Rolls-Royce and EasyJet claimed a world first today (28 November) after running a modern aircraft engine on hydrogen
The ground test was conducted on an early concept demonstrator and used ‘green’ hydrogen created using wind and tidal power.
The demonstration “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 engine manufacturer said in an announcement.
Both companies have set out to prove that hydrogen can safely and efficiently deliver power for civil aero engines. They are already planning a second set of tests, with a longer-term ambition to carry out flight tests.
The test took place at an outdoor test facility at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine. Green hydrogen was supplied by the European Marine Energy Centre (Emec), and was generated using renewable energy at their hydrogen production and tidal test facility on Eday in Orkney.
extracted from IMechE website - read more here