The use of hydrogen in the world of aviation is not exactly new. In recent years, multiple tests and experiments have been carried out for its implementation, although probably no project is as ambitious as ZEROeof Airbus. The manufacturer aims to develop a passenger aircraft with electric propulsion powered by hydrogen cells. And he is making very important progress.
Weeks ago, Airbus advertisement which managed to successfully ignite the electric motors of the ZEROe project, using hydrogen fuel cells that it has been developing since 2020. According to the firm, this has been a crucial step to advance with the initiative, which aspires to make the first flight of testing under this propulsion system in 2026, with a view to deploying it commercially in 2035.
The first Airbus ZEROe hydrogen aircraft concepts were launched in 2020. At that time, we learned about different designs and approaches related to the implementation of this type of fuel. Some seemed more feasible in the medium term, while others were presented as an almost purely futuristic bet.
Of the 4 original proposals, Airbus was inclined to experiment and develop the only one it had presented. a 100% electric propulsion system, but powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The three remaining models, meanwhile, relied on hybrid engines and hydrogen combustion.
The use of hydrogen to power electric motors would bring with it a very important benefit: its emissions would be practically zero. According to those responsible for Airbus ZEROe, hydrogen cells can generate electricity through a chemical reaction that only produces water as a byproduct.
Airbus aims to revolutionize commercial aviation with the ZEROe program
The first major challenge faced by the implementation of the Airbus ZEROe program was the development of hydrogen fuel cells. The aircraft manufacturer joined forces with ElringKlinger to create a new company called Aerostackbased in Germany.
Aerostack’s mission was to research, develop and manufacture the fuel cells in question, not a simple task. Airbus decided to face this process on its own because it considered that the hydrogen solutions available to date, and even tested in the aeronautical sector, were too heavy and did not offer the necessary power to be implemented in a medium or large commercial aircraft.
The evolution of Airbus ZEROe has been such that in less than three years they have managed to develop a system that provides the necessary power to power the electric propeller motors that will be used in the tests. In June 2023, the company carried out a successful test with which managed to generate 1.2 megawatts of power with its own hydrogen fuel cell system.
A few months later, in October, the Airbus ZEROe team tested the electric propulsion system separately, using a power of 1 megawatt. The next step was to join the two key pieces of the program, the hydrogen-based power generation system and the electric motors, to test them together.
We could say that the hydrogen fuel cell system developed by Aerostack is the core of the Airbus ZEROe program. Together with the liquid hydrogen tank used as fuel and the electric propeller motors, it is a fundamental piece in the search for commercial flights with low—or almost zero—emissions.
To carry out the first ignition test of electric motors using hydrogen, Airbus developed an element called Iron Pod, or iron capsule. It includes the electric motors, hydrogen fuel cells and the cooling system.
Hydrogen and electricity to revolutionize commercial aviation
At the end of 2023, the company finally launched this propulsion system, and did so successfully. In the tests, Airbus managed to power the electric motors with the 1.2 megawatts of power generated by the hydrogen fuel cells. Not a minor detail, since that is precisely the power they intend to test when they assemble all the components to the plane that they will use as a technology demonstrator.
Of course, beyond the first victorious test, Airbus ZEROe still has several challenges to overcome before moving forward with more daring tests. The manufacturer must now work to ensure that the hydrogen-powered electric motor meets the necessary requirements so that it can be used in a real aircraft. To do this, it must pass demanding tests related to its reaction and resistance to different variables, such as environmental humidity, vibrations or flight altitude.
The company wants to work on these points throughout 2024, to advance the installation of the propulsion system in a A380. More specifically, in the first unit manufactured by Airbus of said model. But the intention is not only to use the beastly aircraft for tests on the ground, but also in flight. Yes, the world’s largest airliner could become the first to fly with electric propeller motors powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
Up to this point the initiative has advanced steadily and according to schedule, but Airbus does not want the hype takes over the ZEROe program. The company maintains that, if everything continues according to plan, the first flight tests could be carried out in 2026. As long as there are no problems or delays, of course. But beyond caution, Airbus remains firm in its goal of having emission-free commercial aircraft in service by 2035.
Other aviation projects that have already used hydrogen
Airbus ZEROe is not the first aeronautical project that aims to use hydrogen as fuel; although it is the most ambitious to date. Another company that demonstrated interesting advances in the sector was ZeroAvia, which at the end of 2020 made the first hydrogen-powered flight. Of course, it was with a Piper M-class, a tiny plane compared to the Airbus A380.
In 2022, meanwhile, Rolls-Royce For the first time, a turboprop engine ran on hydrogen as fuel. A very important advance, but one that the company itself highlighted was still far from practical implementation in the market.
First, because liquid hydrogen takes up four times more space than the conventional fuel needed for an aircraft to fly the same distance. Second, because hydrogen must be cooled to -253 degrees Celsius to become liquid, and then it must become a gas before being burned. Which even represents a challenge at the airport logistics level.
Added to all this is the debate on the impact that obtaining green hydrogen has on the Environment. Especially considering that most of what is used at an industrial level is still generated through steam reforming, which requires natural gas.
While Airbus ZEROe sees hydrogen as the future of commercial aviation, there are also projects to create battery-electric propulsion methods. CATL, for example, is making an important commitment to its condensed batteries. They promise to provide more than double the energy density than that available today in conventional lithium-ion batteries. The Chinese firm said in its announcement that it not only plans to include them in electric cars, but also in large electric passenger planes.