The automobile giant Rolls-Royce and easyJet in Europe stated that they have built and tested a hydrogen jet engine, which might one day be used to completely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from aviation. In a news release on 31st November 2022, Rolls-Royce stated that the ground test represents “the first run of a modern aircraft engine on hydrogen in the world.”
Because making electric planes is significantly more complex than making electric cars, the aviation industry is regarded as one of the hardest to clean up. Renewable wind and solar energy-powered batteries are still too heavy for lengthy flights. Airlines and aircraft manufacturers are therefore attempting to create aircraft that can run on alternative energy like hydrogen, which when burned creates water vapor rather than carbon dioxide.
Where was the ground test conducted?
For the ground test done in the UK, the two companies employed a modified Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A airplane engine. On Eday in the UK’s Orkney Islands, the European Marine Energy Centre built a hydrogen production and tidal testing facility. Green hydrogen is the name given to the hydrogen because it is produced using wind and tidal energy.
In order to help them meet their climate targets, Rolls-Royce and easyJet both announced corporate commitments to lower their greenhouse gas emissions. However, green hydrogen is indeed hard to come by and excessively expensive to produce right now. The administration under Biden has already started investing heavily in increasing its production.
There are encouraging indications that hydrogen may find use in the aviation industry, especially given the sector’s goal of becoming carbon free by 2050. In the news release, EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren referred to it as “a tremendous step forward.” In a similar vein, Rolls-Chief Royce’s Technology Officer, Grazia Vittadini, declared that the achievement of this hydrogen ground testing was an exciting milestone. The companies are pushing the limits to learn more about hydrogen’s zero-carbon potential, which could help transform the future of aviation.
Green Hydrogen as a fuel
Although the majority of hydrogen today is still manufactured with gas, green hydrogen is produced utilizing renewable energy. The problematic issue is that hydrogen can only be considered a clean fuel if a clean energy source is employed to create it. The process of producing hydrogen from gas emits carbon dioxide, which warms the globe.
The International Air Transport Association claims that introducing and approving new aircraft designs will be a significant barrier to hydrogen-fueled flight. Aircraft must be redesigned to have larger fuel tanks if they are to run on hydrogen. According to The Guardian, a Boeing 747 jumbo jet will require more than 1 million liters of hydrogen to travel around the same distance as 250,000 liters of jet fuel.
Also check out our web story on Rolls Royce testing a hydrogen run jet engine!
Green Hydrogen should be used for shorter flights for now
Given these restrictions, it appears that short flights will initially be where green hydrogen will be most beneficial. According to a report from the European Union from 2020, passenger aircraft fueled by hydrogen for distances up to 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) would be available by 2035.
Thankfully, easyJet specializes in short-haul travel. More than 400 airline companies are among the clients of Rolls-Royce, a major engine supplier for commercial aviation and some of these clients including Boeing and Airbus, are looking at hydrogen as a clean aircraft fuel.
And even though the most recent ground test may have been a preliminary success, significant work remains to be completed before a hydrogen-fueled planes take off. According to a news release from Rolls-Royce, the companies will conduct additional ground tests before proceeding on to “a longer-term objective” of conducting flying tests.
Why are clean fuels necessary for the aviation industry?
As the world strives to achieve net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050 in order to avert devastating climate change of more than 1.5C beyond pre-industrial levels, aviation bears one of the toughest challenges of decarbonization than any other sector. Alternative energy sources are now available for the majority of modes of transportation, however present battery technology cannot be used for any long term, but only short term flights due to the power density requirements of the aircraft.
Not only Rolls-Royce but other aircraft firms are looking into hydrogen as a potential fuel. By 2026, Airbus hopes to have an A380 flying with a hydrogen engine. By 2035, short haul flights should be feasible, and by 2050, up to 40% of flights could be viable, according to the European Union.
Did you like this article? Do let us know in the comments section below and for more such articles, keep following Newsum.
