Airbus is building a hydrogen fuel-cell engine for aircraft

The development of a hydrogen fuel-cell engine for airplanes is part of the goal to have zero emission aircraft enter service by the year 2035. Unlike Rolls-Royce's jet engine that burns hydrogen directly, it would use an electric motor and emit only H20. The company said it could be used in commercial aircraft that could carry up to 100 passengers.

The engine on the A380 is currently being modified to carry liquid hydrogen tanks. The technology seems to be designed for smaller, regional type aircraft that use more efficient propeller.

"Fuel cells are a potential solution to help us achieve our zero-emission ambition and we are focused on developing and testing this technology to understand if it is feasible and viable for a 2035 entry- into-service of a zero-emission aircraft," said Glenn, vice president for zero-emission

Fuel-cells are a well-known technology for cars. If you count fuel production and conversion to electricity, they're not as efficient as batteries. They have more range, are quicker to refuel and lighter.

The successful test of a jet engine powered by burning hydrogen directly is a possible technology for future air transport. The company converted a regional aircraft engine to use the novel fuel source. It is possible that the tech could be scaled up for bigger planes.

Before hydrogen can be used to power airplanes, there are some major hurdles to overcome. It takes four times more hydrogen than regular fuel for the same range and the fuel must be kept under pressure. It's important that aircraft systems for storage and distribution are reliable and durable because hydrogen is a very dangerous substance. It may be the only option for aircraft in the near future as battery technology is too heavy for very short flights.