The airframer will essentially choose between burning hydrogen in a turbine engine and using it in a fuel cell to produce electricity—which favors efficiency.
CAeS has released details of the finalized hydrogen fuel cell packing design it is developing for flight tests on a modified Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander.
A dozen teams have been selected to develop energy storage systems to enable electrification of regional aircraft with up to 100 seats and ranges up to 700 nm.
Airbus is progressing with studies and tests on two different hydrogen propulsion systems—a modified turbofan and an electric motor associated to a fuel cell.
Two-thirds of Europe’s Clean Aviation research projects are focused on more sustainable advanced propulsion technologies for service entry in the mid-2030s.
The first years of operations of hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft may take place in specific limited areas as opposed to the global nature of aviation.