Rolls-Royce Has Modified Its Aircraft Engine so It Can Take Off On Hydrogen
Rolls-Royce, a British engineering company, has done significant work on modifying aircraft engines to use hydrogen as fuel, even in takeoff modes.
Although hydrogen is one of the most difficult fuels to handle, its combustion does not release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, making it a highly promising fuel for future air travel. In addition, the tests used “green” hydrogen produced using wind and tidal power generators. Among other things, the experiment indirectly confirms the correct choice of Rolls-Royce’s decarbonization strategy.
New Rolls-Royce fuel injectors are key to the successful use of hydrogen as fuel at the maximum power levels required for aircraft take-off. The hydrogen injectors were previously tested at Loughborough University in the UK and the German Aerospace Center.
Rolls-Royce claims to have successfully adapted the engine’s hydrogen combustion process and controllability of the process. The tests produced a wealth of data regarding the combustion characteristics of hydrogen under various conditions, highlighting its potential for use in jet flight.
