New Fuel Type for Jet Aircraft Engines

Rolls-Royce and easyJet tested the classic Rolls-Royce AE-2100A jet engine by replacing conventional jet fuel with hydrogen. The project was done to demonstrate that it is possible to start and operate a green-fueled jet engine.

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Rolls-Royce Conducts First Successful Test of a Conventional Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft Engine

The Rolls-Royce AE-2100A gas turbine model is widely used in regional jets around the world, the company says. The tests are the company's first step in transforming aviation from kerosene to environmentally friendly fuel, which does not require a large-scale modernization of the entire fleet. easyJet said the company is interested in hydrogen as a key component to reduce emissions from short-haul aviation. The company analyzed electric aircraft and concluded that this technology is too underdeveloped to lift large commercial aircraft into the air.

The advantage of hydrogen over batteries is that it delivers much more power per kilogram. The fuel used in the tests is green hydrogen produced at the European Marine Energy Center. It is produced using electric current to split water into its components. The necessary electricity is generated using wave and wind power. Company officials say the initial tests are an important milestone in the development of green aviation, but industrial application of the technologies will have a long way to go. Tests were carried out to demonstrate that the engine operates at low speeds. The engines will need to be upgraded to provide the necessary lift.

In addition, even in liquid form hydrogen is much heavier than kerosene, and therefore the aircraft itself needs to be modified to handle a lot of weight. In addition, all issues related to the safety of transporting hydrogen fuel and the production of environmentally friendly gas need to be resolved. Despite the use of green hydrogen in the tests, most of this fuel is still produced from electricity generated by burning fossil materials.