A hydrogen demonstration programme that will take flight around the middle of this decade will be the result of a partnership agreement between the two companies.
The aim of the programme is to ground and flight test a hydrogen fueled direct combustion engine in order to enter service by the year 2035. The A380 flying testbed will be equipped with liquid hydrogen tanks. The A380 platform will be used to test the hydrogen combustion engine in cruise phase.
The control system of a GE Passport engine will be modified to run on hydrogen. The engine that was selected for this program was assembled in the US and has a lot of advanced features. It will be mounted along the back of the flying testbed to allow for the monitoring of engine emissions. Ahead of the A380 flight test, a ground test program will be executed.
“This is the most significant step undertaken at Airbus to usher in a new era of hydrogen-powered flight since the unveiling of our ZEROe concepts back in September 2020,”
Sabine Klauke, Airbus Chief Technical Officer
By using the expertise of American and European engine manufacturers, this international partnership sends a clear message that our industry is committed to making zero-emission flight a reality.
One of the technologies we are developing and maturing is hydrogen combustion capability.
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