger aircraft ever to enter service and unfortunately already out of production due to its high operating costs. The A380 will be equipped with liquid hydrogen tanks prepared at Airbus plants in France and Germany.
[Press Release] CFM and @Airbus to pioneer #hydrogen combustion technology by signing an agreement to work together on a hydrogen demonstration program that will take flight around the middle of this decade. #ClearAmbition https://t.co/l2qLc3hhyc@SafranEngines @GEAviation pic.twitter.com/1gfMXirffz
- CFM International (@CFM_engines) February 22, 2022
"This is the most significant step taken by Airbus to usher in a new era of hydrogen flight since the unveiling of our ZEROe concepts in September 2020," said Sabine Klauke, Airbus Chief Technical Officer. "By leveraging the expertise of U.S. and European engine manufacturers to make progress on hydrogen combustion, this international partnership sends a clear message that our industry is committed to zero-emission flight," she concluded.
