EasyJet and Rolls-Royce jointly develop hydrogen engine for aircraft – IT Pro – News

Aircraft maker Rolls-Royce and EasyJet will collaborate on the development of hydrogen engines for aircraft. The companies want to conduct the first tests this year. Hydrogen engines could be used in the middle of the next decade.

Hydrogen combustion engines should be usable in many types of aircraft, including narrow body– Planes. These are single-aisle aircraft with two rows of seats. It will not be the widest multi-aisle aircraft press release the name of the thing.

The two companies under the H2ZERO partnership have agreed to conduct multiple engine tests on the ground. The first test will begin later this year, with the Rolls-Royce AE2100 engine. This is a turboprop engine with propellers used in the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, among others. The hydrogen test will be conducted in the UK.

Later, the two companies plan to test a hydrogen-powered turbofan engine from Rolls-Royce Pearl 15. The Pearl 15 engine is a modified version of the engines also used for the Boeing 717 and B-52 Stratofortress. It is not yet known where this test will take place, possibly in the United States.

The two companies have the “ambition” to test hydrogen engines in the air, too. Rolls-Royce develops and supplies aircraft engines, and EasyJet contributes knowledge and practical experience. The airline will also invest millions of pounds in testing. With H2ZERO, the two companies aim to demonstrate that hydrogen aircraft can be deployed by the middle of the next decade.

H2ZERO is a follow-up to a research project the two companies started last year. Market analyzes were conducted and engine specifications developed. Infrastructure and legislation were also examined. Both companies want to be CO2-neutral by 2050. EasyJet now only has narrow-body aircraft, although it does not use the two engines mentioned in testing. Rolls-Royce says it wants to look not only at hydrogen, but also at sustainable electric fuels and more efficient turbines.