Airline tests hydrogen engine
Rolls-Royce and easyJet have carried out what is thought to be the world’s first test of a modern aircraft engine powered by hydrogen.
The test, at Boscombe Down, a Ministry of Defence site in Wiltshire, used a Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A 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 plans at the Farnborough Airshow in July to develop hydrogen engine technology with a view to delivering aircraft in the mid-2030s.
EasyJet has contributed its operational understanding of consumer air flying to the project and 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.
Johan Lundgren, the chief executive of easyJet, said: ‘‘We are committed to continuing to support this groundbreaking
research because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft, including easyJet-sized aircraft. That will be a huge step forward in meeting the challenge of net zero by 2050.’’
The transport industry sees hydrogen as the way to deliver clean air technology that can help the sector to meet its climate targets. Aviation caused 2% of greenhouse gas emissions before the pandemic shut down air travel. Companies are aiming to burn hydrogen in traditional jet engines but they will still need to capture polluting nitrogen oxide emissions produced in the process.
Engineers building the technology have to deal with storage problems as hydrogen must be kept at a high pressure and at a temperature of minus 253C to be kept in its liquid form. Hydrogen weighs one third of traditional jet fuel but it takes up to four times the volume.
Grant Shapps, the business secretary, said: ‘‘The UK is leading the global shift to guilt-free flying and today’s test by RollsRoyce and easyJet is an exciting demonstration of how business innovation can transform the way we live our lives.’’