World’s first hydrogen powered jet engine successfully tested

As the world moves forward with options to replace conventional, non-replenishable fuel resources, one of the world’s biggest carmakers has claimed it has successfully tested what it is calling the world’s first hydrogen-powered jet engine. Rolls-Royce has partnered with easyJet to test a jet engine that runs on hydrogen fuel. It was an early concept demonstrator using green hydrogen generated by wind and tidal power.

“It marks a major step towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero carbon aviation fuel of the future and is a key proof point in the decarbonisation strategies of both Rolls-Royce and easyJet,” the two companies said in a joint statement.

What’s the plan

Their goal is to minimise carbon emissions by 2050, which falls in line with the ambitions of other energy companies. The ground test of the jet engine, anyway, is in a testing phase and rolling out the final product for commercial use might take a lot of time. For the test, a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine was used for the test at an outdoor facility at MoD Bosombe Down in the UK. The companies said the green hydrogen was supplied by European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), which it generated using renewable energy.

Flights are a major source of carbon emissions and, thus, have a big impact on the planet. According to Réseau Action Climate Association, reported by Energy Industry Review, aviation was responsible for five percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally as of February earlier this year. But the impact may be much higher since these statistics do not factor in plane stopovers. For the past few years, airline and jet engine manufacturers have been trying to figure out ways to reduce emissions.

Hydrogen is the most ideal substitute as it has the ability to produce water vapour instead of carbon dioxide. Rolls-Royce and easyJet’s first successful hydrogen jet engine test may just change the next few years of the airline industry. Although the companies have not said anything about the performance of the engine as compared to the conventional ones. But they said their partnership “plans a series of further rig tests leading up to a full-scale ground test of a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine.”

The post World’s first hydrogen powered jet engine successfully tested appeared first on BGR India.

from BGR India https://ift.tt/F5gQWC6
via IFTTT