Rolls-Royce tests hydrogen-fueled aircraft engine in aviation world first

[Hamartia Antidote]

Rolls-Royce tests hydrogen-fueled aircraft engine in aviation world first

Successful ground test in the development of hydrogen power to cut carbon emissions.

arstechnica.com

Successful ground test in the development of hydrogen power to cut carbon emissions.​

Enlarge / A Rolls-Royce hydrogen-fueled aircraft engine is tested at Boscombe Down in the UK. Flying is one of the most difficult industries to decarbonize, and hydrogen-powered aircraft are still years away from carrying a plane over long distances.

British engineer Rolls-Royce has successfully used hydrogen instead of conventional jet fuel to power a modern aircraft engine in a world first for the aviation industry, according to the company.

The ground test, which took place at a government test facility at Boscombe Down, used green hydrogen generated by wind and tidal power from the Orkney Islands in Scotland.

Rolls-Royce used a converted AE 2100-A turboprop engine that powers civil and military aircraft to conduct the test in partnership with easyJet.

It marks another step in the industry’s attempts to prove that hydrogen could play a viable role to help companies reduce harmful carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.

The Race to Zero pledge backed by the United Nations is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and airlines are pushing to use more sustainable fuel as an alternative to petroleum-based jet fuel.

Flying is one of the most difficult industries to decarbonize, and technologies such as electricity or hydrogen-powered aircraft are still years from carrying a plane full of people over long distances.

Airbus plans to use a superjumbo A380 to test hydrogen-powered jet engines as part of a plan to bring a zero emissions aircraft into service by 2035.

The Toulouse-based group is working with CFM International, a joint venture between France’s Safran and General Electric of the US, to develop an engine that can run on hydrogen.

The Rolls-Royce-led trial, although not involving flying an aircraft, is part of a new hydrogen demonstration program launched in the summer by the FTSE 100 group in partnership with easyJet after research showed there was market potential for hydrogen-powered aircraft.

The two companies plan to move on to a second set of tests, which will in turn lead up to a full-scale ground trial of a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 business jet engine.

Grant Shapps, UK business secretary, described the demonstration as a “prime example of how we can work together to make aviation cleaner while driving jobs across the country.”

Grazia Vittadini, Rolls-Royce chief technology officer, said the test was an “exciting milestone.”

“We are pushing the boundaries to discover the zero carbon possibilities of hydrogen, which could help reshape the future of flight.”

 

[hyperman]

not sure if they will ever be able to decarbonize air travel(atleast long distance), and even burning hydrogen has issues. The most viable option I think would be synthetic carbon neutral jet fuel, created from captured carbon. though I'm not sure about its commercial viability.

 

[FuturePAF]

What the energy density of this hydrogen fuel compared to standard Jet fuel? Hydrogen fuel cells just seem like ways standard industries try to virtue signal that they are getting greener, claiming the technology just needs more time to mature.

Hydrogen fuel with jet engines probably has an application with large ships or even some large land vehicles where weight is less of an issue. Heck, this is probably just defense R&D masquerading as civilian R&D.

Considering the OP who posted this and the kind of threads he/she/they post, it all but confirms this is vaporware, no different then then the hyper loop. This propaganda threads from both sides, the western and the Chinese, for the past year is just getting ridiculous.

All these solutions by private companies smell of solutions that enable both parties to claim there is No need to build out infrastructure with public money, private industry will take care of the problem.

Just look at what happened when the 787’s used hydrogen fuel cells.

If these airlines were really serious about climate change they would just pay a carbon tax, which countries could use to build all electric public transportation, like HSR.

The hydrogen experiment just seem like make work R&D for the engine companies. I expect only marginal improvements to carbon emissions.

 

[Hack-Hook]

not sure if they will ever be able to decarbonize air travel(atleast long distance), and even burning hydrogen has issues. The most viable option I think would be synthetic carbon neutral jet fuel, created from captured carbon. though I'm not sure about its commercial viability.

the carbon in air is co2 and co wonder how much energy is needed to convert it into something useful for jet engines

What the energy density of this hydrogen fuel compared to standard Jet fuel? Hydrogen fuel cells just seem like ways standard industries try to virtue signal that they are getting greener, claiming the technology just needs more time to mature.

its not hydrogen fuel cell , its burning hydrogen as fuel . it have enough energy , but its a little unstable and susceptible to explosion specially in case of crash or rough landing

 

[aziqbal]

the carbon in air is co2 and co wonder how much energy is needed to convert it into something useful for jet engines


its not hydrogen fuel cell , its burning hydrogen as fuel . it have enough energy , but its a little unstable and susceptible to explosion specially in case of crash or rough landing

Fischer Tropsch process can use CO2 and CO with Hydrogen, its called Syngas

however H2+ CO to fuel is expensive and even more when you use CO2

SASOL does this but its only company in the World who did it and it was because South Africa was under sanctions

Nazi did it during the second World War but volumes were not enough for the German War machine

 

[Hack-Hook]

Fischer Tropsch process can use CO2 and CO with Hydrogen, its called Syngas

however H2+ CO to fuel is expensive and even more when you use CO2

SASOL does this but its only company in the World who did it and it was because South Africa was under sanctions

Nazi did it during the second World War but volumes were not enough for the German War machine

the question is how much energy you need for the process to work