In a step beyond electric vehicles, Rolls-Royce successfully tests hydrogen-fuelled aircraft engines, the world’s 1st in the aviation industry, which is considering decarbonizing aviation travel using the fuel.
An aircraft engine run on hydrogen was successfully tested by the British automotive and aero-engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce. According to the corporation, it tested green hydrogen energy produced by wind and tidal energy using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100, a regional aviation engine. In an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of air travel, Rolls-Royce undertook these tests in collaboration with easyJet Airlines.
In a joint effort with the airline easyJet, the FTSE 100 engineering group claimed the ground test was “a big step towards establishing that hydrogen might be a zero-carbon aviation fuel of the future.”
The test was conducted outside Boscombe Down, a British military installation in Wiltshire. It was powered by a modified version of a regional jet engine made by Rolls-Royce, the AE 2100-A. Instead of operating the fan necessary for faster speeds in jet engines, turboprop engines drive a propeller on slower short-haul flights. Rolls-primary Royce’s commercial activity is the construction and maintenance of jet engines.
As the world strives to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 to prevent catastrophic global warming of more than 1.5C beyond pre-industrial levels, aviation faces one of the toughest challenges of decarbonization of any business. Alternative energy sources are now available for most modes of transportation. However, present battery technology cannot be used for any but the shortest flights due to the energy density requirements for aircraft.
The aviation industry is experimenting with hydrogen, which, when burned, only emits water as a potential fuel for short flights, but many analysts have severe concerns about whether it will ever be practical for longer flights.
According to calculations made by Michael Liebreich, the founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a Boeing 747 jumbo jet would need more than 1 million liters of hydrogen to go the same distance as 250,000 liters of jet fuel.
Such large fuel tanks, which must be maintained at high pressure, would necessitate a total aircraft redesign. However, Rolls-clients, Royce’s the aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing, are starting to explore the development of hydrogen technology. They hope that so-called sustainable aviation fuel will decarbonize the business more quickly.
The European Marine Energy Centre provided green hydrogen for the Rolls-Royce tests. This hydrogen was produced using renewable energy at the center’s hydrogen production and tidal testing facility on Eday in the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland.
The chief technical officer of Rolls-Royce, Grazia Vittadini, called it a “landmark achievement” and an “exciting milestone.” “We are pushing the envelope to learn more about hydrogen’s zero-carbon potential, which might help transform the future of aviation,” she said.
“The UK is leading the global transition to guilt-free flying, and today’s test by Rolls-Royce and easyJet is an exciting instance of how business innovation can revolutionize how we live our lives,” said Grant Shapps, the UK’s business secretary.
