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Airbus increases its UK innovation footprint to develop new hydrogen technologies

Airbus is strengthening its presence in the UK with the launch of a Zero Emission Development Centre (ZEDC) for hydrogen technologies.

Aeronautics giant Airbus has launched a Zero Emission Development Centre (ZEDC) for hydrogen technologies. According to the company, priority for the UK ZEDC will be the development of a costcompetitive cryogenic fuel system required for the successful entry-into-service of Airbus’ ZEROe passenger aircraft by 2035 and to accelerate UK skills and know-how on hydrogen-propulsion technologies.

The UK ZEDC will benefit from the recent commitment by the UK Government to guarantee £685 million of funding to the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) over the next three years to support the development of zero-carbon and ultra-low-emission aircraft technologies.

“Establishing the ZEDC in the UK expands Airbus’ in-house industrial capabilities to design, develop, test and manufacture cryogenic hydrogen storage tanks and related systems for the ZEROe project across Airbus’ four home countries. This, coupled with our partnership with ATI, will allow us to leverage our respective expertise to realise the potential of hydrogen technology to support the decarbonisation of the aviation industry,” said Sabine Klauke, Airbus Chief Technical Officer.

Technology development at the new UK ZEDC, to be based in Filton, Bristol, has already started and will cover the full product capabilities from components up to whole system and cryogenic testing. End-toend fuel systems development, a speciality of Airbus in the UK, is one of the most complex technologies crucial to the performance of a future hydrogen aircraft.

The ZEDC complements Airbus’ existing Research and Technology footprint in the UK, as well as the work on cryogenic liquid hydrogen tanks being done at Airbus’ existing ZEDCs in Madrid, Spain and Stade, Germany (composite structure technologies) and in Nantes, France and Bremen, Germany (metallic structural technologies). All Airbus ZEDCs are expected to be fully operational and ready for ground testing with the first fully functional cryogenic hydrogen tank during 2023, and with flight testing starting in 2026.

The next frontier in alternative propulsion technology

Hydrogen is a high-potential technology with a specific energy-per-unit mass that is three times higher than traditional jet fuel. If generated from renewable energy through electrolysis, it emits no CO2 emissions, thereby enabling renewable energy to potentially power large aircraft over long distances but without the undesirable by-product of CO2 emissions.

Because hydrogen has a lower volumetric energy density, the visual appearance of future aircraft, according to Airbus, will likely change. This is to better accommodate hydrogen storage solutions that will be bulkier than existing jet fuel storage tanks.

Two primary uses for hydrogen in aviation

Hydrogen has been safely used in the aerospace and automobile industries for decades. The aviation industry’s challenge now is to take this zero-emission energy carrier and adapt it to commercial aviation’s needs.

At Airbus two primary uses for hydrogen are being worked on: hydrogen propulsion and synthetic fuels.

On the topic of hydrogen propulsion, hydrogen can be combusted through modified gas-turbine engines or converted into electrical power that complements the gas turbine via fuel cells. The combination of both creates a highly efficient hybrid-electric propulsion chain powered entirely by hydrogen.

When it comes to synthetic fuels, Airbus’ engineers are looking at how hydrogen can be used to create e-fuels, which are generated exclusively through renewable energy. Hydrogen produced using renewable electricity is combined with carbon dioxide to form a carbon fuel with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Airbus confirmed it expects to make the necessary decisions on the best combination of hydrogen technologies by 2025.

With this new Filton facility, Airbus said it is reaffirming its long-term commitment to remain a major player in Britain’s worldleading aerospace ecosystem, working with the Jet Zero Council to drive forward research in the sector, supporting green jobs and helping the UK meet its ambitious net zero targets.

The launch of the UK ZEDC follows the opening of the £40 million AIRTeC research and testing facility in Filton in June 2021, jointly funded by the ATI and Airbus, to deliver the next generation of aircraft wing, landing-gear systems and fuel system designs. n